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First station(s)

Yeah, in the late '70s/early '80s KSMB-FM was Abrams' "Superstars" album format. I didn't get to hear much of it, but it seemed to be very heavy on the major bands such as the Eagles, and a bit shy on solo artists. Frankly, I didn't like it, but then I've always been more of a Top40/AC guy than an album guy. I just could never be "tragically hip."

JJ
 
Great Topic! I lived in Baton Rouge until I was 9 years old, and my sister and I would listen to WLCS at night after mama put us to bed. We moved to Zachary in 1978, and all the "cool" kids were listening to this station called WFMF. We started listening as well because the reception was clear( as we all know, WLCS was an AM). I remember listening every night, even taping the songs I liked. I took a Radio Broadcasting class at Northwestern Middle and part of the course was a trip to a radio station(WFMF). This was when they were still in that awesome building downtown. I still cannot believe the place was torn down to make a freaking parking lot. Anyway, I listened to Randy Rice, Margaret Taylor and Jim Nasium as did all the kids. I also remember Hollywood, Scotty Drake(Z 98), Rick Lovett( for whom I eventually worked) Scotty Mac, Weird Wayne, Kevin Meeks, Kevin Carlisle/Gallagher and others whose names are on the tip of my tongue.

After graduating from NLU in Monroe and moving home, my first job was board op at WJBO under the ownership of George Jenne. I believe this was just after they made the move from downtown to Government Street. Sylvia Weatherspoon would soon go on maternity leave, so I filled in as news anchor on WJBO and WFMF. Man...my first newscast with Johnny A and Jim Nasium was HORRENDOUS!!! I was so nervous that I ran out of breath and had to end my newscast early. Danny( Jim N.) came in and told me I sounded awesome. Those words kept me from quitting. I could not believe I was working with the radio gods I listened to growing up. :) Margaret Taylor was my female influence. Driving back and forth to Monroe, I would practice my "radio voice", repeating what she said in her newscasts. I had the honor of meeting her in person years later when I did mornings on Loose 102. Also at Loose 102, I had the thrill of having Danny come in and voice another TIGER TRACK that he did prior to every LSU game while he was on WFMF. He said he felt like he was in a major market because all he had to do was come in and voice it...and he did just that...in one single take. Always the pro. :) I also had the pleasure of working with Scotty at Gauranty Broadcasting. He is a great guy and I am so glad he is still on the air. Kevin Meeks was also a great guy to work with "post" dereg at WJBO in the XEROX Building. I remember the fax machine going nuts in the morning as I put together my newscasts. Turns out, it was Kevin sending over his show prep from home. That guy is a show prep monster. I swear he knows absolutely EVERYTHING!!! lol

I will always thank George for giving me my break. How many "just out of college punks' can say that they were given the title of News Director at a heritage NewsTalk station? I can. lol I did not deserve it by any means, but I learned from it...and I can honestly say I sometimes miss it. :)
 
I think everyone can admit to TIX being the first radio station they loved. It was (IMO) to be a very stable line up in the seventies and eighties. I actually didn't even think of getting into radio but my dad was a DJ in Mississippi when he was in his thirties, and he kind of pushed me in that direction. I fell into a spot at WQUE FM while I was in tech school. (remember those days when you needed a licence to be an announcer?) The PD, Lee Armstrong was looking for a part time person to play all those pretaped shows on sunday mornings ..I mean like between 5am and noon. I finally got a regular shift at nite and loved it ..but.. When the FM side went country (ahh I can still hear J. Noe saying..."Country music is not just twang anymore! Its violins, and brass! Yeah that made all of us "rockers" real happy to be on an operator assist COUNTRY station") I swear, I cried constantly while at work. Humble was then the PD, and couldnt stand my sobbing so he moved me to the AM side, where I eventually understood what AM rock was. I didn't thrive but I think I did ok.
I left NOE around 1980 when the AM went country also, and AM was getting ready to go stereo!! WOW.. I tried to get into country music :) but ROCK was my heart. I left and went to WQUE to initially do the sunday morning running of pretaped shows (do you see a pattern?}became afternoon news announcer, and just felt out of place there. But I met alot of interesting people, and have great stories. I left QUE in 1084 when I became pregnant with twins. Decided to contribute to the world by raising perfect children. HAH...fooled me...there are no Perfect children.
 
