Some Random KDLX/KXCV Thoughts

Freshman and a part of sophomore year at Maryville was hard. Those pre-enrollment counseling sessions where they ask what you want to major in was not valuable. "Err...business?"

A professor, "Mr. West", taught Speech 101. I was good at speech. My goal was likened to a stand-up comic, I just wanted to make the students and professor laugh.

I did, thanks to revising all my material from Mad Magazine. Mr. West thought I had a good voice and suggested a trip down to KDLX in the old power plant.

Steve Cochren and I went down, opened the door to the smokey room of guys in the back whooping it up. I remember Vinnie, Rollie, Bill Musgrave, Joel Motsinger and I think Greg McDade. Maybe more, maybe less. It was a radio club. But, these guys were genuinely nice. It was a bit later I met Cathran Cushman.

The world of academia suddenly seemed a lot better.

At some point, Rollie introduced me to the fine art of cueing records. Then cue burn. Oops!

My first real brush with broadcast.

Gimme a microphone, a pile of records, shut the door and I'm right at home on WLS.

Bill alludes to reading the A & P Wire and draft numbers on the air. It seemed that due to my previous academic issues, my number came right up and that letter from President Nixon found me. It's a rather long story, but after serious work from Mrs. Cushman, I was able to stay in school, provided a 4.0 gpa was my next semester's goal. I loaded up on Broadcast courses, everyone I could squeeze into. At the end of the semester, I did earn a 4.0.

I think that some took Mrs. C for granted. But for all those guys down at that power plant, they adored her. And so did I.

A big part of growing up is responsibility. I don't think very many academic departments at NWMSU would have turned the door keys over to some undergrads and let them run a radio station 7-days a week until 1 or 2AM. Rollie did jump me about incense in the KXCV control room at night, but with Pink Floyd...it was never, ever stronger than incense, Winston's or Camels.

KDLX/KXCV did change my life.

I'm going to toss this forum out to anyone who would like to opine about KDLX/KXCV.

Send me a Word or Pages document and I'll be happy to post. 1- page is great.

All the best,

Mike Maloney

Mike@Maloney.Com