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Post by Sly Fox on Jul 27, 2005 21:44:40 GMT -5
Since we have highjacked so many other threads in other forums, I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread on the radio station.
I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed that the studios haven't changed much since when I was a student two decades ago. I know the signal is a million times better. We used to broadcast from dinky transmitters on top of a couple of dorms that didn't even fully cover the entire campus. We were a commercail station back then and I sold the first ever advertising on WLBU. I also was the first guy to get the station hooked up with the record labels to send us music as part of their regular radio distribution. In addition to doing the weekday morning show "The Morning Barnyard" (complete with ridiculously stupid barnyard sounds), I also co-hosted the first regular sports talk show on the station called 'Power Sports Talk' with a guy now involved in Kentucky politics. The station started doing by Power of Love 55 in the Spring of '86 before going through a slew of different monikers.
If I can dig up any old photos from back in the day, I'll try to post them.
And yes, I was there during the infamous Chris & Frank days when the station had the plug pulled after one of their notoriously risque shows. Frank and another guy named Mike (who was one of the best voice artists I've ever heard) were both kicked out of school. Chris stayed in school without any further incident. Although he now does a satire website that most LU folks would cringe at if they read it (and some on this board may).
The current Voice of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini (and former Anaheim Angels play-by-play guy) Brian Barnhart was on the station back when I was in school. As were scads of people still in the broadcast business in various capacities.
Anybody else have any memories of the LU student station?
Any current radio afficionados have any insight into the curremt setup?
The new website is definitely a step in the right direction.
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Post by flamesfan710 on Jul 27, 2005 22:18:14 GMT -5
Well we still have a sports show, although it is now called the Sports Break. I am an update guy and in the spring I did some color commentary for softball and baseball and even got a couple innings of play by play. I will be one of their beat reporters for HS football and a board op/update guy for our coverage this year. We have had a lot of music shows come and go at the station, we have on air and music computers as well as an automation computer that plays music when there isn't any live programming, we do webcasts now, we just got a bunch of news computers put in last semester and the audio labs are being redone (I think they will be ready for the fall). Oh and Jamie Hall (who graduated from LU in the 90s) is now our station manager and host of a popular morning show (and some real nice cookouts too)
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Post by Sly Fox on Jul 27, 2005 22:32:45 GMT -5
I'm glad to hear it. Looking at the pics of the station on the website had me nostalgic but disappointed at the same time. Believe it or not, we were actually playing music off of vinyl and audio carts when i was there. We had one CD player but not much music to take advantage of it.
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Post by givemethemic on Jul 27, 2005 23:31:47 GMT -5
The Sports Department has come a long way. Guys go to UVA and VT games for football and basketball games. We started doing High School football two years ago with Lynchburg Christian Academy. They have lost once since we started doing there games, we got in at the right time. Guys also go to Nascar races and cover them. The opportunites that are now available are priceless and the department continues to get bigger and better. And this we what we are able to do outside of all the liberty games and shows.
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Post by Sly Fox on Jul 27, 2005 23:34:10 GMT -5
It certainly sounds like the opportunities are there. There's never been any real limit except what people have the gumption to chase.
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Post by givemethemic on Jul 27, 2005 23:37:10 GMT -5
I work for you UVA too, but I have never been turned down yet for a credintial when it comes to getting the guys into a game. I will have 8 guys this year and we are going to be doing some big things, with Liberty. So you guys will be able to enjoy the things that the school has allowed me to do.
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Post by Sly Fox on Jul 28, 2005 9:33:43 GMT -5
There's never been an abundance of media in Charlottesville so they shouldn't be turning you guys down.
The main thing is making sure the new guys you send to these bigger events act in a way that will reflect well on the station & uiniversity. I can't tell you how many college radio & TV stations have sent people who were cheering in the pressbox and asking for autographs from players. One bad experience can ruin credentialling for the future.
