I started hanging out at radio stations when I was about 6. My dad, Bill Hobart was an announcer for WSYB in Rutland. I was totally fascinated with the magic of radio, the electronics, the people, and most importantly, the music. Mom, who was day editor at the Rutland Herald and radio-pro Dad turned me on to all kinds of music. From jazz, blues, folk & big band to classical. I got into Rock ‘n’ Roll on my own. I was a radio junkie and tuned in every AM station I could pick up.
It was natural for me to go into radio, since I was class clown and didn’t mind making an ass of myself.
We moved up to the Queen City in the late ‘50s when dad got a gig with Val Carter as program director and midday announcer for 1400/WDOT. When dad moved on to WJOY a few years later and Bill Hunter bought WDOT, I bugged him for a job. I was a junior at South Burlington high so I was psyched when he finally brought me in as gopher//boardoperator for a BUCK AN HOUR!! Now I knew I was cool, ‘cuz DOT was #1!
I got to learn the biz from Tom Shovan, Jack Barry, Peter B. Guibbord & Bill Hunter.
Hearing “Meet the Beatles” and the whole British Invasion really had an impact on me. The week I started at WDOT, there were 5 Beatles songs in the top. “I Wanna Hold Yuour Hand” was probably the first record I played in the radio. After about 4 years in the Burlington area, I segued down to Manchester, New Hampshire and then visited most of the USA, one market at a time with stops in Boston, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Hartford, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago and New York City.
I moved back home to Vermontin 1990, where I’ve spent the last 18 years once again in Burlington area radio. It’s fun to be back with Ken Barlow, Big John Hill, David Hunter and R.J. Potter.
THE LEGEND LIVES! ON DOTFM 96.7. PEACE!
Email Me!
