ain't nuttin' better than olde control rooms...

Didn't you love the magic of being in the control room, headphones on, vinyl records on the rack, carts for your commercials, big speakers hanging on the walls.

How many Knoxville area controls did you peak in to, either as a DJ there or just as a visitor?

My first gig was WBLC in Lenoir City up on Browder Hollow Hill with that concrete white one story building with WBLC painted on the wall in orange. Lots of Ktowners worked behind that mic...Mike Beach, Bob Thomas and Scott Sams to name a few.

I worked at WIVK for 5 years, those were the Bearden Hill years and during the time the addition was built. When I arrived there was a ladder that basically anyone could climb up to the 2nd floor and look in to the control room.

I visited 15Q once with Scott Sams, that would be in the summer of '76...Bob Thomas was on the air. The following year Bob joined WIVK and the rest is history. 

WKGN on Alcoa Highway was always a treat, I even sat in Wayne Bernard's office one day. I do faintly remember peering in to the WKGN studios on Cumberland Avenue.

At different times I applied at WNOX (Eddy Roy) and WOKI (Gary Adkins)...at WOKI, when Scott was a DJ there, I sat in as he created his voice over announcing work for the upcoming week.

I recall WIMZ being almost all glass and one could easily peer in to the DJ booth.

I was hired at WECO in Wartburg, short stay due to the drive, but OMG what a modern facility.

When Q94 debuted I was on the air staff, neither Q94 or WATO studios were well maintained at that time...I was morning DJ at WATO (briefly) and there was no access to using head phones and a turn table did not work. Oh well, at least I can say I was a morning DJ.

My last gig was WRJZ...this was '82 when the station was country. Great little control room...I even helped move furniture as the station was reduced from being on two floors to one floor. And one could not ever allow his/her keys to get out of sight as the bathroom was down the hall outside of the station doors, that were always locked.

got stories? Send to 101 via ktownradio@gmail.com!


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HBD to Bob Thomas on March 1.