WEBN Files - "The Gun"

[Radio Fish Heads]

 I just graduated from Elkins Radio school ( Broadcasting & First Class Radio Telephone Lic. ) and I saw an
 ad in the Newspaper for a New Radio station hiring people for Engineering duties. I talked to Frank Wood
 on the telephone, and he told me to come on over to the station ! A brand new FM station in Price Hill
 called WEBN  FM  .  I met Frank Sr; and he explained the job to me . I would be keeping the station on the
 air all night ; changing the Automation reels of music, and taking transmitter meter readings each hour.

 My hours were 11pm to 5:30am and Ty Williams would be live on the radio for the morning show weekdays.
 Ty came from WPFB in Middletown ; but prior to that he worked years at WNOP ( Jazz ) in Newport, Ky.
 I could smell Ty coming down the hall in the morning; he wore a lot of "old spice" . Ty didn't talk that
 much to me; I think he thought I was a punk kid  ( DJ wannbee ) .....

 So'''''' I am getting into the all night engineering thing. Changing the reels of jazz & classical music
 tapes in the automation room ------ next to the front porch with the Barber chair on it.  We were right
 up the street from District Three police station in Price Hill . Several times a night in the wee hours of the
 morning,  cars would pull into the House radio station parking lot, and sit there, and than drive off. 

 One night around 12:30am I am in Frank Woods office reading memos on his desk which is down the hall
 next to the back steps of the entrance by the Radio Tower. I open the top drawer ( right side ) of the
 desk, and take out the 45 cal. gun ( its heavy ) and its loaded. Frank had shown me the gun earlier in
 the week, and mentioned it was there for Protection of the Radio Station if I needed it ; but I should
 call District Three if there was a problem at the station; as maybe someone trying to break in the place.
 I poped out the clip ( the safety was on ) and I held the gun and than put it all back together how I
 Found it and closed the drawer.... still looking through some papers on the desk ; when there was a loud
 tap on the window ( scared the hell out of me ) and there was Frank Wood Sr. motioning me to unlock
 the back door... Why; he didn't have a key with him; I don't know. I unlocked the door and Frank came
 in all dressed up with a pretty black female. He said they had been at the Symp. He introduced me and
 began to give the female a tour of WEBN . They stayed about 20 minutes, and he left . I was sure he
 saw me looking through his papers on his desk; but nothing was ever said to me about it. I stayed out
 of Franks' office after that ! I came in Saturday night and Bo ( Frank Wood Jr.) was doing a live show
 called Jelly Pudding. It was all LP stuff. New progressive rock music. He was doing the show with other
 people in the little studio with him; some sitting on the floor; I think the Blond was his wife; others I
 did not know. When the show was over; my job was to also put away the albums he used. Bo looked like
 the Frank Zappa album cover aka Zappa with the long hair and mustache. He was very soft spoken and
 he asked me one night before he left the station ; if I was spooked easy ?  I guess he ment in connection
 with me being in the radio station all night by myself ! This was 1967 and I was making $ 90 dollars a week.
 From: The WEBN Secret Files .....

[fpoole]

$90 a week in '67? That's about what I made there 30 years later! Looks like a lot hasn't changed (where compensation is concerned).

[BobOnTheJob]

Cool story...I looked into the window of that station in the late 60's & when thoughts of that visit come back to me, that barber chair is always front & center...back when radio was fun.

[Mike Stone]

Damn dude, sounds like you are me.

When WEBN was being constructed in 1967 I was hired by Frank Wood Sr. to help and assist in the construction of his project. I remember soldering components to audio channels and coaxial terminations in a rush to get WEBN on the air. I was there the day a flatbed truck brought the transmitter from Collins and lowered it with a crane into the little building built (before the roof went on).  I maintained the transmitter with a 3rd class FCC license at the time to oversee the stations automation of Jazz and Classical music. I assisted his son Bo in the Jelly Pudding project. The very beginning of a whole new era. Beatles, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Grateful Dead, Joan & Joni, Traffic, Jimi Hendrix, Moody Blues, etc.  I could go on with that list for a long time.  I would maintain the 5 Skully tape playback machines for Mr. Wood's All Night Jazz.  Miles, Stan, (oh I'm sorry, I won't start that again. And oh yes, I remember Ty very well during my all night shiffs.
I worked those same hours and it's kinda funny, I just came across some of my old WEBN paycheck stubs. I was there from the beginning brfore the station went on the air. I spent many nights sitting out front in the old barber chair. I am so curious is to who you are. I remember the Eberhart's having the 1st Class license when I was hired and I later aquired mine. I could go on, but I'll stop for now.