Today marked forty years since I
first did a radio show. I nervously
covered the 4-8:30pm shift on 1220 WKBK/Keene, NH... a 1000-watt local AM in a
college town. Today I marked the
anniversary by filling in 6-10am on 1400 WILI/Willimantic, CT... another
1000-watt local AM in a college town.
The celebration - or absolute amazement I'm still on the air - was
somewhat muted. News arrived that the
entire air staff was let go at the legendary WDRC-FM/Hartford. This shocker came on the day 57-year owner Buckley
turned control of WDRC AM & FM to Connoisseur Media based downstate. I know these longtime WDRC people. While I've been the target of termination
plenty of times since 1974, this corporate housecleaning shook the broadcasting
community in Connecticut. I grew up on
WDRC. I worked at WDRC longer than
anywhere else in my extensive radio past.
Baby Boomers have had a special connection to "Hartford's Big
D" since 1960. While the music may
not change much, the air product will be a cloned corporate presentation
similar to the new owner's B103/Long Island.
Will they get away with it?
Probably, but folks in the know around here realize that this was the
day the Big D died.
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