So good to hear from Jeff Caylor and Scott Black about their time at WATO and WGAP. In 1978, I was 20 years old and a student at UT. I had previously attended North Carolina State University and had worked at their station (WKNC-FM.) I wanted to do some radio part-time again, so I found a weekend position at WATO, where I met Jeff and Carson Cooper. (Carson was responsible for my eventual move to ROCK 104 - WIMZ-FM.) Here are some memories from my time at WATO ---
At that time, WATO was paired with WUUU-FM (who would EVER want those call letters?) WUUU was automated beautiful music. The WATO jock would manage the automation (changing tapes, etc.) It was clear to me that almost nobody listened to WUUU. That belief was validated one night when the automation went haywire. I had no idea how to fix it, so I took the easy way out...I cut off the transmitter! After I did that, I received ZERO phone calls about the station being off he air!
WATO was an top 40/adult contemporary station in the late 70s. I didn't have much use for Kool and the Gang, the Bee Gees, and Olivia Newton-John (my musical tastes were based in progressive rock and jazz). However, I tried to follow the format --- at least most of the time! The station ran 5000 watts daytime and covered most of the surrounding counties then, but after dark it went to only 500 watts and was highly directional (in fact, in some places, you could actually see the towers but could not pick up the station!) So....I took advantage of that situation on Saturday nights. The GM and PD lived too far from the station to pick it up at night....so.....I “changed the format” myself then! Long album cuts from Yes, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, and many more (I brought in my own albums.) Never did get caught! And had some good feedback via the phones!
Jeff Caylor mentioned he made “a lot of money” at WATO. So did I! I think I was making the grand sum of $2.75 an hour when I started. One day the PD calls me in --- says “Larry, you are doing a great job....here's a 25 cent/hour raise.” I felt good about that.....until I read in the paper the next day that the minimum age had just been raised!!! (Larry Solomon)
At that time, WATO was paired with WUUU-FM (who would EVER want those call letters?) WUUU was automated beautiful music. The WATO jock would manage the automation (changing tapes, etc.) It was clear to me that almost nobody listened to WUUU. That belief was validated one night when the automation went haywire. I had no idea how to fix it, so I took the easy way out...I cut off the transmitter! After I did that, I received ZERO phone calls about the station being off he air!
WATO was an top 40/adult contemporary station in the late 70s. I didn't have much use for Kool and the Gang, the Bee Gees, and Olivia Newton-John (my musical tastes were based in progressive rock and jazz). However, I tried to follow the format --- at least most of the time! The station ran 5000 watts daytime and covered most of the surrounding counties then, but after dark it went to only 500 watts and was highly directional (in fact, in some places, you could actually see the towers but could not pick up the station!) So....I took advantage of that situation on Saturday nights. The GM and PD lived too far from the station to pick it up at night....so.....I “changed the format” myself then! Long album cuts from Yes, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, and many more (I brought in my own albums.) Never did get caught! And had some good feedback via the phones!
Jeff Caylor mentioned he made “a lot of money” at WATO. So did I! I think I was making the grand sum of $2.75 an hour when I started. One day the PD calls me in --- says “Larry, you are doing a great job....here's a 25 cent/hour raise.” I felt good about that.....until I read in the paper the next day that the minimum age had just been raised!!! (Larry Solomon)