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Biltmore Radio

Anybody know about this? Found it on my Roku device today asx a channel on iHeart. Big Band radio (Keep waiting to hear Don Kennedy pop up).
 
Anybody know about this? Found it on my Roku device today asx a channel on iHeart. Big Band radio (Keep waiting to hear Don Kennedy pop up).

Yes, it was created by longtime radio pro Benji Kurtz. He worked at Cox here in Atlanta as well as at stations in a couple of other markets. I believe he and a partner own 2 FM's in the Lake Oconee area. Good guy.
 
Are they legitimately originating from The Biltmore, or is that just a honorific to the old WSB days?

How are their billings? Haven't heard much CA?

Any reasons why Don Kennedy isn't on their lineup, especilaly since the old ecletic station has gone away.

There is a clip in the Jerry Vadeventer produced 50th birthday present to WSB a clip of him closing out broadcasting from those studio at midnight and turning it ovr to someone who was at White Columns.
 
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Don Kennedy's "Big Band Jump" archive was donated to Georgia State University, I believe. You can still hear it on WRAS, Sunday mornings.

I'm an Atlanta native and grew up with Officer Don (Don Kennedy's TV character) and the Popeye Club on WSB TV. The Popeye Club was a daily, 60 minute cartoon show featuring Don Kennedy as Officer Don, and Orville the Green Dragon, a puppet voiced by Terry ???. There used to be some Youtube clips of the show...I think there was even one of the infamous "Ooowee Goowee" game.
Every market with a TV station had an "Officer Don" and many are still revered by their now grown fans.

Every Atlanta native was on the Popeye Club at least once. I think I did it 4 or 5 times. It was a thrill to get to tour White Columns and watch the magic "behind the curtain." Just before the broadcast started,you had to sit quietly through a 5 minutes newscast (how they got 30 excited 6 year old kids to do that I can't tell you) And then you got to see the magic behind the magic!

He really was a character, in a good sense! He was one of the 3 guys who put 96.1 WKLS on the air, back in 1961?
He put WATL?? Channel36 on the air back in the 70s. Owned a statewide news network (senior moment...Georgia News Network or Georgia Network News??) Was various cartoon voices - his voice is also well known to a younger generation) He has voiced countless commercials. He was once the booth announcer for WSB TV.

Kennedy has really had an amazing career and has created some really good memories for a lot of grown up children. I, for one, would listen if he did reappear for some more Big Band Jump....
 
Are they legitimately originating from The Biltmore, or is that just a honorific to the old WSB days?

How are their billings? Haven't heard much CA?

Any reasons why Don Kennedy isn't on their lineup, especilaly since the old ecletic station has gone away.

There is a clip in the Jerry Vadeventer produced 50th birthday present to WSB a clip of him closing out broadcasting from those studio at midnight and turning it ovr to someone who was at White Columns.

I can answer one of your questions. Yes, Biltmore Radio is definitely a nod to WSB's time at the Biltmore.

I don't know what the business plan is, whether or not they sell time. I think Benji would be happy to answer your questions. He can easily be found.
 
Yes, Don Kennedy was the "K" in WKLS.

Kennedy, Lathom, and Swan. The joke was that WKLS stood for "Watch Kennedy Lose Shirt" before FM hit it big.
 
Kennedy, Lathom, and Swan. The joke was that WKLS stood for "Watch Kennedy Lose Shirt" before FM hit it big.

Even though it’s been 8 years, I wish 96.1 had kept the WKLS heritage calls. They’d been around for so many years. Or even resurrected the old WAPW calls.
 
Even though it’s been 8 years, I wish 96.1 had kept the WKLS heritage calls. They’d been around for so many years. Or even resurrected the old WAPW calls.

WAPW is owned by a LPTV station in Virginia, but yeah. Especially since they're using the "Power" branding like Power 99.

WKLS got poached by an East Alabama album rocker when iHeart dumped it https://www.rock1059.com/
 
Sorry I'm just now seeing this post. Yes - we do broadcast from The Biltmore, where I live and work. No, we do not sell traditional airtime, we are listener-supported, like a public station. We have tried to make inroads with Mr. Kennedy to broadcast some of the old Big Band Jump programs, and have thusfar been unsuccessful in making contact. If anyone has an in with him, our team would certainly be appreciative.

We'd welcome your ears! We're available on the iHeart and TuneIn apps, we have our own app in both the Google Play and Apple stores and also stream at our website, biltmoreradio.org. Thanks for noticing us!

Benji Kurtz
 
I like the music, and the announcements.

Had to figure out the music stream URL to allow it to run on WinAmp. Why not publish that information to make it quicker and simpler to work with MP3 players etc.?
 
Thank you. I had figured that out, but I meant to have it published on the Biltmore Radio site.

Is it Jeff Lawrence that has made all those neat announcements?
 
That is Jeff Laurence, yes, a great friend and a great talent.

Our research has shown that the average user is going to be much more likely to listen in another application or site such as iHeart or TuneIn than they are to plug a URL into a media player, but I'll certainly note it. Appreciate the feedback and glad you're enjoying the show!
 
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