Fun Today

Most Fridays, I try to take the day off. Lately, the has been filled with emergency hospital visits and other concerns. Having a full day off would be a blessing. Even though today I still had several tasks to complete, I was able to get over to the KELB studios in Lake Charles.

The station is operated on a shoestring by Barry McCall. The studio is literally in his backyard. The transmitter is only 250 watts. There are no commercials and no appeals for funds. DJ's and other on-air personalities get no pay. Why would they do this?

The call letters KELB, after the FCC mandated "K" stand for Eternal Life Broadcasting. Barry's station broadcasts out of a studio not much bigger than a closet, run by volunteers and with a signal that can barely reach the boundaries of the city limits. It is all in a effort to broadcast the gospel of eternal life.

I got a chance to do so today.

Bro. Carl, as he likes to call his on-air personality, invited me to appear today to promote some of my upcoming gospel concerts. I have already noted on this blog my love of broadcasting, so it didn't take much convincing.

I arrived at the studio just as singer Gerald Crabb was leaving. He was being interviewed in promotion of his upcoming concert tonight. I'll admit I was surprised to learn that the studio is in a residential neighborhood in a building that looks like a store room.

I entered to meet Carl and another DJ finishing his shift. Remember all of them donate their time.

I had a ball.

After our conversations between songs, Carl let me sit in the "air chair" and broadcast-play DJ- myself. After a glitch with the system, I got the hang of it. I just can't explain the joy of speaking into a microphone, playing music, and attempting to keep it interesting. I was a 10 year old kid again. One Christmas I got an electronics kit that had as one project an AM transmitter. Couple that with a record player, a few records, and plenty of time, I was a real disk jockey. In fact, I loved to turn that phrase "disk jockey" over and over on my tongue. The little kit never broadcast more than a few feet, but I didn't care. I was on the air.

I realized today again how much I enjoyed just being on the air. No emergencies. No problems I have to solve. No one to counsel, bury, or visit. Just a microphone and music. And me. I haven't done live radio since I left East Texas, with the exception of a disastrous attempt at being play by play football announcer. That, I can honestly say, I am not.

It was a great "day off." Well, at least an afternoon.

They asked me to consider coming out and sitting in the chair for a few hours on the air. It didn't matter when, how often, or how regularly. I reminded them that I had a day job. I do. Very much so.

But I sure do like being on the radio.

I'm thinking about it.