First station(s)

[waynewatkins]

Here's a topic that got a lot of responses on the Mississippi board, let's see what kind of responses we get here in LA.

1) What was the very first station that really made an impression on you...the one that was your early formulative favorite...

2) What was the first station that you actually worked at (full or part time)...

My responses:

1) Grew up in New Orleans East and by far the Mighty 690 was the influence on my formulative years. I can remember back to the British Invasion craze with the Teddy-Go-Round (Ted Green) on WTIX mid-60's, then went and stuck my nose to the window many a day in high school up on Carondelet watching Skinny Tommy with his Barq's root-beers and cigarettes, it was amazing watching him in action...plus Bob Walker (Go King!), and Michael Green. High school brought on the heavier 99.5 WRNO, and I remember the short-lived Rampart 102. WNOE AM & FM ("The Radio") came on strong as well in the high school years at Brother Martin early 70's. Ended up working for C.C. Courtney at NOE-AM in '77 thanks to Kim "Toad" Stephens who I worked with in Baton Rouge...besides the good days of mid-80's RNO with the tubing races and kite festivals, this had to be the most fun time to be in radio...ah the memories of local owners...

2) Started my career of 32 years 1975 in Tiger Stadium at WLSU (closed circuit back them only to the dorms on 660AM), and then got on parttime at an AM daytimer (ironically named) WAIL at 1260 in Baton Rouge while in college. Then got on with the mighty Gene Nelson who hired me as a kid on "91 WLLLLLCS!"

 

[Oldie King]

Well Weerdo, I think it's safe to say that I grew up with WTIX. When I was hired there in 1967 at 21 years old, I felt like the kid in Summer of '42 finally fulfilling his...dream.

You already know, but ironically I was the one who signed WLSU "on the air" (thru the carrier current wires to the dorms) at 3 pm on November 15, 1965. My first show ever was WLSU's first show ever...when the studio was located on the 2nd story balcony on the back of the LSU Union building. Ironically, my show was...an oldies show! 3x a week from 3-6 pm: Bob Walker's Wax Museum. Ironic, ain't it, how that shadow followed me thru a 41 year radio career...It never made me rich but it paid a lot of bills and let me visit most of Europe twice, especially Italy. But unfortunately, that was then, and this is now. At least WLSU cranked out a couple of radio long-timers that I know of

But as forked up as radio is today, I wouldn't trade my years in it for anything. I know you wouldn't either. My only regret is that those youngsters in the business nowadays will never know what it was like when it was a GREAT, warm and FUN business, not a business like today where everyone in radio is so paranoid about stepping out of line in fear of being fired by a young goofball airhead corporate-sucking PD jerk from Miami (you listening, Andy? You're the poster boy)! I wish everyone in radio today just had a chance to spend some time in it back then when each station was a close family, individual, and each station had its own look, staff and personality. Yet the DJs from all the stations we all competed with on the air were (mostly) all friends and hung out nightly at the Court Jester in Fat City. Hell, one night we even showed Tommy Shaw of Styx the time of his life at the Jester, a great place that Skinny Tom introduced the rest of us to. I remember Tommy Shaw wobbling off thru the parking lot toward the rest of Fat City late that night.

Imagine going out for a night of fun and socializing with this crop of "little Caesar" complexed, power-crazed, control freak PDs in radio today.

Then there was the night (I wasn't there, dammit) that the radio/record people got the Jester to lock the door late one night as the DJ party continued *on the bar* with special and very friendly guests...

BW

 

[JeffJasper]

Up here in West Funroe, the first radio station that made a big impression on me as a kid was our very own daytime on 1310, KUZN. When I was in 2nd grade in 1964, the class made a field trip to see what a radio station looked like. I already had my own 3" reel-to-reel, so that was right up my alley. On the air was Bob Tucker. And of course they had him playing over the PA inside the building. It was amazing to see That Voice coming out of...uh...that guy. I was hooked forever.

The KUZN guys were also my favorite to visit on remotes. Fox's Roll Arena skating rink and wrestling parlor was a big entertainment attraction back then, and one Friday night my very favorite KUZN jock was spinning records there. It was some guy who called himself Johnny Apollo, who now goes by the name of Gary Burbank. I had a great time spending several minutes watching him cue records, and he gave me "Little Red Riding Hood" by Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs. I'm sure I still have it somewhere.

