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Best Tenn. stations of all time

Icangelp said:
Back to the topic. Tennessee stations.

WDIA, WSM, WLAC. Edit: I'll throw in an early WHBQ into that mix also.

All delivering product in a way unique to them. Of course, I mean WLAC in the evenings, as I have no idea what their programming was in the daytime.

WSM remains unlike any other station in America.
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WDIA is a good station, I listen to Bobby Ojay every now and then on line, but the problem with WDIA, is there is too much talk and not enough of their heritage R & B Music during the day. I listen to them at night on line, and I enjoy their night format.

WLAC, we'll a duplicate of other Clear Channel's News/Talk stations, who know where they will be 15 years from now.

WSM-AM, in my opinion, will be around for the next 50+ years, so will the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry will need to change to meet the younger audiences that enjoy artist like Keith Urban. The Opry will be around long after all of us are dead and gone because Country Music is coming back, in a new form, and I see it. WSM-AM, playing Classic Country will be around for a long time as well. Nobody needs to worry about the WSM-AM or the Opry. WSM-AM the only Tennessee station that can be rated the best of all times, just in my opinion, but we may see WSM try to get its former FM back from Cumulus. They do need it back.
 
I'm listening to the stream coming from WDIA, in Memphis. They just played "Rainy Night In Georgia", by Brook Benton. Gosh, I haven't heard that song in a long time! I love that song! I recall when I was in my 20's, before I was married, when I broke up with a girl, I would listen to that song. Why can't these so called "Oldies Stations" that everyone wants back play Classics like that, instead of the same old Beatles, Motown, and British Invasion stuff? The same old Diana Ross and Supremes songs play over and over.

Boy, 1070 WDIA has it going on with the Oldies at night, as far as R & B goes! They are playing songs that crossed over to the Top 40 charts when they were new! I don't ever recall Nashville's former Oldies 96.3 playing "Rainy Night in Georgia" by Brook Benton. I've heard it on other oldies stations in other markets. Being this is a "Clear Channel" station, I'm glad that they haven't tried to screw with its sound.
 
I find this thread fascinating, not only from the competitive aspects of station vs. station, but the reasons given by a wide variety of people for their personal selections.

Question: When determing which stations are "better" than others, how much weight do you give to creativity/originality? Is it important to you that a station uses slogans, promotions, catch phrases, jock names, etc. that are thought up by that station, or could you consider a "best" station one that copies one or more other station(s)?

One of the best-sounding stations in my home town was a total knockoff of several stations in larger markets. The local guys did a good job, but there was absolutely nothing on their air that I had not heard elsewhere.

What do you say? Is it important to be creative, or is a cut and paste radio station worthy of your respect?
 
SM 95 WSM FM early 80's
KIX 104 early 80's
Lightning 100 during the 90"s
Thunder 94 while they were around
Vanderbilt Universities WRVU back in the 80's known as 91 Rock. A very tight college station back then.

All Nashville stations

Nock
 
This thread is a true HOOT! For 3 months, people gave their opinions about which stations were best. Then, I asked if creativity matters, and the thread stopped, except for a single posting 3 months later.

Come on, guys, it was a legitimate question. Or, don't you realize how much of the stuff you hear on radio was stolen, or syndicated by consultants, etc.? For myself, I'll take originality every time...IF I can find it!

You are shaking my confidence in discussion boards when you hide from such a good question.
Maybe it was too creative, because I did not steal it from someone else.

Oh Baby, That's What I Like!

Your obendient servant,
The Big Bopper
 
Nock said:
Thunder 94 while they were around
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In terms of creativity, in the 20 years I've been in Nashville I'd certainly give the nod to this one. As usually seems to happen in this industry it was, unfortunately, too creative to last.
 
There just aren't that many "original" ideas left. Let alone time to actually DO anything creative.
That's all been taken away by corporate suits by making skeleton staffs man several stations in a group. Daily, it gets more difficult to be creative due to most radio folks having to try to cover their arses and just keep a job. Plus, there is much less time for "creativity" when you have to v/t shifts on three other stations in the cluster.
Clusters cut down to one production guy so every spot that's not agency is the same person. (Once in a while there is a different voice, or the production guy/girl DOES get a few moments to try to be creative and at least make it sound like another voice.

