Interview with Helen Huber, April 11, 2012

Jack Fox: Well, it is a this is a Wednesday morning.

Helen Huber: Wednesday morning.

JF: It's April 11th. And we're visiting it's a bright sunny day, cool out there this morning.

HH: It is, but it's gorgeous.

JF: April 11, 2012. And we are visiting with Helen Huber. Helen, how are you today?

HH: I'm fine today. I'm on vacation this week. (laughs)

JF: Oh, nice. It's spring break time.HH: Spring break.

JF: And you stayed around town, huh?

HH: I uh, yeah, you know.

JF: Gardening or just relaxing?

HH: Oh, just relaxing, taking walks, you know stuff I can't do when I'm---

JF: Uh, when you're working, yeah. It's cuts into your working time.

HH: ---during working, you know. Hours get kind of long sometimes.

JF: Yeah. Helen is at WHAS Radio, and as of today, 2012, you have the distinction of being probably the second longest employee at WHAS Radio.

HH: I am. I have been there for thirty-four and a half years.

JF: Wow.

HH: And I am second only to Paul Rogers, who has been there a few years longer than me.

JF: (laughs)

HH: I when I first worked walked into the doors at WHAS I never thought that I 1:00would hold this distinction. (laughs)

JF: Is that right?

HH: (laughs)

JF: Were you---

HH: Well, I came from rock and roll radio.

JF: Really.

HH: I came from WKLO at the time.

JF: That was a different atmosphere, huh?HH: It was, and I was almost in tears (laughs) going oh my gosh what have I done?

JF: Really? Because why? Because it was a---

HH: Well, at WKLO obviously it was a you know music---

JF: ---very lively---

HH: ---all that stuff. Lively---

JF: ---it was a rock station, wasn't WKLO?

HH: ---it was a rock station, and they competed with WAKY. And they were always number one and number two, and this was before like FM hit big, you know.

JF: Uh huh, yeah.

HH: And uh---

JF: So this was 1970---

HH: It was '77---

JF: ---seventy-seven.

HH: ---seventy-seven is when I started working in it, yes. And uh we uh when I was KLO we had already moved to a computer system for the job I do, which is traffic.

JF: Really, in 1977?

HH: We were the first station that had gone on computer for traffic, and when I came to WHAS, which was a bigger station, and all of that, they were still doing 2:00everything by hand.

JF: You'd gone to the dark ages, hadn't you?

HH: Oh, it was a really really the dark ages. They had IBM cards, and you had to put them in a type writer, and type all the information on them. Then you had to take a hand punch, and punch out the respective columns; and then you had to take a needle-it was a long needle with a handle on it-and manually sort all of the cards, and then place those cards on a board, and take them upstairs to the Xerox machine. and photo copy them to get a log, and---

JF: Oh my God.

HH: ---and so I had stepped back about 20 years. (laughs)

JF: Wow. What what made you decide to come the WHAS?

HH: Um, I it was an interesting story. (laughs)

JF: Can you tell it? (laughs)

HH: Oh, yes. The manager at the time at WKLO, um, we'd gone through a I can't exactly remember what had happened, but it was we were really busy, and I'd put 3:00in like a weekend of work trying to get things back together. And just had made a just a comment to him not really expecting a whole lot, but I just said, you know, "What would you do without me?"

And he said, "Well, we would manage." (laughs)

JF: Oh, the wrong word.

HH: And so it just happened that within weeks after that I was told of this job opening at WHAS, and I applied for it and got it.

JF: Where they obviously needed your skills more at this time. (laughs)

HH: Well, they did, and what was really funny at that time they also hired- there was two positions open at WHAS-and so they hired the other traffic manager from WKLO. She worked at our FM stations there, so in one day they lost their entire department. And they didn't manage. (laughs)

JF: They didn't manage. (laughs)

HH: They didn't manage, you know. And so at the time the sales the manager of the station wanted everyone to sign a non-compete, and they lost like ten people---

JF: Wow.

JJ: ---because nobody wanted to sign the non-compete.

JF: Oh. Sure. Sure.

HH: Yeah.

JF: That's amazing. Now I didn't know that they would do that for people who were not on the air.

HH: Well, he just got mad that---

JF: Sure.

HH: HAS took---

JF: He was trying to---

HH: ---took out his, yeah, (laughs) took out his whole department, you know. (both laugh)

JF: Well, let's talk for just a minute we say when we say traffic, in this day and age somebody may not know that you're not directing cars---

HH: No, and I don't fly the helicopter, you know. (laughs)

JF: ---tell us what traffic means.

HH: Um, well traffic is um what I work with all the commercials, and at one time for, well, for every hour that you broadcast on the air, you have a legal document which shows where you run your commercials, where you run your PSA, and it is what you bill off of.

JF: PSA's are public service announcements.

HH: Public service announcements. And so I would---

JF: You bill clients for that?HH: Um huh, and I would put all that together. And um, so like you know, somebody buys a 60 second commercial three times a week, Monday through Friday, 10 a. to 3 p., then I place I figure out where that goes and make sure everybody gets what they want and stuff, you know.

JF: So you're not just then you're not just putting it on a log so whoever's operating the on-air signal knows what comes when. This is for billing purposes---

HH: Billing purposes, yes.

