Spring Break
Willimantic Radio Station Celebrates 50 Years
Ashley McGown
Issue date: 10/9/07 Section: Focus
WILI-AM Radio 1400 in Willimantic celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To commemorate 50 years of success, the radio station held a Golden Anniversary Reception last Friday where past and present employees and associates of the station gathered to reminisce.
"It was fabulous. We had close to 200 people there," said Robin Rice, daughter of the late Herb Rice, who bought the station in 1959.
Growing up with her family deeply involved in the station, Rice said that the reception was similar to a big family reunion, especially for her.
"People came who started working there when I was only eight-years-old," she said. "They remembered things such as me roller-skating around in the station's basement."
Rice grew up amidst the radio station because her father, Herb, was its owner during her childhood. Her mother, Ethel Rice, and uncle, Robert Rice, were both also very involved in the station.
Herb Rice grew up in England, migrated to Canada when he was just 20 and then moved to Boston shortly thereafter. During his cascade south, Rice encountered many entertainers who have since gone on to become extremely famous.
"One afternoon, in the mid-1920s he walked into a theater tent … He found a young woman rehearsing her lines," says WILI's website. "Herb watched for awhile … stood up at one point and said, 'No, no, no … You've got to sell it!'"
The play's director then got up and asked Rice to come on stage and show the young lady how her lines should be read. Rice complied and was asked to stay on as an assistant. The woman he helped coach in this story happened to be a young Bette Davis.
Rice was also responsible for giving Don Knotts his first acting job, in a play that Rice had written and directed.
In 1959 Rice purchased WILI, and the station has been in the Rice family ever since.
For decades, WILI-AM has had a steady stream of UConn alumni who have gone on to work full time at the station. WHUS, UConn's on-campus, student-run radio station, has played a huge part in this.
"It was fabulous. We had close to 200 people there," said Robin Rice, daughter of the late Herb Rice, who bought the station in 1959.
Growing up with her family deeply involved in the station, Rice said that the reception was similar to a big family reunion, especially for her.
"People came who started working there when I was only eight-years-old," she said. "They remembered things such as me roller-skating around in the station's basement."
Rice grew up amidst the radio station because her father, Herb, was its owner during her childhood. Her mother, Ethel Rice, and uncle, Robert Rice, were both also very involved in the station.
Herb Rice grew up in England, migrated to Canada when he was just 20 and then moved to Boston shortly thereafter. During his cascade south, Rice encountered many entertainers who have since gone on to become extremely famous.
"One afternoon, in the mid-1920s he walked into a theater tent … He found a young woman rehearsing her lines," says WILI's website. "Herb watched for awhile … stood up at one point and said, 'No, no, no … You've got to sell it!'"
The play's director then got up and asked Rice to come on stage and show the young lady how her lines should be read. Rice complied and was asked to stay on as an assistant. The woman he helped coach in this story happened to be a young Bette Davis.
Rice was also responsible for giving Don Knotts his first acting job, in a play that Rice had written and directed.
In 1959 Rice purchased WILI, and the station has been in the Rice family ever since.
For decades, WILI-AM has had a steady stream of UConn alumni who have gone on to work full time at the station. WHUS, UConn's on-campus, student-run radio station, has played a huge part in this.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
cj
posted 10/09/07 @ 9:31 AM EST
WRONG ABOUT WAYNE NORMAN. Bob Steele has the record for longest continuous
morning radio show in CT--he went from 1943 through 1991. Still the best--no
one will ever come close. (Continued…)
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