Monday, November 27, 2023

Speaking of 'Nard...

In November 1974, Wayne Bernard exited to sister station WMAK Nashville, as had many before him. Wayne had been afternoon DJ, morning DJ, and PD at WKGN.

So there was a transitional period from Wayne's exit to Dr Al Adams arrival in the spring of 1975 and the unveiling of "the good old songs" focus.

At that time, I, as an aspiring broadcaster, was part of the WKGN Junior Achievement program. When Wayne left, Your Dave Young took over the program (and who knew he would help me gain a weekend DJ job at WIVK 2 years later).

In January 1975, Larry Wayne joined WKGN as a DJ. He became the overnight show with Bob Thomas moving to 7p-midnight. 

In mid February Todd Martin left, so the line up was Your Dave, Frank Erwin, Rick Davis, Bob Thomas, and Tollie Michaels as the full time DJs.

Some promotional features included the Pleasure Treasure in January and the Scavenger Adventure in February. 

On Saturday February 22, Mike Beach was back as he was on the air from 6-10 that day. 

And on February 24, it was the return of Dr Al Adams, in the 6-10a slot. He was followed by Frank Erwin 10a-3p, Dave Young 3-7p, Rick Davis 7p-midnight, and Bob Thomas overnight. 

One week later Mike Beach took over afternoons with Your Dave leaving...and the moniker "WKGN Takes You To The Country" debuted. Joe Anderson and Jean Ash were news anchors with David Todd and the newly renamed Russ Brown on the weekends. 

As April arrived, Russ Brown moved down the radio dial to WNOX and Dr Al added Chris Lee (Kerry Lambert) and Phil Michaels.

...soon, Your Dave and Jean Ash trickled over to WIVK (I got to work with both of them there).

There you have it, a little piece of Ktown radio's history of The Famous 1340.

The 101 Audio Vault features Wayne Bernard:



 

Saturday, November 25, 2023

It's the fall of 1974 at WKGN 1340...

Wayne Bernard and Mike Beach were soon to exit, 'Nard for WMAK Nashville and Beach to WETE 620.

The Dave Young Morning Show with Joe Anderson was fantastic. Dave featured "the oldie but forgotten goodie" daily.

Other DJs at that time were Frank Erwin, Todd Martin, Jeff Stevens with Joe Anderson, Chris Moser, and Rick Davis behind the news mic. David Todd worked the swing shifts. 

At the end of September, enter Jean Ash to the news team. Hi Jean!!!

We fast forward to late October as Bob Thomas and Jay Richards can now be heard booming their voices from 1340.

Wayne aka soon to be Charlie Chase, signed off for the final time on Friday November 22!

...and on today's date, 49 years ago- Bob Thomas went full time on the Knoxville air waves, and Bob is still broadcasting in East Tennessee these days! Congrats to Bob! 

Monday November 25 1974-

6 Dave Young

9 Frank Erwin

12 Todd Martin

3 Rick Davis

7 Jay Richards

12 Bob Thomas

Oh, and that week Russ Brown became a WKGN weekend DJ with the air name Tollie Michaels.


Thursday, November 09, 2023

Back in April 1974, I spoke with Frank Erwin on the phone, I bet Frank doesn't remember, ha!

If my records are correct...Frank was 25 years old, had been in radio for 5 years, and had been a DJ in Thomaston GA, Tuscaloosa, and then WKGN.

Here are some tidbits of our chat-

Wayne Bernard and Kent Newton became DJs at age 14

When Frank arrived at WKGN, Bobby Rivers was morning DJ

Allen Dennis was now at WDXB Chattanooga and Eddie Beacon was in the sun at WFUN in Miami

Gary Drake had ventured to the #12 market at WIKY Cleveland, owned by the Harlem Globetrotters

Dick Winstead was managing a band

Erwin is his real name, Jerry Steele's name was just his on air name

...and back in '74 WKGN featured Bob Baron, Wayne Bernard, Dave Young, Kent Newton, Jack Gregory, Joe Anderson, Walker Johnson, and the 101 Audio Vault is of Jerry Steele-



 

Monday, October 16, 2023

Hello from Alan Sneed...

I inherited Moby as my night guy on WKDF in Nashville when Jim Dick hired me as PD in 1978. The first time I was at 96 Rock in Atlanta, he was at 98 Rock in Tampa. After my move to Houston in 1981, I hired him for afternoons and moved him to mornings a few months later. I also carried his syndicated Country morning show (“The Biggest Small Town in America”) 2007-10 on a small Country FM I owned south of Kingsport. We had been friends for 45+ years and still stayed in touch.




                               (photos are AD and Moby, and AD and Moby, and the band Journey)





Saturday, October 14, 2023

Greetings 101.

I was wanting to know if you were aware of the passing of former 99 WNOX Morning Man  Bernie Quayle better known as "Sir Bernard".  

