Memories of the Old Channel 6 in New Bedford [PHIL-OSOPHY]

Tim Weisberg, Barry Richard and I were shooting the breeze about Barry appearing on Bozo the Clown and other shows when we were kids. The chitchat got around to the old Channel 6 on County Street in New Bedford, before the station went to Providence. Tim went into his announcer's voice impersonation and rattled off a very impressive station identification. Up until then, I didn't know one of Tim's childhood dreams was to grow up to be a "TV booth announcer."

For me, it was like an immediate flash from the past. There I was, back in the audio booth of WTEV Channel 6, standing by for the volley of commands from the executive producer at master control for the opening for the 6 O'Clock news. From 1979 to 1981, I worked audio, booth announcing, recording voice-overs and occasionally appearing in  weather vignettes that would play during the Johnny Carson Tonight Show.

Then the ghosts of my dear friends came into my mind's view, like my buddy George Allen and Dialing for Dollars; Bob Bassett; Truman Taylor; Wayne Bailey; John Greenwood; Mary Delane; Charlie Taylor; and Thom Aldert. And then some friends whose names you probably wouldn't remember, as they looked down through the large window overlooking Studio A, like Ben Schneider, aka Bozo; Si Belli; Athena Parker; Lee Tanner; Andy Nechesnoff; and Tom French, to name a few.

They say the best part of memories is making them. Then again, the best memories are the ones you try to explain, but in the end you just say you had to be there.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos.