OLD STOMPING GROUNDS

   THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th., 2018
        OLD STOMPING GROUNDS!

    My granddaughter's volleyball and
grandson's soccer were both "away
games" Wednesday and my shortcut
drive between them had me passing
some of my old stomping grounds.
     The route took me to the top of
Plymouth Mountain. There, half
hidden by the tall trees just off the
roadway was a small house-like
building standing next to a very tall
radio transmitting antenna.
      Sometime in 1973 that building
became my workplace home when
I joined the staff of what was then
WMJW-FM radio.
       The listener trend away from
AM and towards FM was beginning
and an old friend asked me to join
his staff as Assistant Manager and
News Director. I had already been
in broadcasting 14 years by then.
       The news directing part was
easy. I had a fantastic staff and
we, for several years running, won
more Associated Press awards,
numerically, than large stations in
Philadelphia.
        I had the likes of Rob Neyhard,
Bob Reynolds, Bill St. John, and
Dave Bienias, to name a few, covering
the regional news beat! I had a
newsman on duty round the clock.
Try to find that in local radio today!
       The assistant manager part was
a lot harder. My buddy ran into
financial problems (mostly from
getting bad advice from sales
people ) and, sometimes,
I was the one fielding telephone
calls about bill that were overdue.
I had a couple checks bounce. And
management at a small station
sometimes meant you had to shovel
the snow before or after (or both)
your shift was done!
         I had to buy my first 4 wheel
drive just to make sure I could get
there on winder days!
         I hung out there until 1980
when I had the opportunity to go
into television on a full time basis.
I took the job immediately to
advance myself and get out of
shoveling snow!
          My old friend sold  the place
a couple years later. I always heard
he made his million with that
transaction! He's passed away since
and the station's frequency was
bought up by one of those
corporations that runs everything
by remote from "someplace else."
           I wonder, when other people
 pass by, if they have any idea of
the talent that once served them from
that small place. I wonder in there's
still  boxes of old news awards
packed away somewhere in the
basement. Or maybe some old
recordings of breaking news
stories from the mid to late 70's.
           I know there's plenty of
old memories there, good and
bad, and it's fun to remember from
time to time.
          Hope all your NEWS is
good!