RE: first time on the air

[EM1 GITCHIER <RGITSCHIER@doyle.navy.mil>]

Getting on the radio was first accomplished by calling talk shows on WLLH --
"what do I need to do to become a radio announcer?" or "Hey, your station is
coming in really great in Pepperell, but then I lose you at sunset!" or in
the case of WCAP calling TTT Telephone Trading Time whenever Mom/Grandma
wanted to sell that old washer or TV set... Ah, Bob Dumais on the board
riding the gain.... whatever happened to Bob.

Now for TV, 
I used to position myself in the field of view whenever the Boston Stations
TV Camra Crews came to town for someting at City Hall or more usually during
a conflagaration. At some time or another in the mid 70s one factory or
another went up in flames or several blocks of temements in the Acre or
Lower Belvidere Sections of Lowell.... also would always see the WLLH van
but not the WCAP mobile (whatever that was in the mid 70s). Otherwise in the
early 80s it was showing up at Nancy Merrill's People Are Taliking show at
WBZ's studios. Sometimes a friend's mom or two would recognize me asking a
question now and then. They had a nice catered lunch there too. Would
sometimes sneak onto the News Set and have my friends snap a shot or two
sitting at the news desk until Don Kent with a baseball bat in hand would
shoo us away.  Just kidding. 

Got my little gig at WLLH as a log clerk/Eng helper/screwdriver
holder/remote console lugger through my uncle who knew _Mr._ Arnold Lerner
(he was a client of the station...) That was tons of fun back in 1978 back
at 4 Broadway Lowell...

Got my 4 year running gig at 1570 here in Florida through my hobby of
Airchecking/Taping station IDs. The then GM was asking for part time help at
the station. I've never driven to Fernandina Beach (From my home at
Mayport/Atlantic Beach) faster... was on it like white on rice and got
picked for the job co-hosting a radio auction two days later from after a
four hour tryout over the air. The GM put me on the air the second I walked
into the station... fun stuff. Trial by fire.


Ron Gitschier
At Sea serving America's Naval Needs...