THE X FACTOR
I guess I have been addicted to radio since I
got my first am receiver for Christmas when I was about 5 yrs old. Kids now want a computer or X box or Wii.
I used to listen all night long instead of sleeping, and wrote down
every station I could find, from one end of the band to the other. I was shocked to find I could hear Canada and Mexico on
that little AM tabletop radio.
I guess that is what led me into staying up all night, even when I
had a day job. CB radio came next for years and then in 1977, an amateur radio license, and eventually working in the radio
field.
I worked at a local radio station as a news director, and did on air for
the Saturday night Jukebox program, for a good while.
Eventually my work led to public safety radio for the Sheriff's
Dept. in Police, fire and ems, and then to the present job at Greensburg PD. Night shift was and still is the best, although
I can't seem to get back on it at my present position.
I remember listening to the WLW all night radio show.. MOONLIGHT
SERENADE.. yep , that put me to sleep every night. West coast Reds games were the bomb, I could pray for extra innings and
listen to 2-3am!
Joe Martell had and music and talk show on WLW that I listened
to after getting off at the factory in the early 70s.
Then I found Jim White at KMOX radio, St Louis. Jim was
a ham and I wanted to get my license. He used to talk about ham radio from time to time and devoted entire shows once in a
while.
IN 2002, when I finally passed the test for the highest license available
for amateur radio from the FCC, I changed my call sign to KM9X in honor of Jim. I talked to Jim after that, on 40m one
Saturday afternoon. He retired from AM broacasting and was living in Alabama. He did not seem one but excited when I told
him about all the nights we spent together and why I changed my call sign.. he seemed to want to leave broadcasting as his
history.. and changed the subject. Jim died a couple of years ago.
But I left Jim's work behind when one night in the early 90's, I was riding
with a fellow amateur radio operator at his work, night shift at the Greensburg Police Dept. He had an all night talk show
on the car radio as we were on patrol and I asked, what is this, it is great?"... " Art Bell" he replied..
Coast to Coast with Art Bell..
I began listening the next night and never missed a show for years.
Even when no radio was available all night at work, I would listen to the replay on the internet (yep back in 1994 that was
possible! Me and Al Gore invented the internet...)
I spent every show with Art and stay tuned through all of the problems
and issues he has had, including his son kidnapped, raped and given AIDS.. his wife died. His new wife(very young) and
a new baby, moving to the Phillipines, and off the air, retired for good again.. just to come back again for intermittant
shows to fill in for George Noory now.
Coast to Coast with Art Bell was on about 125 radio stations when
I discovered it, and was at 535 stations when Art retired from full time radio.
BUT I AM NOT ALONE! Art's voice became the ritual for an
estimated 20 million people nightly. The largest all night radio show in the world, and had a bigger audience than Rush Limbaugh.
Oh yeah, Art is an Amateur radio operator too (W6OBB) and has
discussed it throughout the years. I can remember some immortal shows, such as when WA4KCG called in for an interview for
4 hours.. that is country music star Ronnie Milsap! One of hundreds of shows that still stand out. ZZ Top, Willie Nelson,
Dan Ackroid, and a amateur radio operator/cave exploring woman.. all just a tid bit of the memorable shows. The guy
flying over Area 51 and calling on on a cell phone, that said they were coming after him and ... gone
UFO, Conspiracy theories, black government projects.. and Art's humor
and demeanor kept you up all night.
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From Indiana???
Things I learned living
in IN:
1. A possum is a
flat animal that sleeps
in the middle of the
road.
2. Hittin deer
with your truck is a
sport.
3. You go muddin
before church.
4. John deere green
is around every corner.
5. 'Onced' and
'Twiced' are words.
6. You know that
"Knee high by the fourth
of july" is talking about
corn.
7. 'Jaw-P' means
did ya'll go to the bathroom?
8. The closest
house to you is a mile
down the road.
9. 'Fixinto' is
one word.
10. There is nos
such thing as lunch,
there is only dinner
and supper.
11. Beer is appropriate
for all meals and you
start drinking it in
your sippy cup.
12. You switch
from heat to AC in one
day.
13. You know what
a "dawg" is.
14. You carry jumper
cables in your car for
your own car.
15. Going to the
mall is known as goin
to Wal-Mart.
16. The first
day of deer season is
a national holiday.
17. You understand
these jokes and send
them to your IN friends
and those who wish they
were!
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