[BC] Another one bites the dust in Washington, DC

[SHAFFER, RANDY L]

Grady wrote -

>    This is REALLY interesting to me, since I built the first 
>820/Frederick phasing/branching system when WZYQ-AM 
>changed frequencies from 1390 (14ZYQ!) to 820 back in 
>the mid-to-late '80's.  

>    Then I REbuilt some of it, after the roof on one of the ATU 
>buildings caught fire.  (hot rebar in a corner of the block wall 
>near the tower ignited the wooden roof structure) 

>    After a few years, they followed my suggestion to increase 
>the height of the towers and turn down the transmitter to save 
>electricity.  This suggestion had fallen on deaf ears when I first 
>built it. . . they said that it was imPERative that the letterhead 
>read "5.000 Watts" so that they could compete better with the 
>other AM guys in town, who had been 5 kW for years.  I was 
>no longer involved by that time.  (the REAL) Howard Johnson 
>was gone, and so was I.

I don't think I have ever met a GM that was more proud of his station than Howard. I also don't think my hearing was damaged more than when I was in a production room with Howard when he was playing airchecks of the best of 14ZYQ and Z104. Howard was a master of promotion and production. It was an incredible station for its' size. Howard felt that he was competing with the Washington D.C. stations and wanted ZYQ/Z104 to be the best. Too bad he didn't have the signal, I think he would have given PGC a run for their money.
 
Grady, you had that facility sounding great. I think that is where I first heard your name, either there or WYRE. Some of my favorite airchecks are from those stations..
No one would ever had guessed the gear they were using by listening to them on the air. So, sad that they are gone.

Randy Shaffer
WLYH-TV/WHP-TV
Clear Channel Television 
Harrisburg, PA 17110