Although not exactly a New Orleans area radio station, 50,000-watt WPTR in Albany, New York was JD's first paid radio job. Starting in March of 1970, he did weekends as "Jeff Douglas" while in college, and later, the all-night show. WPTR Super Sound Surveys from July, 1970 and November, 1971 tell the music story of the time:

For the all-night show, JD's studio was a booth in the room with the 50-kilowatt GE transmitter, where he could keep an eye on the door to the building (out of frame to the left), and mind the transmitter for the FCC. The rest of the jocks got to work from the much newer "Gold Studio" while a separate engineer hung out in the back with the transmitter.