JF: ---and uh, authenticating everything.

HH: Yes. We're kind of like at the bottom of a funnel, you know, because the sales go out. Everything goes out---

JF: Let's talk about that.

HH: ---and it gets down to us, and we put it all together.

HH: They'd go out---

JF: So the sales person would go talk to potential advertisers? HH: ---they'd go out, and uh and um they would say you know you're having this up-coming sale. Let's run a schedule, and you know it might be 20 commercials a week or it's just depending on what they would buy, and um, we'll advertise for the sale. So, they come in, and they have to get the copy, which they either buy 15's, 30's, or '60's. And the copy that would go for that spot, you know, whether they it's a spot or a commercial, and um, they give that to us, too. And so then we match up, you know the commercial with the copy, and give it the copy gets a number. The commercial has that number on the log, and so when it comes up- at one time 6:00everything was on carts. They looked like old 8 tracks, is what they look like.

JF: Um hum.

HH: And the disc jockeys would actually have to manually pull all the cards--

JF: Yes, um huh.

HH: ---and place them in the machines to fire---

JF: So they would look at their log- they would look at their log and know that between 7 and 8 in the morning these are the commercials they are going to run at what times.

HH: ---right, and they would pull them for an hour, and then they would just start manually loading them into a machine at each break, and a break would be after music or after talk or, you know, a break in the regular programming, and they would play the commercial. Um, we're now computerized. Everything is computerized. On air is computerized---

JF: That makes it a lot easier for you or---

HH: ----um, it does sometimes. (both laugh) Until the computer goes down and everything, you know. It's manually scrambling, yeah, you know, and---

JF: (??)

JF: That's a long cry from the first day you walked in there then.

HH: ---uh, it's uh.

JF: Walk us through some of the changes that went down. What was that---

HH:---uh, just in like with in editing a tape. Eh, you know we were working with 7:00real to reel tapes, well, the real to reel tapes don't even exist anymore, and in the radio station, um, it's all digital, you know, and you would take a razor blade and and scotch tape and and---

JF: ---edit the tape.

HH: ---edit it, and cut it, and tape it, and let it go on, you know. And now it's all manual. It's all done digitally, you know, and um, I mean it's---

JF: ---what about the preparation of the logs. How has that changed from those days of putting those cards. How long did it take you to prepare a log when you first walked in there, and you had to do those cards with the data punch and all that. How long did it take you?

HH: ---it would take, I mean it would take um you know you, you really couldn't work ahead, you know you had to work day to day because you just couldn't get ahead. There was no getting ahead. (laughs) And---

JF: ---because of the time factor?

HH: ---because it took so long, and then on Fridays you have to do three logs---

JF: Oh, wow.

HH: ---and so---

JF: For the weekend.

HH: ---for the weekend. You have to do Saturday, Sundays and Mondays. You're always working for the next day because by midnight you have to have your log done, and um uh so now with the computer you can work ahead because you can you get everything done for the next day, and then you can move on to the day after that and the day after that or you could work out a month.JF: It's just a matter of moving around on the computer.

HH: Right, and you know and each there's all sorts of different computerized traffic systems. The one---

JF: What do you use?

HH: Well, the one that I'm on WHAS Radio is now owned by Clear Channel Media---

JF: Uh-huh.

HH: ---and um, we have an in-house system. Um, it's called Viaero, and so it was created for um all of the Clear Channel Stations. And so---

JF: Oh, really?

HH: ---yes and they can corporate our corporate offices are in San Antonio, and and they can get into our system, and pull reports and all of that.

JF: They don't do billing and things like that for you, do they?

HH: Actually now billing is done - it's called a hub system where one city is marked the hub and cities around it are called spokes of the wheel, like and um so the billing for uh Louisville is done in Nashville, Tennessee.

JF: Wow.

HH: Yeah.

JF: And that's for several stations here in Louisville now, too, isn't it---

HH: Uh, yes.

JF: ---for all the Clear Channels stations?

HH: Yes, we have eight stations. We have um it's WHAS, WAMZ, WKRD, WKJK, WLGX, WQMF, WTFX, WNRW. Then we have um digital stations for all of those, the HD stations---

JF: Oh yes, hum huh.

HH: ---we have the Kentucky News Network, which is um provides news services for 9:00small stations throughout the state. We have that. And uh, and then our Total Traffic Network. But, right now it is done-

JF: The Total Traffic Network is actual traffic reports---

HH: ---it's actually traffic---

JF: ---cars and all that, I64 and 71.

HH: ---it does, right, but it is being done out of Cincinnati at the present time.

JF: Well, now, uh, you don't prepare logs for all those stations, do you or do you?HH: Um I do for WHAS, WHAS digital HD, the streaming station.

JF: Um hum.

HH: And um I do WQMF streaming. I back up all of the stations. And I handle the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky for---

JF: For football and basketball.

HH: --football and basketball. Um they run different things during the year. They have a show on WKRD called Cardinal Insider. Um, I'm the point person for all the copy in that for um for them for U. of L. for that, and I handle all of 10:00our networks, which is um, we might barter for a service, like a comedy service that one of our jocks might use on the air, and we get their um their comedy bits, and for that we agree to run, like a 60 seconds of commercials a day, Monday through Friday. So they give us the commercials. They tell us what to run each day, and the copy, and we have that for all 8 stations, multiples for all 8 stations. And I take care of all that. It's a far cry from doing WHAS.

