Talk:WCRW
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[edit] Article text from June 16, 2006
In the interest of cleanup and making this article more coherent, I'm placing the text of the article as I found it. There is a lot of information that could be used in other articles but do not belong in this one. Much POV will be removed as well. --Brad101 17:25, 16 June 2006 (UTC)
WCRW was a "shared time" AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois. This means it shared its frequency with two other stations each broadcasting a part of the day. There are only a few stations that share time left on the radio, today.
About 1988 WCRW, was purchased by WEDC (who sold them both to WSBC). The three share-time stations operated on 1240 AM from the mid-1920's until WCRW's owner Mrs. Josephine White died.
Ed Jacker was 50% owner, Manager and chief engineer of this 5-hour-per-day station.
The three stations on 1240 in Chicago operated from three different locations with three separate transmitter sites, 1 kW days, 250 W nights.
Jacker was a design engineer having helped develop radar while at RCA during the war. He later designed transmitters, and was said to be a "walking radio encyclopedia".
From the 1920s through the 1960s the three station managers met annually to decide their hours. In the mid-1960s, they met and things were finalized through the rest of their existence.
These were 3 separate complete stations 7 days a week, 24/7. 12-6 WEDC 6-8 WSBC 8-11 WEDC 11-2 WCRW 2-4 WSBC 4-5 WEDC 5-8 WCRW 8-12 WSBC
This is how it worked; (other station "empties” the frequency by shutting off). WCRW; (flip on the transmitter) "Thank You WSBC, this is WCRW, the Gold Coast Station returning to the air at ( ) o'clock. Portions of our programming is pre-recorded." I read those words (on cart) from 1972-1985. A 60 sec. psa followed, then the program started. When I was away at college, My grandmother said, "she could hear me everyday. Often times I read commercials in ENGLISH following the foreign announcers version in his language.
The 3, 1240 on the dial stations had a large loyal following. Some of the program producers were on for 40 years; Chinese, Italian, and other Chicago minorities ere always represented between the 3 stations.
WCRW was only on 5 hours a day because Jacker didn't believe the overnight hours originally agreed to (3-6am) were worth anything. WCRW grossed about 3k weekly in the 1970's. WCRW was spotless clean. It was in the penthouse of the Embassy Hotel (once rich now not so rich) neighborhood, much resembling Manhattan. As you walked up the stairs to the penthouse you opened a gate. The gate set off chimes in the studio so you know if someone was coming.
When I worked there, WCRW was Spanish Mon-Sat, 3 hours on Sat and 1 hour on Sun. The other Sunday hours were German and Greek. They went foreign language in the 50's because they could no longer compete in English. In its history the station played live bands, Polish. religious, and LOTS of other foreign stuff.
Jacker was an fcc rule nut. EVERY SECOND was recorded "in case the fcc ever hasssled him." Whatever was on the air, there were 2 engineers, one working the board (and the 6 tapecaster cart players) and one who KEPT THE LOG accurate to the second - "cut the guy off if he EVER plays more than 18 minutes of ads per hour. Don't Let him in the studio unless he brings a check."
I really loved the guy. The original owner, Clinton R White (Mrs. White's husband) died in the 50's attending a meeting about the WCRW roof antenna (with a large top hat). Jacker died in the 80's at an engineering conference in Wisconsin. His daughter briefly operated the station, selling it a year after Ed's death to (first) WEDC - who later sold it to WSBC.
WEDC was started by Emil Denemark, who ran his Cadillac dealership from the same building as the radio station. Later, it was sold to the Pucinski family (a Chicago politician). Grandma Puckinski did a daily hour Polish program there. Pat Sajak is a WEDC alumnus. WSBC was started by the Standard Battery Company, and also ran WSBC (later XRT) FM. That station also has a very colorful history.
I'd be happy to answer any more questions. I LOVE to remember those days.
I once owned WFDT, (now WSHI) Columbia City. My partner Steve Klabon was killed in a car crash, and his wife and I sold the stations. I then bought into WRIN, Rensselaer, later expanding and selling.
