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Dr. Pepper Bottling Company = radio station owner?

T

tanim_95

I brought this up in a thread about soda on the "Off The Air" board, but I figured I might have a better chance of getting an answer here.

A few years ago, while looking at the various Arbitron ratings on R&R Online, I recall seeing "Dr. Pepper Bottling Company" (or something with "Dr. Pepper" in the name) listed as the owner of a radio station! I think it was in a small market in Tennessee, or a neighboring state.

Does anyone know what station this might have been, and in what market?
 
> I brought this up in a thread about soda on the "Off The
> Air" board, but I figured I might have a better chance of
> getting an answer here.
>
> A few years ago, while looking at the various Arbitron
> ratings on R&R Online, I recall seeing "Dr. Pepper Bottling
> Company" (or something with "Dr. Pepper" in the name) listed
> as the owner of a radio station! I think it was in a small
> market in Tennessee, or a neighboring state.
>
> Does anyone know what station this might have been, and in
> what market?
>
Not sure, but there is a Burger King radio cluster in Cookeville. From what I understand they run it just like a fast food joint.
 
Not sure about the answer to your question, but I do know this. Forstmann Little, who owns Citadel, owned Dr. Pepper at one time. They no longer have it in their possession, but they were a Pepper in the past. Good luck in what you find out.



> I brought this up in a thread about soda on the "Off The
> Air" board, but I figured I might have a better chance of
> getting an answer here.
>
> A few years ago, while looking at the various Arbitron
> ratings on R&R Online, I recall seeing "Dr. Pepper Bottling
> Company" (or something with "Dr. Pepper" in the name) listed
> as the owner of a radio station! I think it was in a small
> market in Tennessee, or a neighboring state.
>
> Does anyone know what station this might have been, and in
> what market?
>
 
> Not sure, but there is a Burger King radio cluster in
> Cookeville. From what I understand they run it just like a
> fast food joint.
>
Which stations are you refering to in Cookeville? I know three or so stations in Cookeville are owned by Clear Channel, with one those being the Country Giant 94.7.
 
> > Not sure, but there is a Burger King radio cluster in
> > Cookeville. From what I understand they run it just like a
>
> > fast food joint.
> >
> Which stations are you refering to in Cookeville? I know
> three or so stations in Cookeville are owned by Clear
> Channel, with one those being the Country Giant 94.7.
>
WLQK-FM, WBXE-FM and WKXD-FM, are owned by JWC Broadcasting. The Burger
King connection is correct. I can't say I remember the Dr. Pepper
part. I was around when WKXD (Kicks 106.9) - then WRJT 107.1 (Jet 107)
was launched in the early 80's. I have never heard that JWC runs these
stations like a fast food chain, but it's possible. Also was around
when Magic 98 was WHUB-FM when the Medley's owned it. The best reel-
to dead-air to-reel radio station on Earth. Those were the days...
call letters every time you come on the air, Eldon Burgess (who I
got in trouble for imitating his very country voice - but a great
person, etc.) Anybody know what happened to him? I begged on my hands
and knees to play a good song on that station. Never got to. Jet
rocked.
 
Eldon is - or at least has been - the field announcer for the Cookeville Cav's.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

> WLQK-FM, WBXE-FM and WKXD-FM, are owned by JWC Broadcasting.
> The Burger
> King connection is correct. I can't say I remember the Dr.
> Pepper
> part. I was around when WKXD (Kicks 106.9) - then WRJT 107.1
> (Jet 107)
> was launched in the early 80's. I have never heard that JWC
> runs these
> stations like a fast food chain, but it's possible. Also was
> around
> when Magic 98 was WHUB-FM when the Medley's owned it. The
> best reel-
> to dead-air to-reel radio station on Earth. Those were the
> days...
> call letters every time you come on the air, Eldon Burgess
> (who I
> got in trouble for imitating his very country voice - but a
> great
> person, etc.) Anybody know what happened to him? I begged on
> my hands
> and knees to play a good song on that station. Never got to.
> Jet
> rocked.
>
 
I found it doing research a while back, but I can't remember for the life of me what station it is. As I recall, it's a small AM in an unrated market. But, I could be wrong.

My thought at the time was that it was probably an independent bottler, not corporate Dr. Pepper.

I'll dig through my 'stuff' tonight and see if I can find it, because now it's bothering me!
 
Re: FOUND IT!

Okay, so I was wrong...it is in fact an FM, and a big one at that.

The station is WASL, a C2 FM licensed to Dyersburg. The actual licensee is "Dr. Pepper/Pepsi Cola Bottling Co, Inc. of Dyersburg". I wonder if they actually promote the soda with the station the way some old-school owners such as GE and the old Newspaper owners used to.




If only we could all get gigs at a station owned by Jack Daniels.....
 
Re: FOUND IT!

> Okay, so I was wrong...it is in fact an FM, and a big one at
> that.
>
> The station is WASL, a C2 FM licensed to Dyersburg. The
> actual licensee is "Dr. Pepper/Pepsi Cola Bottling Co, Inc.
> of Dyersburg". I wonder if they actually promote the soda
> with the station the way some old-school owners such as GE
> and the old Newspaper owners used to.
>
>
>
>
> If only we could all get gigs at a station owned by Jack
> Daniels.....
>

They do also own an AM, oldies WTRO 1450. Their site (http://wtro.wasl.com) doesn't mention the connection, although there is a Pepsi logo. . .
 
Re: FOUND IT!

I remember that station, they had very BUBBLY Personalities on the air.
BURP


> Okay, so I was wrong...it is in fact an FM, and a big one
> at
> > that.
> >
> > The station is WASL, a C2 FM licensed to Dyersburg. The
> > actual licensee is "Dr. Pepper/Pepsi Cola Bottling Co,
> Inc.
> > of Dyersburg". I wonder if they actually promote the soda
> > with the station the way some old-school owners such as GE
>
> > and the old Newspaper owners used to.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > If only we could all get gigs at a station owned by Jack
> > Daniels.....
> >
>
> They do also own an AM, oldies WTRO 1450. Their site
> (http://wtro.wasl.com) doesn't mention the connection,
> although there is a Pepsi logo. . .
>
<P ID="signature">______________
Is This Thing On....Check 1-2</P>
 
Re: FOUND IT!

> > If only we could all get gigs at a station owned by Jack
> > Daniels >

No chance of that happening. Jack Daniels makes way to much
money to waste their time chasing no $$$ in radio. But, your
suggestion for employment is THE smartest idea on radio-info
EVER! Wonder if they'll ever sue Jack-FM for copyright, though???

Hmmm! You're not a lawyer are you?
 
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