Here's Jeannie!

Most remember Jean Ash for her decades long excellence at WIVK, but...before the frog station Jean was mastering her trade at WKGN 1340.

The 101 Audio Vault travels to 1974~

If you haven't visited the 101 facebook page lately then you are missing out!

Thanks to Doug Hullander for this WKGN memory from the 1960's!

Do you remember these DJs?

101 says hello to Gabe Hobbs...

I was the Operations Manager and Program Director for WMYU-FM (U-102) from 1985 to 1989.  That was the period when we upgraded the signal, built a new tower and moved the studios from Sevierville to West Knoxville in one of C.H. Butcher’s former bank buildings.  (We had fun with that doing “secret vault” type promotions.)  We also took the station from a so-so ratings performer to #2 in the market.

GREAT staff in those days with CP and Walker doing mornings, Larry Trotter was APD and midday host and Jeff Jarnigan did afternoon drive.  Eddie Beacon and many others did weekend shows as well.  One of the best times of my career was living and working in Knoxville.  The owners of U-102 sent me to Tampa when they bought stations here and I’ve been here ever since and even opened my own company nearly 5 years ago.

I have at least one, and maybe more, complete station composite airchecks if you would like to have them for your website.  I might even have a story or two about the Knoxville radio wars of the late 80’s which in those days primarily involved U-102, WIVK (although they won everything hands down), WIMZ and WOKI. 

Great website so please keep up the good work. All the best.

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Birthday wishes this past weekend to Chip Emerson and Bob Thomas!

101 travels back to July 1 1974...and Walker Johnson's debut on WETE 620.

Walker had been the afternoon drive news anchor at WKGN 1340 working with Wayne Bernard aka Charlie Chase.

Here was the new line up at WETE~

5  Curtis Parham

9  Jim Humphries

2  Walker Johnson

6  Joe Crotty

10 Ernie the Bartender

The 101 Audio Vault is of Walker's debut! Yep, I air checked this via my transistor radio and cassette recorder....

He's back...Ben McWhorter is the new Local Sales Manager for Ktown's Journal Broadcast cluster!

...and Journal's WCYQ (Q 100.3) programmed by 101 Wall of Famer Mike Hammond has won some prestigious awards via The 2014 Country Radio Seminar/Country Aircheck Award~

Station of the year (medium market)- WCYQ

Music Director of the year (medium market)- Opie Joe WCYQ

Also, former Ktown great Jack Diamond (Coyote Calhoun) wins the OM/PD of the year (medium market) for his 34 years of excellence at WAMZ Louisville KY!

These days he's known as Robert Murphy, afternoon DJ at WLS-FM in Chicago, 40 years ago he was Smokey Burns of WKGN 1340 fame...

We've smoked the 101 Audio Vault today~

Hello from Dick Winstead...