JF: Has anybody ask told you lately they could manage without you? (laughs)

HH: No, no, I haven't heard those words for a while.

JF: I think-wow. (both laugh)

HH: But you know in this day and time it's you---

JF: ---well you couldn't do it without the computers.

HH: ---everybody, yeah, without the computers, yeah you couldn't do it.

JF: Hum hm.

HH: But, um the business has changed so much.

JF: Well, let's go back to when you started. When when you came to WHAS where 11:00were the studios then?

HH: The studios were downtown at 6th and Chestnut.

JF: Sixth and Chestnut, in the building there with the television (??).

HH: Right. We were on the ground floor, and uh, on the Armory side of the building. The tv news room was and our news room, radio news room, was on the 6th Street side of the building, and the tv business offices were on the second floor. And um---

JF: All of radio were on the first floor there by Armory and---

HH: We were all on the first floor, right, um hum---

JF: ---sales, sales and everything was right there.

HH: ---Um hum, and it was WHAS and WAMZ.

JF: Now, who was in, who was in, for example who was the station manager. Do you remember who the program director was or some of the people you worked with.

HH: Uh, when I first came the program director um was uh Jerry David Mulloy. And our manager the general manager was Mike Crusherman.

JF: Oh yes, uh huh.

HH: Yeah, and I had worked with him at WKLO---

JF: Sure, he was a sales guy at WHAS, uh huh.

HH: ---and that was part of the reason that, you know---

JF: Oh yeah, uh huh.

HH: ---I had a good reputation, so. Uh and um the sales manager at the time---

JF: Topmiller, was it Topmiller?

HH: ---Top, Jim Topmiller, I think, was the national sales manager, and Curt Smith was the sales manager.

JF: Okay, now where was was Bob Scherer was he was still the sales manager?

HH: Bob Scherer was the sales person at the time.

JF: Okay, okay.

HH: And then he moved up to be a after a few uh interesting general managers. (laughs)

JF: Who was the general manager who came, was that?

HH: It was Mike Crusherman.

JF: Oh, Mike was the general manager.

HH: He was the general manager, yeah, and then I don't know the exact order, but we had we had one sales manager that came from Texas. And he would come out of his office screaming I love the smell of napalm in the morning.

JF: Oh, my goodness.

HH: You know.

JF: (laughs)

HH: He was very interesting. (both laugh) He didn't last that long, you know. He uh didn't. During his tenure, WHAS lost the U. of K. contract---

JF: Oh yeah.

HH: ---which was something that we had had forever. So that was a black mark on his his---

JF: I remember those days. I would be on the air, and uh, I didn't dare answer the phone lines that came in because you knew what we were going to be abused. We just wouldn't take the phone. We didn't.

HH: ---I know. It was terrible, you know. And it was just, and they did it, I'm trying to think. Was it the Final Four weekend was in Lexington?

JF: Yeah, uh hum.

HH: Was it the Final Four? And they waited until that Friday afternoon to let us know that we weren't getting it.

JF: Oh wow.

HH: I will never forget that because we were we were in shock. Nobody had any idea.

JF: I'm sure.

HH: And it was a big deal. It was a big deal. But after three years, I think it was, we got them back, because---

JF: So who came did Bob Scherer become manager after that? Or who was the manager.

HH: Um let's see---

JF: Bob was there for a good while.

HH: ---he was, and uh, too, we had Bill Campbell was in there.

JF: Oh, yes, uh huh.

HH: And uh, he lasted a little bit. He was from Canada, and he was I don't 14:00really know what to say about. You know, some of them didn't make that much of an impression, you know. And then Bob finally took over and---

JF: Bob had been there a long time.

HH: ---he had. He had been a sales person, and he moved up to general manager.

JF: He did some good things.

HH: He did do some good things.

JF: Good. Who was some of the people you worked with there in your office or around. Uh, were you the only traffic person?

HH: Uh, no, there were when I stated there were three of us, but and it was Ann Hubs, who is still a dear friend of mine. And um I'm trying to think I don't even remember who the third person was at the time because they weren't there that long.

JF: Susan was.

HH: Susan Schrader was in billing.

JF: Okay.

HH: She was in accounting. You know.

JF: Okay, I saw her around your office some.

HH: Yes, actually she was up on the second floor, but at one point they did move uh the WHAS I think it was because of the sale that they split us up.

JF: When radio and television had separate um hum.

HH: When the Binghams sold the companies, and uh, and then Susan, because she was radio accounting, she moved down to our area.

JF: Okay.

HH: So she was right there with us.

JF: What other program directors do you remember?

HH: Uh, there's Danny Nugent. He was he was very good, and he, I think he is in Cleveland now, as a matter of fact.

JF: Actually, he's in Chicago.

HH: Is he in Chicago?

JF: Moody Radio. He's at Moody Radio in Chicago as of this date. He's been up there for several years.

JF: Well, see you know better than I do. And uh Lisa Denny, and then there was um okay the brain just stopped.

JF: Gary, I would---

HH: Gary, oh Gary Bruce.

JF: Gary Bruce.