The lack of creativity is far more the result of the sad condition of local radio now and much less the lack of creative ability on the part of what's left of radio personel.
 
Meepster said:
There just aren't that many "original" ideas left. Let alone time to actually DO anything creative.
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It's worth noting that some of the "best Tennessee stations of all time" mentioned here are ones that no longer exist (at least, not in the format that made them great in their heyday) anymore.
That's all been taken away by corporate suits by making skeleton staffs man several stations in a group. Daily, it gets more difficult to be creative due to most radio folks having to try to cover their arses and just keep a job. Plus, there is much less time for "creativity" when you have to v/t shifts on three other stations in the cluster.
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Only had to v/t one (the automated FM) while being live on the other (the station was at that time an AM/FM combo). But they now own five stations in the cluster, including three in that original studio.
Clusters cut down to one production guy so every spot that's not agency is the same person. (Once in a while there is a different voice, or the production guy/girl DOES get a few moments to try to be creative and at least make it sound like another voice.
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I never worried about it if my voice was on all the spots. I figured that that was the GM's problem to worry about. Although since they are up to five stations in the cluster now, their prod guy could potentially be heard on all five. But they also have a production director for their two newest properties in the neighboring town, so maybe the workload gets spread around a bit.
 
WIMZ hasn't been great since Phil Williams & Commander Dave. You forgot WOKI in its heydey, which of course is now NewsTalk 100. WOKI was a great top 40 from 1978 to about 1993. Phil Williams is gray and getting old and trying to become a talker. Sounds like E Tennessee. No one knows where Bro. John is from WOKI. WSM has always been great and to me the best classic country.
 
This one is hard to answer since few of us can hear all that's available (or was available in the past) in the state, but I'd say WSM Nashville would have to be at the top. I still enjoy listening to it today. WMC FM100 Memphis was hard to beat in its late 60's/early 70's album rock days, a true trendsetter. I never got to hear WKDF, the album rock station in Nashville, but I understand it was also an excellent station. WMC AM 79 Memphis in its "Constant Country" days on the 70's with DJ's like Les Acree and Jackie Strickland was a top notch country station. WHBQ Memphis in its RKO Boss Top 40 days in the 60's and 70's was as good as Top 40 got with the possible exception of WLS in Chicago. And as was the case in other areas of the country, WLS was a popular station in the Memphis nighttime when I was in high school (early 70's).
 
There has been a few mentions of WXBQ in Bristol, which got me to thinking...before WXBQ was around, the heritage station in Bristol and the Tri-Cities was WFHG-AM 980...mornings there was done by a legendary local air talent, Don Wilburn...aka Dr. Don, Charlie B in the middays, the late Gary Allen Meadows in PM Drive, and the late AND legendary The Animal on 7 til midnight. Was known for a long time as "Real Rock 98" and for a few years as "The Rhythym of the Tri-Cities". I got a job there in 1982 when I was a sophmore in high school....I thought I had made it in the radio world. It was the stuff back then. Thanks for letting me re-live those memories for a few minutes.
 
My favorites: WLAC, WNOX and WFLI (all back in the day) and the one and only WSM!
 
15Q Knoxville.....Like a shooting star in the night with many shooting stars passing thru its doors. Among them Ron Baptist,Bob Kaghan,Steve West,George Patrick Dooley,Chuck "Boo-Boo" Barron,Kid Curry,Mike Beach,Michael Henry Martin,Suitcase Simpson,Charlie Fox,Bill"Birdman"Thomas,"The Trashman" Barry Hodge. All in less than 10 months but a glorious 10 months it was. East Tennessee has never seen another station like the Q..if onlythey only 49000 more watts!!!!Even 9000 more would have helped!!! Legends!!!!
 