Other notables who came out of KUZN were Rodney W. Randall (Jay Marks of Y-100 and WMAQ fame); Tom Gay of WNOE and later programmer of KMLB Monroe, and owner of an AM/FM combo in Columbia, La.; Bill Tanner of Y-100 and other infamies; and a guy little-known but a fantastic talent too smart for his own good, Jeffrey "Humble" Hunter (Jerry Harkins), later of KNOE-FM Stereo102 and then FM102, and currently Chief Engineer of KNOE-TV. Humble had the talent and pipes to be bigtime anywhere, but his fascination with electronics kept his interest focused on the big glowing thingies. And because he was a jock for so many years, I don't think anyone's ever put together more functional control rooms than Jerry, and several times over.

The first station I worked at was KNOE-AM, as a 16-year-old in 1974. Bill Murvin of WTIX fame was the PD, and had a little internship program going, which I was invited to join as a junior in high school. The fantastic Wanda Honey of WNOE and I were hired the same day, and were required to pass inspection by Gov. James A. Noe personally. I was trained on-air and in production by Murv and Allen Beebe, who was KNOE music director at the time.

Weerdo, I must have passed you heading out the door at WLCS. Matter of fact, I think I was hired (complete with non-compete) after you and some others bailed for WFMF. Spring of '79??? It was shortly after Burkhardt did that innovative "no jingles" thing. Yeah, I guess nobody like Century21's ChomaKey package....

JJ

 

[Oldie King]

Ah, Bill Murvin...the shell game king. Is he still alive? If so I think several people would like to know where to find him.

 

[fatman]

Sure is cool reading this stuff!

Growing up in Oklahoma we had the top-40 AM wars between KOMA and WKY in Oklahoma City. I grew up listening to Danny Williams on WKY. He's STILL doing mornings, now on KOMA FM. Charlie Tuna was on KOMA as was MG Kelly. KOFM was THE station in high school to listen to. The 7-mid jock was Lester "Boogie Man" Michaels. He was a wildman and had his own version of Boogie Check. He always took the time to meet his listeners, even the goofy ones that drove 45 minutes to hang out in the parking lot while he was on the air. I showed up there slightly drunk one night and, thought he had strict instructions to not let anyone in the building, he let me in after I threatened to end it all right then and there by taking a leak on the tower. I still remember wizzing on the competitors bumber sticker stuck in the urinal. He's doing mornings in Lawton, OK and we're still friends.

I got my start at a small 1KW AM in Shawnee, OK., KGFF. Spent a couple of years there doing wild and wonderful stuff including a memorable remote one hot Oklahoma July afternoon in the late '70s from downtown Shawnee in a rented navy blue cargo van with no windows parked on fresh new blacktop. We had one of those 2 turntable Sparta remote setups and played everything but the commercials live from the remotes. I sweated my behind off and actually got to witness records warping as they played.

It was off to KOMA in Oklahoma City. A 50,000 watt clear channel AM owned by Storz. Overnights there were a blast! It had changed from top-40 to country by that time.

I then made my way to New Orleans and met up with such notable reprobates at Weerdo, Skinny, Blair, Ya Pal Al, Warren, Cap and many others to numerous (infamous) to mention. There were (are) many snakes as well. You know who they (you) are.

I miss it desperately but not the way it is now.

 

[waynewatkins]

I hear ya Don! Sad when people make more at Mickey D's than they can in radio. JJ, I was parttime at 'LCS only fall of '76, I do remember coming out of the newscast of the Luling ferry sinking with the "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald!" Thought Gene Nelson was gonna flip his wig and choke on his cigar...hated to pry him from his Playboy collection in his office!
I worked almost a year fulltime doing nights on "13 WIBR," (worked for a first class guy, actor Bob Earle)...landed at WNOE-AM late summer '77. When it all went to crap and then country early 1980 (thanks Chester & that great indy guy), Randy Rice hired me for nights and then PM drive (3-year stint) at WFMF before WRNO (83) and WCKW (90).

 

[BaronBean]

I hear ya Don! Sad when people make more at Mickey D's than they can in radio. JJ, I was parttime at 'LCS only fall of '76, I do remember coming out of the newscast of the Luling ferry sinking with the "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald!" Thought Gene Nelson was gonna flip his wig and choke on his cigar...hated to pry him from his Playboy collection in his office!
I worked almost a year fulltime doing nights on "13 WIBR," (worked for a first class guy, actor Bob Earle)...landed at WNOE-AM late summer '77. When it all went to crap and then country early 1980 (thanks Chester & that great indy guy), Randy Rice hired me for nights and then PM drive (3-year stint) at WFMF before WRNO (83) and WCKW (90).

Weerdo,

Would you not agree that Baton Rouge once had an assemblage of first-class talent, yourself included? Back in the days when each station had its own owner, the competition was fierce, and the jocks major-market quality. Certainly as far back as I can remember--back to the early 60's.

Among those unique talents were Roger Davison, Bob Peters, and other classic voices at WJBO; Pappy Burge at WAIL; Bill Cox, Johnny Kay, Terry Collins, Don Simon, etc., at WLCS; Steve St. John (the original), Brian Wilson (later with Ross Brittain at WJBO), and Nick Chandler (a/k/a The Boogie Man) at WIBR; and Paul Taylor, Brother Dave, Mike McCarthy, and the lion's share of the rest of you klowns at WFMF. Peters also did play-by-play for LSU basketball during the Maravich era, then completely dropped off the radar.

It's sad that many of today's generation of young radio listeners haven't a clue as to how entertaining radio really can be.

 

[waynewatkins]

BB,

You are correct sir, damn, great memories, those 2 stints I did in Baton Rouge---also the starting point for many other giants. Had a great time working with the 'FMF gang back then with your aforementioned including Danny Seymour (Jim Nasium), Gary Hale, then there was Rick Daniels, Joe London (who also gave me a great opportunity at 'IBR), Jackson O'Connor at 'LCS...many national greats also got their start in Red Stick. It was a big battle for the top back then in the 80-83 stint between 'FMF and WYNK. Loved when we had the 'JBO LSU coaches shows, it was a hoot having Dale Brown in weekly. In New Orleans at 'NOE, besides C.C. Courtney and Kim "Toad" Stephens, it was awesome working with Steve "Casey here" Casey (who we lost recently), Marc (NYC) Sommers, Bazoo, and quite the experience with Soxless Scott Seagraves, Captain Humble, Bobby "love that Do" Reno, Dino, Micheal the Wiz Kopacz, Dr. Dan, and even Phil Hendrie! Sure ain't what it used to be, but I was blessed to be a part of a great time laced with turntables & vinyl, reel-to-reels, razor blades with white residue, grease pencils, LOCAL record co. promo people, fun sales folk like Harold Mann, Kennie Petrie, and lots of fun parties (makeshift staff meetings) at the Chart Room in 'da Quarta 'dere. Thanks for reviving thoughts of many great co-workers...

 

[Tomcheney]

How great is this? Reading about everyone's radio past or start. Weerdo, the cigarettes are gone and the Barqs have been replaced by Diet Cokes, but thanks for the kind words.
My first station was WEKZ in Monroe Wisconsin , for only about four months and then winter came and this New Orleans boy could not deal with 16 below and lower, headed to South Carolina, WDXY and got to play "Top 40" records...finally made it to "TIX in December of 1969.
Oldie King, thanks for mentioning the Court Jester, some of the highlights of my life were in there or originated in there. As I recall James Young of Styx was with Tommy Shaw also. Because I later got a call from Styx's then manager, Derrick Sutton, who suggested that New Orleans radio people were a "bad influence", I remember assuring him that he was more than correct. The owners of the "jester", Vic and Roy LaRocca (both now deceased) were two of the best men and true friends I ever known.
Just a quick final note, I was in a radio station control room the other day and was amazed how the equipment has changed. I could not run a"board" today. Best wishes to all.

 

[ksw2844]

What a great thread... best idea in a long while. I grew up in New Orleans in the '60's and '70's and would say in this order:
1A) Mighty 690 - aways rocking
1B) WWL. Saint's and LSU. Ruby in the morning.
2) WRNO. "The Rock Of New Orleans" really had an almost spiritual aspect to it. And album hour felt like "stealing" music! AWESOME!!!!
3) WSMB. Nutt and Jeff with the one mike so you could hear the room. Keith Rush making my pop's nod his head up and down in agreement and.
4) The old WGSO. Mike Longman, Tom Fitzmorris, Kathy Fishman. Remember listening with my grand-pop.
5 )WLW, WGN and the other flamethrowers from around the country that I could pick up on my crystal radio at night. Rock n Roll from a different city. it just felt so "exotic!"

btw. What station used the monicker "rockin' the city from river to shore?" Do I have it right?

