WIDB History Chapter 25

Riot Fallout

After school closed six weeks early, first week in May 1970, an uneasy calm settled over SIU and C'dale. Normally, spring quarter lasted until mid-June.

Although it may appear that closing the school was a clear-cut solution in hindsight, there were significant residual problems. For those that were actually taking classes, there was a question if credit would be allowed, and what grade, if any, would be assigned. Some students' degrees hung in the balance. Some were engaging in field experience or student teaching far away from the conflict on campus, but were forced to abort when school closed.

Perhaps as a punishment to students, the administration decreed a bizarre grade system for Spring 1970, only. Grades like "S" and "R" were entered on transcripts. Few understood what they meant. Many students had to come back for summer in order to graduate. There were even more than the usual problems with transfer credits.

More than a few professors believed that students learned far more by participating actively in a national policy debate than attending classes. Other universities apparently agreed by adopting an easier grade policy (i.e., pass-fail) than SIU. But the SIU administrators were apparently determined to punish the students for disputing "their" school.

That was the bad news students received over the extended summer of 1970. WIDB did not operate that summer, and members enjoyed a well-deserved rest. But the war went on, and the country's preoccupation with it intensified. One of the most popular hits that summer was "War" by Edwin Starr, which sat at #1 for multiple weeks. A somewhat less popular anti-war hit was "Bring the Boys Home," by Frieda Payne, a soul artist.

Events also continued away from the SIU campus. High schools, the "minor leagues" of SIU were very much affected by national events. Many high schools in 1970 experienced some type of demonstration, protest movement, walkout, or other response to the events of May. Just as at universities, many high school students tended to reject traditions and emphasize political issues. Students became more aware of the draft. Just as at universities, some of this
heightened awareness was channeled in part to interest in broadcasting.

A few high schools actually had their own radio stations. At these stations, students had identified their interest in broadcasting and gained experience and skills. Many looked for a college that would further this. These high school stations were WIDB's "minor leagues."

Examples of Chicago area high school stations "feeding" WIDB were WLTL (Lyons Township), WNTH (New Trier West), and WMTH (Maine Township). Some high schools had aspirations of open air while running closed circuit, such as WEVN (Evanston). These would spit out fully activated radio people, often frustrated by the limitations of the high school station operation.

Picture the confluence. Age 18. Main interest: Radio & broadcasting. Have 1-3 years experience. Moving away from parental and high school authority towards all of Carbondale's "stimulation." Then, follow this up with contact with WIDB. For some it was a dream come true. The best part was that it was instant gratification--it was all set up, fully operational! There was no waiting list, no prerequisites, no departmental approval, and no entrance fee!

By Fall, 1970 the enthusiasm of the entering members could now be devoted directly and immediately to broadcasting, instead of construction, wiring, and administrative work.

Fall, 1970 began with fall quarter (remember, SIU was on quarters, not semesters. This was the last week in September, when WIDB resumed programming. WIDB had only broadcast less than 30 days in the spring before the riots closed the campus. Even though almost five months had passed, word had gotten around about WIDB, and many significant new members appeared.

Sam Glick had been Station Manager at WNTH. Dave Silver had been Chief Engineer at WEVN. Alan J. Friedman had been sports director there. Jim Rohr had worked at stations in Aurora. Mike Murphy and David R. Eads had worked at WLTL. Dave Schubert and Ron Kritzman had worked at WMTH. All of them, and many more, showed up at Wright I basement in late September, 1970.

"I found out about WIDB from an R-T Professor," remembers Dave Silver. "He told the class that WIDB had nothing to do with "real broadcasting," and we should all work at WSIU. I figured that I better check out WIDB. I also knew about WIDB partly because I lived in 217 Wright I."

Jim Rohr was one of the few whose first encounter with WIDB was on the radio dial. "My parents had just dropped me off at Schneider to begin my first quarter at SIU. I got my stuff upstairs to the 13th floor, and the first thing I did was set up my stereo (which was an Allied phono/radio/speaker combo). I tuned the AM dial to find something appropriate for unpacking, and there weren't many choices. But the strongest station was at 600 AM, and it had this peculiar hum that I had never heard on a radio station before."

As Jim listened, he became more intrigued. "I heard hit music, jingles, and professional-sounding banter. I thought it was a tight-sounding, local station. As I listened further, the station's location was recited as the Wright I basement. I had no idea where that was until I checked my campus map. When I found it, I made a beeline for the place. I left all of my stuff in boxes in my dorm room."

While only 18 and a freshman, Jim had already worked at two commercial radio stations and one TV station. He was used to being on mike, doing news, and jocking. He thought WIDB was a local commercial station.

"I knew the station was on campus, but the idea of a student station never occurred to me. I figured that it was just a regular station that somehow was housed in Wright."

So, within an hour after being dropped off by his parents, James Patrick Rohr walked through the door at WIDB. Twenty minutes later, he was on the air.

"The first guy I saw at the station was Woody Mosgers. He was the news director. Jim Hoffman (Jim Lewis on the air) was jocking. Woody and I talked radio, and I recited my experience. Woody said I would have an 'on-air audition.' No one else was there to do news, because it was the first few days of the quarter. News was up in ten minutes, and the UPI (news wire Teletype) machine was working, so there began 'Rip'n'Read Rohr.'"

Jim ended up with a Saturday morning news shift. He recalls, after seeing WIDB for the first time, that it impressed him as an exciting, homemade vehicle towards adulthood. "It looked like a clubhouse for college kids and the students put it together themselves. There were record album posters, group photo posters, and a bulletin board with personal messages among staff members. It was only students, doing their own thing, just like being adults. I immediately felt at home there."

Michael K. Murphy, then 18, was a two-year veteran DJ of the "WLTLivated Eleven" show on Lyons Township High School's WLTL. But he never knew about WIDB until he encountered a Saturday morning charity basketball game (the WIDB DJs versus somebody) at the women's gym. He met Jim Rohr and Robbie Davis and they encouraged Murf to check out the station.

"I had seen WGN, WMAQ, and WLS, and all of their equipment seemed old, large and clumsy," said Murf. "At WLTL, we had hand-me-down ham radio stuff. By comparison, WIDB seemed big, clean and modern, especially the equipment. The people were energetic, enthusiastic, and optimistic. I knew I was going to enjoy working there." Murf initially took a Saturday 9:45 pm 15-minute sports shift.