HH: Yeah, he was funny. (both laugh) I remember a story about him was they were 16:00doing um construction out in front of our building on the street. And they had just um poured a fresh layer of concrete right from the curb, the parking lane if you will, right in front of our building on Chestnut. And Gary was coming back from something, lunch or something, and he was late, and he rounded the bend on 6th street because Chestnut was one way, and um they had these cones up and stuff, but he didn't think they applied to him, and he ran through all the concrete in his little sports car.

JF: Oh, no.

HH: And he got it up, I mean it was everywhere in his sports car. And so they had to like you know haul it off, and he had to have it---

JF: Oh my gosh.

HH: ---and then Terry Meiners, who was on there in the afternoon, got uh he got a microphone and went outside to interview the work crew. (laughs) And then and so it was it was pretty funny. We were laughing pretty hard about that.

JF: You had some interesting people to work with. That's you know you were behind the scenes, but you were involved with a lot of things, too.

HH: Yeah, you know.

JF: Terry was one of the guys. Who else, uh you were there when Gary Burbank was there.

HH: Yes, Gary Burbank was at WHAS at the time before he left for Cincinnati. And he was a character. I actually saw him a couple of years ago.

JF: Is that right?

HH: They had a reunion type of thing, and he had come back from Cincinnati for that, and so that was nice. Um, I also worked with Bill Cody was there.

JF: Oh yes, um huh.

HH: And uh he's still in Nashville now. And of course, Hugh you know. I mean we went to Ireland together.

JF: Yeah that's right we did.

HH: (laughs) And that was a wonderful trip.

JF: That was a great time.

HH: It was a great time. We had a good time on that. And I'm trying to think of---Doug McElveinJF: Doug McElvein, Wayne Perkey.

HH: Wayne Perkey. Yeah, you know, it was um just a lot a lot of good people.

JF: Well, you had to have some kind of relationship, I guess, with the guys back in production. Were you involved with that at all or---

HH: Uh yeah---

JF: ---because a commercial has to be produced, but a---

HH: ---yeah, and we would have to make sure we had like if if a commercial we were going to actually do it, like um, like voice it, and all that, then our we have to make sure we have the script, and the script would mark whether you wanted like sound effects or just music or any of that. And yes that would go back into in production.

JF: ---so you worked with people like uh which was was John Polk there?

HH: John Polk was there, yeah; he was there for a long time.

JF: And then Scott Goettel.

HH: Scott Goettel, uh huh.

JF: Scott was there for a long time wasn't he?

HH: Yeah, he was. He and uh, he's working in Elizabethtown now, I think, yeah, and John still has a studio in his home, but he's still in the business, too, you know. And uh but you know at that time and still now you know it's not so much like you would think where the departments separated from each other. Everybody works together to---

JF: Well now, you're not you're not, of course, you're not at Chestnut Street. Where where---

HH: No, we're on Bishops Lane off of Newburg Road, and um it's the building that um Clear Channel owns, and so---

JF: So all the Clear Channel stations are there.

HH: All our Clear Channel stations are there. After the sale um in deregulation when a station could buy more than two stations when our my a company could own more than two stations in a network in a city, sorry, uh Clear Channel started buying up stations. And that's how we got QMF and TFX.

JF: Oh, yeah, okay.

HH: And and K and actually WKJK is the same signal that WKLO used to be---

JF: Is that right?

HH: ---ten eighty.

JF: Ten eighty, sure, sure. How about that.

HH: Yeah, yeah, it's kind of funny.

JF: Come back home.

HH: I know. Really.

JF: They couldn't manage without you.

HH: No, they couldn't though. (both laugh) And so so we're out there, and you know, it's I miss being downtown because it was fun. You could walk to everything.

JF: You could walk across the street to Cupie's.

HH: Right.

JF: Tell them about Cupie's. What's Cupie's?

HH: Cupie's was this little greasy spoon, and greasy was a good word for it. They had the best ham burgers. (laughs)

JF: Yeah, they did. It was very popular.

HH: It was very popular. It was on the corner of Armory and Chestnut Street. It was caddy- corner from our building.

JF: Um hum.

HH: And they had a little bar. And um but then they served breakfast, lunch and dinner. And so we would get breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner---

JF: Sure, long hours.

HH: ---you know. (laughs) They had good grilled cheese sandwiches and soup and uh.

JF: I know the ATT people were across the street, and they would come over---

HH: And they would go, too.

JF: ---Bell South I guess it was.

HH: Yes, and the Courier Journal.

JF: Yeah, they all came over.

HH: And Standard Gravure.

JF: Yeah.

HH: And everybody.

JF: A popular place.

HH: A popular place.

JF: It's a parking lot now.

HH: It is a parking lot, and it belongs to WHAS, I think.

JF: And I think every now and then they have to go in there and de-grease the parking lot.

HH: (laughs) That seeps through the asphalt, you know.

JF: Well, I want to come back a minute and talk about uh what your day is like, and how that's changed over the years. You know. Well, let's talk for minute we've talked about the change in ownership. When you first went there the Binghams owned the place---

HH: The Binghams owned it, yes.

JF: ---talk about that. Did you have any relationship with the Bingham family at all? What was the atmosphere like or---

HH: Uh, you know they would uh Barry Jr. Barry Bingham, Jr. he would come to the building sometimes, but they were all he was his offices were down at the Courier, you know.

