Back in '82 WRJZ was in the country music game and under the watchful eye of PD Steve Bridgewater (Dr Don West) the station had grown from a 4.5 share in the fall of '81 to a 6.7 (adults 12+) in the spring of '82.

That summer Sherwood and Hennes bought the station, Mark Heiden exited stage left as GM with Doc Fidler as the new boss, Dr Don decided Nashville was his next gig, and John Dalton came in as the new morning DJ.

The 101 Audio Vault features John~

...meat of the sandwich-

Dave Jeffries filled in the week between Andy/Alison and Tony/Kris on WIVK~

Wall of Famer Mike Hammond on Merle-FM...

Back in 1980 the WOKI-FM 100 DJ line up included- Michael Henry Martin 6-10, PD Gary Adkins 10-noon, Joe Blackmon noon-3p, Mike Beverly 3-7p, Brother John St John 7p-12, and The Brothers over night.

The 101 Audio Vault features Brother John~

  

WOKI-FM 100 was a beast from it's sign on back in '74 throughout its decades of excellence. 

The early years featured automation, the precursor to voice tracking...I even sat in a control room with Scott Sams one day while he produced his afternoon show for an entire week. 

King in the Morning, Johnny Pirkle (owner and broadcaster), MRB, Brother John, Gary Adkins, The Brothers, and the list of over a thousand names of great broadcasters goes on and on! 

 In '82 the World's Fair was in Knoxville and most radio stations did remote broadcasts from the site...including Jeff Jarnigan on FM 100~

In the early 80's U-102 and Program Director Bill Burkett took the Ktown airwaves by a storm! The 101 Audio vault features Steve Harrison...

It's May 1982 and the world has arrived in Knoxville via The 1982 World's Fair!

WOKI FM 100 featured Rich Randall, Jeff Jarnigan, and Chuck Edwards.

Over at Rock 104 (WIMZ) Beach and Williams were blasting the air waves in morning drive.

Dr Dave Dunaway and Bill Burkett were the drive time DJs at U-102.

Your Dave was back home at WNOX 990...Proud Country!

WRJZ was also playing country and featured Dr Don West (Steve Bridgewater) as PD and morning DJ. Eddie Beacon anchored middays.

Where were you in '82?

#Bob4Mayor

Not to get political but Tuesday May 1 is a bigly day! 

I've known Bob Thomas since the mid 70's when we were weekend DJs at WIVK. I'm still a friend of Bob (FOB). Bob is a great guy, a family man, a business man, and a great leader.

Vote for Bob and also get out the vote!!!

The 101 Audio Vault travels back to '82 and Bob on WIVK...

Proud Country

WNOX 990 ruled the rock n roll roost for decades, but in April of 1982 the station became "Proud Country". 

 Here's their DJ line up-

6-9 Rick Kirk

9-2 Scott Majors

2-6 Dave Young

6-12 Jim Donovan

12-6 Suzanne

The 101 Audio Vault features Scott Majors (aka The Aardvark)~

Page 3...

Good luck to WVLT personality Chynna Greene as she exits Ktown for a new telly position!

It's the summer of '82 and The World's Fair has invaded Ktown!

After rockin' East Tennessee since late 1976, WRJZ 620 has gone country and is tagged "My Kind of Country".

Eddie Beacon and Ernie Baker have found a home there and with Steve Bridgewater as Program Director the station has a bigly sound!

I was a weekend DJ, and so was this gentleman with big pipes...Bill Beason via the 101 Audio Vault~

Hello from Suitcase Simpson!

I was 18 and doing afternoon drive at 50,000 watt WFLI Jet-Fli in Chattanooga. Getting a nice paycheck while playing the Beatles, Stones, Bob Dylan, CCR, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Aretha, etc. Plus, I had those Martin Van Buren sideburns and a bunch of crazy young women beating on my door. Fine times indeed! 

Page 3...

Only one question remains- What was Suitcase aka Bill Miller aka...on air name at WFLI?

The 101 Time Machine travels to early 1997 and Dick Broadcasting in Ktown...

WIVK-FM

6-10 Wilhite and Wall

10-3 Colleen

3-7 John Garrett

7-12 Chris Huff

12-6 Terry Womack

News/Talk 99

6-9 Mike Hammond

9-12 Hallerin Hill

12-3 Rush Limbaugh

3-7 Mike Keith

101 "Platter Chatter" from our Facebook page...

Ed Hooper- I was great friends and working on a radio series with Bill Perkins who was the overnight guy on WEZK in the late 80's. He passed away on the air one night and was found by the morning drive guy. Bill was a piece of broadcasting history in his day.

Dave Jeffries- Yes, that morning guy was John Wilkerson!

Chris Hampton- I always thought those were the coolest call letters in town. WEZK! Easy to say and so many ways to connect them to your sound and to Knoxville...

Doug Hullander- For many books, in the 80's, WEZK pulled respectable numbers, in the older demos. But that in the end, added up to its demise. So in 1990, it abandoned the BM format and jettisoned the "over 54" listeners for a more upbeat and contemporary sound. The change got the attention of the younger audience and ever since its numbers have been decent and a challenge to perennial front runner, WIVK.

Chris Hampton- Remember when we were at the height of our careers and we looked at people like us (old) and said "who needs 'em?". Welcome to the world of American Idol!