WTVN begins Countdown to Say Goodbye to BC

It's the end of an era.

When Bob Conners takes off the headphones for the final time on November 30th, a radio era will have ended.

When Bob came to Columbus, the radio scene was radically different. Hired to replace Spook Beckman as afternoon host at the end of 1964 when Spook made the move to television, his competition was a far cry from what it is today.

WBNS had Irwing Early Worm Johnson in morning and Dean Lewis in afternoon drive along with CBS network programs sandwiched in between. WMNI was playing standards hosted by largely nameless record spinners but Bill Robinson, Ron Barlow and Tom George were already in the stable. WMNI hadn't even made the transition to the format it became famous, Country and Western at the time. WVKO had only about a year before made the transition from top 50 to what was then called a Negro format. Eddie Castleberry and Eddie Saunders wre the early mainstays of the format at the 1580 position. And yet, the station is several years away from having spun its last urban record.

WCOL was playing the top 40 hits. Hosts like Johnny Hill, Sonny Palmer, Mike Adams, Bob Harrington and Johnny buck were manning the microphones. Up the road at WRFD, Pop Hess and Clyde Keathley anchored farm broadcasts along with Johnny Martin (JM in the AM) and Bill Collins spinning the music platters.

Even WTVN was different. While long time mid day host Dave Logan was already in place, morings was anchored by Johnny Dollar and evenings by Jim Lohse and Dick Boyer. Bob was replacing afternoon legend, Spook Beckman. No one of those hosts still sits behind a microphone. John Fraim was doing a tour as Washington anchor for the Taft chain and Bill Patterson was a news anchor. And the Columbus FM dial was almost an after thought.

Through the years, Bob wore many hats. He did color for the Columbus Jets for the two seasons that WTVN had them in 67 and 68. He made a side trip to WBNS in 1973 to host mornings. He returned to WTVN in afternoon drive in April of 1976 and added color commentator for OSU football broadcasts when WTVN had the sole home and away broadcast rights for the market. Sometime while still afternoon host, Bob began taking calls on Saturdays. When he moved to mornings that segment moved with him and became a Columbus institution known as Saturday Morning open phones. And of course it was in September of 1979 when John Fraim had a dispute with management and left the station, Bob assumed the time slot at first temporarily and within a few weeks permanently and laid the groundwork to become the Mornning Monarch.

In those almost 47 years behind a Columbus microphone, Bob grew with Columbus.

Bob introduced us to Sammy of Sammy's Bar and Grill, the Mail Man, the always silent Jesse. He ragged on the Danger Brothers, his playful playing of Wooly Bully and making Harlowe and Red Feather starring in a Frontier Christmas a longstanding Columbus Christmas tradition. He teased us about Monk's Corner, Nerk, samiches and the Chicken Little Day Care calling in to cancel session because of a few snowflakes. If it hadn't been for Bob, I would have never discovered Nancy's. For many years, Bob did a shout out to the guys and gals having early morning breakfast at the popular Clintonville eatery.

In addition, he introduced us to tele-vote, the Hiney Winery, the Cat Lady, the late Jim from the Northwest, the imperfect perfect partner and sadly Dave from Powell.

Bob was here before Eastland Mall and the I-270 outerbelt. I-70 ran from downtown to someplace west of Hamilton Road. Columbus for all intents and purposes ended at Bethel Road, just north of Morse Road and Hamilton Road. 161 and Brice Road were still two lane roads with dirt yet to be turned to make way for the neighborhoods that would grow up around them. Dublin was two gas stations and a traffic light. Westerville, Pickerington, Gahanna, Grove City and Hilliards were all mere villages when Bob cracked a Columbus microphone for the first time. The major tv anchors were Hugh DeMoss, Earl Green, Nick Basso, Bill Pepper and Roy Briscoe. PBS was known as NET.

The Columbus mayor was Sensenbrenner, the governor was Jim Rhodes (his first of 4 terms) and LBJ was in the White House.

WTVN has posted some teaser clips on the departure of Bob Conners on their web site. A couple of old air-checks including one from his days at WEEP, one from WBNS and one from WTVN circa late 60's or early 70's.

In a video clip on the site, Bob relates that he knew Columbus would be home. One has to wonder what he sacrificed to do that. In the entertainment world, personalilties come and go. Yet Bob seemed to always have a place. And that is amazing.

Being a fan of radio in general and Bob in particular, it would be interesting to spend some time over a cup of coffee and talk about radio, his career, his high points and yes probably some of the low points as he made Columbus someplace special.