Keepin’ the Dial Local: By Ryan Robinson
Almost everyone listens to the radio, and it’s usually for different reasons. Some just find a station with a song they like and then switch; while others choose a station for the general music they play, some, like myself, have a deep station loyalty and will not change the dial from certain stations.
Unlike many other people my age, I like the oldies. I never liked rap, hip-hop, or anything like that, because to me, it’s not real music. I always liked Q1043 and CBS-FM for the longest time and that’s all I listened to. I was deeply saddened and frustrated about 5 years ago when CBS made the switch from oldies to Jack FM. I could not stand the music the new CBS played nor did I like the fact that there were no DJs! To me, it seemed heartless and it was on the air not for the people to enjoy, but just to keep it cheap and get good ratings.
During that time, I looked all over for a new station that had at least some music I liked. I did find one, but it just didn’t feel the same. I didn’t really like the DJs, and it wasn’t my oldies. One day, just by chance I came across a very local AM station, WGHT. At 1500 AM, WGHT is a radio station that plays music from the 50’s to the 80’s with some 90’s mixed in. The DJs are very nice, friendly, and it feels like they are family and they just want to play the music. I especially like that they have local weather and traffic (actually focusing on Rt. 287, Rt. 23, etc.) and also that they have local and national news.
True, CBS-FM is back to being what it used to be (almost), but once you listen to WGHT, you’ll never stop listening and you’ll never stop being a fan. The only real downside to WGHT is that they are on the air only in the daytime so they can clear the airwaves for a powerful AM station from Washington, D.C. Other than that, I love WGHT and I listen fairly often.
Ryan, Greta Latona, and Jimmy Howes
I caught up to the morning show hosts, Jimmy Howes and Greta Latona when they were at the Oakland Diner on April 14. I had a great time with them, talking with them, and I even received a WGHT T-Shirt and goodies. I ask that you please support local business, which is what the Journals are all about, and local radio stations such as WGHT. When you officially become a fan of 1500, you can call it GHT and join the club!
WGHT’s website is: http://ghtradio.com/ and to learn more about the history of WGHT, you can look at their history page and see how GHT started.