From the 101 InBox~

"I remember Claude riding in a helicopter for some reason and of course he had Lester and Old Man Schultz along. The conversation went something like this:

Lester: When I die I hope I don't go to heaven in one of these things.

Old Man Schultz: I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Well...it was funny at the time LOL"

(Jerry Howell)

"George...Just saw your post on WYSH. Interesting stuff. The 104.9 signal (as you probably already know) was moved north to LaFollette and was our sister station (formerly WQLA-FM) until about two years ago. Our ownership sold it to a Florida/Delaware corporation. Bob Wallace was their C.E. in 1982 and was still their C.E. the last I've heard. He was our C.E. (AM 960 WQLA) until about two months ago or so. Last I heard he was still with WYSH-AM as well (which now has an FM, 96.7 WMYL, Halls Crossroads). Also, my understanding is Jim Stair is currently a majority owner of the other AM, WLAF (1450) in LaFollette. Just thought you'd like some info concerning where they are now." (Terry West)

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WQLA is now streaming on the web~

www.wqla.webs.com

It's a classic Friday on 101, here's Claude and Mr. Schultz~



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Happy Birthday wishes to Martin Baker!

101 wyshes the best for Aaron~

George, It is my sad duty to announce that I will finally put an end to my radio career in Knoxville, at least for a while. Hopefully I can find a new radio home somewhere near my new location in Maryland. WYSH is more than just a station. To me, WYSH, will always be home. Now I may not have been a DJ during the golden age of Knoxville radio, but this gem of a station has polished me as a radio presenter. While I may have started on WKXV years ago. It wasn't until I began my tenure on WYSH that I found who I was as a radio host. Ron Meredith, who owns WYSH, WGAP, and WMYL, taught me everything that it takes to become a proper host. He is a quality host in his own right, and takes his duties on the County Club Morning Show, Trading Time, and Ask Your Neighbor very seriously. He seems to be able to throw and take punches as well as anyone I have ever seen in radio. Today our news and sports are handled by Jim Harris. His unique voice sets the tone from the daily news to all the sports any one announcer can handle. His non-wavering style and pure enthusiasm makes the games he broadcasts seem like pro sporting events instead of just high school sports. Plus he is righteously funny on Country Club. Ricky Kitzmiller brings his brand of whit and humor to the Saturday Morning Show, Trading Time, and his Bluegrass Show. Walt Stair continues to endure on the station. He may be the elder statesman, but you would never know that by listening to him on Trading Time Primetime. What I really like about WYSH is the fact Ron is not afraid of young talent. He has opened his doors and airwaves to a couple of really talented DJs in the form of Tyler Carr and Will Housley. Tyler is now working with Horne Broadcasting and Tyler is having a very successful run on WTTU. I'm proud to say I showed them around at our station. Bob Wallace is still the engineer, and he is the master of all things electrical. The emphasis may have changed from modern country of the 1980's to now classic country the morgue is impressive at WYSH. The best way I can describe it is the most impressive and important vault outside of the Country Music Hall of Fame. To step into the vault is nothing but solid country gold. That room has everything from Johnny Cash to Terry Bradshaw. Yeah that's right I said Terry Bradshaw. The vinyl runs everything from 33 1/3 to 77 RPM records. It fits all ages and disciplines of country music. If you can think of it we have it. Our sports emphasis has changed over the years. We dropped off the Vol Network and Cincinnati Reds Network but we gained a great set of partners in the form of MRN and PRN. We are able to bring to our listeners the finest racing radio in the business. Not to mention that with the acquisition of WGAP last year, we have been able to service the great people of Maryville. With that comes the return of college football to our mutual airwaves, and some additional great high school football. The reach of that little station in Clinton is actually staggering. It goes way beyond the airwaves. Thanks to our cable partners we can shoot our little station into thousands of homes in Roane, Anderson, and even Morgan Counties. Not to mention with WYSH and WGAP running simulcast 99% of the time we hit Blount and Knox Counties in a way we have never been able to. Plus, we are all over the internet. It doesn't take a lot to jump on to the live feed from http://www.wyshradio.com/. So no matter what far flung part of the world I may find myself in I can tune into WYSH. I did when I was in Mexico the last time! I can't stress how WYSH is beyond a station. For me it is home. It is the place where I went from just a DJ to full blown personality. I left the station in 2009, but returned before the year ended. Ron was none the more gracious to give me air time back on what is my home. Now as I prepare for my final launch out of the station; I have began reflecting. That little station will go on after me, and I will go on after it too. All I can say is,"What a ride!" All the friends I made over the years made Clinton my adopted home. I may come from LaFollette, but Clinton and the wonderful people there have made me feel like I was part of their community. In an age where honest local radio is disappearing it is beyond refreshing to have a radio station that is as local as your church. The station staff are more than just colleagues in my book. I really feel like they are extended family. As far as I am concerned they are the best in the world, and the kings and queens in our profession. Also, thanks for all the work on the blog. (Aaron C. Campbell WYSH Wildman)

Back in '74 when WOKI FM 100 was launched, it was "automated", the early version of today's voice tracking...

