Yes Pratt and crew are out. The greatest tragedy is letting Stu Evans go. There is not a more professional jock on the air ANYWHERE than Stu. Larry Daniels once referred to Stu as the most consistent, professional on air person anywhere in the country. With the opening in mornings does leave one to wonder if Tim and Willy are going to be back. It would only make sense, but with KMLE's great heritage I would have to think that some of the famous names from the past might be coming back. Names like Cary Rolf, KMLE's first music director. Cary, like Gwen Foster is known and respected in country radio as being a trend setter. Shawn Holly, former weekender, nights, Promotions Director and PD of KMLE. Shawn's incredibly deep and succulent tones at night would increase your female cume in a book, especially when he read the tag, "bottled by the good guys at Kalil". Ron Green... there's a name that hasn't been hear in a while. Ron did weekends at KMLE under Bob Glasco's direction and into Alan Sledge. Ron could just look at you and you would run out of the studio in fear. Guy Williams, aka Charlie Martinez has spent a lifetime working overnights on KNIX and KMLE. Aside from being a trusted overnight friend he looked exactly like Freddy Fender. Jim West, one of the very first voices ever heard on KMLE when they signed on would be on the air full time at KMLE in a heart beat. There was Jimmy Whittle, a man blessed with a very large understanding of how to relate one to one with his listener and was slotted for middays at KMLE for some time. Amy Klinger, simply known on the air as Klinger could do music logs between the records better than anyone. There was Dave McMinn, currently at KNIX as a sales God but worked production with Steve Wood at KMLE and wound up on the air. He was a true Shaman of creativity when Sales Manager Paul Boyd wasn't bogging him down in with tags. Jeff Daniels, a name that invokes images bizarre sound effects laid down over the beats of commercials. We could even get Taylor and the Bear to do weekend fill-ins. If you had JD Freeman as GM and Alan Sledge back as PD, like would be perfect. Two more that were a big part of the KMLE family in those days was our groupie God, "Its Me, Its Me, Its Tommy C on Saturday Night at the Oasis spinning his own country mixes at a time when it was unheard of. And down the hall to the left our Chief Engineer Eric who kept us on the air day and night. We were by far the best sounding radio station in Phoenix with out thick, tight and rich bottoms and our highs adding clarity up around 12-18kHZ. Eric Schecter was truly the best engineer KMLE Country 108 had ever seen and still the best in the country.
You see, KMLE as a great heritage and with these changes I thought it would be nice to hear some great familiar names from the past. Getting all these great talents who were part of KMLE when they first beat KNIX would be awesome. Yes the staff would have to work for less money but as the station became strong the staff would equally share in it's profits just like in the old days. Now KMLE is being run by two very competent and experienced people in Gwen and Jeff but imagine what it would be like if you could turn the clock back and create radio the way it was meant to be. That might be fun.
