by Kerry Peace (PD, DJ 1979-1981)

The author in his natural habitat.

Friends, I had some memorable experiences in my WIDB days, triumphs and tragedies alike.  The day Slaga handed over the keys to the Program Directorship embodies the former, while the night John Lennon was killed is over-qualified for the latter.

But it’s the silly things I remember best. They just seemed to be in the air at WIDB, ready to ignite at a moment’s notice.  Some return in a flash as indelible images (“JOEY RAMONE ATE THIS BREAD!!!”) and some inspire a more substantial reminiscence.  Below is one of a handful of my favorite silly WIDB episodes.  Fair warning: I don’t swear to recalling events exactly as they happened, etc, disclaimer, fog of war, blah-blah, woof-woof…

Change was always in the air at the station, and in the Spring of 1980 it was time for school administrators to pick a new General Manager to replace our beloved graduating GM, Al “Big Guy” Linton.  Al approached me one day and asked me to throw my hat in the ring for GM.  Two other station members had already stated their intention to apply and he feared that one of them, someone whose judgment he questioned, was going to get the job.  I wouldn’t hear of it, though.  I was “all about the music, man,” and couldn’t be bothered to give up my cherished Program Directorship.  Al tried some more, but I wasn’t budging and that was the end of it, or so I thought.

Al “Big Guy” Linton

A few weeks later I was at my desk in Wright One when Al walked in.  He put his backpack down and calmly asked me if I’d care to step out into the hallway with him.  And why not?  We were pals, chums and comrades in arms, were we not? 

As soon as we got into the hallway though, he put his big hands around my throat and began throttling me up against the wall, all the while asking me if I knew who had been awarded the general manager’s position for the coming school year.  I did not (and in fact hadn’t given it a moment’s thought since he asked me to apply), but quickly gathered that it had gone to he whom Al did not want it to go to. 

Just as I began to think Al was not just joking, but seriously choking, he loosened his grip, gave me a playful slap on the face and walked away.  That’s how much that silly Big Guy loved WIDB.

As the culmination of a months-long, uphill effort to seek and secure approval from the office of the SIU Chancellor Austin Lane, a historical marker commemorating the start of WIDB was finally approved and installed at the site of Wright I in September.

Congratulations and thanks to Bruce Whiteside, an original WIDB member, for his tireless efforts that resulted in the creation of the marker and his self-funding of the design and production of the marker now further supported by contributions from many of you.

A small group of former WIDB staff, headed by WIDB founder Jerry Chabrian met with the Chancellor’s Chief of Staff, Matthew Baughman, this past June in Carbondale for a site tour and location selection.

Jerry, Bruce, Matthew Baughman and SIU Physical Plant staff and others trudged to the site of Wright I and everyone agreed on an appropriate location. That official approval culminated in the recent installation of the historical marker that has been attested to by a former staffer who by chance recently visited the site.

The official unveiling will be next June 24, 25, 26, 2022 during the WIDB 50^th Anniversary Reunion celebration.

This was the scene on East Campus Wednesday, May 10, 1972:

“The police surrounded Schneider. State, Carbondale and SIU police. They were in riot gear, armor, helmets, weapons drawn and there were dozens of them. They were yelling and gesturing up to the windows ‘Come on out, come on, let’s go!’ When no one came out, they fired tear gas into Schneider, and when anyone came out coughing they beat the crap out of them. And we were just in our rooms doing nothing,” according to an eyewitness report.

Police showing students “who is the boss.” at SIU.

Right at this time, police also viciously attacked WIDB newsman Ron Kritzman, whose head was split open by police while he was reporting. It was all part of SIU President David R. Derge’s “War on Students.”

An investigation by a commission of SIU employees, students and locals found that the police were ordered to go to dorms where students were in their rooms doing nothing, and the police were ordered to tear gas the dorms and beat the students. It was found to be completely unjustified and a crime by police as well as those who ordered them. Prosecution was recommended.

Instead, local officials laughingly announced that the report had been “lost,” so everything was now a “mystery,” and nothing would be done.

These were the battle lines in May, 1972. And here was WIDB, in the middle of all of this trying to survive and do its job serving student needs. Derge’s “War on Students” spilled over to WIDB, which was merely trying to sell commercials and pay for itself.

Joel Preston became WIDB GM in 1971. He committed academic suicide for WIDB because he was determined not to let Derge get away with killing WIDB. If it was not for Joel, most of us would not have a WIDB there when we came to SIU.

Newly posted history chapters HERE.

Haven’t read any history yet? First chapter HERE.

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This was the state of affairs in late March, 1970. The transmitters had finally been ordered, and the sign-on date of 4-12-70 was fast approaching,. Some thought ordering the transmitters was the end of a long process. It was really just the beginning. Purchasing equipment was easy compared to installation. It all sounds so simple! Just hook it up, plug it in and make it work! That’s all the WIDB engineers had to do. Jerry Chabrian, WIDB Founder and first GM, and Dan Mordini, first WIDB chief engineer, assisted by Bruce Whiteside and Lew Wright, had this task: Install three 20 watt AM transmitters in Schneider, Mae Smith, and Neely, and 4 watt transmitters in Allen, Boomer, and Wright, and make them carry WIDB into every dorm room on 600 AM.