It didn't take too long before the station was "live"...many great jocks were heard on WOKI thru the years including Rich Randall~

Today 101 features "Randy Miller...The Early Days". Randy and I worked together as weekend DJS at WIVK, we were teenagers. Randy is still in the biz and has had a very successful radio career. From way back in '77, here's Randy~

In 1982 WYSH Clinton was an AM and FM combo broadcasting from 6a-midnight...

6-8a Jim Stair (General Manager)
8-9a Charlie Phillips (General Sales Manager and Sports Director)
9-1p Walter Stair (Music Director)
1-5p Debbie Carroll
5-8p Bob Wallace (Chief Engineer)
8-12a Ray Mason

PD was George Guertin and ND was Lavon Nehring!

The AM was located at 1380 on the dial and had 1000 watts of power, the FM at 104.9 with 3000 watts ERP.

The frequencies were simulcast and played modern country...and placed emphasis on local news and Clinton High School football and basketball. UT football and basketball as well as Cincinnati Reds baseball were also broadcast.

On Sunday mornings GM Jim Stair hosted a public affairs program called "What's Happening".

If you have photographs and memories of WYSH, send them to 101!!!

The year is 1982 and Ktown's radio waves have gotten a bit more crowded as 102.1 FM has established itself as a solid player...WMYU U-102!

Mickey Dearstone was working 7p-12 on WIVK
Robin Huff was back at WNOX but as Scott Majors not The Aardvark
Tennessee's top basketball player was Dale Ellis
Jeff Jarnigan was the midday DJ at WOKI
The Half Shell was a very popular Ktown restaurant

From the 101 Audio Vault here is Bill Burkett and Mike Clark~

Great job on the blog. I always look forward to the daily posts. Here is a link to an article with Ed Brantley's name in it from when he was a radio student at Fulton in 1962.

http://www.wkcsradio.org/history/images/in_the_news/past_6.htm

I remember winning $25 dollars from Ed when I was 10 years old for telling the "joke of the day." My first payday in the radio business! It was a thrill I will never forget. BTW, you ran a picture of Ron Cassady of WIVK recently. He went on to be the radio teacher at Fulton for two years. Thanks for the great job! (Russell Mayes WKCS Radio Fulton High School)

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Check out our latest link add...Gary Loe

If you have worked in Ktown radio, you have probably crossed paths with Eddie Beacon. In 1982 Eddie was the midday host at 62 WRJZ My Kind of Country~



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"I didn't work in radio with Ed Brantley, but I was around him a lot in advertising world, and I'll tell you that in a world not exactly overloaded with nice guys, Brantley stood out like a tarantula on an angel food cake. Everybody in advertising agency world I knew and everybody in radio world I knew loved "Brantley" (no first name needed). Back in the day, when WIVK was literally king of the hill (Bearden Hill) and both radio and advertising were still fun, Ed Brantley was part of what made it fun. Always such a nice guy! Let the cockroaches have what's left of radio and advertising now, Ed - you ain't walkin' away from much these days. You can still show the world - again - that nice guys don't always finish last." (Tom Jester)

15Q did not even last one year, but 1976 was an exciting time as many super jocks were heard on the 1490 AM dial position (15Q WKVQ)...Mick Rizzo, Kid Curry, Bob "Shotgun" Kelly, Ron Baptist, Charlie Fox, Suitcase Simpson, Scott Sams as Jamie Rivers, Bob Thomas, Barry Hodge, Eddie Beacon, Suitcase Simpson, Bob Kagan, The Brothers, Dave Elrod, Chuck "Boo Boo" Baron, George Patrick Dooley, Michael Henry Martin, Mike Beach, The Birdman, etc...and the original morning man was Steve West (Steve Bridgewater).

Steve liked East Tennessee well enough that he returned in 1982 to program 62 WRJZ My Kind of Country. As PD and morning DJ, Steve was known as Dr. Don West. This was also 101's last hurrah behind the mic, and what an exciting time!!!