After reading this thread, and the "worst stations" thread, one inevitable fact comes to light: mediocre radio rules! Many of the "best" stations mentioned here are no longer around, but at the same time, at least most of the "worst" stations are also gone, too, or at least are now under new owners, formats, etc.
 
Just found this thread. VERY good mentions here. Some repeats, but:

WKGN in the early 70's
15Q in the mid 70's
WRJZ in the late 70's
WNOX for the five minutes Bob Savage programmed it
WOKI when the real talent was going through live
WIMZ when Lambert had it up and running
U-102 for hitting the right niche at the right time in the early 80's
WIVK for Claude's morning show
95.3 WTNZ for the we-know-we're-going-belly-up-so-let's-say-whatever-we-want attitude in the late 80's.

I used to DX WLAC in the 70's, and it was awesome
Same with WQUT. The Midnight Rambler ruled.

These days smaller stations can't afford real talent and larger stations are too afraid of their cash flow to make the risky growth moves. There are exceptions, but not many.
 
Reading through this two-year thread has been enjoyable and fascinating. Yeah, I remember how great WHBQ sounded during Dees' days... and the incredible staff WMAK had with Spooner & Shannon and the rest. Like everyone in the central U.S., I listened to WLAC as a kid (I'm 62 now, with 45 years in the biz and 55+ years as a radio fan) and was introduced to Country by 650--though shocked to hear that WSM was actually a full-service AC when I first came to Nashville in the early seventies.

But I'm equally shocked that no one has yet cited the 10-year stretch when WSIX-FM dominated Nashville with the entire radio industry's greatest one-two personality punch: Gerry House in mornings and Carl P. Mayfield in afternoons. During that period of the 80s-90s, the Big 98 wasn't just Tennessee's best radio station. IMHO, it was America's best radio station. And, again, in my humble opinion, WSIX during that decade was among the handful of the nation's best radio stations of all time.

What others are in the handful? WLS, sure--and its twin, WCFL (they swapped jocks so often you really needed a scorecard). CKLW (physically in Dearborn, MI back then), sure. Omaha's KOWH--America's first Top 40 station? It deserves a place. Indy's WIBC during its full-service heyday. Mmmmm... small-market WZYQ in Frederick, MD during the seventies--spun off a Hall-of-Fame roster of jocks. KFRC. WFIL. Raleigh's 850/KIX. San Diego's KFMB-FM. Tampa's Q105. Seattle's KJR--great jock staff. Same with WAKY. WLW, at various times on all fronts--news, sports, personalities.

But none of them could have whipped WSIX with Gerry and Carl P. Not just Tennesse's best station ever. The best radio I've ever heard, anywhere, anytime.
 
amfmxm said:
What others are in the handful? WLS, sure--and its twin, WCFL (they swapped jocks so often you really needed a scorecard). CKLW (physically in Dearborn, MI back then), sure. Omaha's KOWH--America's first Top 40 station? It deserves a place. Indy's WIBC during its full-service heyday. Mmmmm... small-market WZYQ in Frederick, MD during the seventies--spun off a Hall-of-Fame roster of jocks. KFRC. WFIL. Raleigh's 850/KIX. San Diego's KFMB-FM. Tampa's Q105. Seattle's KJR--great jock staff. Same with WAKY. WLW, at various times on all fronts--news, sports, personalities.
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Interesting thoughts, but I wouldn't list out-of-state stations here, unless you could actually pick them up here in Tennessee. I believe WLS got a mention here earlier, and I did indeed listen to them "back in the day" from my home in rural west Tennessee. They were definitely a player here in the volunteer state back then, even if they didn't know it or weren't aware of it. (But I'm sure that that was also true for dozens of other states (and provinces!) back then, too!) It was also cool to be able to travel to East Tennessee and STILL be able to pick them up! (I remember being almost annoyed whenever the weather was bad at night, and I couldn't receive WLS! :'()

I remember seeing KMOX of St. Louis showing up in the listener ratings for Dickson County. I remember questioning that (especially since this was sometime in the '90s), but I was told that apparently, they had enough listenership in Dickson County to make a showing in the ratings there.
 
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