Long Island Radio & Television Historical Society

Preserving and celebrating the history of wireless communication, radio and TV on Long Island, NY.

Episode 35: John Schmidt and WBAU Adelphi University

There had to have been easier ways to establish a college radio station on Long Island back in the 1960s but you get the sense that John Schmdit relishes a challenge. He enrolled at Adelphi University to earn another degree while working on the lunar landing module at Grumman. Discovering the small, student-run WALI opearting as a carrier current station heard only in the dorms, he was hooked. Over the ensuing years, whether as an Adlephi employee or a dedicated volunteer, he installed wires, raised antennae, negotiated time slots, and – with the help of others as dedicated as he – generally willed WBAU into existence.

On today’s episode, John describes the saga of WBAU – a story that involves, among others, Nassau Community College, Sewanhaka High School, the FCC, and the Mariott Hotel in Uniondale.

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