Dan secured a copy of plans for each of the towers and triads. Dan, Bruce, Jerry, and the supporting cast finally had access to the proposed transmitter locations, but it was already the third week in March. The transmitters needed to be installed by the end of spring break. Spring quarter began the last week in March. Dan and the crew got all six transmitters installed in the East Campus dorms by the installation date shown on the plans, March 26, 1970. But the studio was not wired yet. Microphones to wall receptacles to patch board to mixing board to distribution amplifier to telephone lines to transmitters. There was a Volumax in there somewhere. Also, turntables, cart machines, reel-to-reel tape decks. And headphones, remote switches to start cart machines, turntables, and microphones. Each room needed telephones. The telephone system needed an intercom. Everything had to be completed, tested, ready, in days.

The engineering frenzy of activity had taken on a life of its own. As Spring Quarter began at the end of March, Jerry, Bruce, and Dan had the expected “up-all-night-for-a-week” look. Wires, equipment, tubes, tools, food and drink remnants, were scattered everywhere. It looked like they’d never finish, and no one knew how long they could keep going. There were sporadic phone calls, transmitter testing, and then more wiring. No one dared to ask any of them if they were planning to attend their Spring Quarter classes.

Elden Stromberg and the original WIDB Together Radio poster he designed

Engineers weren’t the only ones in action over break. Jerry had arranged for design and production of the famous “WIDB kissing twins” color poster. This was not only WIDB’s first poster, but one of the most memorable. It was designed by Don Henke and Elden Stromberg (then at University Graphics). The poster won an award from the 3M Corporation. The poster was placed in every possible strategic location in dorms, on campus & the strip. Upon return from break, the posters stimulated conversation about the new station.

Jerry said, “I spent my entire break week there at the station managing, guiding and assisting the construction of this station. I procured supplies, signed purchase orders, soldered and cut wires, (over a 6 foot distance between the board and the equipment rack, there was over a 1/4 mile of wiring) drilled holes in turntable to mount tone arms, etc. Bruce proved himself invaluable during this time.”

Meanwhile, Howie and Tom structured the programming of the new WIDB. There would be a daytime format until 11 pm. “Underground” was after 11. The daytime format required airing of records from certain playlisted cuts at certain times. Jingles, segues, and scripted “raps” were also required. News was scheduled every hour.

The date for the station to “officially” sign on was set: Sunday, April 12, 1970 at 1pm Carbondale time. Test programming continued through the first full week in April. Transmitter testing, equipment wiring, talent practice– all were proceeding at frenzied pace, simultaneously. The sign-on date was publicized.

The originals L, Dan Mordini, Charlie Muren, Jerry Chabrian, Tom Scheithe, Howie Karlin, Woody (right) and Jim Hoffman, front

There was a sharp air of expectation.

But what had been an attitude of impatience in February turned into near-panic in April. The sign-on deadline had been set, and featured in the Daily Egyptian. The Kissing Twins posters had everyone talking about the new WIDB. There was no turning back. Suddenly, everyone realized how unprepared and unorganized they were. Dan, Bruce, Lew and the rest of the engineers made hourly discoveries of items needed but never anticipated. Remote starts for cart machines and turntables. Links from the telephone into the board so calls could be aired. Remote on-off switches for mics. Relays. Wires. Since few of these items were anticipated in the budget, and it was far too late to seek supplemental funding and go through the purchasing process, Dan and the crew had to come up with the stuff themselves. They were determined to meet the deadline and make everything work.

Tom and Howie were attempting to establish a coherent format, recruit, train and schedule on-air personnel, and get them some practice. The schedule was patchwork. Tom and Howie were training and scheduling jocks.There was a lot of time and effort spent on producing, editing, carting, practicing, and explaining jingles. While Howie and Tom were working on jocks, format, and jingles, Jim was working on records and playlists, Dan and the crew on wiring and equipment, Charlie Muren was seeking publicity, but there was another important area of programing–news. This area was one of the original motivators for WIDB, but in the frenzied panic of pre-sign on, it was relegated to secondary status. News would, almost immediately after sign on, present WIDB with its greatest opportunity and challenge.

Compared to the extensive audition and training process for jocks, there was little attention paid to newspeople. There was no active news director. Compared to the music format, the news format was vague. WIDB was supposed to have five minutes of news each hour. There was a UPI wire service machine, but no production studio to record or edit interviews. Sources for news copy included newspapers. As sign-on approached, it appeared doubtful Howie and Tom could fill the 112 newscasts each week. Howie announced that jocks would do the news themselves if the newsperson did not show up.

This was the overall picture in early April, 1970. Remember, just two months before, WIDB had just been kicked out of Boomer. 56 days later, WIDB was ready to officially sign on. On Sunday, April 12, 1970 interested persons assembled at the station. At 1 pm, that day, Jerry describes the scene:“As I watched the room was filled with people who built this station and their friends, some watching and waiting, others hurrying around with purpose to make sure last minute all things were go. As the clock was nearing the appointed hour, the air was saturated with the electricity of excitement, people were reporting our test tones received from distant locations, the records and carts were being cued. Discussion was made that I should make the first announcement on the station. I deferred that to honor our programming departments terrific effort. And then, sounds were coming out of the “Air” speaker. And WIDB was real.”

At 1 pm, Tom Scheithe, (using his air name of Tom Sutherland), with Dan Mordini at the board, played from the 2001 soundtrack, “Also sprach Zarathustra,” followed by the station ID “WIDB, Carbondale IS together,” followed by “Vehicle,” by the Ides of March. WIDB was officially born.