Here's the 101 Audio Vault featuring longtime Ktown newsman David Henley along with Dr. Don~

"I worked with Ed for many years, and find it impossible to go just about anywhere in East Tennessee without thinking of him. My years in a frog suit were spent with Ed at remote broadcasts; I’ll never be able to go to Morristown without feeling like Ed should be in the vehicle with me! And I have always held that Ed Brantley is the only jock who looks just like (and as good as) he sounds! Frankly, Ed, I’m glad you’re out of the ugly business that radio has become—and I know you’ll do well in any endeavor! Much love to you, Ed!" (Margy Ragsdale)

"I remember the "Sound Off" program every Sunday morning, I think most everyone including those who weren't constant WIVK listeners tuned in for their "live and local" town hall format. I recall a particular Sunday around 1976 when my dad's name was mentioned during their news updates. I was riding with him on Chapman Hwy, the Saturday night before on his bulk mail route when one of a pair a motorcycles riders, who were too confident in traffic rear ended a car in front of the old Chapman hwy drive-in theater. It was the first and hopefully the last time I saw a person on fire. My dad reacted in a calm manner and pulled the fire extinguisher from the truck as the motorcyclist was rolling on the ground engulfed in flames. My dad sprayed as much as he could to eliminate what he could of the obviously terrified biker. After the accident. I didn't recall much until the next morning when the host and the other news person mentioned my dad's name in a hero-like manner. I felt a sense of pride during those moments and unfortunately, the rider died 2 weeks later of massive burns and other injuries. But getting back to live and local person-to-person radio--those were the days when a host could connect to the listeners. Maybe Ed and Mike Hammond recall that Sunday. I moved back to WA State and the closest we have to that type of programming is Seattle's KOMO, locally owned and does a great job of 'neighbor to neighbor' coverage when disaster strikes by taking phone calls. I don't know the answer to reclaiming radio for local communities. Perhaps the typing here behind the keyboard has replaced how it was." (Chris Stubblefield)

"Ed Brantley's kindness extended beyond WIVK in 1992 to a relative media newcomer when I stopped by the radio station, then located on Bearden Hill. I had launched a sideline business the year before producing corporate marketing presentations, in order to enhance my income working as sports producer/reporter at WBIR-TV. On this particular day, I landed a potential client interested in showcasing on video the mountain resort she managed. However -before signing a contract - she was adamant that the narrator had to be her favorite WIVK announcer. After checking in with the Frog Station receptionist, I made my way upstairs to Ed's office. I barely had my pitch started inside his glass-enclosed workspace when he agreed to voice the presentation. I quickly jumped to the bottom line and said I'd pay him his going rate, but Ed brushed aside my offer, saying he'd be happy to help me in my new business venture. With this agreement in hand, I closed the sale with the resort manager. She received a terrific marketing piece, complete with her talented, sentimental choice narrating the presentation. I later learned this considerate gesture was typical of Ed's generosity. Thanks again, Ed!" (Gary Loe)

"I wanted to share my thoughts and thanks to Ed Brantley as well. Before I was hired to do nights and this goes back a few years, Ed was there to help. It would have been easy to tell this little Country Boy from Rutledge to have a nice day, but he didn't. I never forgot and am grateful to this day. I can recall sitting at the Tennessee Valley Fair at Chilhowee Park either in between afternoon "live" shows or before the day actually started. He gave me advice and as everyone else has said, was there giving us that advice when we may not have actually picked up on just every underlying thought. We worked side-by-side for many years. When the word "Family" is mentioned, and it has been often, that is a key to success. Ed, thank you and if anyone thinks those years of relationships can be replaced, think again." (Jimmy Vineyard)

"I’ve never participated on this (blog), since I was a relative unknown in Ktown radio, while I spent a little time at W149, WOKI/WORI and about 6 years with WIVK, prior to moving to North Carolina 25 years ago with Dick Broadcasting Company’s remaining two stations. I had the honor and pleasure of working with Ed, on air and off. He has been part of the fabric of Knoxville radio for 40 years or so. As previously stated Ed “was” (actually should be IS) “one of the nice people in radio” and “one of the good guys and great radio guy”, well, those are understatements, to say the least. Over the last 25 years, I had interaction with Ed, but not extensive, however the fact that over the last 10 years in Knoxville (since Dick sold), WIVK has won about every award known to country radio, plus I’d be willing to bet that WIVK is still a satellite printing press for the Treasury Department...Ed has had a spectacular career, probably made more money when he was on air and selling than as GM, but very much a part of those radio stations, especially WIVK. I don’t want to speak out of turn, but I’d be willing to bet James, Marilyn and Allen Dick are grateful for his work…" (Jamey Kerr)

"In nearly every town in America, there's an Ed Brantley. He's the guy who has been on-the-air for decades. He knows the in's and out's of the community. When he speaks with a client, he can recall the names of their wife and children. When the community needs something, he's the go-to guy to raise money or awareness. If we are really good at what we do as broadcasters, and if we do it long enough...our middle name, or maybe even our first name becomes the call letters of the station where you have worked for so many years. That's Ed.. or should I say WIVK's Ed Brantley." (Dave Foulk)

"Ed Brantley was one of the first people to welcome us to WIVK when we took over for Claude back in 1991. He was gracious and full of advice that helped us fill some awfully big shoes."

