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RIP
from Marylou Mandell I wanted to let you know of Les Brown’s passing in Palmer, Alaska. Pete and I kept in contact with Les. Les and I enjoyed a great correspondence after Pete’s death, shared many stories and I listened to the feature programs he produced and that ran on a radio station in Nome, Alaska. If you Google Les, there are a couple of links to recent broadcasts that will pop up that people who knew him might enjoy hearing. |
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Career Bio from Les Brown, Apr 29, 2022
I had been Program Director at (then) WXTR and transitioned into also being their Chief Engineer while still doing programming. Oh, prior to the WXTR days I had worked with Bob Bassett and George Allen at WLKW. In fact, when George left WLKW for TV I moved from doing their weekends into full time. There had been a shuffle between WXTR/WLKW/WXTR again when 'TR's then PD (Mel Burns) died suddenly and the Hysko family (owners of WXTR) made a good offer. I saw a dead-end in Providence radio and made the jump to WTEV. I was hired by Lee Tanner who was acting Chief Engineer while Maurice Wynne was off on family leave. When Maurice returned I got pushed onto the midnight-eight shift but moved up to maintenance supervisor. In 1972 I got a year's leave to do volunteer work at KNOM in Nome, Alaska. Then returned to WTEV just in time to install the Grass Valley Group audio and master control switchers. Pretty quick I was showing off those little gems with the Grass Valley salesman. He gave me some ideas and I went to NAB (convention) at my own expense. Not to see but to BE seen. It panned out and I got an offer to move to Grass Valley, California as an in-plant sales engineer. It took several years but I was moved to the international department and ran the South/Central America territories plus Dominican Republic, Hati and Canada sales. That got pretty weird after a few years and I jumped at the chance to move to product marketing/management. Somewhere in that time Tanner discovered I was right - that Pulitzer was bad news - and he came to California as a division manager for GVG while I was doing international sales. In about 1996 the economy was in the toilet and GVG was offering great terms for early retirement. I did the math and jumped on it. My wife continued at GVG for another year until she qualified for early-out and we travelled a bit then put in what was intended to be one more year of volunteer work in Nome. That worked out great! We got all the toys (snowmobiles, ATVs, 4-WD pickup, house and foothills cabin). Finally back to California when my wife, Paula's mother was in a nursing home. When she (mother-in-law) died at 100 we sold out of that insane state and bought a place here in Palmer, Alaska. Confortably near to Anchorage and flights to anywhere. I did make a couple of trips back to New England and visited with Frank and Charlie Jenkins. The latter was then about to retire from WBZ. I never did work there with Charlie - only at WTEV. He was a great friend. We made an odd pair - color difference - but had a hell of a lot of fun with our "color difference!" |
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from Les Brown, Apr 28, 2022
Right now I'm doing a series for KNOM (Nome) that grew out of something Bassett used to do on WLKW. I can't remember what he called the then half-hour show. Mine is "Time In A Bottle." Twice each weekend an hour recalling the music,news, prices, births, deaths, marriages and general triva of the chosen week. I'm about 1/3 through the two programs for 1972 and want them done. Interesting how they're used. Tech Talk: Each week I go to a designated website where are kept "TIB Saturday" and "TIB Sunday". Then I take the shows that will replace the "spent" ones and, in my computer, re-name them temporarily to match what's up there and has been used. With that done I upload them and they over-write the existing ones. Then, about an hour later, the Zetta automation system there checks the upload site and drags the files into the log for the following Saturday and Sunday. It's FM (f-in magic.) |
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From Les - Feb 7, 2020 Still alive, having defied all odds. Living in Palmer, Alaska for the last 14 years or so. I still do some volunteer work for KNOM (am/fm) over in Nome, about 1,000 miles away. Installed their new AM transmitter recently. Also, reverting to the days when I worked with Pete Mandell at WTEV and later WERI (am) I do a recorded couple of hours of "Burning the Midnight Oil" programming for them. The local folks love the stories from WTEV though they firmly believe they're all made up. They don't have to be. | |
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From Les Brown - March 22, 2011 Howdy boys and girls....and Ben, too! Les Brown - still alive to his own and others' surprise at almost 70. Living in Palmer, Alaska with views of mountains from three sides of the house. Still messing with radio but only volunteer stuff over in Nome, over 1,000 miles from here. This summer, tower work but I am NOT climbing! | |
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From Les Brown - Feb 2004
I was in engineering from about 1967 to 1972, at which time I took a year off to do volunteer work at KNOM (radio) in Nome, Alaska. I returned in 1973 and installed the then-new Grass Valley switchers, replacing the Vitals that never did work right. I stayed until mid-1978 when I left to go into equipment sales with Grass Valley Group in California. Retired from there about 10-years ago, did some consulting, then my wife (Paula) and I went back to Nome for what was to be 1-2 years doing new equipment installation at KNOM and playing with snowmobiles and ATV's. 6-years later, we're back in California, now fully retired. From Les Brown (Feb 27, 2004): Mush, You Huskies Strange things have been done in the Midnight Sun, and the story books are full -- But the strangest tale concerns the male, magnificent walrus bull! I know it's rude, quite common and crude, Perhaps it is grossly unkind; Wut with first glance at least, this bewhiskered beast, is as ugly in front as behind. Look once again, take a second look -- then you'll see he's not ugly or vile -- There's a hint of a grin, in that blubbery chin -- and the eyes have a sly secret smile. How can this be, this clandestine glee that exudes from the walrus like music He knows, there inside, beneath blubber and hide lies a splendid contrivance -- the Oosik! "Oosik" you say -- and quite well you may, I'll explain if you keep it between us; In the simplest truth, though rather uncouth, "Oosik" is, in fact, his penis! Now the size alone of this walrus bone, would indeed arouse envious thinking -- It is also a fact, documented and backed, There is never a softening or shrinking! This, then, is why the smile is so sly, the walrus is rightfully proud. Though the climate is frigid, the walrus is rigid, Pray, why, is not man so endowed? Added to this, is a smile you might miss -- though the bull is entitled to bow -- The one to out-smile our bull by a mile is the satisfied walrus cow! From Frank Clynes - Feb 27, 2004 For as long as I live, I shall never understand Les Brown's obsession for Nome, Alaska. | |
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Stories We Heard
"Sister Busy Hands" | |
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