DICK WILLIAMS TALK ABOUT RADIO:
I loved working with the man credited with the first 'fade', the immortal Frank Ward. He made radio exciting and fun. A great set of pipes. Frank came to WSAI in Cincinnati as P.D. from WKBW in Buffalo.
In those days, WSAI was located in the Sinton Hotel in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. I was doing overnites at the time, and it was about 2AM when the studio door swung open, and there he stood: about 6'5" -- in his pajamas! I was stunned. Thought it was some drunk who had wandered in from the hotel (we had our share of them doing that, with no lock on the door).
His first words were, "Don't cough before you open your mic...swallow, and save your pipes!" Only then did he introduce himself.
He taught me all the basics I needed to become more proficient almost instantly. Radio has changed dramatically since then, but I sure learned from the best.
Another great mentor whose tricks with editing still stick with me is Mel Hall, from KDEO in San Diego. One of the greatest "blades" in tape-editing! Mel went on to PD at KRLA in LA and WJJD in Chicago. A tremendous talent with a voice to match!
I actually started in 1956 at CKCR in Kitchener, Ontario. I was a 16 year old kid doing full-time shows and summer fill-in. I've done every format, including Music of Your Life, (Nostalgia) Top Forty, AC, Jazz. Only exception is Country...
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