JF: ---at 6th 6th and Broadway.

HH: At 6th and Broadway. Yeah, they had the whole block.

JF: Just down the block.

HH: Right. Yeah, they had the block, right, the whole block. And uh---

JF: Did you still have to go over there for your personnel stuff, when you uh, when you first started?

HH: ---well, when I first came, yes, you had to go down to the Courier, and actually at the time the Courier had a cafeteria---

JF: They did.

HH: ---up on I think it was on the 6th floor, maybe; I think it was the top floor, and we were allowed as a Bingham employee to go down there, and uh, we could uh---

JF: They were good very good to their employees.

HH: ---yes they were.

JF: They were very good to their employees.

HH: They were very good to their employees. And um uh Eleanor uh Bingham Miller she kind of worked a little bit in our building, but then she went off and did 22:00other things, but Barry was the main one. Um, and he would come down some. And my impression of him was always a gentleman. I mean he just was always um he was just always so nice and respectful, you know, yeah, and so.

JF: So then the Binghams sold the station uh, radio and television divided that was 19 about 1985, I think was it, and---

HH: Yeah, yeah.

JF: ---and Clear Channel bought it.

HH: And Clear Channel bought radio.

JF: Bought radio.

HH: At the time they had to split it up. They couldn't sell it all to the same company.

JF: Radio and tv, yeah.

HH: So tv went to um was it the Providence Group?

JF: I think that's right.

HH: Out of Providence, Rhode Island, and tv, uh, I mean radio went to uh Clear Channel Communication.

JF: Now, what was that what was that like, that transition what was that 23:00transition like?

HH: Um, it was hard because we had to go through the building, and everything in the building had to be marked radio or tv because even as far as um a dolly that we used to carry paper-it still has radio traffic painted down the side of it because I still use it. (both laugh)

JF: Got to get rid of those punch cards which you've got---

HH: I've still got the dolly. I'm still hauling paper. Um and so everything had to be split up. Um, but at the time the employees we were all still considered considered ourselves a family because we had been together---

JF: ---still in the same building, yeah.

HH: --so long.

JF: Still in the same building.

HH: And we did things together and you know everything everything was really good, but then as their management changed ours stayed the same at that time.

JF: Television, television, yeah.

HH: Television's management changed. And then things just started changing.

JF: Yeah, they moved they were sold a couple of times.

HH: Yes, they've been sold a couple of three times. We still are still on Clear Channel.

JF: Clear Channel. Although Clear Channel has changed since that time, too.

HH: Yes.

JF: As I recall when they bought WHAS they had just a handful of radio stations.

HH: They did.

JF: HAS was a pretty important cog in their---

HH: We were. We were like they owned um WOAI in San Antonio, and at that time that was their big station, and it um WHAS we're owned by Clear Channel, but we are a Clear Channel station, which means like we were one of the first 50---

JF: Okay.

HH: ---stations in the country that got a radio license, and we can broadcast at full frequency 24 hours a day where other stations have to power down at sunset.

JF: So that's what you mean by---

HH: By Clear Channel. And so like at night time you can hear our signal like all over the United States---

JF: ---sure.

HH: ---and farther, you know. And so WOAI was a Clear Station, too, and so when um Clear Channel the company bought WHAS the radio station, they ended up owning 25:00two Clear Channel stations. (laughs)

JF: Wow.

HH: You know. But, we were more successful at the time. We were very community oriented.

JF: Yes. And they pretty much gave you a hands-off---

HH: Yes they did.

JF: ---you, run it. You're doing well, and keep at it.

HH: It did, they did, and uh well, we had heard terrible terrible horror stories about Clear Channel.

JF: Really.

HH: And so the employees put together a uh petition, and we petitioned Barry Bingham, Sr. to please not sell us to Clear Channel.

JF: Really.

HH: And um Lowry Mays, who was the owner, he and his sons---

JF: From San Antonio.

HH: ---from San Antonio. He flew into town to meet with a delegation of the employees to find out why we didn't want him to buy our station. And um, now I 26:00always thing that maybe it's just my naivety my naivety, but I think that helped us because he realized how serious we were. And he did leave us alone, and we were very successful. And we carried the company a couple of months.

JF: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

HH: So so it was good.

JF: Let's talk about you talk about community oriented in those days especially, what types of things?

HH: Well, Crusade, for one thing---

JF: Crusade for Children, um huh.

HH: ---for children. Obviously, that's still going on. Um, but that be we---

JF: Crusade is uh, is a local charity, started in the 50's.

HH: ---it's like 1953 because I remember that because it was the year I was born, and they always say I can always remember---

JF: (laughs)

HH: ---that, and it's going on today. It's collected millions and millions and millions of dollars.

JF: And you participate in that over the years.

HH: I did. I worked for the Crusade, volunteered for 30 years---

JF: Wow.

HH: ---and un, and then finally, I just had to stop. It was just more than I could do.

JF: Had a great time though, wasn't it.

HH: But it was. We would have the Crusade weekend was a blast. I mean we would have a good time. I remember one crusade. They had originally started out, I think, at Memorial Auditorium, but by the time that I was there they were the broadcast especially on Saturday night and Sunday was they had moved it to the tv station; so it was in our building.

JF: Um hm.

