We pause for station identification.

   This one of those 'special days' I just have to
observe!
    August 20th is 'National Radio Day!'
    Radio has been around since the late 1800's!
    But contrary to the opinion of many I was not
involved in the very beginning!
    I really loved listening to the radio while I was
growing up and decided, sometime in my teens,
I wanted to become an announcer. That
ambition was included in my write up in our
High School Yearbook. And just about the
time it was being published I got my chance.
    I had been 'hired', if you can call it that, as
an erand boy with WAZL in Hazleton. Some
people would call me a "Go for."  I carried
equipment, helped set up for live broadcasts.
and was generally available to go for anything
anybody needed.
    The first time I actually got 'on the air' came
around Christmas time.
     Most of the employes were headed to the
station's Christmas party. All of the evening's
musical programs had been taped in advance.
     But somebody had to run the tapes AND
give the station identification at the top and
bottom of the hour. So my 50 year plus
broadcasting career officially began with...
"This is WAZL and WAZL-FM, Hazleton
Pennsylvania."
     By the time I got into television on a full
time basis I had given station identifications
for WTHT, WNAK, WHZN, WYBG, WBRX,
WILK, AND WMJW.
     What experiences! I remember taping
high school basketball games to be played
back the day after the game because the
station had to sign off the air at night!
    I remember broadcasting from a closet
the day President Kennedy was killed because
that's where the Associated Press machine
was set up and it was the only source of
information available to us.
    I left one station because of a dispute on
whether we should or should not play
"They're Coming To Take Me Away,Ha Ha."
    I though we should. Then they came to
take me away!
    And, yes, I did barricade the door of the
control room where I played "Summer Time
Blues" over and over to see how many people
would call the station. A lot did before the
Chief Engineer managed to get the door
open.
    You just don't get things like that on the
radio anymore!
     You probably don't recognize all of the
station call letters I mentioned.
     Some are gone now, most merged into
giant broadcasting corporations whose only
real 'local' connection is a tower with red or
white lights somewhere on the outskirts of
town. 
    I still listen a lot. I like some 'talk shows',
and all the 'oldie programs.'  Those songs
were all new when I played them!
    I still believe radio can be the biggest
public service provider to a local
community. But it only will be when
the public DEMANDS it!
    Unfortunately most people just listen
and never speak up.
    Hope you're hearing what you want and
deserve and that all your NEWS is good!