WGLI AM 1290
(The other station down the block, across the street)

History Of "The Mighty 1290 WGLI"

Let me start off by saying, I actually know very little about this station and that I never
worked for WGLI, but I know people who have.  Credit to those for the information
obtained on this site is greatly acknowledged and given at the bottom of this page.
Updated information was made possible by Richard Ross (Chief Engineer of WADO and WGLI).,
along with a detailed e-mail from Edwin Karl, WGLI's CE from back in the early 60's.
All photos were taken by Rick Hall unless credited otherwise.

Back in 1958, a radio concern headed by William H. Reuman applied to the FCC for a
construction permit for a non-directional AM on 1300 kHz, but instead was granted
an operating frequency of 1290 kHz with a directional signal pattern.  The assigned
call letters were: WGLI which later, according to most of the people I have
spoken with, stood for "Greater Long Island" Communications Inc.

WGLI was the eleventh AM station built on Long Island (WGBB 1240 being the first), but
officially was Suffolk County's first full service AM station licensed for 24-hour operation.
For over 30 years both the studio and transmitters were located in the same building at
1290 Peconic Avenue in Babylon, New York.  

Click the ON-AIR sign to hear a scoped mid-70's 
air-check of  Dick Moore on the Mighty 1290!
BTW:  Yes!  That's the voice of Roger Grimsby doing ABC Radio Network News! 

WGLI featured lots of specialized programs on weekends.
Click above for a sample of Sinatra And Friends - hosted by
well known Long Island radio personality Ray Mann!
(Technical Note: Ray's air-check was retrieved from the station's
dumpster after they upgraded  to newer cart machines, which
could not play the older, oversized audio carts.

The above air-check was found on a vintage Fidelipac model 600 cartridge,
which was the second of three popular sizes: model 300 being the standard
cartridge used by most broadcast facilities, model 600 was
a slightly larger middle size cart which required a 6 inch slot.
The biggest cartridge was the Fidelipac model 1200, which was
approximately 8 inches wide and held close to 30 minutes of audio.)

Click The Tower To Hear The Official WGLI Power Change Message!
(MP3)

According to those who worked for WGLI, it's management was always considered
to be a bit 'top heavy', especially in the paycheck department, and that the
air staff was considerably under compensated for their true professional talents.
WGLI always sounded very professional, had a polished act with a
respectable major market sound.  No matter how good it may have sounded through
the late 70's and early 80's, it was loosing money... fast.

It was only a matter of time before WGLI ended up with a "For Sale" sign on it.
Only this time, the buyer was WADO, a NYC based station with intentions of permanently
shutting it down.  Doing this would open the door wide enough for them
to apply for a large power increase.  The winner: Big Corporate Radio.
The looser: Local Community Minded Radio.

This site shows what happened after WGLI was taken off the air.  The local Babylon
Fire Department labeled the occurrence as 'suspicious' and placed the blame
for the fire on the local kids in the neighborhood.  When you see these photos, you
can make up your own mind as to what took place.  

"Shut It Off & Watch It Burn"

  
The WGLI boardwalk out back was surrounded by state protected swampland...
which made an excellent ground system.  It's no wonder WGLI had a great signal!

First view of the fire remains of the WGLI broadcast complex.  This is the main entrance.

 
Main Entrance close-up: you can see the hanging twisted down
letter "W" and what was left of the "GLI" on the doorway marquee.

Please make sure to stop at the receptionist window to get clearance
into the station!  (Actually folks, this was the news room window.)

View from inside: this is the center hallway leading to the main front lobby.
The Lavatory is the first door on the left (in case you need to use it).

Please step lively, your tour guide is waiting to take you to the commissary.

You are now standing in what once was the main air control studio of the famous "Mighty 1290".

Inside the back transmitter & engineering area.  Note: in the final report,
Babylon fire officials determined this was not were the fire had started.

The rear exit door (need we show more?)

It is still unclear how a group of local kids could have caused such a tremendous fire
capable of destroying an entire radio complex, especially when the reports claimed
the blaze was started without the use of gasoline or some other igniter.
One interesting note: the studios and broadcast equipment was removed prior
to the building being set ablaze. 

  According to sources at WADO, the removal of the studio equipment was directly
due to technical problems in the station.  Although nothing that could not have
been fixed, management decided to remove all the station's equipment and
apply to the FCC requesting a relocation of the WGLI studios to Mastic Beach.

A year and a half later, the FCC unconditionally denied WADO's petition to move WGLI.
At this point, the broadcast complex was already "toast", so WADO requested more time
from the FCC to re-build the entire facility in Babylon (it's original city of license).

(WADO's mobile unit in front of the main entrance to WGLI and possibly
the last known picture of WGLI's rear tower walk taken before the fire)
(Photos Courtesy Of Richard Ross - CE WADO)

  Unfortunately, the FCC had placed tight deadlines on all pending construction permits.
Unable to completely rebuild WGLI from the ground up within the FCC's specified time frame,
WADO had little choice but to proceed with handing in the WGLI license, which the FCC agreed
to make conditional pending the successful completion of the WADO power increase project.
But that's a whole different story!  For better or worse, the Mighty 1290 was now officially dark.

One last footnote: eleven years later, WADO finally got the FCC's approval for a 50KW power increase.

Well, it's not exactly WGLI's tower...  but it is the new tower on the old property
which is now owned and operated by a prominent cellular communications firm.  And,
if you look closely, following up along the left side of the tower, you can see one of
WGLI's original AM towers with it's red beacon on top in the background.  

In the not too distant past, we received a wonderful e-mail from Mr. Edwin Karl, who
was the Chief Engineer for WGLI from way back in the early 60's, of which we would like
to share his memories with you!  (Click The Microphone Below)
  

I wish to thank the following people who helped contribute
information and facts about this once great radio station:

Jim Pierce (photos and history)
Dick Moore (for the great air-check and WGLI Poster)
William Andres (for providing early history information)
Richard Ross (for pictures and clearing up a lot of loose ends!
Chip Ordway (graphics and information)
Pentax Camera Co. and Fuji Film Corp. (for the wonderful pictures)

 WackRadio@tampabay.rr.com

 Or, you can also visit the following excellent WGLI sites: 

 Jerry Mehrab's WGLI Scrapbook:  http://www.wa2fnq.com/wgli/gli.htm

 The Long Island Radio History Page:  http://www.wackradio.com/lirhistory/index.htm

Disclaimer: The Views and Opinions Of What Happened To This Station Were Not Necessarily Planned By Us...  It Just Sort Of Happened That Way.

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