HH: And so we would all volunteer for things, and I had worked myself into one job. I was a I would take care, a handler if you will for the stars, you know. Just make sure they got where they were going---

JF: The people, the celebrities who were invited to perform.

HH: ---if they needed anything, and make sure they got down to Studio A on time. And one year it was uh, had John Schneider, it was the Dukes of Hazzard were, it was a pretty big deal, or it had just finished, and he was starting on a music career and stuff; and so he came he came to sing-very nice man. But, it was 28:00raining that night. He came in the back door, and he had on a tee shirt and stuff. And he was carrying a shirt, and I introduced myself, and he handed me his shirt. He said, "This got all wet and wrinkled. Will you have wardrobe iron it." (both laugh)

JF: Not knowing he was talking to wardrobe. (both laugh)

HH: Sure, not problem. And uh at the time in our building we had Louisville Productions which actually did tv commercials and stuff, and so they had a big closet. It was a walk-in, huge closet where they kept props and stuff. And so we got in there, and they had an iron, and a towel. I found a towel, and I ran back to my desk, and I threw the towel on my desk, and I'm ironing his shirt. (laughs) That's just what you did.

JF: If you had known in those day you came over from WKLO you had an old fashioned computer and iron shirts.

HH: And iron shirts. It was not in my job description. (both laugh) And and you know we would do I mean all of that. It was it was so special to be a part of 29:00all that. And un, and it was exciting time to be a part of all that. It was exciting times. But then another thing, uh, I think, that I'll never ever forget um was in the 90's, '94---

JF: Ninety-four, I believe, you talking about the snow storm?

HH: ---the snow storm. Um, when we got what was it 16 inches of snow dumped on us overnight. The whole city had just shut down. I mean it was just shut down. And then I my father instilled in me this incredibly work ethic, you know, and it was like my job wasn't done for the next day; I had to get to work. So, I I lived in Crescent Hill. I still live in Crescent Hill, and so I walked from bus stop to bus stop hoping to catch a bus. And of course there were no buses running, so I ended up walking to work that morning. And then, Ann, who worked with me, she also had this work ethic, and she ended up um hitch hiking because there was a group of nurses and doctors that were going to one of the hospitals, so they picked her up and drove her in. So, she and I were in for our side of 30:00the building. And then the news department, they some of them had four wheeled vehicles, and so they were in over there. And we were about the only people for radio in the building. And that was the day that there was a young girl, um she was maybe little, I can't remember, five or six---

JF: I think so, yeah.

HH: ---she, yeah, and she was waiting to a for a kidney transplant, and that was the day that she got the call that she had a kidney for her---

JF: And she had to go then.

HH: ---and she had to go then. And she couldn't get out.

JF: Roads were shut down---

HH: Everything.

JF: ---everything was shut down.

HH: It was terrible.

JF: Yeah.

HH: And they had called WHAS radio, and um we anybody in the building then got involved in it because there were so few of us. So we managed to um put the call 31:00out on the radio, and one of our news people with a four-wheel vehicle went out and picked up this young girl and her family. We managed um to get a um helicopter, I think it was from Jewish Hospital, but I'm not sure. They agreed to if we could get the girl to Southeast Christian Church, which at the time was on Hikes Lane---

JF: They had a huge parking lot.

HH: ---and they had a huge parking lot. If we could get her there they would fly their helicopter to that parking lot and take her to fly her to the airport. And the people at the airport made sure that a plane was donated, and they made sure the runway was clear, that this plane could get off. We put the call out. Volunteers, hundreds, couple of hundred people showed up at Southeast Christian Church because the parking lot had to be shoveled.

JF: Wow.

HH: And they shoveled the parking lot so the helicopter could land. And we got this child her kidney.

JF: Wow.

HH: I know. It was um it was the power of radio.

JF: That's beauty---that's commun---that's---

HH: (laughs) I know.

JF: ---everyone (??)

HH: (laughs) I know. Still it chokes me up.

JF: But, that was you're right, that was the power of radio, the way it's set up.

HH: It was, and it's what---

JF: The station never been like that. Yeah.

HH: ---we did. Yeah. And so, and I think that child is still alive.

JF: How about that. Uh, you uh you mentioned we went to Ireland one year. That was a great time.

HH: We did. That was---

JF: Several trips to Ireland.

HH: --fun---

JF: Through the radio station, broadcast from there. And did all kinds of things.

HH: ---And I'll never forget um that trip because in Angela Fleming at the time---

JF: Yes.

HH: ---her name is Angela Ingram now, and she's up at she's with Clear Channel---

JF: Is she.

HH: ---Chicago. Um hum. And uh she was the um promotions person, and so she had to go because it was a trip that we uh, broadcast for; people actually bought tickets, and uh even---

JF: We took listeners with us.

HH: ---yes. To go, and Angela got to take somebody with her, and her mother didn't want to fly across the ocean, and her best friend didn't want to take off during basketball season (both laugh) for ten days, so she asked me to go, and I went, "Yeah, I think I'll take the free trip to Ireland, you know."

JF: (laughs)

HH: But, also, with the power of radio it was St. Patrick's Day, and it was a Saturday because we had marched in the Dublin parade that morning---

JF: St Patrick's Day Parade.

HH: ---and we had brought broadcast your show---

JF: Right, um huh.

