The Skipper T. Spence Collection
Have you seen this child? |
Skipper T. Spence writes:"If you were a fan of "The Wonder Years", that was 90% me. I was a small kid with a big passion for every aspect of life, with MUSIC and Top-40 Radio right at the top!
If you like "That 70's Show", that was 95% me. Basement hangout with Lava Lamps, Washer-Dryer to the side, Stereo-Turntable-8 Track (first Cassette in my High School) and a tall red-headed Girlfriend! The only difference: I have a "Cool Dad" that has a Jimmy Stewart meets John Boy Walton quality! I have two broadcast degrees, one seminary degree and 37 years plus in media. From spinning tunes at a roller rink, to airing the 'taped shows' (including Wolfman Jack and spinning the AT-40 Disks) on The "River City Rocker - WGBF-AM (75-77), to crashing 'GBF's Cash (or is that Crash) Crusier on my graduation night (She hit me!) — doing high school shows on local stations — working in college radio (WUEV and WVJC) — I did it. I've been an Engineer's sidekick and the "student" of every PD. I did sales and promotions while working at WCIL-FM in Carbondale, IL. (Billboard Station of the Year under Toni Waitekus.) I finally became a satisfied 'teen jock' at KINT-98 in El Paso (Jim Zippo, PD) and while in seminary at WRTB (in southern Indiana). There were those 'in-between' gigs I did at KGMO, KYMO, and KLID, and WRMX (now WMAK). I think I sent out tapes and wanted critique and direction from every major PD of the day! I finally listened to them and became myself. My students have made me proud, too! Joe Crain at NBC-20 Springfield, IL (Weatherman) and Scott Innes at WYNK (Country) in Baton Rouge (Scooby Do's third generation voice). During seminary, I did a Sunday Morning Christian CHR show on WRTB and it led me to eight years being the first fulltime 'teen jock' in Christian Radio at WAY-FM in Florida and then WAY-FM in Nashville. From '95 to '98, I was helping to put on Christian Alternative/Modern 'Radio-U' in Columbus, Ohio (Where I served as GM and Engineer during that stay). Since 1998, I taught music, started both men's and women's division II College soccer teams, and I did part-time Oldies (WJPS-FM which is now 93.5 The Wolf in Evansville) and News on local stations (former Clear Channel cluster, now Townsquare in Evansville-Owensboro-Henderson.) I spent Two-plus years as a Marketing Manager for Media relations at Cinergy Communications (dealing with internet audio and websites for radio-tv-paper), WIKY (South Central, where I learned from original owner John A. Engelbrecht when in High School) was home from 2007 to 2010, and I did Saturday and Sunday gigs and fill ins. During that time, I hosted "Joyful Noise", a CCM-Hot AC show on Sunday AM and continued to program and serve on the coffee house board at Youth, Inc. who has WYIR-LP (underground-theocratic outreach in Evansville). I built that little LPFM along with WWPO-LP in Oakland City (Where I served as Assistant Athletic Director of their NCAA-II programs and did play-by-play for basketball on WBTO and then on WYNG..) Also, I did play by play for high school broadcasts and officiated soccer and basketball in Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. I left WIKY, WYIR, WWPO and an engineering gig at WGAB and Way-Translator in the Evansville area to lease with an option to buy WMRB in Columbia/Spring Hill, TN. I spent thirteen months to push it to break even with sports and local talk. I have an FM Translator coming (in time) for that market. Opted out for a gig in Market #62, Southwest Florida, and I'm now afternoons at 89.5 Praise-FM, WSRX-Naples/FortMyers/CapeCoral/MarcoIsland (www.praisefm.com.) And that's the update as of April 2011! |
The Repository thanks Skipper T. Spence for sharing!
[Description by Skip Spence]
Here’s Ron Lundy from 11:25 to about 11:55 AM on 77 WABC, January 7, 1981.
Lundy seems pretty up with strong GOLD in the rotation, a common play of the 70-80’s Top 40/CHR’s to get more A/C females in the midday. Music is good, and man, that airchain. But I miss the excitement of the ‘verb and the chime time bit.
It’s amazing that ‘ABC and WNBC were in a hot contest to see who could be the most A/C-sounding CHR in America!