It's January 1974, remember the good old days when pay phones and paper maps were prominent!

WATO 1290 was a powerhouse AM serving the Oak Ridge community, my Dad was a lifer at Y-12.

Here's the DJ line up-

530-10 Allen Crockett

10-2 Gary Stone (PD)

2-7 Tony Taylor

7-1 Bob Gaylord

News-

Hugh Newsom

Buddy Martin 

Jim Wescott

Page 3...

Happy Birthday wishes to Mike Beach!!!

Mick and AD

If memory serves, these two were originals at 15Q (WKVQ Knoxville) back in 1976. Alan was a holdover from the legendary W149 and Mick was imported as one of the new super jocks when 15Q debuted. Mick Rizzo is on the left, thanks for the photo, and Alan is on the right. AD aka Alan Douglas aka Alan Sneed. Hashtag Two Ageless DJs! PS- both also worked at WKGN in Ktown!

Page 3...

Check out Kerry Lambert's LinkedIn page, newly added in the 101 links to the right!
 

Dan Bell says...

You never know where God is leading you. 

 

It was 9 years ago now, years ago, I thought I'd never go back on radio. I had been driving a charter bus, tour bus for nine years. 

 

I met Phil Jarnagin known as Uncle Phil on Merle FM. He said he had been a fan of The Sunday Survey Show I did for over ten years, 663 shows on WIVK. He suggested to his boss, Ron Meredith that I restart the show on Merle. My boss at the time couldn't understand why I wanted to be off from driving to be on the radio just 4 hours a week. 

 

It was on July 21, 2013 I did my first Sunday Survey on Merle FM. Eventually we moved it to Saturday so Merle could carry NASCAR on Sundays...so it became The Sunday Survey on Saturday. 

 

Then in 2016 Ron asked if I wanted to go back to work full time, as Music Director and afternoon deejay Praise 96.3.

 

It took less than one second for me to say "Yes". I think it was God's Plan to put Phil in my path... and I hope to follow His Plan every day. The Merle duties have ended, for now, but I'm glad to continue with Praise 96.3.

WIVK has a new morning voice as Joey Tack returns to East Tennessee where he worked for 15 years at WKHT as DJ and PD until July 2019.

Joey Spent the last 2 years in California at KNCI Sacremento as PD and midday jock. 

With the desire to return to East TN, his wife is a native, Joey packed up and left the almost Beverly Hills behind for the hills (and mountains) of East TN.

Heather Harrington is along for the ride in AM drive too.

As decades now pass from the Great Day Show of Claude Tomlinson, I always thought Phil Williams and Bob Thomas would make a great morning tandem spinning country tunes and talking up Big Orange Country.

101 welcomes Joey Tack back to the Smokey Mountain airwaves!

 

Dan Bell joined the WIVK news team in the mid/late 70s...his next adventure at the station was the long lasting "Sunday Survey". Fast forward a few years (decades) and Dan can be heard afternoons at the award winning gospel station Praise 96.3 in Ktown! Gotta love the control room photos!

Page 3...

Thoughts on the WJBE-AM license matter? 101 heard from Art Miller and wants to hear from you too!

This photo has been floating around the world wide web after the passing of Russ Spooner. This is from WMAK Nashville, at that time a sister station to WKGN 1340 Knoxville. 

Do you recognize the WKGN alum? Both Wayne Bernard and Smokey Burns made the leap from WKGN to the larger Nashville market and WMAK...they became Charlie Chase and Murphy in the Morning, respectfully. 

In the fall of 1973 Smokey joined WKGN as morning DJ, the PD was Bob Baron. Bernard was the afternoon DJ...other voices at that time were Frank Erwin, Dick Winstead, Jerry Steele. Walker Johnson, Joe Anderson, Barry Smith, and Ken Burger.

WKGN was truly "The Famous 1340".

I was never accused of being the next Larry Lujack, but I did love being a DJ. In late 1981 I joined the brand new Q94, WETQ 94.3 in Oak Ridge. We were the sister station of the legendary WATO 1290.

Dubbed "The Greek" by Bobby Denton during my 5 years at WIVK, the 101 Audio Vault features my debut on Q94...

 

The Hitmen

This classic photo is a promotional from WIVK AM 850...Jimmy Vineyard and Dan Bell each had a midday show back when the 10a-3p time slot was not simulcast with the FM!

Vroom!

Back in 2010 I joined Eddie Beacon and Jimmy Vineyard and co hosted a weekly racing show called Bumper 2 Bumper on the then news talk  FM 100.3. Thirty years earlier NASCAR was heard on WIVK 850. The 101 Audio Vault features Jimmy Vineyard...

 

Can you name this DJ?