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Post by Sly Fox on Jul 30, 2005 8:23:12 GMT -5
The station gets a mention in the local fishwrap: www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=LNA%2FMGArticle%2FLNA_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784149883&path=!news!archive Back when I was in school, there were three options in Christian radio: 1. WRVL - Better known as Snooze Radio 2. WLBU - Which you could only pick up in dorms 3. WBRG - The little station trying to pretend it was the real radio voice of Liberty ... but most students didn't even know it existed Of course we all know which were the top-rated stations at LU. And I worked for the then #1 in town that no longer exists. But I digress. |
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Post by givemethemic on Jul 30, 2005 9:50:48 GMT -5
Yeah I have seen some people get kicked out for cheering in the press box, luckfully I have not had to worry about any of that crap. But in the next few weeks I will be releasing some info on a couple of new shows that we plan to start this year and I think you guys will like what we have in store for the year.
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Post by PAmedic on Jul 30, 2005 16:16:36 GMT -5
SLY remember a guy named Paul "Bear" Bryan (sp?)
think that was his nickname- anyway, got himself banned from campus in the late 80s
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Post by Sly Fox on Jul 30, 2005 23:15:55 GMT -5
His name was Paul "Bomber" Barry on the air ... he was Paul Balmer as a bass singer on the Light Team. He and I worked at Z-100 at the same time. But I used a completely different name on air and when Dean Emerick confronted both of us, I worked the system showing contrition and kept my job and graduated without issue. Paul wanted to be a martyr at the time and got his wish.
Eventually, Paul got some things straightened out and came back to Liberty and finished up his degree. He then went to work for the lynchburg Police Department. Last time I heard from him, he was working on the force somewhere down int he Tampa/St. Pete area. He's a real good guy.
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Post by PAmedic on Jul 31, 2005 20:52:33 GMT -5
Yeah- thats right. The other guy is a DJ w/ Z100 in NYC, I get them confused. Anyway- I met "our" Paul at a off campus party back then and he struck me as a cool guy- nice to me even tho I was a lowly frosh at the time.
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fsn32
Full Member
www.FlamesSports.com
Posts: 122
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Post by fsn32 on Aug 3, 2005 23:55:10 GMT -5
I'm glad to hear it. Looking at the pics of the station on the website had me nostalgic but disappointed at the same time. Believe it or not, we were actually playing music off of vinyl and audio carts when i was there. We had one CD player but not much music to take advantage of it. I may have missed it in a different thread Sly, but why were you dissapointed? I think the only thing left that is from the 80's is the carpet ;-) To be honest there isn't much left in there from the 90's other than maybe a chair or two. Some building upgrades would be nice but the equipment inside has been kept fairly up to date. With more new stuff coming. Just curious. |
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Post by Sly Fox on Aug 4, 2005 0:09:25 GMT -5
I saw that same audio board that I used as a freshman back in the spring of '86. That's a long time ago. Otherwise, the structure is the same with some new equipment in there.
I'm glad to see you guys now have a legitimate air signal and are really making an effort to get out into the field.
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Post by LUconn on Aug 10, 2005 9:13:37 GMT -5
Here's something that bothers me about 90.9, just in case anybody who's reading this works there this semester: Please Please Please tell us the name of the song you played. Before or after. There's like 10 songs I hear occasionally that I'm dying to know who it's by. And nobody ever says what it is. I realize sometimes nobody's there and it's just a satellite feed, but I should definatly hear some artists names now and then. I'm sure they would appreciate it as well as I'd probably buy their album.
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Post by Sly Fox on Aug 10, 2005 11:35:24 GMT -5
That's a common frustration with Christian radio since they break so many new artists. I know a lot of tstations are now listing their playlists on their website so listeners can find out who it is they are hearing.
We are spolied rotten down here in Houston because we have hands down the best Christian station operation in the country here. A non-commercial station that always ranks in the top-5 stations overall in one of the largest markets int he country.
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