Mike Baker
and the
Forgotten 45s
As an alum of Lyons Township High School (Class of ‘79), I have returned to my alma mater to supervise the students participating on the campus’ radio station. I have lectured at Columbia College Chicago as well as Prairie State University. I was also a teachers assistant at Northern Illinois University. Now, I am returning the education that was given to me as a student. Help that develops talent and skill with hands on experience. Guidance that is better than any words you can read in a text book.
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LTHS Students participated in radio dating back to 1922 when the school began a wireless club. In the fifties, LT Students were first heard on WTAQ-AM 1300. The idea for a terrestrial radio station was developed in the summer of 1966. The first choice of a call sign was turned down, WLTH would have stood for Lyons Township High. The second choice was WLTL, Lyons Township LaGrange or Lyons Township Lions. WLTL hit the airwaves from the third floor of the Vaughn Building with 10 watts in mono on January 5, 1968. The station first broadcasted on 88.3 MHz. A couple of years later, WLTL moved to 88.1 MHz so another high school station could squeeze on the dial. Milestones include: using WIND/Group W as a news resource; moving the studio to Room 9 at North Campus; increasing power to 180 watts; and broadcasting in stereo.
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My memories, as a supervisor, include the introduction of a workstation using the Arrakis Systems broadcast software "Digilink". This DOS software was used at the station I worked at, WJJG-AM 1530. WLTL used a Windows version to air promos, PSAs, liners, etc. Another memory was Radio ECHO, a project of the Ronald McDonald Children's Hospital at Loyola with WLTL. Yet another milestone was in the summer of 2004, when Ms. Kate Singletary asked me to kick off programming WLTL around the clock 24-7. That summer of 2004, WLTL presented an oldies format of 50s, 60s and 70s. The "flex clock" included ID, image liners, breaks and more. When the students returned in the fall 2004, they continued using the radio automation software MegaSeg.
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From the Lyons Township High School newspaper "The Lion"
online version:
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Radio Supervisor celebrates 25 years at WLTL by Maddy Cohen, May 24, 2018
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Supervisor at Lyons Township High School District 204
WLTL-FM 88.1
WJJG
AM 1530
Mike Baker And The Forgotten 45s interview with Ron Smith, author of “Eight Days A Week: Births, Deaths And Events Each Day In Oldies History” on WJJG-AM 1530 Saturday, May 21, 2011
Your Hometown Station
From “Oldies Plus” on WTAQ-AM 1300 to “Q-Country” WCCQ-FM 98.3 and “Continuous Soft Hits” WFYR-FM 103.5, I brought my Forgotten 45s to 1530 WJJG. This suburban station was owned by “The Baron of Barrington” Joe Gentile (Family). “Your Hometown Station” was a local neighbor providing entertainment as well as information. “The Forgotten 45s” on 1530 WJJG were popular songs from the golden age of top-40 radio that was heard on the weekends 1995-2012. “The Forgotten 45s” shared memories of yesteryear and the music of our generation.
On September 19, 2012, WJJG-AM 1530 became AM 1530 WCKG The Voice Of DuPage County.
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DuPage Radio, LLC
WCKG Technical Producer, client programming, MegaSeg, website editor (WordPress)
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Joseph J. Gentile Inc.
WJJG Operations Consultant, webmaster, technical producer, client programming, MegaSeg automation software, DigiLink radio automation software by Arrakis Systems. Inc.
Gootsan, Oakes & Schumacher
Talent: background for McDonald's TV commercial
Background talent in a 30 second McDonald’s commercial featuring the CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange. I was in two shots, the second, I am seen in front. The TV spot was filmed after trading hours over a two evening/night periods on the lower trading floor when the commodities exchange was located on Wacker Drive in December 1988. All background and foreground talent were paid along with breaks and a meal by Gootsan, Oakes and Schumacher agency. Because the thirty second TV spot was filmed over a two day period, all talent had to wear the same attire both days. Talent lip synced to a soundtrack for “Happy Birthday” that was pre-recorded. The title of the McDonald’s commercial “Happy Birthday Big Mac” aired January 22nd through January 29th in 1989, including Super Bowl XXIII
Chicago Airwaves
KB Communications, Inc.
Contributor: program guide grid, articles
Soft Hits
Technical Producer for WFYR's holiday special:
12-Hours Of Christmas
Producer for Love Songs with Chris Torres
103.5 WFYR promotional events assistant
103.5 WFYR
December 18, 1990 – As a producer for Chris Torres “Love Songs on “FYR”, I assisted with the “Love Letter” segment. Chris did not have a related listener letter for the song by Elvis so I wrote my own in the WFYR studios on the 23rd Floor in the Prudential Plaza
Prairie State College
Guest Speaker on programming an automation system, producing a live show, board op for sports broadcasts, operations at the transmission tower.
WCCQ
FM 98.3
1989 Easter Seal Softball Marathon, participated and donated my earnings to the Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center of Will-Grundy Counties
The Q-Crew
Under the management of Bob Channick (CHB Venture), Q-Country 98.3 WCCQ was once the spot on the dial to listen to the “Q-Country Cavalcade” request show on Saturday afternoons with the “Cosmic Cowboy” Jim Felbinger. It was like magic, one Saturday afternoon I prepared for the over night programming while the Cosmic Cowboy was on-the-air. He needed some help as he spoke in the mic. He referred to me as “Engineer Mike” which started a long relationship on-air as well as off. From 1985 through the end of the decade, the "Q-Crew" appeared at several country and bluegrass events around the Joliet area in Illinois.
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was the idea of Program Director Bob Zak. Later, I continued the Q-Survey printed by Sir Speedy Printing in Joliet, IL. Q-Survey WCCQ 98.3 FM, "You're In Q-Country"​
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Later, the "Q-Crew" hosted the “Q-Country Bluegrass Connection” on Sunday nights featuring Bluegrass music and events.​
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​You may find out more about the Q-Crew, Jim Felbinger and Mike Baker, the Cosmic Cowboy and Engineer Mike in
"Valley Voices: A Radio History”
by John Russell Ghrist.​
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Assistant Program Director, SMN Country Coast-to-Coast, True Value Country Showdown (local band contest), sports producer for local high school football and Notre Dame football.
WTAQ-AM 1300
Sales Assistant: Oldies Plus with Joe Thomas​​
NIRIS
At NIU, Northern Illinois University (DeKalb), technical/production editor for NIRIS, Northern Illinois Radio Information Service (print-challenged medium division of WNIU-FM 89.5.
SCA, subsidiary communications authority
NIRIS
Northern Illinois Radio Information Service
WNIU-FM 89.5 (SCA)