[BC] How we got our first break in radio....

[Tom Bosscher]

    OK, This is my story..

       My cousin Rick Bosscher and I, who where only 8 months apart in 
age, lived in the same town, and for whatever reason, we started to 
teach each other electronics around the age of 10. We tore tv's and 
radios apart, built a dual tuner crystal radio that took the power from 
one AM station that was close to his house to power a single transistor 
radio we built. At the age of 13, we both got our novice ham licenses, 
and then went on the our general class licenses. (WA8URH and WA8URE). 
Sometime in high school, he called me and said the FCC was going to be 
in town next week, lets go for our 1st class phone, for the heck of it, 
with no studying. Well, I got the 3rd, missed the 2nd. So I studied, got 
the 2nd, then the 1st, in high school. Due to the activity in ham radio, 
I was connected with a bunch of guys that were all getting into 2 meter 
FM. One of them worked at a two way shop. That was were I wanted to be. 
Only needed the second, but I had the first, something no one in the 
shop had.
    But, the fall after I graduated from high school, WION in Ionia 
Michigan was looking for weekend meter readers, as they were a DA. 
Through my ham radio connections, they found me. Ask me to come and read 
meters, for $ 3.00 an hour! Cool, I could work Sat and Sun days, get off 
shift at sundown, and had a lot of pocket money. For operational 
reasons, I had to leave their employment at the end of the year. In 
January of 1972, WOOD radio was split from WOOD-TV. WOOD radio needed 
1st phones for the AM. They had 3 engineers, but were desperate for a 
4th. Again, through ham radio connections, they found me and called me. 
The CE,Jerry VanderSloot absolutely begged me to come in for an 
interview. I was still 18. I came in, and at the WOOD-AM tx, he was 
amazed as I knew how to adjust the RCA 5T, and calibrate the phase 
meter. Same equipment as WION folks. He offered me a job on the spot. I 
said, naw, I really want to get into 2-way. Hold that thought.
    So I went home, told my parents about the interview. When I told my 
parents what they were willing to pay, and that I said no, they looked 
at each other and said, well, room and board starts tonight. So I called 
Jerry back, yet that night, and at 8am the next day, I was there at 
WOOD-AM-FM full time.
    About that 2-way career...

    tom bosscher

p.s., my cousin Rick? He holds down all the RF at KFMB-AM-FM-TV in San 
Deigo. Go figure that two cousins would teach each other into broadcasting.