Radio Daze!

  Today is "National Radio Day" and ever since I
can remember I was dazzled by the radio!
   When I was a kid radio was the main form of
home entertainment. TV's in every home were
still a couple years off.
    But radio was providing many of the shows
that would eventually find their way onto the
television screen.
    Dragnet, The Life of Riley, and even some of
the quiz shows got their start on radio. Other
programs like "Lights Out" and 'Suspense" were
really scary on radio. The actors provided the
dialog while the music, usually offered on an
organ, set the scene. But your imagination did
the rest.
     I was fascinated when I heard the local
announcers and DJ's, realizing their voices
belonged to people right in my own home
town. I wanted to join them!
    One of my Facebook friends, and a fellow
High School graduate, pulled my photo and
write up out of our Year Book the other day
and posted it for all to see. The last line said
it all..."Plans to become a Radio announcer."
     I started my quest by hanging out at the
local station and eventually was hired, as a
part time Errand Boy. The only time I ever
got on the air was during the company's
Christmas party when I was left behind to
run the control board and got to give the
station identification every hour.
    A year or so later I moved on to a new
local station where I was hired as the
janitor. My wife still finds that hard to
believe. And try to get a kid to start that
way today!
    The station operated from dawn to
dusk. So, after the place was cleaned and
everybody else when home I stayed and
learned how to work the control board.
     Then, somebody got sick. I was the
only other person who knew how the
controls worked. That lead to my first
full time slot as a DJ!
     There were a number of stations and
eventually a position as a newsman. That
led me to television. Even "retirement" didn't
get me off the air as I now volunteer with
Electric City Television, a Public Access
station based in Scranton.
    I don't get paid these days. But I never got
paid very much anyway.
    But there are times, like on this Radio Day,
when I think back to my personal "good old
days" when the biggest concern was
deciding which record to play next and
making sure you didn't miss any of the
commercials!
     Hope you'll tune in somebody for a little
while today and that all your NEWS is good!