Ben Porter

[daryll]

Veteran Macon radio station owner Ben Porter passed away earlier today. He owned WPEZ, WDDO and WMGB until selling them to US Broadcasting in 1996. Mr. Porter was a great broadcaster and great guy to work for. His career resume is too long and impressive for me to do it any justice on this post. God rest his soul.

 

[Gerry Marshall]

Really sorry to hear about Ben Porter. I never had the chance to work for him, but I understand he was a class act. My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

 

[BSteve]

Sorry to learn about Ben passing. He was one of the first radio people I met after moving to Macon back in the 60s. He and , I think it was Bill Mercer, were WCRY at the time. I think I remember studios in the basement of the Lanier Hotel or some building on Muberry St. I always thought he had a great voice when he was a news reporter on WBML.

While on the subject of WCRY, does anyone remember who put that station on the air? I believe it was in the late 50s when it first signed on and I think they had a country format to start with or maybe R & B. I know they did both before Ben bought it and changed it to beautiful music and easy listening. It was on 900 KC. and probably 250 watts.

 

[jovialjay]

While on the subject of WCRY, does anyone remember who put that station on the air? I believe it was in the late 50s when it first signed on and I think they had a country format to start with or maybe R & B. I know they did both before Ben bought it and changed it to beautiful music and easy listening. It was on 900 KC. and probably 250 watts.

Dee Rivers put WCRY on the air. I've always heard that he applied for the frequency at Macon to pre-empt applications at other locations. I'm told he built it to "protect" his WEAS in Savannah (1kw-D@900), requesting only 250 watts (the lowest allowable power at the time), in order to permit a future power increase in Savannah. The WEAS power increase to 5kw was granted in the early 60's, and WCRY was sold shortly thereafter.

I think WCRY was a "3-R's" station - Rural (country), Religion and Race (R&B). There were a bunch of these stations built after WWII - especially in the 50's. They signed on with country, moving to religion in the midday (white preaching/gospel music first, with black preaching/gospel following), then R&B from mid-afternoon 'till signoff.

Quality 900 Radio was in the Lanier Plaza, moving the the American Federal Building in 1973, when Beautiful Stereo 108 (WCRY-FM, 107.9) signed-on.

I briefly worked for Ben Porter at that time, and always found him to be a gentleman. I recall him chewing my butt out for some infraction, but I'm sure I deserved it.

Make that I KNOW I deserved it!

 

[BSteve]

Thanks, Jay. You're a walking history of radio. Somebody needs to record all your
knowledge of Georgia radio so it's never lost.

 

[fwillis]

Jay Braswell has forgotten more about radio than most will ever learn. If he ever writes a book, I'll buy a copy. That Jaybird knows his stuff.

 

[kenglish]

Ben Porter had a great voice. He was the voice-over talent on the "Macon On The Move" campaign, way back when the Macon Coliseum was new. He also did the narration for a slide show that my brother and I did for "Volunteer Macon" way back when I got home from the Navy.
He was a great supporter of everything that makes Macon a special place.

 

[jovialjay]

Jay Braswell has forgotten more about radio than most will ever learn. If he ever writes a book, I'll buy a copy. That Jaybird knows his stuff.

The key word is "forgotten". The elder I get, the more I seem to forgot.

See...I can't even remember my spilling. Or garmmer.

No...not that Elder.

 

[Bengalsfan]

All the more reason you should start writing it down now, Jay!

 

[Witchlover]

Or at least dictating into one of those new-fangled digital recording gizmos! That's a book I would enjoy reading. Wonder if the Historical Society would collaborate with you on it?

 

[mosesnose]

Jay Braswell has forgotten more about radio than most will ever learn. If he ever writes a book, I'll buy a copy. That Jaybird knows his stuff.

You mean firebug?

 

[jovialjay]

Jay Braswell has forgotten more about radio than most will ever learn. If he ever writes a book, I'll buy a copy. That Jaybird knows his stuff.

You mean firebug?

Well now...that would take a whole 'nother book - one that would need to contain many chapters - each detailing the story of a radio station fire it has been suggested that ol' Jovial Jay was responsible for.

A possible title could be, "I Just Love The Smell Of Burning Vinyl In The Middle Of The Night".

Feel free to submit your suggestions.

You know, with a handle like "mosesnose", the poster might be a little long in the tooth.

 

[Bengalsfan]

Jay Braswell has forgotten more about radio than most will ever learn. If he ever writes a book, I'll buy a copy. That Jaybird knows his stuff.

You mean firebug?

Well now...that would take a whole 'nother book - one that would need to contain many chapters - each detailing the story of a radio station fire it has been suggested that ol' Jovial Jay was responsible for.

A possible title could be, "I Just Love The Smell Of Burning Vinyl In The Middle Of The Night".

Feel free to submit your suggestions.

You know, with a handle like "mosesnose", the poster might be a little long in the tooth.

Interesting that "mosesnose" only has one post....that one.

 

[jovialjay]

While on the subject of WCRY, does anyone remember who put that station on the air? I believe it was in the late 50s when it first signed on and I think they had a country format to start with or maybe R & B. I know they did both before Ben bought it and changed it to beautiful music and easy listening. It was on 900 KC. and probably 250 watts.

Dee Rivers put WCRY on the air...

I've talked to the "usual suspects", done a bit more digging, and corrections are required.

WCRY was never licensed to Dee Rivers. Bill Loudermilk built the station in late 1957, then transferred it to Bill Keller in '58. Both Loudermilk and Keller were/had been associated with Rivers - Loudermilk at WEAS (WGUN), Keller at WGOV and elsewhere. As best I can determine, the "build it at a low power to allow WJIV (WEAS)/Savannah to upgrade" concept is correct. Rivers' Savannah 900 got a CP for 5kw in '61, and WCRY was almost immediately sold to Middle Georgia Broadcasting.

Middle Georgia Broadcasting was NOT owned by Ben Porter, however. Jack Wheeler was the owner. Valdosta native Porter had worked for Rivers and Keller as PD at WGOV before moving to Macon (to attend Mercer?). He worked for WBML from at least '61 through '64.

Wheeler bought WKTX/Atlantic Beach (Jacksonville) in November '64, so I'm assuming that Porter bought Wheeler's stock in Middle Georgia Broadcasting in late '64/early '65.

Again, this may not be absolutely correct, but it's probably close enough for government work.

Sniff...sniff...sniff! Y'all smell smoke???

 

[kenglish]

Will somebody please write a book on Macon's radio and TV history?
I'll sign up for a copy.

 

[BSteve]

Me too!