HH: ---from Ireland that morning. Well, that night we were at um Peter's Pub, I'll never forget it---

JF: (laughs)

HH: ---and Angela and I were on a pay phone in the back of the pub talking to the studio at the time to broadcast, you know just to tell them what was going on because we kept doing that, you know, keep updating people all day long what was going on. At the same time, it was during the NCAA Tournament, and U. of L. was out in Utah, maybe Salt Lake City---

JF: Probably so, uh hum.

HH: ---Utah, and Terry Meiners was out there with them---

JF: (laughs)

HH: ---and so he was on the phone, too. And so we had a conversation going between Dublin, Ireland, and Utah all on the air. (both laugh)

JF: The magic of radio.

HH: The magic of radio.

JF: Remembering great times, yeah.

HH: It was. We had a good time.

JF: Goodness, goodness, goodness. Ah, let's see, was going to ask you. Oh, you mentioned the ball games. Um there are there are things you know you you get the log all prepared, and there is, I'm sure every now and then, a monkey wrench thrown in to that.

HH: (laughs)

JF: A ball game gets scheduled it wasn't scheduled or something happens. What do you do then?

HH: Um,

JF: You've got the log prepared three days in advance---

HH: (laughs)

JF: ---and then U. of L. wins their game or U.K. wins their game, and it gets rescheduled.

HH: It gets rescheduled.

JF: So what happens?

HH: Well, that happened quite a few times this past season, you know (laughs).

JF: Yeah.

HH: Well, usually um that's that happens during um like the NCAA Tournament, or any tournament where it is an elimination tournament, where if they lose they're done, you know. And what you have to do is just guess and figure out which what is they're going to do, and if you guess wrong then you have to scramble to redo it, you know---

JF: Hm hum.

HH: ---like you either put a game in or take a game out.

JF: Is it easier, I'm sure it's easier today because of the computer than it was years ago.

HH: It is. Um, you know, sometimes it's easier to drop a game in than it is to take a game out, you know, out of regular programming because---

JF: That means rearranging all the commercials----

HH: ---everything.

JF: ---everything.

HH: You go from---

JF: News casts, everything.

HH: ---well right, as it stands now, we used to sell all the commercials for U. of L. and U. of Ky., and now they have um let's see. U. of L. has Nelligan---

JF: Nelligan Sports, um uh.

HH: ---and U. of Ky. Has I.M.G. it used to be Host, but now it's I.M.G. And they buy the whole it's six and half hours for football, four and a half hours for basketball; and they buy that block of time for us, and then they tell us what 36:00commercials they're going to run, and they supply us with the code.

JF: Okay.

HH: And uh, but it's their time.

JF: Does it make easier for you or?

HH: Um, it's still it's still the same because---

JF: Okay.

HH: ---we still I still have to schedule all the commercials and it's just comes from somebody else.

JF: Yeah.

HH: And uh, so we just kind of have to punt. And like this past season well, you know the U. of L. U. of Ky. game on Saturday, we knew we were going to have a game on Monday night, but which one? (laughs)

JF: And also it's a little complicated because you're doing it for a couple---

HH: Those schools, yeah---

JF: ---both schools and different stations, I mean that's---

HH: ---and what happens with what we do is U. of Ky. is considered our primary school. U. of L. is our secondary school. So if there is a conflict between the two schools, uh, U. of Ky. goes on WHAS and U. of L. goes on WKRD. And um so that's what we have to do. When they play each other you can listen to the U. of Ky. broadcast on HAS, and you listen to the U. of L. broadcast on KRD, you know. 37:00Or if they playing at the same time, you know; so you just have to kind of wing it.

JF: Wow.

HH: Or um just recently with all of the tornadoes we immediately drop out of regular programming---

JF: Sure.

HH: ---and go to just um emergency programming.

JF: So you have to make up those commercials---

HH: Yes.

JF: ---because people have bought that time.

HH: And you have to, you know, some of them can't be made up if it's a special sale that is happening the next day---

JF: You have to keep track of all this.

HH: ---yes.

JF: Wow. Wow.

HH: You do that on the back end, yeah. After a few tears. (both laugh)

JF: Well, what is your day like. What what do you what do you-do you start your day you have some long days, or is every day a long day for you?

HH: Uh, every day is usually kind of a long day, I mean it is just, you know, we are continually working on that deadline. It all has be to there by midnight. 38:00There's no two ways about it.

JF: You have the same things you have to do with different ingredients.

HH: Right.

JF: Is that basically it?

HH: Right. It's like working a puzzle every day.

JF: Huh. Put it all together.

HH: And put it all together, you know. And then you have to uh, you know, things happen like a client is maybe supposed to start on Tuesday, which would be the next day, but they don't have the copy ready, and so you have to pull them all off, and fill that with somebody else, and try to take their commercials and move them to a different day.

JF: And have the mechanics got any easier in the time you've been there. Or is it the still the same I mean the mechanics any different?

HH: Yeah, it's still you know with the computer---

JF: The computer helps.

HH: ---yeah, it's not so much. It's all those cards. (laughs)

JF: The cards and having to have paper log where people have to write on it, and.

