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Your First Central PA Gig

Parttime 1975 on WQIN as John Michaels on sunday mornings playing country, followed by Happy Harry and Bouncin' Bunya on the polka show and Harry's afternoon oldies show. WQIN started in Lykens as a pirate station by a group of guys who loved radio and was finally granted a license in the mid 70s. Others I recall were the Morning Mayor Jolly Jim, Joe Beal, Jack Daniels, and the lovely Mary Federico.
 
My first radio gig was back in 1967 where I worked part time at WISL 1480 kc in Shamokin. I was only 15 but because another part timer left unexpectedly, was offered the job if I passed my radio telephone 3rd class license with endorsement, which I did in Philadelphia. What an experience, it actually meant more to me being around the equipment than it did to be on the air. I also took over the studio maintenance chores in 1969. I went full time on the air in 1970. We picked-up the FM 95.3 a couple of years after I started.

Dennis
 
WNOW AM/FM (now WQXA, at least the FM), York, 1971, all night's, country under Phil Gardner as PD then Dave Marino. Rust Communications owned station then. $100.00 a week and a nice view from Pleasureville Hill.
 
first gig was WCNR in Bloomsburg (1966). Also worked at WWPA in Williamsport (1966 to 68). Happy to learn that both stations are still on the air. (although I did my best to put them out of business).
 
My first actual experience with radio goes back to 1969. I had known Hugh Clinton for many years and considered him a great family friend when he was at the then WBUX 1570 in Doylestown. He moved on to purchase WRLC, Palmyra in the late 60's. I was still in high school in Bucks County and would travel 2 hours from my home, up route 309 and out route 22, after he hired me to do weekends at then WCTX-FM. One of my first experiences was a cold snowy winter night on new years eve 1960 to 1970. We had a snow storm that night and I volunteered to sleep at the station that night in case the morning man couldn't get in due to the snow. About 4 Am, I guess, it was still dark anyway, I was awakened to the feeling of being very cold. I quickly determined that the power had gone off in the snow storm. So I hunkered down under what covering I had and waited till daylight. At the proper time the morning man did arrive to a very cold building and we were both surprised to see each other. The power did come back on about 8:30 or so and things slowly got back to normal.
 
Not quite sure if peeps are looking for first radio experiences or first Central PA experiences. So, I'll give both.

Started back in '85 at good ol' Clarion U on WCUC; then filled in over the summer as news guy/whatever at WWCH/WCCR in Clarion. Fired (only time in my career, knock on wood) by the PD who was my classmate, saying I didn't have what it took.

First Central PA gig was in '92 when Al Dame hired me at WKSB/WRAK in Williamsport. After a year, came down to Harrisburg to anchor morning news and run the programming on "WHP 1230 Headline News." Eventually moved down to 580 after Fred Snyder left.

Just realized it's been almost 14 years since I worked in Harrisburg. Sure doesn't seem like it...
 
RockofHBG said:
When I was a senior in high school, I rode a Trailways bus by myself to Baltimore to take the 3rd class radiotelephone license test (remember those?). Several months later, was hired for weekends at WVLV Lebanon (now WADV), which was one of three stations owned by Art Greiner at the time. WSHP Shippensburg (now WEEO) and WVFC McConnellsburg (now dark, license re-assigned to Valley Forge) were the other two. The station was country at the time. About a month later, I was hired by Top 40 WQVE, QV93 (now WTPA)to run the Sunday morning public affairs/religion tapes. I got the job because you needed that dreaded third class license and anybody with experience didn't want to run 10, that's right 10 hours of the stuff. That was due to the station being a new sign-on and the so-called "comparative renewal" that was the rule of the time. Shortly thereafter I got a weekend on-air shift. Eventually ended up on overnights and 6 to 11 PM. I was let go when the station flipped to AC in August of 1982 as "Magic 93, WKCD". I then hung out part-time at WKBO for about eight months doing weekend/swing. The in May of 1983, I hooked with WIKZ in Chambersburg/Hagerstown (then known as Wick-Sea 95, later Z-95 and now MIX95.1) Still there today.
Click to expand...

So you're the guy that replaced me.
 
I guess you're addressing "Stillwater". Not sure who that is but probably Steve Martin judging by the time frame and airshift. Refresh me on your Starview connection. I'm Jeff Hunt who arrived with RJ and succeeded him as PD. Airname was Brother Brian.
 
It was on top of Starview Mountain....Starview-92 in 1976....Part-time on the weekends ...Jeff Kauffman was the MD.... Hal German was the PD.
 
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