The Chris Jones Journey

My Journey in 4 Parts

Chris Jones Radio History

Early Days

In 1979-1980 I was an aspiring radio announcer at the Plattsburgh State University College radio station called WPLT (different now). I spent some time on Campus perfecting my craft, and after a while I decided that an actual job in radio was what I was after. It was in April 1980 that Gordie Little at WIRY 1340am must have seen something in me, and I was hired at WIRY. This was an awesome thing for me, as Gordie’s guidance was the catalyst that kept me going in radio for a very long time after I had left Plattsburgh.

The man was a gem, the purest human being you’d ever want to meet. His style of radio inspired me. The way he communicated with everyone, on and off the radio, was inspiring and formed the basis of how I went from radio into sales, and how I still communicate with people on a daily basis. I consider myself lucky and blessed to have known Gordie Little. Gordie Passed on 22 June, 2016. Rest In Peace. The Map shows about where WIRY was in 1980.

Other Places

I stayed at WIRY in Plattsburgh until sometime in 1981 there were aspirations to check out other markets, namely Burlington, Vermont. Employment was secured at WJOY 1230am, where some good friends were made. In 1983 another move was in order, back across Lake Champlain, down the lake a bit, into Ticonderoga NY.

In Ticonderoga I did some work on two different radio stations, an AM and an FM. That was fun until about 1984 when I found myself down in Glens Falls NY at WWSC 1450am, where a professional by the name of Dave Covey taught me a few things about how radio is done. WWSC was a lot like WIRY in that they were/are both hometown radio stations, broadcasting at 1000 watts of power, in their respective markets. I stayed in the Glens Falls NY radio market until about 1993, having then got into sales.

Time Marches On

The radio bug has never left me. I have programmed one or more #InternetRadio stations since 2005 – ever evolving the playlists and station flow. I present to you my Personal Favorites!

My Radio History says: Stay True to Your Roots!

I’ve been layin’ it down live in my head, on the air, and on the Net since 1979! “Personal Favorites” is gaining listeners every day. You diggin’ it yet? There are many Entertainment Choices today. Thank you for coming here! I’M THE DJ. THE MUSIC’S IN YOUR HEAD! Welcome to the Chris Jones Personal Favorites #InternetRadio Audio Stream.

One of the reasons I first got into and interested in Radio Broadcasting was that I frequently heard announcers/dj’s cut songs off before the end. Also, many times the DJ would not announcing a song at the beginning or end. I heard those annoyances on any station I was listening to, starting in the early 70s. I later came to understand why songs get cut off. It is because the presenter has to time up to an event, such as a network newscast. The networks don’t wait for someone’s bad timing, lol. At the time I only had an AM Transistor Radio. When I finally got one with FM, I was so happy.

That being said, it is still annoying to hear music chopped off at the end, and music I want to know about not get announced. Likely the DJ is only thinking about timing, and not that a listener actually likes what he or she is playing, and wants to know about it. FM Radio’s Digital Text on most Car Radios is good for that, but there’s nothing like the DJ/Presenter mentioning the song title and artist.

College Radio

By 1979 I was an aspiring radio announcer at the Plattsburgh State University College radio station called WPLT (different now). I spent some time on Campus perfecting my craft, and I decided that an actual job in radio was what I was after. In all reality, I knew that along about 1971-72 when I was tired of hearing songs unannounced and cut short.

Employment in Radio

In April 1980 Gordie Little at WIRY 1340am saw something in me, and I was hired at WIRY. This was an awesome thing for me, as Gordie’s guidance was the catalyst that kept me going. The man was a gem, the purest human being you would ever want to meet. His style of radio inspired me as well as the way he communicated with everyone, both on and off the radio. In addition, this formed the basis of how I went from radio into sales, as well as how I now communicate with people on a daily basis. I consider myself lucky and blessed to have known Gordie Little. Gordie Passed on 22 June, 2016. Rest In Peace.

Internet Radio

Personal Favorites Internet Radio is programmed in a way that makes sense, with many special shows. In all honesty, there is no desire to sit in an actual ‘ terrestrial‘ radio station studio to do a shift. Personal Favorites is programmed from my Home Office, and is part of a larger company known as Chris Jones Media. I am a video creator, voice over actor, and social media manager.

I welcome feedback and your comments and/or suggestions.

This is what else I do