Pennsylvania Parade #132 - U. S. Chronicle: Country Radio / Coal

Country Radio - "If it ain't country, it ain't music." That's Dean Sharpless, station manager, chief engineer, and mid-day disk jockey at WPHB, a 5000-watt daytime-only radio station in Philipsburg, PA. Brother Sheldon is sales manager and early-morning DJ; he takes requests, makes dedications, tells corny jokes, and tries to keep local residents smiling their way to work. In a world of slick-rock formats and motor-mouthed DJs, WPHB is a time-warp, an out-of-the-mainstream mixture of local store owners doing their own commercials, syndicated religious programs with faithful local followings, "Keeping it country!" music, and promotions for the latest station-sponsored vacation tour. Good natured, somewhat daffy, locally successful: that's WPHB, and it is country. Coal Operator’s Turn - "You can't separate business and politics." Alan Walker believes and practices that maxim. Walker has both business and political problems, and he is sometimes angry about them. His coal company has been pressed hard by state and local strip mine regulations---"You're gonna lose your business, one way or another"--- conservation groups---"Maybe we can't afford to do everything now."---and critics of the coal industry---"It's very naive of people to think that businesses can run without making money. It just doesn't work out that way!" But Alan Walker is not a capitalist dinosaur; he's a young, hard-working, articulate businessman with plausible explanations for his actions and reasoned answers for his critics. Coal is a major Pennsylvania industry, and Walker is a rational spokesman, taking his turn in the public forum. Produced by P J O’Connell for Penn State Public Broadcasting. Rural America Documentary series.

Category: Keystone/Regional

$ 25.00

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