Mike Baker and the Forgotten 45s
WLTL-FM 88.1
As an alum of Lyons Township High School (Class of ‘79), I have returned to my alma mater to supervise the students participating on the campus’ radio station. I have lectured at Columbia College Chicago as well as Prairie State University. I was also a teachers assistant at Northern Illinois University. Now, I am returning the education that was given to me as a student. Help that develops talent and skill with hands on experience. Guidance that is better than any words you can read in a text book.
LTHS Students participated in radio dating back to 1922 when the school began a wireless club. In the fifties, LT Students were first heard on WTAQ-AM 1300. The idea for a terrestrial radio station was developed in the summer of 1966. The first choice of a call sign was turned down, WLTH would have stood for Lyons Township High. The second choice was WLTL, Lyons Township LaGrange or Lyons Township Lions. WLTL hit the airwaves from the third floor of the Vaughn Building with 10 watts in mono on January 5, 1968. The station first broadcasted on 88.3 MHz. A couple of years later, WLTL moved to 88.1 MHz so another high school station could squeeze on the dial. Milestones include: using WIND/Group W as a news resource; moving the studio to Room 9 at North Campus; increasing power to 180 watts; and broadcasting in stereo.
> WLTL history from alum Terry Marsala and Scott R. Meyer <
My memories, as a supervisor, include the introduction of a workstation using the Arrakis Systems broadcast software "Digilink". This DOS software was used at the station I worked at, WJJG-AM 1530. WLTL used a Windows version to air promos, PSAs, liners, etc. Another memory was Radio ECHO, a project of the Ronald McDonald Children's Hospital at Loyola with WLTL. Yet another milestone was in the summer of 2004, when Ms. Kate Singletary asked me to kick off programming WLTL around the clock 24-7. That summer of 2004, WLTL presented an oldies format of 50s, 60s and 70s. The "flex clock" included ID, image liners, breaks and more. When the students returned in the fall 2004, they continued using the radio automation software MegaSeg.
Supervisor:
student broadcasting
student production/remotes
Enco (on-air software)
MegaSeg (on-air software)
Adobe Audition (editing software)
Lecturer:
SMN/ABC Radio Networks
flex and hot clocks
audio workstation
DigiLink (on-air software)
Along with students from Lyons Township High School, I volunteered at the Ronald McDonald Children's Hospital at Loyola. Radio ECHO provided entertainment and education that became a part of the cure.
From the Lyons Township High School newspaper "The Lion"
online version:
> Radio Supervisor celebrates 25 years at WLTL <
by Maddy Cohen, May 24, 2018
WJJG-AM 1530
This suburban station was owned by “The Baron of Barrington” Joe Gentile. “Your Hometown Station” AM 1530 WJJG was a local neighbor providing entertainment as well as information. “The Forgotten 45s” on 1530 WJJG were popular songs from the golden age of top-40 radio that was heard on the weekends 1995-2012. “The Forgotten 45s” shared memories of yesteryear and the music of our generation.
Remembering
The Joseph J. Gentile Center,
Joe Gentile Golf Classic for St. Ignatius,
and more at
> wjjgam1530.com <
Mike Baker And The Forgotten 45s broadcasted the first "A Hometown Christmas" Christmas Day 1995. Carol and Joe Gentile on WJJG-AM 1530 brought the holiday special to listeners commercial-free. The annual special included Christmas one hit wonders, holiday hits from the golden age of top-40 and more. The broadcast was all live and local, year after year for 16 years.
AM 1530 is licensed to Elmhurst, IL. Covering the Chicago suburban area, AM 1530 signed on the air October 10, 1974. The station’s original call letters were WKDC representing the signal coverage in Will, Kane, DuPage and Cook counties. The studios were built for stereo (Cetec Sparta equipment) although it was not until 1976 when the FCC authorized the station to test AM stereo. Findings on AM stereo were presented at the 1977 NAB Convention in Washington, DC. In 1995, AM 1530 changed its call sign to WJJG. The call letters stood for owner Joseph J. Gentile. Joe’s nickname is “The Baron of Barrington,” where he owned a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership (many models with AM stereo radios) for many years. On September 19, 2012, WJJG-AM 1530 became AM 1530 WCKG The Voice Of DuPage County
WCKG-AM 1530
Technical Producer for client programming
podcasts
MegaSeg (live/automation)
WordPress (website editor)
WJJG-AM 1530
Operations Consultant
Webmaster
Mike Baker and the Forgotten 45s
A Hometown Christmas
Technical Producer for client programming
MegaSeg
Gootsan, Oakes & Schumacher
Talent:
background for McDonald’s TV commercial
> “Happy Birthday Big Mac” <
Chicago Airwaves
> October 1993 <
KB Communications, Inc.
Contributor:
program guide grid
articles
WFYR-FM 103.5
Continuous Soft Hits
Technical Producer:
12-Hours Of Christmas
Love Songs with Chris Torres
promotional events
Prairie State College
Guest Speaker
WCCQ-FM 98.3
Q-Country
Under the management of Bob Channick (CHB Venture), Q-Country 98.3 WCCQ was once the spot on the dial to listen to the “Q-Country Cavalcade” request show on Saturday afternoons with the “Cosmic Cowboy” Jim Felbinger. It was like magic, one Saturday afternoon I prepared for the over night programming while the Cosmic Cowboy was on-the-air. He needed some help as he spoke in the mic. He referred to me as “Engineer Mike” which started a long relationship on-air as well as off. From 1985 through the end of the decade, the "Q-Crew" appeared at several country and bluegrass events around the Joliet area in Illinois.
The WCCQ Q-Country music survey was the idea of Program Director Bob Zak.
Later, I continued the Q-Survey printed by Sir Speedy Printing in Joliet, IL.
WCCQ 98.3 FM, "You're In Q-Country"
> Q-Survey <
Later, the "Q-Crew" hosted the “Q-Country Bluegrass Connection”
on Sunday nights featuring Bluegrass music and events.
You may find out more about the Q-Crew,
Jim Felbinger and Mike Baker, the Cosmic Cowboy and Engineer Mike in
“Valley Voices: A Radio History” by John Russell Ghrist.
Donating time and effort was fun at an
Easter Seals Softball Tournament in 1989.
A chance to see listeners, score against the other radio stations
and raise money helping a good cause.
"Share with others... volunteer."
- Mike Baker
WTAQ-AM 1300
Sales Assistant:
Oldies Plus with Joe Thomas
more at
> mikebaker45s <