Punching the Clock: On the air

After working with as a reporter for nearly two years, I wasn’t too worried about going to work with radio newsman Jim Sargent at the Norwich office of the Central New York Radio Group. After all, news is news, right? Sure, but as it turns out, there is much more to the job than just reading the news.

Having worked for a semester at the campus radio station in college, I thought I was prepared for my afternoon at the station, but when I arrived, I learned how wrong I was. In an office located above McNeil Jewelers in downtown Norwich, Jim and Skip Barlow split their time, ensuring that three different Norwich stations are on the air and running at all times.

From the Norwich station, the two operate 93.9 WKXZ, 95.3 WBKT (Big Kat Country) and WCHN 970 the local AM radio station. The job entails a lot of work, but Jim explained after 21 and a half years, he enjoys what he does.

“The best part is meeting people and joking around,” said Jim. “I started this as a part time job to make some extra money, and it ended up being the longest running full time job I’ve ever had.”

The operations manager’s day begins at 4 a.m. After recording 12 different weather forecasts for various stations and times, Jim checks the computer and begins to record the day’s news broadcasts. Depending on the weather, the morning routine sometimes takes longer, especially when school closings and delays are part of the routine.

“One of the things that is really important about the work that Jim does is that there is a great sense of community service. You have to love a guy like Jim Sargent who not only does the news like you [the newspaper] do, but also deals with the madhouse of school closings and things like that,” said Sargent’s boss, George Wells.