Re: The changing face of radio (was: Re: Boston's Newsradio Void)

[Steve & Barb Sawyer <steve5@tiac.net>]

Dan Strassberg wrote:

> Maybe you'd better try presenting the info in the table again in some other
> way. Tables do not travel well via Internet e-mail.

Ok.  Good point.

> 1520 (ex-WPOE; last calls I remember are
> WGAM) does not seem to appear in your current list. I would believe that
> 1520 is now dark if I could remember reading a post to that effect. But even
> if the station did go dark for a while, I think I recall that it was
> repurchased by one-time owner Ed Skutnick, who returned it to the air. Is
> that not so?
>

I'm not sure of the exact lineage of 1520, however, I remember the day that 1520
first signed on the air in 1980, in fact, I even have a newspaper clipping
somewhere from the Greenfield Recorder newspaper highlighting the on air people
on the first day..

Ford Mullins - News Director
Bob Sawyer (no relation) DJ
Marty Terrell (sp) (brother of Jeff Terrell currently of WHAI 98.3) - Sports
Director

I can recall that for a few weeks leading up to the first broadcast there was an
endless loop tape that would run during their "experimental transmissions".  Very
well produced.  The company which first owned 1520 and brought it to life was
called "Poet Seat Broadcasting" as in the Poet Seat Tower in Greenfield.  Hence
the calls WPOE.

In its first incarnation, as WPOE, AM 1520 was a powerhouse, full service A/C,
and sounded much like WBZ's A/C format, only with perhaps a bit more upbeat
music.  Used to aggravate me so much that WPOE's arrival on the air rendered it
impossible for me to hear the Jay Fredericks show on WKBW Buffalo!!  This format
and calls lasted at least until 1983, perhaps into 84, but I'm not sure when
management cashed out.  What I do remember is I went into the Navy in 84 and when
I was here on leave sometime in 1986, it was a Big Band/Standards station and the
calls were WGAM.

>From what I understand, Ed Skutnick did in fact re-purchase the station from the
folks who also own WRSI 95.3 "The River" several months ago.  The Standards
format has been gone for about 6 or 8 months now; or perhaps its been a whole
year, replaced with what I can only describe, inaccurately, as ecclectic oldies--
that is, they are old songs of the 50's and early 60's, but many of them were not
hits in any fashion... they're just old and that seems to be the only reason they
get airplay.  Sometimes there's a DJ announcing songs, other times WGAM sounds
jockless.  Whatever he's doing over there at 1520, I applaud him for the simple
reason that he's trying to make a buck by being different and not following the
same tired old methods like satellite feeds, or another Dr. Laura or Rush outlet
(although the Greenfield market certainly has room for that!).

Steve Sawyer
Trucker & fill in (the blanks) radio person

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