 

[Tomcheney]

Having just read about the different station's liners, I am reminded of my all time favorite. It came from the mind of George B. Segraves IV, aka Scooter Segraves.
When WRNO's studios were across from the Mississippi River's levee. He said in that beautiful voice " The Music Mutha on the Father of waters, WRNO". To this day, it is an alltime classic.

 

[waynewatkins]

Questioned liner was a Bobby Reno creation on 'CKW late '80's, early '90's...

 

[oldiesstation]

skinny, i remember that liner.a true classic.Hey once you got use to this digital stuff, i run Prophet Nexgen 2, it's a breeze..Beats loading carts and cueing 45's.You have more time to be creative or in my case, get to snooze longer...you would catch on in no time...Happy holidays everyone.Ray Fisher

 

[kid outta da woods]

Weerdo,

Here is my in put to your question..1st stations to influence was WTIX, WNOE, WJMR and WLS. I remember the Teddy-Go-Round and Beatle-rama. Also CC Courtney on nites at WNOE up against Buzz(a go-go) Bennett at WTIX now that was a great radio battle.
The first person I knew in New Orleans radio was Richard Shanks thanks to him we had progressive rock radio.
He was my neighbor that was a few years older but totally had time to always answer my questions about radio.
The first station to officially work at was WNPS in New Orleans where I did nights on an easy listening station that also played classical music late at night. I left there to program KCIL in Houma , La. I played music to oil rig workers out in the gulf and their wifes, that were at home. I stayed there for a year and then moved back to New Orleans to do swing and promotions for WTIX. I met some of the best radio people when I got to TIX...Skinny Tommy Cheney(the ruthless cowboy) who became a roommate, best man at my wedding and my sister's boyfriend, Bob Walker, Lou Saint(now a druggist at Walgreens on the Northshore) and Todd Bauer. This was such a great time for Top 40 radio.
I also remember the Court Jester where Derf Derthelson passed out on the floor of the bathroom one time.
You are right Wayne ... Bob Earle was first class and a great person in general. He gave me a month salary for a Christmas present one year when I worked at WIBR.
I returned to New Orleans and went to work at WNOE, now that was a fun place. We did some crazy stuff that today we would be fired for or fined by the FCC. The staff was rather a good one at one point with CC Courtney, Steve Casey(sorry to hear of his passing), you Weerd, Jack Da Wack and on the fm Scott Seagraves, Bobby Gireno.....
My last stop was WTIX for a second time. I then retired from radio in '81 and then moved to the record biz.
I would say that today's radio is a different vehicle than back then. The jocks(what jocks) are not even in the cities where the broadcast from.
WEERD I would think that stations would have a hard time explaining King Toot and a $30,000 contest called the BIG SNATCH...
Kim Stephens

 

[kudzooter]

Skinny Tom, that "Music Mothah" liner was scribbled on a napkin at The El Schiavarro Room in Algiers during one of our regular Monday promo-guys free lunches...They'd probably do 'TIX and 'NOE twice a day, but got WRNO only on Mondays -- and Joe always came along for a complete muffaletta, whatever any of the rest of us left, and then another big muff (somehow, that idea just doesn't fly), for back at that closet-sized (that one does) studio right on the levee. But the "beautiful voice" you referenced was that of one 19-year-old Marc Driscoll, during the 12 or 13 minutes he spent with us on the way to "the bigs." Dem was some days (?daze?) dere, dem. Then, mid 70s at NOE-FM, keeping The Chart Room in business in the Quarter, and the beautiful brothers LaRocca in Fat City. Like someone hinted: not much bread from any of this , but most of us would have paid to be a part of
it. ;D

 

[JeffJasper]

JJ, I was parttime at 'LCS only fall of '76, I do remember coming out of the newscast of the Luling ferry sinking with the "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald!" Thought Gene Nelson was gonna flip his wig and choke on his cigar...hated to pry him from his Playboy collection in his office!
I worked almost a year fulltime doing nights on "13 WIBR," (worked for a first class guy, actor Bob Earle)...landed at WNOE-AM late summer '77. When it all went to crap and then country early 1980 (thanks Chester & that great indy guy), Randy Rice hired me for nights and then PM drive (3-year stint) at WFMF before WRNO (83) and WCKW (90).

Weerdo, THAT'S where I really remember you from, WFMF nights. It was refreshing to come home at night and listen to a great jock, a looser, more rock-oriented rotation, and actual on-air production values, after working all day in a "minimalist" environment at WLCS during my stint. To this day, I've not heard another station dead-rolling into music out of a stopset with no sig whatsoever. It was the latest innovation from Burkhardt/Abrahms. Maybe, as Bob Elliot used to say, "They're on drugs."

I was at 'LCS only a few weeks before Gene brought in Bob Elliott, the B/A prodigy. Which came as a surprise to Bill Murvin, who thought he was up to replace Gene as PD. Murv bailed from KNOE-AM when KNOE-FM finally edged past AM in the ratings, and in his infinite wisdom, Jimmy Jr. flipped AM to soft country with a hint of religion. I tried to play the game on AM, but eventually bailed for KNOE-TV booth anncr., and eventually got a call from Bill who set me up with an appointment to see Gene about coming to 'LCS. After Elliott came in, Murv and Freewheelin' Frank Kleinpeter got bumped to WQXY and The World's Most Relaxing Music.

So Oldies King, to answer your question about "Where's Murv," the answer is that after a few months of Relaxation, Bill gave up his hopes for programming 'LCS and went to work as a manager at Steinberg's Sports in BR. He felt screwed that he never got moved from programming KNOE-AM to program WNOE-AM as he'd been promised, and screwed that Gene decided to pass over him for Bob Elliott at 'LCS. He said he'd just rather go fishing.

I liked both Bill Murvin and Gene Nelson a lot. But then I tend to get along well with hard-ices. As far as I know, Bill's still alive, but I was sad to learn Gene died a few years ago. Anybody know what happened with Gene?

JJ

 

[Blair]

My last stop was WTIX for a second time. I then retired from radio in '81 and then moved to the record biz.

Toad...
Tell Alicia I need a new duck. The one she gave me lost it head but it's body is still on top of the entertainment center. Just got back from New York and had a bunch of drinks with Mark Rigg, one of the part-time engineers for Oscar.

-Blair

 

[waynewatkins]

Now that's another name...Oscar Talbot---best damn engineer period, especially with processing. Though I unfortunately didn't have the opportunity to work with ya'll at 'TIX, we had the pleasure of hiring Oscar when we put 'CPR on the air over here in '95 when he moved to Long Beach. He made 'CPR the best sounding thing on the dial just with some Texar prisms. Still miss him...

 

[fatman]

I worked with Oscar at B-97. Great guy and surely missed by many. I don't know if Oscar was ever a jock but he LOVED to hang out with me in the control room!

 

[smashedcd]

my first memories of radio are the early 70s in mccomb ms listing to 1250 whny. they played MOR favorites and some country till 1140 wakk signed on around 74 or 75. thats the only radio I knew till I discovered WLS late one night on a transistor radio. they were playing Kiss! I flipped out. KISS was on the radio! sometime in about 1980 I finaly discoved FM radio. And I found stereo 98 WAFB which was doing the continuous history of rock n roll btw. Thats how I found out lennon died. Its also where I discoved LSU basketball. Around 1981 I finally found WFMF with weird wayne, brother dave and rady rice and jim nasium. And those tiger tracks ;D
I still remember weerd signing off on a sunday night at midnight with styx the best of times and saying he was headed to new orleans. After that I found the station he was at FM 100 WRNO. And later hearing lionel richie on that same station and going huh??? And then there was the night (or weekend) back in 85? when 92.3 went into a bloodrock weekend playing DOA over and over again ;D I was locked on that station till its death in 1999. Today other than to aircheck I dont listen to the radio anymore. Its not the same now. I do listen to GOFM when it comes in however. Because weerdo takes me back to 1982 when I hear him on the radio...


The first station I worked at was 1250 WHNY (as an intern) yep a freebee ;D. I did a christian rock show on there back in 91. From there I went to wqck baton rouge for 3 years and the rest I dont want to mention . Today I have a real job as do most of the people I ever worked with.