J
jkf
Guest
Anyone know why WKZV in Washington is off?
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J
JohnnyMorganWXJX
Guest
> Anyone know why WKZV in Washington is off?
>
Right now off? No clue.
I know they are a daytimer, and sunset is earlier so they sign-off at night earlier.
But now....no clue. Perhaps maintenance.
>>>>>
This post, 1007, is dedicated to: Me, for belated passing the 1000 mark; to pioneer WMMS 100.7FM in Cleveland; and to ALL the various formats on 100.7 in Pittsburgh--from WNUF's beautiful music, through Double X WXXP, past The Point and up to Star 100.7.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Johnny Morgan on 10/13/05 07:42 PM.</FONT></P>
>
Right now off? No clue.
I know they are a daytimer, and sunset is earlier so they sign-off at night earlier.
But now....no clue. Perhaps maintenance.
>>>>>
This post, 1007, is dedicated to: Me, for belated passing the 1000 mark; to pioneer WMMS 100.7FM in Cleveland; and to ALL the various formats on 100.7 in Pittsburgh--from WNUF's beautiful music, through Double X WXXP, past The Point and up to Star 100.7.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Johnny Morgan on 10/13/05 07:42 PM.</FONT></P>
WNUF
I didn't think anyone remember WNUF except me. If I remember correctly they used to be "The Sounds of The Big Bands" on WNUF New Kensington/Pittsburgh. And in the late 70s - early 80s they dropped the Big Band format and created a format with out Disc Jockey. The gimick was the listener was programing the station by making their request.
> > Anyone know why WKZV in Washington is off?
> >
>
> Right now off? No clue.
>
> I know they are a daytimer, and sunset is earlier so they
> sign-off at night earlier.
>
> But now....no clue. Perhaps maintenance.
>
> >>>>>
>
> This post, 1007, is dedicated to: Me, for belated passing
> the 1000 mark; to pioneer WMMS 100.7FM in Cleveland; and to
> ALL the various formats on 100.7 in Pittsburgh--from WNUF's
> beautiful music, through Double X WXXP, past The Point and
> up to Star 100.7.
>
I didn't think anyone remember WNUF except me. If I remember correctly they used to be "The Sounds of The Big Bands" on WNUF New Kensington/Pittsburgh. And in the late 70s - early 80s they dropped the Big Band format and created a format with out Disc Jockey. The gimick was the listener was programing the station by making their request.
> > Anyone know why WKZV in Washington is off?
> >
>
> Right now off? No clue.
>
> I know they are a daytimer, and sunset is earlier so they
> sign-off at night earlier.
>
> But now....no clue. Perhaps maintenance.
>
> >>>>>
>
> This post, 1007, is dedicated to: Me, for belated passing
> the 1000 mark; to pioneer WMMS 100.7FM in Cleveland; and to
> ALL the various formats on 100.7 in Pittsburgh--from WNUF's
> beautiful music, through Double X WXXP, past The Point and
> up to Star 100.7.
>
Re: WNUF
> I didn't think anyone remember WNUF except me. If I
> remember correctly they used to be "The Sounds of The Big
> Bands" on WNUF New Kensington/Pittsburgh. And in the late
> 70s - early 80s they dropped the Big Band format and created
> a format with out Disc Jockey. The gimick was the listener
> was programing the station by making their request.
I remember WNUF but some of the details are clouded by time so
some of these points may be fuzzy:
1). Milton James Hammond owned the station.
2). It was under the same unbrella as the ``Green Sheet''
classified newspaper.
3). WNUF in the late '60s was primarily marketed as North
Hills focused-station.
4). The ID made a point to mention that the studios were
in Millvale but ``licensed to New Kensington''.
5). I think they ran 20 KW but I can't recall where the
transmitter was. It came in much better in the South Hills
than WYDD (which was licensed to Pittsburgh -- but had the
transmitter up in New ken).
6). They played a lot of Lester Lanin.
