Marian Lawston (now Velivis) shares her 97/WWDJ experiance:
I was hired as a summer "temp" while in college at the 97DJ sales office in NYC. That was the summer of '73 and I had just turned 18.
I was hired by the GM, Bob Biernachi and I worked for him and the Sales Director, Rick Devlin.
About once a month I would take the bus to the studio in Hackensack and help out over there, or just be a messenger between the two places.
At the end of the summer, Bob asked me to stay on full time.
I quit college and fell in love with radio as
a 97DJ employee. Little did I know it would not end well, not uncommon in radio
for sure!
I stayed on full time and after the New Year (in '74), the sales office in NY
was no longer a thriving environment and I was asked
to work directly from the studio location in the Hackensack/Seacaucus area.
From Queens each day, I would take the subway to the Port Authority bus terminal and get on a bus out of town,
I was one of maybe 4 people going in the opposite direction of rush hour. The bus would let me off, I believe it was on Rt. 4,
and I would walk down to the little studio and work for Sean Casey, man the switchboard, or do whatever needed to be done,
whether it was copywriting, editing, production, etc. - an incredible learning experience.
I remember Don Cannon very well and some of the other daytime
office people, although some of their names do escape me.
Right before the change, I was hired at WPLJ in NYC worked as an assistant
traffic manager and a great woman P.D., Corinne Baldasanno.
Eventually I was part of the WQIV Quad Squad in 1975, left and worked out in L.A. for R&R, came back east and
worked in music publishing for several years, and then eventually for the CEO of Greater Media, Peter Bordes.
I later returned to college, married and raised two children.
I now work in the education field and love it, but have always kept my hand in radio.
Until recently, I worked at a local Clear Channel Station in Northwest NJ whenever needed doing a variety of tasks,
just as I did nearly 40 years ago, the circle is complete.
It all began as a summer "temp" position at
97DJ, my first love.
All the best,
Marian Lawston (now Velivis)