GMC Mobile Studios

[Mark Watson]

Gary F wrote:

>For 5 years GMC made RV's that became the Gold Standard for mobile
broadcast vans.  Then they suddenly stopped making them.  Both WCAP and WHDH
had them.

WCAP's mobile studio was in service for 34 years. It made it's last public
appearance at Dracut Old Home Day in September 2007, a couple of weeks after
Maurice Cohen announced the sale of the station. By that time, the board and
equipment wasn't in working order, and the vehicle occasionally needed a
jump start to get going, but the rooftop speakers still sounding as good as
they did in 1973. It had just over 23,000 original miles when I saw it that
day.

WGIR in Manchester also had a GMC mobile studio, I've seen a couple of
photos of it. 

WLNG in Sag Harbor NY also had one that was in use for years. It was
replaced by a refurbished 1990's 40 foot PVTA (Pioneer Valley Transit
Authority) transit bus that ran most of it's service life in the Amherst MA
area. The RTS bus design was first manufactured by GMC from 1978-1987, then
sold to TMC and later Nova Bus when GMC exited the bus manufacturing
business.

A classic car buff found and restored the KFRC San Francisco GMC mobile
studio. It was sitting in a lot somewhere in California in a state of
disrepair. It now resembles what it looked like both inside and out. He
brings it to classic car shows in the SF area and to the Hot August Nights
car show week in Reno NV every year.

Mark Watson