The music was
more of the lush, stringy Big Band sound as opposed to
the jazz influence.
7). WNUF didn't come on until 7 AM each day, after all who
had FM in a *CAR* for the morning drive commute back then?
Along with WKJF and WYDD, it was one of the few Pittsburgh
FMs that was doing something other than simulcasting the
AM big brothers back then.
> I didn't think anyone remember WNUF except me. If I
> remember correctly they used to be "The Sounds of The Big
> Bands" on WNUF New Kensington/Pittsburgh. And in the late
> 70s - early 80s they dropped the Big Band format and created
> a format with out Disc Jockey. The gimick was the listener
> was programing the station by making their request.
I remember WNUF but some of the details are clouded by time so
some of these points may be fuzzy:
1). Milton James Hammond owned the station.
2). It was under the same unbrella as the ``Green Sheet''
classified newspaper.
3). WNUF in the late '60s was primarily marketed as North
Hills focused-station.
4). The ID made a point to mention that the studios were
in Millvale but ``licensed to New Kensington''.
5). I think they ran 20 KW but I can't recall where the
transmitter was. It came in much better in the South Hills
than WYDD (which was licensed to Pittsburgh -- but had the
transmitter up in New ken).
6). They played a lot of Lester Lanin.
The music was more of the lush, stringy Big Band sound as opposed to
the jazz influence.
7). WNUF didn't come on until 7 AM each day, after all who
had FM in a *CAR* for the morning drive commute back then?
Along with WKJF and WYDD, it was one of the few Pittsburgh
FMs that was doing something other than simulcasting the
AM big brothers back then.
WKZV is back on the air
I talked to the assistant chief. they needed a rare part for the transmitter.
They are back on the air and everything is fine!
> > > Anyone know why WKZV in Washington is off?
>
> Maybe Stan's Barber Shop didn't pay his/her advertising bill
> and the station had no money to pay the electric bill...and
> poff AEP shuts off the power!
>
I talked to the assistant chief. they needed a rare part for the transmitter.
They are back on the air and everything is fine!
> > > Anyone know why WKZV in Washington is off?
>
> Maybe Stan's Barber Shop didn't pay his/her advertising bill
> and the station had no money to pay the electric bill...and
> poff AEP shuts off the power!
>
J
JohnnyMorganWXJX
Guest
Re: WKZV is back on the air
> I talked to the assistant chief. they needed a rare part
> for the transmitter.
Rare part for the transmitter? Or part for a rare transmitter?
Or rare part for a rare transmitter?
Any beer (W)KEGs hanging around?
> I talked to the assistant chief. they needed a rare part
> for the transmitter.
Rare part for the transmitter? Or part for a rare transmitter?
Or rare part for a rare transmitter?
Any beer (W)KEGs hanging around?
Re: WKZV is back on the air
>
> Any beer (W)KEGs hanging around?
>KEG was making big bucks back in the 70's. At the time I was at WLIT in Steubenville, another daytimer. We were billing between 20-25K a month, when we heard that WKEG was billing in the mid 30's we knew we had to pour it on.( No pun intended) As I recall the owner at that time also owned a number of Burger Kings
Those were the days when AM daytimers were making decent local money!
>
> Any beer (W)KEGs hanging around?
>KEG was making big bucks back in the 70's. At the time I was at WLIT in Steubenville, another daytimer. We were billing between 20-25K a month, when we heard that WKEG was billing in the mid 30's we knew we had to pour it on.( No pun intended) As I recall the owner at that time also owned a number of Burger Kings
Those were the days when AM daytimers were making decent local money!
P
Part-timer
Guest
Re: WKZV is back on the air
> >
> > Any beer (W)KEGs hanging around?
> >KEG was making big bucks back in the 70's. At the time I
> was at WLIT in Steubenville, another daytimer. We were
> billing between 20-25K a month, when we heard that WKEG was
> billing in the mid 30's we knew we had to pour it on.( No
> pun intended) As I recall the owner at that time also owned
> a number of Burger Kings
>
> Those were the days when AM daytimers were making decent
> local money!
