THIS IS MARY LEE GREEN OF CLINTON STREET IN GRAND MOUND. SHE WON THE KMAQ 50TH ANNIVERSARY JANUARY RADIO. IT IS ON THE TABLE IN FRONT ON
HER. MARY IS 77 AND HAS LISTENED TO KMAQ SINCE THE 60'S. WHEN SHE SENT IN HER NAME FOR THE MONTHLY DRAWING, SHE WROTE THAT SHE ESPECIALLY LIKES THE DERRY BROWNFIELD SHOW AND THE DEWITT CALLING SHOW.
I TOOK THIS PHOTO IN STUDIO B, WHERE MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS ORIGINATE,
INCLUDING THE BINGO SHOW. SEE THE CAGE ON THE SHELF. THE BIG CONSOLE CONTROL BOARD ON THE SHELF WAS THE FIRST ONE WE USED HERE AT KMAQ, AND IT WAS IN SERVICE FOR MANY YEARS IN THE CONTROL ROOM. IT WAS MADE BY COLLINS RADIO, THEN IN CEDAR RAPIDS. THE FIRST TO USE IT WHEN KMAQ WENT ON THE AIR WAS BOB BROWN, OUR FIRST MANAGER, NOW LIVING IN FORT ATKINSON, WISCONSIN. NOTE THE BIG LETTERS AND NUMBERS ALONG THE TOP OF THE PHOTO. THE DATE KMAQ WENT ON THE AIR FOR THE FIRST OFFICIAL FULL DAY OF BROADCASTING. I HAD THE 9 TO 11 A.M. SHIFT AND THE 2 UNTIL 5 IN THE AFTENOON SHIFT THAT DAY. THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN THE NATION WAS VOLARE. AND IT WAS THAT DAY THAT EASTERN IOWA WAS INTRODUCED TO POLKAS. OUR FIRST POLKA SHOW WAS BROADCAST THAT DAY AT 11:30 AND THE SHOW HAS BEEN ON KMAQ-AM AT THAT TIME EVERY DAY SINCE, INCLUDING SUNDAYS. IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SHOWS ON KMAQ-AM. AND, OF COURSE, MANY PEOPLE DISLIKED THE POLKAS TOO AND TUNED OUT FOR THE HALF HOUR AND CAME BACK AT NOON FOR THE NOON NEWS AND MARKETS. THANKS MARY LEE GREEN FOR BEING A LONGTIME LISTENER TO KMAQ. HOPE YOU ENJOY THE NEW RADIO.
OUR NEXT FREE RADIO WILL BE DRAWN FOR ON MARCH 1ST.
DENNIS VOY