I listened to WRTA AM 1240, an Altoona, PA radio station quite a bit growing up, and upon my return here some nine years ago. My first memories of WRTA eminate from the days when my grandfather Jewell listened to Paul Harvey on his transistor radio in the late 60s and early 70s. Back then, I knew not the difference between conservatives and liberals, and so developed a fondness for Harvey, though I’d later learn of his staunch conservatism and wonder why I ever listened to him in the first place. Curious that Pap liked Harvey so much, as I remember Pap being a bit left of center.
Let’s see. Dick Richards announced there too along with big John Riley doing the weather. Then I remember a show in the late mornings called Open Mike — a telephone talk show, along with a segment called the Trading Post. I think WRTA broadcast ABC Radio News at the top of each hour, and ABC was the network who hosted Harvey at that time.
Later, when I moved back home the first time from Philadelphia in 2000, I listened to WRTA again. Not sure why, except for possibly that hearing them brought back treasured memories of Pap and me having lunch together while we listened some thirty years earlier. They’d grown even more republican than I remembered from childhood, and Pap was no longer around to hear it; he died in 1977. But WRTA still broadcast Paul Harvey at lunch time and they had a few interesting local talk show radio hosts such as Steve Clark, and Dave Weaver doing the local news. They also carried Dr. Laura Slessinger, much to my chagrin. But I must confess that I listened to her a good bit that year, though not because I shared her views. Rather, it was the fact that I did not share them that somewhat intrigued me. I wanted to learn her opinions and the nature of her excessively arrogant and self-righteous expressions so I could develop effective counter arguments. So for the entire year of 2000, I listen to her nearly every day.
Then WRTA Radio announced that they were bringing back Rush Limbaugh. Yuck! But again, I listened to him a fair amount as well. But even after a hundred hours, I found him to be no more enjoyable and informative than Dr. Laura. My opinion of WRTA was headed for the cellar.
But, WRTA AM 1240 also carried two of my favorite radio talk shows: the Dr. Gabe Mirkin show (perhaps the most educational of the shows broadcast by WRTA), as well as an hour of Dr. Joy Browne in the late evening.
Unfortunately, WRTA back then and to this day, cuts back its transmitter power at sundown such that they’re very difficult to hear during the night just fifteen miles away from Altoona, the approximate distance I am away from their transmitter. Fortunately these days, Dr Joy Browne is available in podcast format on the Internet. When I get the chance, I listen there instead of on AM radio. AM is so noisy these days with all the new-fangled lights, gadgets, and computers creating way more interference than was heard in the sixties. But back then things weren’t completely quiet either; the television sets generated far more noise and raspy whistles on AM than they do today owing to more stringent emission standards that TV manufacturers must follow nowadays. But with less TV noise came more other-gadget noise. Light dimmers make AM listening virtually impossible, particularly with a station like WRTA being so weak at night.
On weekend mornings though, WRTA carried the Kim Komando computer tech show which came through clearly enough and at that time, was not available on the Internet for free. They also carried Bob Brinker in the late afternoons which I’d listen in on from time to time, as I had substantial funds tied up in the stock market through my 401-K.
Yet though WRTA generally broadcast enjoyable content, I’m afraid that with the increased AM noise and generally easy access to similar, noise-free content from the Internet, I’ve drifted away from WRTA and AM radio in general over the past decade. Haven’t listened to WRTA in nearly six years now. But this station will always have a special place in my heart, because any time I reminisce about those days when I spent six hours listening to the radio, WRTA Radio typically comes to mind first.
Take care.
Tom Hesley
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He just headed for sister JoJo’s house.