>
I actually got my start there in the late 70's, and yes, they were doing pretty well. The owner did own at least one Burger King, but came from a radio background, as I understood it he had been a sales manager at WTAE.
And a lot of that billing came from weekend polka shows and Nascar.
The PD at the time was John Gallagher, who went on to 20+ years at WPNT/WLTJ.<P ID="signature">______________
"With God as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly."</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Part-timer on 10/19/05 02:29 AM.</FONT></P>
> >
> > Any beer (W)KEGs hanging around?
> >KEG was making big bucks back in the 70's. At the time I
> was at WLIT in Steubenville, another daytimer. We were
> billing between 20-25K a month, when we heard that WKEG was
> billing in the mid 30's we knew we had to pour it on.( No
> pun intended) As I recall the owner at that time also owned
> a number of Burger Kings
>
> Those were the days when AM daytimers were making decent
> local money!
>
I actually got my start there in the late 70's, and yes, they were doing pretty well. The owner did own at least one Burger King, but came from a radio background, as I understood it he had been a sales manager at WTAE.
And a lot of that billing came from weekend polka shows and Nascar.
The PD at the time was John Gallagher, who went on to 20+ years at WPNT/WLTJ.<P ID="signature">______________
"With God as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly."</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Part-timer on 10/19/05 02:29 AM.</FONT></P>
J
JohnnyMorganWXJX
Guest
Mouse Tales (or how WKZV's transmitter got sliced)
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.observer-reporter.com/284476412820919.bsp>http://www.observer-reporter.com/284476412820919.bsp</a><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Johnny Morgan on 10/19/05 01:53 PM.</FONT></P>
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.observer-reporter.com/284476412820919.bsp>http://www.observer-reporter.com/284476412820919.bsp</a><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Johnny Morgan on 10/19/05 01:53 PM.</FONT></P>
Re: Mouse Tales (or how WKZV's transmitter got sliced)
Back to WLIT, I remember one morning we went off the air, when I went up to the transmitter site (Sun Valley in Weirton) with the engineer we noticed that a snake got into the transmitter and wrapped itself around the power transformer! Of course it was "fried" snake!
Back to WLIT, I remember one morning we went off the air, when I went up to the transmitter site (Sun Valley in Weirton) with the engineer we noticed that a snake got into the transmitter and wrapped itself around the power transformer! Of course it was "fried" snake!
J
JohnnyMorganWXJX
Guest
Re: Mouse Tales (or how WKZV's transmitter got sliced)
> Back to WLIT, I remember one morning we went off the air,
> when I went up to the transmitter site (Sun Valley in
> Weirton) with the engineer we noticed that a snake got into
> the transmitter and wrapped itself around the power
> transformer! Of course it was "fried" snake!
>
Slap some creole spice on that, with some jambalaya, and a glass of red wine, and you gots yourself some good fixins there, boy. Oooooooh wheeee!
> Back to WLIT, I remember one morning we went off the air,
> when I went up to the transmitter site (Sun Valley in
> Weirton) with the engineer we noticed that a snake got into
> the transmitter and wrapped itself around the power
> transformer! Of course it was "fried" snake!
>
Slap some creole spice on that, with some jambalaya, and a glass of red wine, and you gots yourself some good fixins there, boy. Oooooooh wheeee!
Re: Mouse Tales (or how WKZV's transmitter got sliced)
> Slap some creole spice on that, with some jambalaya, and a
> glass of red wine, and you gots yourself some good fixins
> there, boy. Oooooooh wheeee!
>
Funny you should say this. Quoting Paul Harvey...here's the rest of the story. After the engineer got the dead snake out of the main transmitter and we got back on the air we looked into the old back up transmitter.Yep a live snake was in the old back up. We were scared "sh++ less" Since the transmitter sat in a trailer court we got a local yocal to get the live snake out. He got a rake, wrapped the snake around it and took it home for supper! He was smakin his lips as he walked home with his catch.
