Two Radio Stations I Worked At Just Went Dark

They were both in Flint, MI.

[xiaoka]

Has the gas station you worked at closed too?

[chrstfer]

This might not have been a "normal" video, but it surely was a good one. Thanks for sharing steve.

[peteengard]

Millions of miles driven across the US and Canada the radio has always been my friend. It's kept me awake, put me to sleep, entertained, and bored me to tears most of my life. I can't imagine life without it.

[garywidom]

Former radio DJ here. 1996 telecommunications act + clear channel gobbling up stations = radio death. I began my radio career in 1996. I too have a bunch of shoe boxes full of air check tapes and DAT tapes. Bought a used tape deck and DAT player from ebay to digitize the audio. It’s taking FOREVER! I too have very few pictures in the studio. Just wasn’t a thing before smart phones. Still miss it. What a fun time. WHYI WPOW WRMF WLDI WINK WYKS WEAT

[blahblahblah]

Radio used to be a constant in the house I grew up in. The first person up went into the kitchen and turned it on. The last person to go to bed turned it off.

Unfortunately, it's now formatted for driving. Listening for hours at home is just unpleasant.

Too bad. We really enjoyed it.

[philcam]

A voice for tv and a face for radio is a timeless compliment 🤠

[bartphlegar]

These "corporate overlords" strangling radio and media in general need to be reeled in. Squatting on licenses is bullshit. Use it or lose it. Radio and the airwaves are, by definition and law, a "public trust". Not a damn commodity that you can just buy and throw in the safe to deprive competitors of opportunity...Enjoyed the flashbacks there, Steve...

[artsyo]

My mom has been a DJ for 45 years. She still does a Sunday morning show on our local station.

[dougfindlen]

Hi Steve,
Your video popped up on my YouTube feed. EXCELLENT Video! I grew up listening to AM radio in northern Maine, WEGP. In high school I was a DJ at the university of Maine 10 watt station, WUPI. Joined the Navy and set up a pirate radio station using a signal generator and a cassette deck. Ran the signal out a UHF antenna.
Today the internet, smart phones and podcasts have taken the radio audience away.
In Halifax, Nova Scotia there are no more AM radio stations. Radio technicians cannot test the reception of their shortwave radios on ships unless it’s at night.

[warsurplus]

I'm against an owner shutting down a station's signal to avoid competition. Since the licenses are granted by the FCC and Congress, then I think they should serve the public or forfeit the license.

[Mrgarrison]

This is my favorite episode you have ever put if possible please do another episode on something like this if you can.

[anonmouse]

People are going to regret not having AM radio around one day. Its dependability and range are epic and the only signal you can get in a lot of rural areas 😕

[brucel]

My high school had a district wide radio station, that had affiliated with a local Top40 station to do internships. I did my internship at KKMG 99.9, MAGIC FM. My parents would drive me out there, and then practically have to drag me out with a truck to leave. Technically against the rules, i did overnights from 2200 to 0500. Was an incredible time to be on the air in the mid-80s. Used to love it whn people would walk up to the window, or call in and request songs or just want to talk all night.
CHEERS from Colorado

[AlternativeHomesteading]

Love that you were a DJ. You sound so happy reminiscing about your past.

[briangarrow]

Local radio was the soundtrack to my life! Wherever I was, the local station was my connection with the people in my community. And I was a traveling construction worker who put thousands of miles on my vehicle, working shutdowns and new construction across North America. Nothing like putting 12 hours behind the windshield, driving from one power station to the next one, in the middle of the great American west! From Texas to Alaska, I was booming across the country. Good times. Great music. And some of the best people I’ve ever met!

[larryday]

Steve that was the golden era of radio. I was a DJ in a mid-size market in the 1990s. Went from live to voice tracking. I could see the writing on the wall and got out just before the massive consolidation. Fun times!

[MrLarrycar]

As a young lad in Northern Ohio I listened to CKLW on my 9 volt transistor radio.

[dopedreamz]

Bro! Thank you for the clip man, that means a lot to us… I know it’s not a huge thing buts it’s part of who you are

[AsiaUnscripted]

I briefly worked in radio in the 90’s. That was one of my favorite jobs and I’ll never forget it

[tuc]

This hit me hard. I once worked at a rural AM radio station in the 90s. They had a long reach and played high school sports in the evenings and weekends with music the rest of the time. The guy who owned it through his supply company ended up selling to a large corporation but had a first right of refusal added to the contract to buy it back. He also added a three year contract to continue the high school sports but they kept it up a lot longer. I eventually did buy the leftovers of the supply company from the guy who originally owned the station and kept an eye to possibly buy back the radio station. Well it sold to another, larger corporation, but I was given no chance to buy via the first right of refusal. I quickly tried to sue to stop the sale but the legal gears went slowly. Not only did the new corporation buy the AM station but promptly shut it and tore it down to stop it competing from its other stations. A year later my suit of the original corporation went in my favor but all I got was monetary damages and not much after the lawyers (who honestly were worth their weight in gold) but I was happy. The corporation had other radio stations in other states and I got them to sell off two to pay me. One went local (although it’s Spanish language but so are most of the workers in that area) so a huge win and it was all worth it to me. The second radio station is still broadcasting but the ownership means nothing to me.