Window Studios

[paulconnors@earthlink.net]

>Russ Butler wrote:
>Does anyone else have a "window studio" story?

My first commercial radio job was at WNEB in Worcester from 1976-1979.  The
studios were inside the Galleria at Worcester Center, and one entire wall
of the air studio was a window.  That window attracted quite a wide variety
of the curious - multiple meanings of the word intended.

Back then, Massachusetts Blue Laws still required stores to close on
Sunday.  During one Sunday afternoon airshift I felt the "call of nature"
and responded to it.  At the time the format was country, and all those
*#@! songs were only three minutes long!  Soon, the song was finishing up
even though I had not quite finished.  I ran down the hall with my pants
around my ankles to start the next song.  Flying into the studio, I found
myself facing two grandmotherly types, noses pressed to the window.  We
were separated only by a pane of glass.  I started the turntable, waved
hello, and ran back out of the room.

I wasn't going to back in there until they were gone, dead air or not. 
They soon left.  

I had forgotten that one of the restaurants in the mall was open, and that
diners could walk through the mall between the garage and the restaurant!

Over the years, I would sometimes "embellish" this tale by saying that,
when I saw the ladies I started the song, cracked the mic and said "This is
Barry Wilson..." (the name of the midday guy), but I didn't think that fast.


Paul Connors, (not-so-well) known then as Paul Stevens