> Slap some creole spice on that, with some jambalaya, and a
> glass of red wine, and you gots yourself some good fixins
> there, boy. Oooooooh wheeee!
>
Funny you should say this. Quoting Paul Harvey...here's the rest of the story. After the engineer got the dead snake out of the main transmitter and we got back on the air we looked into the old back up transmitter.Yep a live snake was in the old back up. We were scared "sh++ less" Since the transmitter sat in a trailer court we got a local yocal to get the live snake out. He got a rake, wrapped the snake around it and took it home for supper! He was smakin his lips as he walked home with his catch.
P
Part-timer
Guest
Re: Mouse Tales (or how WKZV's transmitter got sliced)
> > Slap some creole spice on that, with some jambalaya, and a
>
> > glass of red wine, and you gots yourself some good fixins
> > there, boy. Oooooooh wheeee!
> >
> Funny you should say this. Quoting Paul Harvey...here's the
> rest of the story. After the engineer got the dead snake out
> of the main transmitter and we got back on the air we looked
> into the old back up transmitter.Yep a live snake was in the
> old back up. We were scared "sh++ less" Since the
> transmitter sat in a trailer court we got a local yocal to
> get the live snake out. He got a rake, wrapped the snake
> around it and took it home for supper! He was smakin his
> lips as he walked home with his catch.
>
I posted this a couple of years ago but since KEG/KZV is the topic...
I worked Saturday mornings at WKEG when the studio was in the trailer at the transmitter site. My job was to sign on at sunrise, do a show until 9AM, then sit there from 9-noon while the polka show was on because the host didn't have a 3rd class license (and didn't know how to turn the transmitter back on if it dumped, which happened fairly often).
We also had one of those old typewriter-key UPI machines, and the weekend guys were tasked with taking the old paper outside and burning it. I was just about ready to leave one week when the guy who was to do the afternoon shift came running in the door frantically yelling, "GET THE HOSE!!!" It was a windy day and some of the news copy had started a brush fire, which was rapidly expanding in several directions. We called the fire department and were relieved to hear the sirens approach... and then fade away as they sped past our unmarked driveway. We then heard them approach from the opposite direction and fly right past us again. Finally the other guy got in his car and led them up the hill.
We spent the next 45 minutes beating out the fire with shovels and brooms. The polka audience never had a clue anything was going on, although the host did stick his head out the door once and say, "Oh, he's gonna lose his job for this!!"
In the aftermath the entire hilltop was left blackened, and we found maybe 1,000 beer cans... the transmitter site apparently doubled as lover's lane after sign off.
Still my favorite radio story.<P ID="signature">______________
"With God as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly."</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Part-timer on 10/21/05 02:46 AM.</FONT></P>
> > Slap some creole spice on that, with some jambalaya, and a
>
> > glass of red wine, and you gots yourself some good fixins
> > there, boy. Oooooooh wheeee!
> >
> Funny you should say this. Quoting Paul Harvey...here's the
> rest of the story. After the engineer got the dead snake out
> of the main transmitter and we got back on the air we looked
> into the old back up transmitter.Yep a live snake was in the
> old back up. We were scared "sh++ less" Since the
> transmitter sat in a trailer court we got a local yocal to
> get the live snake out. He got a rake, wrapped the snake
> around it and took it home for supper! He was smakin his
> lips as he walked home with his catch.
>
I posted this a couple of years ago but since KEG/KZV is the topic...
I worked Saturday mornings at WKEG when the studio was in the trailer at the transmitter site. My job was to sign on at sunrise, do a show until 9AM, then sit there from 9-noon while the polka show was on because the host didn't have a 3rd class license (and didn't know how to turn the transmitter back on if it dumped, which happened fairly often).
