













©
2003-2022
Man From Mars Productions
|
|

click
on photo for enlargement |

A
key figure in the early success of WPAJ and, later, WDRC
was Walter B. Haase.
Born
May 11, 1907, he was educated in New Haven public schools and operated
amateur station 1APJ during his high school years.
In
1924 Franklin M. Doolittle hired Haase
as a radio serviceman to sell and install the line of radio equipment
he manufactured. Walter's widow, Marguerite,
provided some additional background on her husband's early involvement
in radio:
|

click on photo for enlargement |
|
|
Walter B. Haase plays the piano in WPAJ's
New Haven studio at the Taft Hotel.
|
"After
Walter graduated his mother and father moved to Florida and left
him on his own. The first thing was to find a job and of course,
where did he go, but to a radio store. Mr. Doolittle had a radio
store at that time on Crown St. in New Haven where he and Marty
(Italo A. Martino) repaired and sold radios and were involved
with a transmitter. They hired him right after high school and
that was all the formal education he had. As you know about that
time the broadcasting business was advancing in leaps and bounds.
This, of course was before my involvement with the station. This
information I was told through the years."
Over
time Walter took on additional duties in the operation of Doolittle's
New Haven station, WPAJ.
In
February 1925 WPAJ changed its name to WDRC. Walt's
interests gradually shifted away from selling and installing parts
to writing copy, announcing news, and playing piano at the microphone.
Later he became program manager. He was the idea man charged with
dreaming up new promotional campaigns and program concepts.
During
one broadcast in the late 1920s, Walt was announcing while also
riding gain on the transmitter, which was in the same room as the
studio. As the soprano performer hit - and held - an especially
high note, a sharp crackling noise was heard inside the transmitter,
followed by a great cloud of smoke. The singer had overloaded a
condenser. There was nothing to do but turn off all the equipment
and lights and send everybody home. Station engineer Italo
Martino would have to make repairs the next morning.
In
a 1948 interview with Broadcasting magazine, Haase said he
was probably the first to broadcast a radio performance by Rudy
Vallee. That happened at New Haven's Yale Bowl when Walt was announcing
on WPAJ and Vallee was the leader of the Yale Collegians.
Haase also emceed several remote broadcasts featuring Rudy Vallee
playing saxophone for a local orchestra, long before Vallee hit
it big on network radio.
Walt
was among staff members who folded up the WDRC tent and relocated
to Hartford in December 1930. For a decade Uncle Walt was
the station's primary announcer. Among other duties, he arose before
dawn every morning to sign the station on the air and host the popular
Shopper's Special.
On
August 6, 1938, Haase served as site engineer for a live broadcast
from the dedication of the Arrigoni
Bridge spanning the Connecticut River between Portland and Middletown
(see photo below).
|
|
|

click
on photo for enlargement |
In
1926, Walter bought his first stock in the Doolittle Radio Corporation.
He eventually owned 20% of the company and was secretary of the
corporation when the name was changed to Connecticut Broadcasting
Company in 1947.
During
the intervening years, Haase worked in all departments of the station
including: building and installing equipment, operating, announcing,
writing, program planning, and performing. He held the titles of
Studio Manager, Program Manager and Station Manager as his career
at WPAJ and WDRC evolved.
Starting
in the late 1940s the company was anxious to expand into the brave
new world of television. By the time WDRC
submitted an application for a television license, Italo
A. Martino was deceased. In 1953 three applicants were slugging
it out before the FCC so Doolittle and Haase agreed to throw in
with WTIC Radio to form one television company. Haase became the
point man, closely observing New York television transmissions from
his summer home in Branford, CT.
Unfortunately
the effort failed and WDRC was sold to Buckley-Jaegar Broadcasting
Corporation of Connecticut in 1959. His 35-year career came to an
end on August third.
Walter
had a second career as director of the Career Training Institute
in Wethersfield. He enjoyed a summer home in Brandford and indulged
his hobbies of woodworking, photography and home improvements.
|

Walt
Haase pay stub from Feb. 20, 1943 |
|
|

click on photo for enlargement |

Walter
Bernard Haase was 68 years old when he passed away on July 19, 1975.
Click
here to read about his wife, former WDRC bookkeeper Marguerite
"Peggy" (Reichel) Haase.
|

Broadcasting/Telecasting magazine
August 13, 1951, p.54
|
|
|