(I only recently got rid of that tie). It was 1970-something, and here I am in the "air chair" at WKER - The Mighty 1500 in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. It was my second job in radio, and I was enjoying myself tremendously. I learned SO much from the station manager, Tom Niven--things I still benefit from knowing today, even though so much about radio has changed over the years. Tom was a true professional who understood the importance of the relationship between the announcer and the audience. He taught me and the rest of the air staff that we should always consider ourselves guests in our listeners' homes. I was fortunate to have had him as one of my mentors.
The studio, as you can see, has no shortage of knobs, buttons and flashing lights. So exciting! Most of them even had a function! Plus look at those old turntables--each about the size of a Maytag washer. On the wall is a copy of the KERRadio Top 40 Survey; next to it our "Chosen Dozen Albums." The coffee mug is from Wecht's Army and Navy store on Wanaque Avenue in Pompton Lakes, one of the longtime sponsors. The area this radio station was located in was prone to flooding. One of my outstanding memories is being driven to the station through the flood waters in a garbage truck. The Show Must Go On!
photo Joe Daily's Scrapbook
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