I was surprised that you played a little tidbit of me when I worked at WKGN. Yes did work there and it was a great learning experience working around all those great DJ’s. I was swing man and handled production work for the Bob Baron; they sold the station, sent a few to their Nashville station and let the others go since I was the newest I was let go. I knew what was going on and was ready to take a vacation anyway after coming down from Kingsport where Wayne Bernard and I worked at WKIN, I brought him to WKIN, we both grew up in Rogersville and started in radio at WRGS and he countered and brought me to WKGN about a year later. We owned the Tri-Cities of Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City which is a big market now. I was crazy mornings and Wayne was a cool afternoons. It was a blast. I was swing man at 'KGN and worked all the shifts I was quiet amazed at all the college students that would drive to the station to get a peek at Jack Diamond when Diamond was working he was really off the chain, a great radio announcer and no we never let any females into the station at night! Then suddenly things changed at 'KGN it was sold. So I was let go, I always wanted to take a vacation after the ARMY so it was a good chance, I was in American Forces Radio in South Korea, as a kid what ride it was anyway I went to Myrtle Beach for a month. I was talking to one of my friends back in Knoxville and he told me a man by the name Eddy Roy was trying to reach me. I called him and it was Roy In the Morning who turned out to be one of my best friends in Knoxville and of course I met the Great Ron Ashburn (and they are mild) who made such an impression on me, what a great man he was he taught me enough to do news mid mornings before I took over for Fleetwood Gruver yeah that was his real name and soon as you know I was moved to afternoons and Ron was my newsman the rest is history. Does anyone remember when “Winstead and Roy” appeared at the Steak and Ale on Kingston pike once a week? It was rough on Eddy because he had to work mornings but I loved it I always wanted to do stand up and my dreams were fulfilled. I would love to contact Eddy just to shoot the breeze some of the things we would do in production working together were so funny I couldn’t stop laughing, I know most do not know that about the conservative sound of Eddy Roy but he really has a sense of humor. I have moved from Miami back to Tennessee to be near my son and grand kids. Thank God I’m still in great health and have more radio work to do and would really like to return to Knoxville in one way or the other now that I’m back in the area. I always love reading about what’s happening in radio in Knoxville and have so much I would like to talk about especially the amazing journey at WNOX. Here’s a little note for Johnny Pirkle, whom I have always respected, I was painting my dad’s house in the 60’s listening to WNOX from Rogersville TN and “The Pirkle Circle". He really impressed me, from that time I made it a personal goal to work at WNOX, hey Johnny I don’t think we have ever met but you were an inspiration for this kid in his life in radio. Thank You.

PS~ here’s what I do now...Music for His Glory

I’d love to hear from my friends~ richardwbailey@outlook.com 

Dick Winstead

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Enjoying your winter wonderland? 

The 101 Audio Vault travels back to the early 70's at WKGN 1340. The weekend warriors at that time were Jack Gregory and Ken Burger! 

Speaking of Ken, his wife was one of our teachers at Bearden Junior High~ and as I recall she was quite the looker, ha!!!

What's in a name? One DJ that has had a couple of great on air names is Jack Diamond. Jack worked nights at WKGN back in the early 70's.

Jack's second great on air name was/is Coyote Calhoun, in fact that has been his moniker since he packed up and left Ktown for Louisville KY! First at WAKY then as PD and founding DJ at WAMZ Louisville since 1980.

Here's the 101 Audio Vault...

I met Ed Dodson in 1982...I was deciding if I would continue my radio career or walk a different path. I was offered afternoon drive and I knew WCRK would be a place to master my trade.

I ended up not joining WCRK and I soon got out of the "biz"...

Ed died on Friday at age 82, he had been with WCRK since 1958, wow...that's how you define the term longevity!

The Real Randy Miller

Part of my love for modern technology is the ability to "dial twist" world wide...who would have ever thought?

While working as a weekend DJ in college at WIVK, way back~ 70's!, I had the pleasure of meeting Randy Miller. Bobby Denton tended to hire fresh young talent right out of high school, me and Randy included.

Randy went on to major market fame in Kansas City, even jocked at WGN Chicago!

...He's back!

Starting Monday 2/10 Randy will be hosting the 6-10a morning shoe on 98.5 The Bar! 

Welcome back Mr Kotter (Miller)...

Thanks for all the birthday wishes yesterday! Olde DJs never fade away they simply become bloggers! 

"King in the Morning" was a popular morning drive show on WNOX 990 in the early 70's! Johnny Pirkle brought that show back to the new and automated WOKI FM 100.3 in 1974. 

The 101 Audio Vault features King...

 

Wilhite and Wall...

Hey George, a little update on W&W. We are now tracking mornings for KTHS 107.1 in Berryville AR and KCYT 96.7 The Coyote in Fayetteville. We were apart for almost 4 years. Bunyard Broadcasting asked us to get the team back together for these two stations. We are having a blast and the reception has been surprising, considering we've been gone from the market for 11 years.

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Happy Birthday 2day to my olde WIVK pal Tony Eubanks!

Happy Birthday this past week to Roger Epperson!