HAPPY THANKSGIVING...who needs a turkey when we've got a Possum!

George,

I read Bill Beason’s posting and totally agree - AM was the king of the airwaves in the early 60s.

A side note - I grew up near Terre Haute, Indiana, and drove a Chevy convertible with a Delco radio in it. That receiver, and my location from their transmitters, allowed me to get a clean signal from WSM (650) in Nashville, WNBC (660) in New York City, and WMAQ (670) in Chicago.

All three were NBC affiliates (WNBC and WMAQ were o-and-os). When they took network at the top of the hour, it was like the whole left end of my car radio dial was an NBC news on the hour newscast.

Of course, WLS (and later WCFL) were the bomb, but I could also get 5000-watt KXOK in St. Louis during daytime hours. WLS, WCFL, WMAQ, WBBM, and WGN all put good signals into ‘Haute from nearly 200 miles away in Chicago, day and night.

Thanks for hangin’ with the Possum 

Page 3...

The Randy Miller link has been updated (click here)

When AD speaks, the readers read...

Hello, George!

When did Bob leave WKGN as PD? 

(Gary Adkins and I actually worked with Bob providing music and a sound system for parties in 1975. I’m thinking he might have been gone from 'KGN at that point.)

As I recall, Dr. Al replaced him and was there until I came over from 15Q as PD in August of 1976 when we flipped 'KGN to AOR.

I left for WKDF in Nashville in April of ‘78 and Kerry took over!

Thanks...I hope all is well in your world!

 

A.D. Sneedo

 

...On June 3, 1974 WKGN rolled out their new line up featuring Wayne Bernard as morning DJ and new PD as Bob Baron exited. (my notes say Baron went to WCFL Chicago, not sure, and Kent Newton left for WHBQ Memphis). Newton became Tom Kent on the air and still is! 

...Wayne Bernard exited stage "west" to sister station WMAK Nashville, with his final WKGN show airing on Friday November 3, 1974. WKGN at that time included Your Dave Young as morning DJ, Frank Erwin, Rick Davis, Bob Thomas, Joe Anderson, Jean Ash and more! PS- 'Nard became Charlie Chase upon arrival in Nashville and the rest is history.

...Dr. Al Adams came home to WKGN on Monday February 24, 1975 and took over as morning DJ with Mike Beach arriving as afternoon jock.

...in the fall of 1976 changes were happening at 1340- Dr. Al left with AD entering as PD. The station became an AOR format and 2 DJs got new names...Barry Tucker (Mike Beck) became Robin Beck and Chris/Kris Lee (Kerry Lambert) morphed into Keith Lambert. 

...fast forward to late March 1978 and AD moves to WKDF Nashville as PD. Gina Logue, Dave Elrod, Keith, and Frank Green were the air patrol at that time at WKGN. Kerry Lambert was PD, then later exited to start up WIMZ, first known as WBIR-FM aka We Believe In Rock!

...and yes, disco was in the 1340 future!

Oh 'Possum...

George -

Saw the query about when WNOX first began failing financially on the Ktown 101 blog. I think I can shed a bit of light on that.

Mack Sanders bought 'NOX; a class-A Nashville FM "Light Rock 100" as well as the old WENO AM; and a big FM stick and a 50k AMer that was daytime only in Birmingham (WERC). He flipped WNOX to country, put a giant painting of himself in the lobby and built a McMansion for himself in Thompson's Station, south of Nashville. Cash flow became an issue and he sold the broadcast properties to Elf, based in New York City. They quickly ran out of money and - faced with having to take back the stations - Mack scrambled to find another buyer. He found a group of good broadcasters who had stations in coastal Maine and Utica, NY. They were doing well and wanted to expand into the South. The best-known of them was Bob Dearborn, who was a top-notch personality in Chicago and other markets. The president was Rick James - former WCFL and WABC news anchor. Steve Hunter, who had been in news at WGN in Chicago also was in the group. I had known Rick since elementary school and I left WSM to sign on as the Nashville general manager. The Sanders stations' finances had been stressed before he sold them, became critical under Elf and landed on the rebranded REBS. I felt very sorry for the new company because I'm convinced previous financial shenanigans did it in. These were good people who deserved much better. In my last months with REBS, I was shuttling between Ashland City (near Nashville) and Knoxville to try to hold WNOX and WTNZ-FM together. In fact, I made the 1987 phone call to a friend at Dick Broadcasting that got WNOX sold to that solid group and preserved it. 

Paul Randall (Possum Riley) Dickerson