I remember when we got word-processing computers at a radio station I worked at in Kalamazoo around 1992. We thought we were finally going "high tech", because we didn’t have to use typewriters, anymore.

One thing I remember about typewriters was having to use carbon paper. That could be a real chore. For the college newspapers I wrote for back in the early- to mid-1980’s, they needed two copies of every story written. One of them the editors used to make editing marks, this type of thing. Also, everything was written double-spaced, to leave room for editing marks, cutting and pasting (scissors!).

 As managing editor for The Ferris Torch, it often required major surgery to put all of the necessary editing marks on a reporter’s copy or cut things up. That was mostly with the rookies. At the print shop, those edited stories had to be re-typed and printed out a special type of laminate paper that was now "camera ready" (to be sent to the big printer). Then they were run through a pasting machine so they could be pasted onto light tables. The copy was a lot bigger than a regular newspaper page on the light table. One or two pages for each table, with a series of tables around the room. A special pen whose ink would not show up in the next day’s newspaper was used to make editing or proofing marks at that point. The copy where proofreading marks were necessary was then cut with a razor blade, removed from the table and re-typed, re-pasted, and laid back onto the lighting table.

Nowadays, all of that can be done on a computer. No need for razor blades, paste, cameras, any of it.

When I wrote for The Grand Rapids Press in 1985-‘86, we stringer-reporters all had to buy TRS-80 Radio Shack computers. The thing looked like an over-sized calculator. It was flat (no raised screen), and the screen was dot-matrix. It did have a nice keypad, though. Funny story: around 2002 I was in the press box for a Grand Valley State football game, and ran into a G.R. Press reporter who was still using the TRS-80. Now, this computer had about 8k (8-thousand bytes) memory, 16k for the best models, so it could only store about 8 to 12 pages of written copy. I asked the reporter, "Why in the world are you using a TRS-80, when the laptops today have millions of bytes of RAM (memory)?!"  His reply? "This computer never freezes up. I need a computer that I know I can write and send my stories from right after the game."

Thanks, Sharon. I’m touched by your memory of your husband. Radio is truly a unique entity in that it is, potentially, the best vehicle for breaking news. TV and the Internet sometimes are, but a good news department is one of the elements that made radio grand back in the day.

 Fortunately, I sense that the good old days could be returning to some small degree in radio. People are sick of hearing "Stairway to Heaven" and what-not 500 times a week on the FM dial, not to mention the non-stop commercials. One of the prime reasons that radio conglomerates are going bankrupt and belly-up — beyond the sour economy  —  is that people can now get most of their music needs met online, or through iPOD’s and other technology. So, how can radio survive? Answer: by going back to a local emphasis. Local news, local talk. I even think there could be a future niche for old-time type of radio plays.

Radio has been dead for so many decades in so many respects that most people, including radio-station owners and managers, don’t even know what a grand thing it once was - and could be again.

Howdy, Joan. In fact, I just woke up. It must’ve been a long day, as I had a sudden wave of tiredness around 7:30pm, decided to lie down for "a few minutes" and woke up 6 hours later!

Yeah, I’ve been very busy at a great new news/talk station in Grand Rapids, WJRW-AM. Write/anchor news; on after 4pm: www.wjrwam.com . Some great talk-shows/segments on there. I like the 9am-12pm ET "Tony Gates Show" quite a bit.

Right, the midnight question was good. Take care!

That’s a good one, Diana!

"I’ve got to get on that E-trade commercial!"

Hi, Patty. Very kind of you. Some New York artists are participating in the ArtPrize contest that begins today (Wednesday). The whole downtown G.R. area has all these amazing artworks in place. One artist built a giant, wood Loch Ness monster in the Grand River, "Nessie". If you can, tune in at www.wjrwam.com Wednesday, as various artists will be interviewed during various segments on the show.

 Hope all is well with you and your great cause in New York City. God Bless