Name: Chrystal Bartlett
College: North Carolina State University
Station: WKNC-FM 88.1
Active: 1981 – 1985
Positions: Disc Jockey, Librarian, Public Affairs Director, Promotions Director, Station Manager
Favorite bands back then: Black Sabbath, Elvis Costello, Jimi Hendrix, Motorhead
Advice: Learn all positions in case you get canned and need to get in the door elsewhere
Bathroom Break Song: Dazed and Confused (Live)
Memorable Interview: Dixie Dregs with Steve Morse. I got them because my sib dated the bass player, Jerry, who went to NCSU. The big rock station was beyond pissed!
Funny Story: In 1983, NCSU won the NCAA. Amid an exploding campus, the only sober staffer I could find was our meteorologist. We put him atop the low roof next to the library to report “live” from the Brickyard on student antics. All was fun and games until he got targeted by bottle rockets! I claim the fastest hand prize by yanking the input down at every curse word he uttered!
Extra Credit: We got sued three times, BTW. Once from the NAACPO after we reduced our R&B program hours after two big sticks playing R&B entered the market. Once by the ACLU when we began playing Christian Rock. It was fifth-ranked (and a write-in) on the student survey requesting what programming they wanted to hear. The last was by the big rocker, WQDR-FM. The charge was that we exceeded our non-commercial regulations by running ads. Well, they were ads, but for fundraisers. Per regs if we got 51% of the door (and we did) all was legit. Same for the ads to buy Rock Wear (our branded shirts) at Record Bar. We won them all quite handily!