We posted that question (and some answers) here on the alumni blog recently and shared the post on our Facebook page as well as our LinkedIn page (if you aren’t connected with us on those platforms, please join). We loved the reaction! Here’s just a sampling …
Lisa Braun: There are so many stories…I am not sure where I’d start. WFAL is the reason I chose BG. My first on-air shift was Tuesdays, 3am-7am. All my friends in MacEast would stay up all night to listen and request songs. I think we should get the alumni back on campus soon so we can trade stories in person!
Marylynn G. Hewitt: Brings back memories. I had a radio show “It’s Your Affair” about consumer affairs on WFAL (Windfall) Radio, a Sunday night jazz show on the FM station, worked all four years at WBGU-TV, and one semester at the BG News. Funny that I then chose print journalism for my career. We had great opportunities!
Mizell Stewart III: There’s the commencement speech from a couple of years back when I talk about getting fired from there …
Duane Pohlman: I was heavily involved in both stations as a student. I began as a “DJ” – “Dewey Stevens”at WBGU and migrated over to News. I eventually became the News Director of Bowling Green Radio News Organization (BGRNO), leading a staff of students who provided regular radio newscasts for both WBGU & WFAL. We had a great group of VERY talented people involved. (And never knew Mizell Stewart III was fired from WFAL.. What? Really?)
Norm-Shannon Van Ness: A friend and me had a weekly, evening talk show on WFAL in the mid 90s. Everything from student govt., faculty, athletes. Pretty free-form shows. It was fun trying to board-op on aged equipment and host at the same time…but we managed. HUGE learning curve…but the real-world prep was invaluable.
Jay Schnell: I got my start at WFAL and then moved to BG24.
Jim Osborn: I had a WFAL 9-11 Friday night shift, and opened the station Sunday mornings, Spring ‘77, and shot photos for the BG News ‘75-‘77.
Kevin Stone: Such a great time working the 5am slot at waffle radio … The Ren and Stiffler show on Saturday morning
Mel Browning: I guess I was one of the “professional staff” at WBGU, as in they paid me. Sid Stone was the station manager. The studio was on the top floor of what was then South Hall in the same room as the transmitter. (The antenna was on the roof.) No air conditioning. When I worked during summers, I locked the door and worked in my skivvies. Classical format. So imagine the guy who told you that you had just heard Beethoven sweating in his shorts.
I wish there were some pictures. Two transcription turntables, a pair of Ampex reel to reel consoles to play pretaped “educational” programs and an Ampex 601 for the sole purpose of playing the sign-on and sign-off voiced by Sid Stone. Sid didn’t believe in cart machines. Said they were unreliable. I later learned he was right.
Dennis Sadowski: I did mid-day newscasts on WFAL for two quarters. Ended up going with print.
Kevin McCray: I was a news reader at WFAL and was BG News managing editor.
David Rice: We used to listen to Chris Sonchi and Scott Sloan (well before Sloan hit it big) in the mornings in 1985-86.
Have WFAL or WBGU-FM memories you’d like to share? Just drop us a line!