Hey George- As you might have heard by now, Loren Owens (Jefferson Kaye at WKGN) has signed off in Boston after 38 years. He and WROR ownership couldn't agree on a new contract and LO's last show was June 28th. His longtime co-host, Wally Brine, had retired about three years earlier. The Loren and Wally Show was a staple in the northeast, featuring a running series of skits called "Men from Maine" that are still out on YouTube.
Your friendly neighborhood marsupial~ Possum Riley
George- Saw the Ktown note on WKGN going disco in '78. Somebody at Mooney Broadcasting must have drunk some bad Kool Aid that year. WMAK in Nashville also succumbed to disco fever, rebranding as Majic 13. 1) Disco was beginning to wane by then, except for in clubs and 2) Disco fans wanted a big, stereo, thumping, danceable beat. Squeezing out Donna Summer (by then singing disco oldies) through a tiny, noisy AM signal was a lousy programming choice. WMAK, too, soon abandoned the format, selling the AM to a religious broadcaster who rebranded it (again) as "Nashville Quality Ministries"- WNQM. Ironically, the station, now doing a mix of English and Spanish talk, has managed to jack up its daytime power from 5kw to 50kw and its night signal from 1kw to 5kw. Like Grandma said when Mary Lou ran off with the Suggins boy, "There ain't no accountin' for taste."
Thanks for hangin' with the Possum