The Replica Prop Forum

The Replica Prop Forum
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Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Techmoan - The Broadcast Cart Machine



When I was a kid, my father worked at KATZ Radio, while going to law school at St. Louis University.  My mother worked for Boatman's bank in the book keeping department.  I remember many times my dad would pick me up from the church day care and my older brother up from school after he got out of his classes and take us to work with him in our old white with a black vinyl top 1967 Chevy Impala.  I saw those "Cart" machines in use.  Especially where the DJ would actually do a commercial where he would read a script and talk during the blank spaces of the pre-recorded cartridge.  I also remember my dad using one of those machines to record the news broadcast which he would then either give to the DJ or one of the engineers.  dad would record commercials, news and weather broadcasts and other stuff while my brother and I would wait for our mom to come pick us up after she got off from the bank.  Seeing as she had to reconcile the days receipts, there were quite a few times where she wouldn't be able to pick us up until 8 or 9 pm. and there were a few times where dad wound up taking us home when he got off at midnight.  He would always stop by either Steak and Shake or White Castle to get us some food, get us in the tub then to bed.  whereupon he would stay up studying until mom got home and thy would eat their own food.

I vaguely remember days where dad would get up at 7 in the morning, get my brother and I ready for daycare and school, then go to class.  Mom had to be at work at 11:00 in the morning and dad's first class was 9:00, but dad would go to school get us, go to work, come home and study until 3 or 4 in the morning then get back up at 7:00 again to start the whole thing over again.  Usually mom picked up my brother and I at the radio station between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and would take us home feed and bathe us, then cook something so dad could have a good meal when he got home from work.  NOT Leftover dinner.  I remember mom trying to make sure dad had a "Good" meal.  Porkchops, steak, meatloaf, baked potatos green beans etc.  Mom my brother and I would get a casserole with vegetables, soup and stuff like that.

I was actually kind of sad when dad finally did graduate and pass the Bar Exam.  Because then my brother and I could no longer play around in the radio station's waiting area and talk to the DJ's.  There were a few times he and I wound up on the air.  That is probably why back in the early 2000's my parents tried to buy an AM radio station close to where I lived at the time in S.E. Missouri.

If I ever did manage to come into a lot of money, I'd still like to own a small radio station.  I think it would give me a strong reminder of my dad.

Oh, about our old Impala.  Dad would drop my brother and I off in the morning and park it at school.  Mom would take the bus to dad's school and get the car and go to work herself.  When dad got out of school he would take the bus to her job and get the car and pick us up and take us to work with him.  When mom got off work on time, she would walk the 4 blocks from her job to the radio station, grab my brother and I, AND the car and take us home.  Dad would then ride the bus home.  (Busses in those days ran from 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.)

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