Transmitter engineer

[Scott Cason]

Did 790 WAKY have transmitter engineers back in the day that stayed at the transmitter? I know that television stations did it up until just 10 years or so ago. Actually, up until about 5 years ago WALB-TV down in Albany Georgia had a manned transmitter site. I realize the practice went out in the mid to late 80's with dial up remote controls and more reliable equipment. This question came to mind as I am having to manually change the power/pattern on WLOU until I can get back out to reprogram the remote control.

[John Quincy]

I checked with Johnny Randolph on this. He replied:

"The studio had control from midnight through 4p. Such control responsibility was laid on me which meant the Mason Dixon all night types did the duty from midnight until 8a and the Mike Griffin types had control from 8a until 4p. He wasn't allowed to even leave for lunch. A real engineer would be posted at the XMTR from 4-midnight to make make sure that weird night pattern was at 100 percent. On the day Mason was off we paid Mike overtime to do the all night shift.

"This is pretty funny: Burbank had a first phone and he had control only on his weekend shift. He was the cock of the walk on this one and always razzed me, the lowly third phone.

"I inherited an engineering union called NABET. It's way too lengthy to explain here but next time we talk remind me and I'll tell you how Mason and I got the union delisted at WAKY."

I forwarded John's note to Mike Griffin and asked for his comments. Mike replied:

"Through the week, the production guy worked 10a to 6p and had control at the studio.

"The overnight guy worked 1A to 6A and had control. This was Monday-Friday.

"On Sunday the overnight guy went 12M–6A and had control.

"This means the XMTR engineers had to show up 6A–10A and at 6P-1A. It seems strange but when I did overnight I was always off at 6A and the production shift always started at 10A.

"There were several others with 1st phones but I think only production did transmitter watch.

"As to lunch and other activities…I would often leave for 20 or 30 minutes and didn’t think much about it. It bothered me a little at first but JR knew how to switch transmitters if needed.

"As to the Nabet story, the union had been decertified just before I got there. MLD was part of the decertification vote and could probably tell you more."