• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

1979 WLVS Aircheck

I was barely a though in my mother's mind at this point in time...What is WLVS?
 
WLVS was the FM station owned by Sam Phillips which is now KQK. From November 1978 until August 1979, it was Hit Kickin Rock. Station then became "Exclusive Stereo Country" until 1983 when it took over the easy listening format when 106 went country.
 
the LVS standing for 'Elvis' of course...competing at the time with an uptempo contemporary country format of WMC 790. Home of 'Ken & Elouise Louise' in the mornings with a guy doing a not-so-convincing old lady voice, but funny & a satirical 'Elvis' character 'Bobo Boatright' I think it was?
 
snazzyjazzy said:
I believe Ron Jordan, George Klein, and Tim Mullins were at WLVS during the country music days.
Click to expand...
Yea, & This Dude "Hugh Baby Brooks" !
 
One of my fondest Memphis radio memories has to do with this station and the wonderful Sam Phillips. Not only was Sam a creative genius but he was a super shrewd businessman. He had a knack for making the right moves at the right time, not just in music but in business. When Firstcom (Jerry Atchley & Kerby Confer) bought WEZI (105.9) in the spring of 1983, they hired me to be the start-up GM. The first decision had already been made before I was hired: flip the elevator music format to country. That seemed like an easy one to most of us but WEZI was always top 3 25-54 and was quite profitable. WLVS (94.3) was a Class A at the time and was doing sort of a "Southern/Rock" variant of the format. Back in the 70's when WZXR (102.7) was running the format, it was a little ahead of the surge in FM listening, plus WMC AM was a terrific station. Now the memory.

Jerry Atchley and I decided we would approach Sam "straight up" and give him the details of our plan. We climbed up into his loft office at the radio station one afternoon, and we told him of our plans to launch a full Class C station loaded with the very best country music, limited commercials and huge giveaways and marketing. We weren't haughty, just honest. And we proposed a plan. We wanted to "give" Sam the WEZI format, call letters, marketplace equity etc and even promote to our current audience where they could switch to hear the format once we changed it. Being the smart man he was, he thought it over for a few days and then called to tell me he agreed. So on a Friday afternoon, late in May of 1983, the last easy listening song was played on 105.9 and the very same song debuted on 94.3. There was even live TV coverage of this unique, cooperative change in the Memphis radio landscape. Sam was creative, yes, but he was also very smart in business. Craig Scott
 
Yea, & This Dude "Hugh Baby Brooks" !

Would that be the same person as "Hugh Man" Brooks who was at Rock 103 as a part-timer in the 1990's and 2000's?
 
I worked a lot with Hugh Brooks via Wilkerson Sound Studios. Hugh did a good bit of voiceover work, and even turned up in a couple of locally produced movies. He starred in the famed "Teenage Tupelo," and I remember a scene where another ex-dj/vo guy, John Still, played a shadester who had his thugs give Hugh's character a beat-down. I feel like that was Craig Brewer's The Poor And Hungry, but Hugh isn't in the imdb credits, so I'm not sure.

I always got a chuckle listening to Hugh on 103, because he had a sarcasm-tinged delivery that made everything he said sound like it was in "quotation marks."
 
Don't know what's happened to Hugh or John. Hugh was always fun to be around, even when he was on his uppers. Hope they're both well.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom