Friday, March 31, 2023
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame
Congratulations to Allen Johnson aka Dr. Al Adams, he will be inducted into the TN Radio HOF this summer.
Back in March 1975 Dr. Al returned to WKGN 1340 as morning DJ and Program Director. He had previously worked the night shift there in the 60's before adventuring to St. Louis, Cincinnati, Buffalo, and more!
On Monday March 3, 1975 Dr. Al debuted at 6a (I air checked it, check the search engine box at the right of this blog). His morning co host along with Witch Hazel was News Director Joe Anderson.
The station was now tagged as "WKGN Takes You To The Country"...the DJ line up featured Dr. Al 6-10, Frank Erwin 10-3, Mike Beach 3-7, Rick Davis 7-12, and Bob Thomas 12-6. Weekend DJs were David Todd and Russ Brown. Jean Ash joined Joe on the news desk as she anchored afternoons.
At that time WKGN also added the phrase "WKGN where all the good old songs have gone".
Thanks for this air check to Google and WKCS (Fulton High) TV and radio teacher Russell Mayes (for nearly three decades) he succeeded Dr. Al at Fulton...the 101 Audio Vault travels back to 1965 and the good doctor!
Wednesday, March 08, 2023
It's January 1980...yes, welcome to the 80s! I kicked off the new year by working 3-7p on WIVK (Tuesday 1/1/80). I was also a senior at UT. Where were you?
WRJZ 620 was in its 3rd year...JJ Scott, Rick Kirk, and Bob Kaghan were no longer heard on the air. But what a line up they had...6-10 CP and Walker, 10-2 Adele, 2-6 Mark McCain, 6-10 John Boy, 10-2 Fred Story, and 2-6 Jeff Jarnigan. Ernie Baker and David Henley anchored the news desk.
We dust off The 101 Audio Vault...
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
50 years ago...
...let's travel back to 1973! On March 30 I began my work career as a busboy at the Frank Kotsianas owned Ivanhoe House of Beef. Mr. Frank had previously owned/operated The Brass Rail on Gay Street and later founded Kotsi's (later the first Chop House in Knoxville). Enough about mE, ha!
As we travel thru the year, Bob Baron was named a finalist for the Jaycee's Man of the Year in early January.
The prominent AM stations that year were WETE 620, WIVK 850, WNOX 990, WBIR 1240, WKGN 1340, and W-149 (WROL 1490).
Morning DJs were Eddy Roy at WNOX, Bob Baron at WKGN, and Hop Edwards at WETE, who exited in late January.
WKGN was sounding better than ever, and at 1000 watts was overachieving...Frank Erwin and Wayne Bernard were staples and big additions that year were Jack Diamond, Smokey Burns, and late in '73 Your Dave Young exited from WNOX to The Famous 1340.
On the Vols football side, Larry Robinson was offered a football scholarship in late February. Soon thereafter the Basket Vols signed Mike Jackson, David Moss, and Mike Smithson.
That baseball year the Braves were on WSEV-FM and the Reds games were heard on WETE.
In August, Big Jim Hess, an original WIVK DJ from 1953, left WTVK Channel 26 to become VP at Environment Consultants.
In the fall Mike Beach was on the air at W-149 as morning DJ, Bob Hamilton, Gary Adkins, and Bill Johnson were also their jocks.
On September 20 singer/songwriter Jim Croce passed away, wow...50 years ago, but his music lives on!
In October, a young me ran into Ken Burger of WKGN...he told me Jack Diamond was going to leave for Louisville, but Bob Baron offered him a $100 raise, the Louisville folks countered so at 11:40p Jack and Guerilla left a note for Jerry Steele, put on the long song Alice's Restaurant, and exited stage left!
And that's a brief look back from 50 years ago, where were you in '73?
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
First hired as a student assistant in 1946 by General Neyland, Gus Manning went on to a have a storied and beloved 50 years career as a key member of the University of Tennessee Athletic Department. Gus passed away on Super Bowl Sunday at the age of 99.
Most have a Gus story or two...mE~ I got to know Gus back in the late 70s as he would come up to our WIVK studios on Sunday nights to record his daily sports show that aired weekdays on the station. We had some fun and meaningful conversations.
Go rest high on that football field! Go Vols! RIP!
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Monday, January 23, 2023
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Page 3...
I worked with Ron Harper and Johnny (Pirkle) at Hits 100 for a while in 1986 or 1987. I ran into Bobby Denton at the Wrangler on Northshore, and he told me to "get Pirkle to go Rock against WIMZ". Years later I worked with the station again when it LMA'd to Dick and was Classic Rock. The PD was Tim Sheenan with whom I worked in Connecticut and Long Island. (Alan Sneed)
Anything on Gayle Robinet from WEZK-FM circa 1974. He pretty much ran WEZK in that time frame, as I recall. (Rick Dodds in Lynwood WA)
Hi! I was just thinking about this. When I was in Knoxville at WKVQ in 1977 I did a TV commercial for the Gatlinburg Wave Pool at Pigeon Forge. It was with an agency, it was a funny and corny commerical. Do you think there'd be anyone in the group that may have a copy of it? I know it's a long shot. (Kim Carson)
Friday, January 13, 2023
Jimmy Hyams
East Tennessee broadcast sports legend and 101 Wall of Fame member Jimmy Hyams is retiring his microphone effective March 31.
Jimmy has teamed with John Wilkerson to host Sports Talk, afternoons on The Sports Animal for nearly three decades. Jimmy also spent time as a writer at the News Sentinel.
Congrats and good luck...