(Darren Wilhite)

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Gary Adkins has been added to our links!

"...Some people tell me that my 20 years at WIVK was a long time. Compared to Ed I was a flash in the pan. I don't think there is a person that has put in more hours contributing to the success of WIVK than Ed Brantley. Remember Coats for the Cold? That was his idea. Ed would arrive at the station for the 8am sales meeting, then hit the streets calling on his list of small businesses (he didn't have the big gravy clients). He would have clients that may only spend $1,000 a month but he would have a hundred of them! And he was an expert at the cold call and getting people on the air that had never advertised. Then after a well-planned day of sales calls he would do his shift from 3-7 and finally leave the station around 7:30pm. Then do it all over again the next day. Weekends? He would do two remotes and host the number one listened to show on Knoxville radio, Sound Off, on Sunday morning. Who can do that type of grueling schedule week in and week out for YEARS??? Only Ed Brantley, easily the hardest working man I have ever met in radio. I am lucky to call Ed my friend. Not only is WIVK lucky to have had him there, Knoxville radio is fortunate to have had such a an outstanding person as one of its leaders. So Ed...I hear there's a radio station for sale in Hawaii!" (Bob Thomas)

Happy Mother's Day from 101!!!

Here's Ed on WIVK...

I am so honored by all the nice comments and reflections of the WIVK family. I am so blessed to have been a part of a great radio family and I wish all of you the very best. Thank you for making a bad day a good day.

~Ed Brantley

101 is receiving emails regarding yesterday's news...and would love to hear from you too. (Note- some emails are edited for insegrevious reasons, keep 'em coming!)

"Ed Brantley was one of the "nice" people in radio. I too was a scared teenager behind the mic at WIVK and Ed took the time to tell me to just relax. I remember one Sunday morning Ed doing his "talk back" show and asked me to stay and have coffee with him. I was sleepy from the all night show...but it was one of the great times I remember when I was just getting started in the business. You're right. WIVK was a family. I wish I had spent more time there." (JerryHowell)

"...what happened to Ed is exactly what is wrong with radio today. As much as we all used to hate the FCC, they did keep these media conglomerates from buying up everything. Radio ownership ought to return to local ownership – but don’t look for it anytime soon. Our money hungry politicians are too hooked. I wish Ed the best of luck and hope that he returns to radio someday." (500 MegaWatt)

"Ed was one of the good guys and a great radio guy. This sucks for both WIVK and all of us who both liked and admired him!" (Walker Johnson)

Regarding Ed...

In the summer of '76 as an about to be freshman at UT, I was hired to be a weekend DJ at WIVK. I spent 5 wonderful years behind the mic at WIVK and the memories and friendships have lasted a lifetime!

Ed Brantley was already an established on air veteran at that time working mid mornings and then taking over afternoon drive! When folks think WIVK, Ed's name is linked at the top of the list along with Claude Tomlinson, Bobby Denton and Mike Hammond!

After the James Dick family sold to Citadel, Ed remained on board and became the front office fixture leading the charge for all of the now Citadel Knoxville stations...WIVK, WNOX, The Sports Animal, and WOKI.

I was just 18 when I became part of the WIVK family, but a biz lesson that I quickly learned was that much of the WIVK success was occuring because the entire team truly was a family!

Ed was kind and helpful to me as I was a neophyte announcer and we remain friends today.

101 has learned that Ed left WIVK today (Citadel has eliminated the Knoxville GM position)...Kudos to Ed and his 40 years of service, he was a huge part of this once in a lifetime radio success story!

Rounding out the WIVK team in 1966 were Bill Jeffers, who was on the air from 9p-3a, and Ron Cassady 3-6a.

6-9 Kenny Dearstone
9-12 Claude Tomlinson
12-2 Kenny Dearstone (Yep, he worked 2 time slots)
2-6 Bobby Denton
6-9 Mike Hanes (Program Director)
9-3 Bill Jeffers
3-6 Ron Cassady

Back in '66 Bobby Denton was back on WIVK...yes, he had left for Jacksonville and the beaches but quickly returned! Bobby was on the air from 2-6p and hosted "Fun-Time"!

And remember, "please pay these prices and please pay no more"!