The broadcast year opened with Howie Karlin as PD, Tom Scheithe as Operations Director, and Jim Hoffman as Music Director. The station programmed from 7am- 1am everyday, until 4am on Friday and Saturday nights. From 10am-11pm, the crew was a DJ, newsman, and engineer. The jock chose records from a short list of single hits in categories. The Music Director created the list each week. Some weeks, only two or three selections changed.
The records were played each hour in accordance with a "pie clock" format (so named because it was displayed in a circular diagram cut into sections; like an analog clock, the category of record played and/or the jingle or news or weather presented depended on where the minute hand of the clock was) so that news was at :45, weather at :15, ID at :00 and :30.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FALL '70 FORMAT SHEET
This style of programming moved rather quickly. Most records were less than three minutes long. Often, breaks between records involved the jock talking on mike, a short promo, spot or two (on cart), a jingle (on cart), and then another record, which the jock would possibly talk over for a few seconds. As soon as he finished, it was time to select (and cue) the next record, decide what would be included in the break (jingle? ID? news? weather?) and set it up. When that was finished (if you were lucky), you might have up to a full minute before the current record ended. You could use that minute to answer the phone, update the logs, check the UPI machine, clear your throat, get a drink, and go to the bathroom.
This happened twelve to eighteen times an hour, 16 hours every day. It is easy to see why most jocks did not "combo." This means they had someone else, an engineer, run the board for them. There was a separate control room, where the board, records, turntables, and cart machines were, and a separate "jock studio" where the jock sat.
The jock ran the program. He was in charge of selecting records (within the format). He cued the engineer for jingles, records, and promos. He signed the log. He was responsible for news if no one else showed. The jock turned on his own mike by a switch in the jock studio. He usually answered the request line. Often, he had to answer the other lines too.
The engineer ran the board. He set up the breaks and executed them. The best engineers anticipated what the jocks wanted. The best engineers were "tight." Things flowed together smoothly, with no gaps, no beats missed, no "dead air," and consistent levels. The best engineer made almost any jock sound good. Although Sam Glick recalls that "There were only 2 cart machines and 2 turntables to do all this with
Jocks could concentrate on programming (and schmoozing callers; marketing!) without being distracted with mechanics. Engineers could participate and contribute without needing extroverted voice skills. Many became interested in production, or became jocks themselves. Almost all jocks eventually learned to run their own board, mainly because in most markets, stations required this. In the biggest markets such as Chicago, LA, and New York, however, jocks had separate engineers (often due in part to union contracts) and WIDB jocks wanted to "be like the big guys."
From 11pm-1am, except Mondays, was "Underground." It was free form. There was no format, no playlist, no jingles, no news. Usually, album selections were featured. Jocks were much more low-key. Programs styled like underground, were the forerunner of the "Album Oriented Rock" (AOR) style, which emerged two or three years later on the then-fledgling FM band.
In 1970, Underground and "Top 40," (WIDB's daytime format) represented the two major popular radio formats aimed at college-age people. Some at WIDB thought that WIDB should choose one over the other. But Howie, Jerry and others believed that, since WIDB was for ALL students, accommodating both formats made the station stronger, not weaker.
So in September, 1970, Howie and Tom had to come up with a schedule that filled five shifts (engineer & jock) plus underground, each day. That's 35 shifts per week, plus six underground shifts (they had engineers too). So there were 82 person/shifts averaging three hours each week.
How did Tom and Howie fill these shifts before the university opened? All we know is that when Jim Rohr checked into Schneider, turned on his stereo and scanned the AM dial, there was WIDB, sounding attractive and even compelling to young James.
Meanwhile, it was Jim Hoffman's job, as Music Director, to prepare the playlist. Still in existence are the first two playlists from Fall '70.
CLICK HERE TO SEE 2 OF THE PLAYLISTS
The goal of the staff was to establish IDB as an integral part of campus life from the beginning of Fall Quarter. How well did they execute? Well, Jim Rohr found the station immediately on check in. A few weeks later, on October 21, 1970, a survey was performed: 5% of all dorm rooms were called between 3-4pm. WIDB had a 26.75 rating and a 75 share! At this point, WIDB had been on for only 30 days that quarter, and less than 30 days the previous spring.
WIDB staffers Woody Mosgers, Eric J. Toll, David R. Eads, Steve Berger, Mike Murphy and Roger Davis had compiled the survey. The survey also showed that almost 65% of the students interviewed said they "tuned to WIDB for campus and local news." (In second place was "no station" at 15%, followed by WSIU at 6%). It came as somewhat of a surprise that WIDB was so respected as a news authority. But, not as surprising was the 26 rating and 65 share. WIDB staffers were hearing WIDB behind doors of rooms they walked past in the dorm corridors. When WIDB was mentioned in class or campus conversation, a portion of (but not all) students had heard of it. WIDB had accomplished its goals. It was established as an integral part of student life. People were listening, and they liked what they heard.
New members were attracted to the station. WIDB was meeting students' needs in ways never done before at SIU.
Students were depending more on WIDB than staffers realized. A few weeks after the survey, in early November, the rising news department finished its in-depth documentary about the riots the previous spring. The one hour program "Seven Days in May--1970" aired Sunday, November 8, 1970 at 10pm. Narrated by Jim Rohr, the program reviewed the sequence of events and the buildup to confrontation. Recorded actualities, featuring chanting crowds, tear gas grenades and sounds of violence prompted some listeners to respond as if the riots had resumed.
Although seven disclaimers were broadcast--that these were RECORDINGS of past riots, NOT live--they were not completely effective. Just as the 1938 "War of the Worlds" broadcast prompted panic despite disclaimers, some Thompson Point residents, in Baldwin, freaked out. ( Document #4--SI Article) One woman called her parents and told them to come and get her. The RC (Resident Counselor--one per dorm) claimed several students frantically sought shelter from tear gas. The RC, Joe Robinette, (apparently hired for his ability and training to handle such crises) determined that the problem was disturbing material that was being broadcast on WIDB. To solve the problem, Robinette ripped out the antenna cable from the WIDB transmitter!
Naturally, fallout ensued. Jerry Chabrian was outraged. No RC (or any other university official or person) was going to disable and/or damage a WIDB transmitter because they disliked the programming! It was more outrageous because it was informational programming, and controversial as well. Robinette was forced to explain, there was a flurry of letters via campus mail, and nothing ended up happening.
But two significant points had been made. One, the station would fiercely defend its right to broadcast free from censorship, and two, that WIDB's power and influence over SIU students was far greater than most had expected. At this juncture, WIDB had broadcast less than one full quarter.
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