Apparently he passed away a little over 2 years ago back on September 22, 2021. I was not able to find any acknowledgement of his passing from two years ago on the "KNR 101 Website" and did not know if anyone was aware of his unfortunate passing.  

https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/former-radio-dj-bernie-quayle-dies-aged-80-242824

https://www.legacy.com/uk/obituaries/iomtoday-uk/name/bernie-quayle-obituary?id=42185334

Kind Regards 
Brian Alden  

 

George,

Saw your WKGN lineup on the 101 site and was pleased to see Jim Dearman’s name.

I had the good sense to hire Jim into the Mooney Broadcasting fold when I heard him on another local station - WATE, as I recall.

Jim had an uncanny ability to be the morning talent’s sidekick and still maintain his news credibility. It wasn’t long after my departure from WKGN that Jim was lured to Nashville by WKGN’s big sister, WMAK. He performed even better in this role.


Paul Randall (Possum Riley) Dickerson

 

I'm always on the hunt for easy listening radio stations that play American Standards from 40's - 60's. Our family is going to Kiawah Island and I was looking for something in that radio market.
 
I happened upon WOKE MEMORIES, a web-site of a now vanished radio station, that was started by Harry Weaver, who transferred the WOKE call-sign from Oak Ridge to Charleston, SC.



The web-site has a biography blurb about Mr. Weaver, and some personal insights from past employees and those who remembered Mr. Weaver.

I don't know if this fits the Knoxville Radio History 101 format, but, hey...it's a Knoxville connection!

Thanks for the Knoxville radio history that you've shared. I drop in every so-many months to read about what I missed before moving here in 1989.

Warmly,
Jeff Shrewsbury
Knoxville, TN



Page 3...

James Carney aka Moby in the Morning recently passed away. He was never a Ktown DJ but had a million East TN radio connections. I met him when I lived in Atlanta and later connected when he had his syndicated morning show.

 

Sunday, October 08, 2023

Walker Johnson recently posted this classic photo, he's in the news room at WKGN 1340, the photo lists the date as February 1973 (I loved photos back in the day when the dates were tagged at the bottom to these wonderful black and whites).

I have kept Day At A Glance books since 1971...searching thru those books from the early 1970s, I first see Walker at WKGN in May 1972, he could have arrived earlier.

At that time...Allen Dennis had exited for sister station WMAK in Nashville, and Brother John moved down the Ktown dial position to W-149.

6-9 Bobby Rivers

9-11 Bob Baron 

11-3 Chris Hampton

3-7 Wayne Bernard

7-12 Eddie Beacon

12-6 Frank Erwin

Ken Burger was a weekend DJ, his wife was our teacher at Bearden Junior!

The news team was Joe Anderson, Jim Goodman, and Walker!

BTW- Eddie aka Elwood P Suggins, started back at WKGN on May 15!

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

50 years ago...

 It's September 1973 in Ktown, where were you?

In the wrestling ring, The Fabulous Kangaroos were whooping it up in Knoxville, Phil Niekro was the Braves ace pitcher, and Jim Croce was tragically killed on this date (9.20.73).

WKGN 1340 featured Smokey Burns, Bob Baron, Frank Erwin, Wayne Bernard, Dick Winstead, Jerry Steele, with Joe Anderson and Walker Johnson anchoring the news desk.

...and this was the month when Jack Diamond exited WKGN, stage left, for Louisville KY, where he became a many decades star as Coyote Calhoun!

I was a busboy, starting my platters to platters careers, at the Ivanhoe House of Beef (now Copper Cellar in West Knoxville)...Ivanhoe was owned and operated by restaurateur legend Frank Kotsianas.

Eddy Roy and Your Dave Young were drive time DJs at WNOX 990.

Mike Beach, who hung his hat on many Ktown mics, was working mornings at W-149 (WROL 1490). Gary Adkins, Bill Johnson, and Bob Hamilton were also there.

Tuesday, September 05, 2023

Before "whose gotcha now"...WRJZ was WETE. Back in olden times television stations had radio stations. WETE was then WATE. When the TV station sold WATE the new owners changed it to WETE. I was working for WKGN in news and wanted to jock because they made more money and had more fun. When I got the word Mike Beach was leaving WETE to work for WKGN I called WETE, asked for the PD and when I got into him I told him I wanted Mike's job. I instantly was in "tall cotton". I was hired at $145 a week, up from $110. At WETE I also got to make another $50 for doing remote broadcasts! WETE was a fun ride that ended with it being sold to a guy who lived in Asheville. He turned it into WRJZ. This is an old pix from WETE of me earning my $50 selling boats on a three hour remote. Oh, as for the date, I'm thinking it was around 1973.
 

~ Walker Johnson 

Friday, September 01, 2023

Happy Trails to Jack Lee...

 

Congrats to Jack upon his retirement after 40 plus years in the biz. Jack has served as General Sales Manager for now Cumulus owned WOKI (NewsTalk 98.7) and WNML (The Sports Animal).