Class Note 1989
Issue
March-April 2021
Before iTunes, before Spotify, we had two Dartmouth radio stations—WDCR 1340AM and WFRD “99 Rock FM.” Here are stories from fellow ’89s who brought us amazing music, news, sports, promotions, and events.
Mark Wachen says, “We had an absolute dream team with the Seths [Rosenblatt and Skolnik] as general managers, Carolyne Allen doing wonders with WDCR, Jennifer Avellino spearheading an incredible news department, Dave Kramer in sports, and everyone else too. Our weekly staff meetings were like having your 50 best friends all in one room, eating EBA’s, hanging out in front of that incredible mural of our logos that Catherine Truman painted.”
Seth Skolnik says, “I went into Robinson Hall to sign up as a WDCR freshman trainee and made it my last stop before heading out of town in June ’89. For many of us the stations were where we chose to spend a significant portion of our time at Dartmouth.”
Seth Rosenblatt says, “The radio station was my fraternity, and we will always have that bond. A bunch of us went to the local arcade over weeks and months playing those games where you collected tickets to ‘buy’ the station its first CD player. There’s not much I remember about many of my classes at Dartmouth, but I sure remember Dartmouth Broadcasting.”
Jennifer Avellinosays, “More than 90 percent of my radio time on WDCR and WFRD was doing news and I did a small amount of DJing on 99 Rock. Other news folks included Geeta Anand.”
Dave Kramer says, “WDCR was the ‘Voice of Dartmouth Sports,’ responsible for airing dozens of athletic events every year from all across the country. Because of the tremendous announcers and producers and countless MacGyver moments with equipment salvaged from middle school AV clubs, we somehow pulled it off.”
Peter Zinman says, “Our senior year winter WFRD did a remote broadcast at Ascutney Mountain. An 11-year-old boy and his friend approached me and asked, ‘Are you Pete Zinman? Can I have your autograph?’ I signed both of their lift passes and gave them a pair of 99 Rock bumper stickers. I have never, before or since, felt so famous as I did at that moment.”
Carolyne Allen says, “Some guys from a local band that often played the Tabard used to come into the station to try to get us to play their music. I don’t know if we ever did. That band was Phish.”
Jeff Gerst says, “I interviewed Don McLean; halfway through Seth Skolnik walked in and I madly motioned for him to switch the tape reels. I got Don to do all sorts of deep-cut stuff like chord structure on songs, inspirations, and a ton of IDs for the station. When we finally finished, I went to play back the tape and, unfortunately, it was blank!”
Mark Wachen remembered Karl Olguin: “I had trouble finding someone to be on-air during the Sunday 9 p.m. to midnight shift, and Karl was a metal fanatic. We came up with the ‘99 Minute Nightmare,’ where Karl could run wild. He relished that show and so did a fanatical following in the Upper Valley.” Carolyne Allen added: “Karl also did a Sinatra show! Such diverse music tastes.”
Apologies if I’ve missed any ’89s who worked on WDCR or WFRD—please email me your stories!
Min Kocher has a new book out, Staying Out of Trouble in Pediatric Orthopaedics. As Min said, “The book is a different type of medical textbook. Really more the ‘art’ of medicine than the ‘science.’ Tips, tricks, advice, support to stay out of trouble.”
—Ned Ward, 2104 Graham Ave., #B, Redondo Beach, CA 90278; ned@nedorama.com
Mark Wachen says, “We had an absolute dream team with the Seths [Rosenblatt and Skolnik] as general managers, Carolyne Allen doing wonders with WDCR, Jennifer Avellino spearheading an incredible news department, Dave Kramer in sports, and everyone else too. Our weekly staff meetings were like having your 50 best friends all in one room, eating EBA’s, hanging out in front of that incredible mural of our logos that Catherine Truman painted.”
Seth Skolnik says, “I went into Robinson Hall to sign up as a WDCR freshman trainee and made it my last stop before heading out of town in June ’89. For many of us the stations were where we chose to spend a significant portion of our time at Dartmouth.”
Seth Rosenblatt says, “The radio station was my fraternity, and we will always have that bond. A bunch of us went to the local arcade over weeks and months playing those games where you collected tickets to ‘buy’ the station its first CD player. There’s not much I remember about many of my classes at Dartmouth, but I sure remember Dartmouth Broadcasting.”
Jennifer Avellinosays, “More than 90 percent of my radio time on WDCR and WFRD was doing news and I did a small amount of DJing on 99 Rock. Other news folks included Geeta Anand.”
Dave Kramer says, “WDCR was the ‘Voice of Dartmouth Sports,’ responsible for airing dozens of athletic events every year from all across the country. Because of the tremendous announcers and producers and countless MacGyver moments with equipment salvaged from middle school AV clubs, we somehow pulled it off.”
Peter Zinman says, “Our senior year winter WFRD did a remote broadcast at Ascutney Mountain. An 11-year-old boy and his friend approached me and asked, ‘Are you Pete Zinman? Can I have your autograph?’ I signed both of their lift passes and gave them a pair of 99 Rock bumper stickers. I have never, before or since, felt so famous as I did at that moment.”
Carolyne Allen says, “Some guys from a local band that often played the Tabard used to come into the station to try to get us to play their music. I don’t know if we ever did. That band was Phish.”
Jeff Gerst says, “I interviewed Don McLean; halfway through Seth Skolnik walked in and I madly motioned for him to switch the tape reels. I got Don to do all sorts of deep-cut stuff like chord structure on songs, inspirations, and a ton of IDs for the station. When we finally finished, I went to play back the tape and, unfortunately, it was blank!”
Mark Wachen remembered Karl Olguin: “I had trouble finding someone to be on-air during the Sunday 9 p.m. to midnight shift, and Karl was a metal fanatic. We came up with the ‘99 Minute Nightmare,’ where Karl could run wild. He relished that show and so did a fanatical following in the Upper Valley.” Carolyne Allen added: “Karl also did a Sinatra show! Such diverse music tastes.”
Apologies if I’ve missed any ’89s who worked on WDCR or WFRD—please email me your stories!
Min Kocher has a new book out, Staying Out of Trouble in Pediatric Orthopaedics. As Min said, “The book is a different type of medical textbook. Really more the ‘art’ of medicine than the ‘science.’ Tips, tricks, advice, support to stay out of trouble.”
—Ned Ward, 2104 Graham Ave., #B, Redondo Beach, CA 90278; ned@nedorama.com