We also had one of those old typewriter-key UPI machines, and the weekend guys were tasked with taking the old paper outside and burning it. I was just about ready to leave one week when the guy who was to do the afternoon shift came running in the door frantically yelling, "GET THE HOSE!!!" It was a windy day and some of the news copy had started a brush fire, which was rapidly expanding in several directions. We called the fire department and were relieved to hear the sirens approach... and then fade away as they sped past our unmarked driveway. We then heard them approach from the opposite direction and fly right past us again. Finally the other guy got in his car and led them up the hill.
We spent the next 45 minutes beating out the fire with shovels and brooms. The polka audience never had a clue anything was going on, although the host did stick his head out the door once and say, "Oh, he's gonna lose his job for this!!"
In the aftermath the entire hilltop was left blackened, and we found maybe 1,000 beer cans... the transmitter site apparently doubled as lover's lane after sign off.
Still my favorite radio story.<P ID="signature">______________
"With God as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly."</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Part-timer on 10/21/05 02:46 AM.</FONT></P>
I heard lots of neat stories about KEG when it was in its heyday...back when it made money before the late 80's. Was that Gil Yurus who was doing the polka show?
Also, who owned it at the time? I understand it was someone whose last name was Nascone, who had owned a couple Burger Kings in the area, that had put it on the air back in '68. Was he the same owner until Ferguson took over in '87?
Also, who owned it at the time? I understand it was someone whose last name was Nascone, who had owned a couple Burger Kings in the area, that had put it on the air back in '68. Was he the same owner until Ferguson took over in '87?
R
Radio_Realist
Guest
"that had put it on the air back in '68."
WKEG signed on in the late summer of 1970. It was owned by DiLeLo Broadcasting, which was Dick something or other (he was an engineer at KDKA), Leo something or other (silent partner, from Maryland), and Lou Wade. The original air staff was Donald Schmalz (air name "Don Rogers"), Sharon Snyder, and another guy whose name escapes me. I was hired after they'd been on the air for about a month, and the guy whose name I can't remember was fired about two weeks after I was hired. George Mlay did the polka show on Sunday afternoons at 1:00 PM. Pete Stanton, formerly of WJPA and WWSW was the station manager.
Their music format (if you could call it that) was to play two MOR songs then a country song, plus two polkas every hour. They had no record library at all, so we were bringing stuff in from home to play. I suspect I'm the only DJ to have every played three obscure "deep cuts" from Frankie Yanovic, Waylon Jennings, and Robert Goulet back-to-back.
Most of the programming consisted of new and creative ways to chase away any listeners (like playing two polkas every hour!). Another was the Public Affairs programs "Social Security and You" on Saturday afternoons. They'd have some guy from the local Social Security office who had the deepest, gruffest, most gravely monotone voice I ever heard read a three or four page handout from the Social Security Administration.
We did do one interesting stunt for Christmas 1970. We went to every local high school Christmas band and chorus concert and taped them, and then used those tapes as our total programming for Christmas Day. And we never told anyone when their school would be on, so everyone had to stay tuned in all day long.
The station was doing very badly under DiLeLo. I left in early 1971 after a paycheck bounced to work at an ad agency. DiLeLo sold the station by the middle of the year. It was whoever bought the station from them who made money with it. The funny thing was, every idea I had suggested that the guys who started the station rejected because they had been in broadcasting for years and years and I was only some young kid was implemented by the new owners.
Go figure.
WKEG signed on in the late summer of 1970. It was owned by DiLeLo Broadcasting, which was Dick something or other (he was an engineer at KDKA), Leo something or other (silent partner, from Maryland), and Lou Wade. The original air staff was Donald Schmalz (air name "Don Rogers"), Sharon Snyder, and another guy whose name escapes me. I was hired after they'd been on the air for about a month, and the guy whose name I can't remember was fired about two weeks after I was hired. George Mlay did the polka show on Sunday afternoons at 1:00 PM. Pete Stanton, formerly of WJPA and WWSW was the station manager.
