It was 31 years ago today that I first sat before a microphone for money.
The mic belonged to WFIW AM-FM in Fairfield, Illinois. The night before I had graduated from Lewis and Clark Community College where I earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in radio. I was 25 years old and ready to start my career trek to become the next Edward R. Murrow.
My air partner was Gil Wallace, the Morning Mayor of Fairfield, a legend who broke every rule taught to me at college….but didn’t really care. Gil was one of those broadcasters who oozed kindness and compassion. He would start every morning off with a march….and during the first few notes say:
“It’s a beautiful day in Fairfield….Old Gil Wallace with you here in the Breakfast Nook.”
I have often heard stories of people stuck in a snowdrift along a side of a road….cussing because they were waiting for a wrecker…hearing Gil’s voice assuring them that this was indeed “a beautiful day”---whether they believed it or not.
I also worked with the legendary Stan David, who was the sports guy and mid-morning talk show host and Gil’s son, the mercurial (i.e. flighty, temperamental) Link Heartthrob, also known as Kirk Wallace. Kirk took his Dad’s place and now hosts on WFIW’s “Woody and Murvis” show. Kirk hides behind the name of “Woody Long,” a name that is suggestive but short of being offensive to Wayne County listeners.
Stan is famous for being the only radio sports broadcaster I know that was thrown out of a high school game BEFORE the game ever started. He was doing a pre-game show in McLeansboro, and had the refs within earshot when he pronounced them as being somewhat incapable of performing the tasks before them. They heard…and they booted him before the first whistle. He resides in the Illinois High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. I was honored that he was able to call the games of my sons when they played for the Fairfield High School Mules, years later. Stan was a beloved homer for the Mules. He had a big heart and died way too early.
Woody (i.e Kirk, Link etc.) was famous for being fired many times by station management because he was reportedly delinquent for work early in his career. One famous story (and I emphasize it borders on fokelore) was when he came to work at 6:10 a.m. when the station was supposed to be signed on the air at 6:00 a.m. sharp. Fairfield has always been known to have frequent power outages…and Kirk thought he could use that to his advantage. He quickly changed all of the clocks in the station…and when management called to ask why he had been late….he said it must have been a power outage that forced him to sign-on late.
A call to the power plant was made. Kirk was let go…..only to return and make a career at the station. He was….and is…..a major market talent who has teamed with uber-talented newsman Len Wells (Murvis) to inform and entertain a huge audience each weekday. I downloaded an app so I can listen to the duo…and I do….often.
The owners of the station were very special to me. I dearly loved the family that controlled WFIW for over 60 years. The Land family is simply the best. Tom was the typical “greatest generation” figure who helped win the second world war and came home to build a business built on service. His son, Dave, continued the tradition. Dave is one of my most treasured friends.
The best story about my first radio gig was….how it ended.
In March, 1983, a few million “cowbirds,” described as “rats with wings”---descended on Fairfield and roosted in the bare branches of most of the town’s trees. They stayed….and stayed….and stayed. I was the only radio reporter in fifty miles….and I started reporting about the cowbird infestation. City fathers started to worry about the health risks obvious when a few million birds roost….and defacate….in the middle of town. They brought air canons….and devised other strategies to get rid of them.
Soon, St. Louis stations started calling and I was the person to explain the strange story. Next, the networks took interest and I did a story for NBC Radio News. A news director in Springfield heard the story on a national feed and decided it was time to fill one of his vacant news positions.
Mark Belling called…..and I accepted.
I left Fairfield before the birds.
Twenty some years later I returned to Fairfield to become the president of Frontier Community College. As Jerry Garcia once said----It was a long, strange ride.
A post-script------Back in 1982, when I became the news director of WFIW, my wife was working in Wayne City and remembers talking to her grandma, an avid listener of the station. Carol and I never met (as far as we know) during my first stint in Fairfield.
Grandma (Dorothy Bayler), was asked her opinion of the new newscaster.
“Not much,” was her reported response. She preferred my predecessor.
Dorothy still listens to WFIW at the ripe old age of 98.
Grandma’s view was probably shared by many……a little over three decades ago today.
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