On November 22, 1974, a Friday, Wayne Bernard signed off for the last time as afternoon DJ and PD at WKGN 1340. Some of the other DJs there at the time were Your Dave Young, Frank Erwin, and Bob Thomas.

Like so many before him, Wayne was transferring to Mooney Broadcasting Corporation sister station WMAK 1300 in Nashville. Think...Smokey Burns morphing into Murphy in the Morning at WMAK. 

Wayne became Charlie Chase, and the rest is Ktown radio history. 

PS-in 1976 Dick Broadcasting Corporation (WIVK) purchased WKDA/WKDF Nashville and personalities such as Mike Hammond and Paul Lyle spent time there. Vic Rumore headed to NashVegas in 1978 and down the road Alan Sneed (AD) joined as PD of the AOR formatted WKDF. 

Scott Black on WIVK-FM

 

...It's the fall of 1983 at WNOX 990 and they were playing country music.

The DJ lineup included Michael Henry Martin with Fred Lee on news in the morning, Scott Majors middays, Jimmy Vineyard of WIVK fame in the afternoon, Lisa Patton evenings, and Keith Arnold overnight.

The 101 Audio Vault features Michael Henry Martin- 

 

 

The 101 Audio Vault dusts off King in the Morning on WOKI-FM 100 in 1974...

 

Back in 1972 WNOX 990 saw it's DJs go on "strike" due to working conditions via the morning announcer J Worthington Smith. He had to stay on the air until the issue was resolved, and it took 29 1/2 hours. In the end he switched to the 7p slot and was replaced by...King in the Morning, who later went on to be AM jock at WOKI FM 100 when it debuted in 1974. WNOX at that time was led by GM Pete Dryer (his wife was my first-grade teacher at West Hills Elementary School) and PD Eddy Roy.

Never to be outdone, W-149 with Johnny Pirkle and Dick Sterchi in command countered with this catchy newspaper ad. Radio wars were the best!

By the mid 1970s Big Jim was known as the announcer of John Cazana's Wide World of Wrestling, as well as being a very successful businessman. 

But did you know that Big Jim was on the original broadcast team at WIVK 860 back in 1953, along with Claude Tomlinson. 

This was a newspaper ad regarding WIVK launching onto the air back then. Jim Dick was good at utilizing media advertising from day one.

Look who I found...

Back in the summer of 1983 while on holiday in Hilton Head, I found Ktown DJ Todd Martin (WKGN/WNOX) on I-95 Savannah. That station had changed call letters in 1983 from WSGF-FM to WIXV aka I-95.

Here's Todd via the 101 Audio Vault- 

 

photographs and memories via Gary Adkins

Here are some classic WOKI FM 100.3 photos- Cecilia Mason, Mike Beverly and Bill Johnson. 

The more things change...

..the more they stay the same!

I was perusing through an air check from late 1977 and I came upon mE dedicating a song to Lenny and Patti Robertson and a shout out to my buddy Captain Kirk. Radio was definitely live and local back in the day.

Captain Kirk is Kurt Robertson, we were in Cub Scouts together and still chat every day. Wow, mother nature and father time are still in charge. 

 

These days the Captain is relaxing on his sailboat or on the golf course in Destin, Florida (30A, Santa Rosa Beach, etc.).

The Robertson family, led by wife Sabine and daughter Christine operate an incredibly successful real estate company there called Sea Haus Realty!

 

 

...in case you were wondering, here's Ktown radio in 1960-

One example is WIVK 860 (daytime only)-

6a Don Patrick

7a Claude Tomlinson

9a Cas Walker

930a The Mulls

1130a Cas Walker

1p Claude Tomlinson

3p Ken Russell

6p Don Patrick

Dr Al Cures Hear Aches...

 In the spring of 1975 Dr Al returned to WKGN 1340.

WKGN..."takes you to the country" and "the good old songs" were a couple of the themes that rolled out upon his arrival.

Featured air personalities were News Director Joe Anderson, Frank Erwin, and Mike Beach. 

Dr Al went on to take over the broadcast program at Fulton High School with WKCS.

Happy Birthday to the good doctor aka Allen Johnson!

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Robert Carradine passed away, he was a lifelong friend on Ktown legend Bob Thomas as Robert played the Dad on the TV show "Lizzie McGuire" which featured Bob's son Jake Thomas. May his memory be ternal.

JL Myers remembers Johnny Pirkle, via the 101 Facebook group page...

Working with Johnny was a total gas. He contacted me out of the blue in late 1971 because he'd heard about The Space Program: my all night free-form progressive show at WDXB-AM Chattanooga. He invited me to do a show on W-149 when Jack needed a night off. It was great fun, and he told me about his plans for creating WOKI and invited me to join the staff when it happened. Putting a brand-new station on the air is an unforgettable experience. We had so much fun at WOKI. I loved every minute. (JL Myers)

...and in 1974 WOKI-FM 100 "The Only One" went on the air-

530-10 King in the Morning

10-noon Dave Lambert

noon-3 Jack Bean

3-7 Johnny Pirkle

7-12 Mike Beverly

12- JL Myers

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