Their music format (if you could call it that) was to play two MOR songs then a country song, plus two polkas every hour. They had no record library at all, so we were bringing stuff in from home to play. I suspect I'm the only DJ to have every played three obscure "deep cuts" from Frankie Yanovic, Waylon Jennings, and Robert Goulet back-to-back.
Most of the programming consisted of new and creative ways to chase away any listeners (like playing two polkas every hour!). Another was the Public Affairs programs "Social Security and You" on Saturday afternoons. They'd have some guy from the local Social Security office who had the deepest, gruffest, most gravely monotone voice I ever heard read a three or four page handout from the Social Security Administration.
We did do one interesting stunt for Christmas 1970. We went to every local high school Christmas band and chorus concert and taped them, and then used those tapes as our total programming for Christmas Day. And we never told anyone when their school would be on, so everyone had to stay tuned in all day long.
The station was doing very badly under DiLeLo. I left in early 1971 after a paycheck bounced to work at an ad agency. DiLeLo sold the station by the middle of the year. It was whoever bought the station from them who made money with it. The funny thing was, every idea I had suggested that the guys who started the station rejected because they had been in broadcasting for years and years and I was only some young kid was implemented by the new owners.
Go figure.
We did do one interesting stunt for Christmas 1970. We went to every local high school Christmas band and chorus concert and taped them, and then used those tapes as our total programming for Christmas Day.
I had the same idea to do that for Christmas programming at one AM station where I had worked in my early years (late 80's). Brought it to management, and you guessed it...fell on deaf ears.
I had the same idea to do that for Christmas programming at one AM station where I had worked in my early years (late 80's). Brought it to management, and you guessed it...fell on deaf ears.
I remember listening to WKEG in the late 70's and early 80's and thought it was a pretty good station (for a 1000-watt daytimer at a trailer at the transmitter site, competing with the well-established WJPA). I believe John Gallagher, now at WLTJ for many years, worked there.
Shame they didn't keep the call letters. They could have thrown KEG parties. ;D
Shame they didn't keep the call letters. They could have thrown KEG parties. ;D
I remember listening to WKEG in the late 70's and early 80's and thought it was a pretty good station (for a 1000-watt daytimer at a trailer at the transmitter site, competing with the well-established WJPA). I believe John Gallagher, now at WLTJ for many years, worked there.
Shame they didn't keep the call letters. They could have thrown KEG parties.
John Gallagher did work there, as did Rich Beno, who went on to work at WNUF, then WISH, then two versions of 104.7 (WEZE and WORD). You're right about those call letters...what a great marketing ploy. I believe a country station in upstate New York now has them. I almost went to work for them in 1999 after I moved back to PA from Detroit. They offered me the job and the key to the place, but then WJPA came in with a very-last-minute offer. The weird thing is, I had to think about it before making a decision. WJPA was the better career move, but Polka Mike and Helen were such neat people that I really hated to have to turn them down.
Shame they didn't keep the call letters. They could have thrown KEG parties.
John Gallagher did work there, as did Rich Beno, who went on to work at WNUF, then WISH, then two versions of 104.7 (WEZE and WORD). You're right about those call letters...what a great marketing ploy. I believe a country station in upstate New York now has them. I almost went to work for them in 1999 after I moved back to PA from Detroit. They offered me the job and the key to the place, but then WJPA came in with a very-last-minute offer. The weird thing is, I had to think about it before making a decision. WJPA was the better career move, but Polka Mike and Helen were such neat people that I really hated to have to turn them down.
Realist mentions one of the original owners was Leo from Maryland. I wonder if that would be Leo Shank from Frederick Maryland, one of the co-owers of word famous 14ZYQ. Anyone know?By the way I also worked at ZYQ lasting 6 months as Steve Rivers in PM drive.
Gary Gears voice: "14ZYQ---WZYQ Frederick, WZYQ-FM Braddock Heights!"
Gary Gears voice: "14ZYQ---WZYQ Frederick, WZYQ-FM Braddock Heights!"
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