A Tour of a Radio Station Was Part of My Inspiration in Getting into Radio

This is the time of year for tiger-cub tours. Tonight was the first of I’m sure a few this season. They’re all looking to attain their communication badge on their way to graduation into the next level.

There are many things that inspired me to be a disc jockey, there was the late 70s TV show ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’, the music, fame and girls but one thing I distinctly remember was a tour I had of a local AM/FM cluster in Halifax thanks to a YWCA day camp. The FM, CHFX was a country station and the AM, CHNS was a middle of the road or MOR type format, more or less light rock from the present to back about 25 years.

I’d say I was probably about 10 or 11 years old. I remember that because I requested “Electric Avenue” by Eddie Grant during the tour.

A few things are different today, we no longer play 45s and carts (like 8 Track tapes) and but many things are the same, the vibe, process of how radio operates, and of course the junk food like coffee and doughnuts.

Anyhow, something about that tour back in 1982 or 1983 stuck with me all through childhood and the bug has stayed with me through the years. Every tour I run through the building here at 92 Moose I always wonder if I capture a child’s attention just enough to energize them about our medium.

If it make sense on a tour and I can do it, I really try to play a song someone requests. Tonight it was “Gangnam Style” by Psi, I try because I know I waited all day for “Electric Avenue” and they never played it. Now that I’m older I get it, back then I didn’t really understand formatics.

I think tours are a great thing; it opens a child’s eyes to an offbeat business rarely seen by those who don’t ask or have no other reason to be here.

I hope tonight’s Pack 622 left happy and at the very least took a piece of their walk through and share it with friends.