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The Radio Station That Time Forgot
It's an era you'd think is long gone - the small town radio station not owned by some giant media company, with real people on the air, talking to a very small population and somehow making it work, even during a pandemic. This story isn't about a local broadcaster. In fact, WRIV-AM is located in a place called Riverhead, N.Y.
What I find so charming about the video that accompanies this story is how quaint the place seems. Check out the master control board that looks like something out of the 50s. And then there's the production studio, filled with carts, cart machines, and a reel-to-reel.
It's incredible to think such a place still exists, lost in a kind of time warp. But as the story notes:
"Not much has changed around here. Remembrances of things past abound — thousands of old LPs, vintage radio equipment — and of a few things present too. The ceiling has water marks, for example, from a wet spring. Otherwise, the place is a time capsule, or as manager and morning host, Bruce Tria, explains, "this station is what it is since 1955."
I honestly didn't think this radio blast from the past existed anymore. Apparently, it still does. Which is the charm of the story and the video that accompanies it. (Pictures are courtesy of Newsday, which published the article linked below.)
The Radio Station That Time Forgot
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- In Phase
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Re: The Radio Station That Time Forgot
There appears to be DYMO tape labels on the console
remember them ?
- RadioActive
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Re: The Radio Station That Time Forgot
I had one of those label makers once. Knowing my penchant for never throwing anything out, it may still be here somewhere. I wonder if cart label makers are still in business.
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Thread Starter- Tq345
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Re: The Radio Station That Time Forgot
In Phase wrote:
There appears to be DYMO tape labels on the console
remember them ?
I still have my DYMO label maker. It must be 40-plus years old. I rarely use it, but it still works like a champ.
Heaven knows what I'll do if I ever run out of label tape. I wonder if it's still available.
- Paul Jeffries
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Re: The Radio Station That Time Forgot
There appears to be DYMO tape labels on the console
remember them ?
I still have my DYMO label maker. It must be 40-plus years old. I rarely use it, but it still works like a champ.
Heaven knows what I'll do if I ever run out of label tape. I wonder if it's still available.
ClassicHitsOnline.com...The place where all the cool tunes hang out!
- Tq345
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Re: The Radio Station That Time Forgot
There appears to be DYMO tape labels on the console
remember them ?
I still have my DYMO label maker. It must be 40-plus years old. I rarely use it, but it still works like a champ.
Heaven knows what I'll do if I ever run out of label tape. I wonder if it's still available.
Good to know. Thanks for the heads up Paul.
- AMFM
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Re: The Radio Station That Time Forgot
Sadly the video no longer works on the link. Too bad. Loved this story though RA.
- RadioActive
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Re: The Radio Station That Time Forgot
Try it again. I just went there without a VPN and it worked fine. Not sure why you're having trouble.
Here's a separate link with just the video and without the copy. Maybe it will work better:
I recall the first board I ever worked on looked a lot like the one in the piece. I'm amazed in this digital age that anyone still uses them. But boy, were they ever workhorses. It was almost impossible to break them and they lasted forever. As the equipment at WRIV seems to prove!
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Thread Starter- fybush
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Re: The Radio Station That Time Forgot
I visited WRIV four years ago, and there are some pictures of its vintage studio setup (and, nearby, the mighty WLNG) here:
- Jody Thornton
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Re: The Radio Station That Time Forgot
Try it again. I just went there without a VPN and it worked fine. Not sure why you're having trouble.
Here's a separate link with just the video and without the copy. Maybe it will work better:
I recall the first board I ever worked on looked a lot like the one in the piece. I'm amazed in this digital age that anyone still uses them. But boy, were they ever workhorses. It was almost impossible to break them and they lasted forever. As the equipment at WRIV seems to prove!
I love their studio although I still prefer an early 80s vintage slide pot board. I've never cared for rotary myself. But I still wish there were more analog boards in use.
Cheers,
Jody Thornton
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Re: The Radio Station That Time Forgot
I visited WRIV four years ago, and there are some pictures of its vintage studio setup (and, nearby, the mighty WLNG) here:
Wow, some fascinating pics, Scott. Although I'm not sure WLNG can be compared to WRIV! I wonder how the latter station gets parts for everything when its equipment eventually wears out. I'm just happy to know that in this digital world, there are still some places using carts! (Where do they get those now?)
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