HH: Well, and we still, like some of the rock stations that um don't run any live commercials, they're totally digital now as far as there is no paper log 39:00because we have we have our traffic computer, and then we have an on-air computer, and they talk to each other; and so between the two um they have a file of exactly when everything ran. When you come up with live spots because there is no audio on a live spot that goes into a computer, it comes up as an error because it's saying it did not play because there was no audio. So the stations that still, like WAMZ, WHAS, WKRB, WJKJ, that still do live commercials and stuff, we still do have paper logs---

JF: Oh, really.

HH: ---until they can figure out a way to time stamp them.forJF: Really.

HH: And then we cannot have them.

JF: Those whoever is operating the control board do they still have to keep that log in and check off---HH: And they have to check of when a spot ran---

JF: ---wow, wow, I didn't realize that.

HH: --- and it mainly it's the live ones that we worry worry about, you know.

JF: Yeah, yeah.

HH: Or when um like say go back to basketball if there if a conflict is small, like say just an hour between U. of Ky. and U. of L., uh we may join U. of L. progress.

JF: Um huh.

HH: In which case the main broadcast is on WKRV, we just pick up their feed and broadcast over WHAS. Well, none of that shows up on the WHAS on-air computer---

JF: Oh yes.

HH: ---because it's not playing yet. It's, you know, so all of that has to be timed---

JF: Oh, wow.

HH: ---because we actually tell them that yes, your commercial did run on both stations.

JF: Wow, wow.

HH: Yeah, so.

JF: So you didn't think when you came here in 1977 first of all that you'd be here all this time---

HH: Never.

JF: ---and that uh that you'd have the experiences you've had.

HH: Never. (both laugh) I never thought I would go from the sweet, young thing (both laugh) to the grandmother, and I still some of these new kids that come in, especially from the rock stations, you know, they look at me, and they just see one thing, and I have to laugh at them, and just go little boy little boy, you have no idea.JF: And the first time you have to bail them out, something 41:00they understand.

HH: Yeah, you know. You know.

JF: They understand that they couldn't manage without you. (both laugh)

HH: I tell them do you realize that I have worked here for longer than you've been alive.

JF: Well, not think about that, though, that meant a lot of adaptability on your part.

HH: It did, yeah.

JF: You know that's that's quite a tribute to last that long in a job because of the changes. Many people are resistant to change, as you've seen over the years. (Both laugh) And you've adapted with that, changed with that.

HH: I guess it is a skill. But it's you know when I first started in radio way back when, it's kind of what you did. You know, you would go for work for a company, and you would retire from that company.

JF: Uh hum, yeah.

HH: I mean that was just the way it was. And that obviously has changed, you know.

JF: Well, let's see. So if you started in 1977, and you were five years old, so 42:00(both laugh) is retirement in the future for you?HH: Uh, not for a few years, unfortunately. And the 401 K so I have to wait wait---

JF: (laughs)

HH: ---wait for a while. I actually started in radio when I was eighteen years old---

JF: Did you really?

HH: ---in 1971 at WKLO, yeah.

JF: Wow.

HH: Yeah. I was a baby.

JF: How did that happen; I mean did you were you attracted to radio or this was a job---

HH: Actually, well, I---

JF: What was your background did you pick it up at school or something?

HH: ---I went to school with the general manager of WKLO at the times daughter, and um I he kind of I worked that summer as a part-time person doing what was called reach and frequency. It was statistics.

JF: Hum huh.

HH: How many times a commercial would reach individual people and the frequency with which they were heard. It was a formula, and they would calculate the this out for all the sales people whenever they would pitch something, and they would 43:00tell them how about approximately how many people. It was all based on ratings and um huh, like if you were a man, 25 to 34 or you know---

JF: Yeah, Um huh.

HH: ---and I for the first summer, I did, that's what I did, and then I moved over into traffic.

JF: Were you caught up in radio at all by then? Hey, this is kind---

HH: At that time it was---

JF: ---of a neat atmosphere this is a great place to work?

HH: --- it was so much fun. And I just had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up at the time. (both laugh)

JF: Well, you're still growing up (laughs).

HH: I still don't know. No no it's like when I find what I want to do. (both laugh)

JF: That's great.

HH: But it's you know it was a different environment. It uh, it never was stodgy. It never, you know---

JF: Yeah.

HH: ---I mean I still wear blue jeans to work (laugh).

JF: Nice, nice.

HH: Then you get used to that.

JF: Yeah, yeah. Well, it sounds like things have agreed with you all those years.

HH: Most for the most part, yes they have, you know.

JF: That's good. Well, you've still got a smile on your face. You can still laugh. So that's good.

HH: (laughs) it's because I'm on vacation today. (laughs)

JF: There are things, I'm sure, in the last years it does not come easy.

HH: No, you know, it all it's gets very frustration sometimes, you know. And uh but on the whole it's not bad. You know, I've met a lot of people like you. Yeah, and uh I've had some experiences that I wouldn't have had anywhere else. So, it's been fun.

JF: Very good, very good. Well, thank you. Anything else you want to add.

HH: No, that's pretty good. (laughs)

JF: Now we know now we what a traffic manager at a radio station does?

HH: (laughs) At least for now. Who knows when that's going to change, you know.

JF: Very good. Well, thanks, Helen. Enjoy your vacation.

HH: Thank you, Jack.

JF: Thanks.

HH: Okay.