Like Skinny Tom Cheney used to crow loudly on the air as we shredded the competition (for a few years anyway) ...

WE'RE 'TIX, BABY !!

See ya at Cap's for da poboy lunch, Phyllis.

P.S. - Hope Skinny didn't bet on da mare in da Derby (po' thing). Mawdy wit' da Pawdy too. Two railbirds, dem.
 
Wow - I have to admit I was delighted to come across this forum, and this thread in particular. About once a year since he died, I google my dad's name -- Gene Nelson -- to see if anyone still remembers him. And glory be - every time I've done that, I've always found out that someone is still talking about him, and he would be incredibly pleased and humbled to know that, and that so many of the old 'LCS crew held him in such high regard. Dad was one of a kind. For those that don't know, he died about 3 years ago, a scant 16 days after my mother died of cancer. Dad didn't have any life threatening illnesses at the time mom died, although he had had a stroke a few years before and suffered from Parkinsons. Nevertheless, a week after mom died, dad got pneumonia and died a week later. Truly amazing.

To respond to the thread topics: OF COURSE the first radio station that made an impression on me was WLCS. Our household lived and breathed that station and it was literally on in our house all day every day. In the mid 1960s, I remember my dad covering the hurricanes - he used to tell us about shooting water moccasins in Cameron parish after one of them, and then of course there were all the crazy stories -- the call to the space people that Life Magazine covered and who could forget the poor jock who Dad decided to abandon in a volkswagon on top of a light pole in the middle of Baton Rouge. Does anyone remember that poor guy's name? I feel like I owe him an apology on Dad's behalf. :)

As for the first station I ever worked for - like some of you, it was KLSU/WPRG where I had the afternoon drive spot (if you could call it that) in the early 1980s. I had the greatest time with the crew there - what a blast we had in those days. My dad didn't really want me to start working in radio and I remember the day he told me - quite grudgingly - that I had talent. I think he was relieved though when I left BR and headed to law school in California.

One of you said that you'd really love to hear him say "hey, daddy" once again. Trust me, I'd give every nickel I have to hear him say that again too.

Best,
Meredith (Nelson) Landy
 
meredith, very touching post.i never worked for Gene, but had several friends that did and later came to WTIX.My good friend Terry Collins (Jones) worked for him many years.I met your dad on several occassions.He was a hoot,but meant business.WLCS was a great AM..
 
Wow Meredith, glad you checked in. Sorry to hear of the passing of your dad, and wow, just 2 weeks after your mom's passing. Musta really been hard on you.

Your dad was truly one of a kind...he groomed me as a kid back in 1976 while I attended LSU, working part time work at WLCS at only 19 years old...I will never forget him and the times up there in the penthouse suite overlooking the river. What facilities and memories...
 
prodigal daughter said:
In the mid 1960s, I remember my dad covering the hurricanes - he used to tell us about shooting water moccasins in Cameron parish after one of them, and then of course there were all the crazy stories -- the call to the space people that Life Magazine covered and who could forget the poor jock who Dad decided to abandon in a volkswagon on top of a light pole in the middle of Baton Rouge. Does anyone remember that poor guy's name? I feel like I owe him an apology on Dad's behalf. :)

Meredith...

The man you refer to went by the name Pharaoh Spencer, and he worked overnights at 'LCS. I believe he had a first ticket and babysat the transmitter while he spun 'em. He must have been constantly busy making sure the readings were within parameters, because there was a lot of dead air between records. :)

I can't remember the nature of the promotion, but he did sit in a VW atop some light pole--near College Drive, if I recall--for at least a couple of weeks.

I never worked for Gene, but I did engineer a couple of spots he did for Ed Reed. Super nice guy. So was Ed.
 
Gene was the actual program director for WWUN, Jackson, Mississippi for the years it was operated by Airwaves out of BR. I was the CE from day one. Never have I encountered a more driven and professional PD who took time to discuss problems and solutions with an engineering type. Tim Le Blanc, GM, also was equally receptive...he was from BR too...They made agreat team, and coupled with Bob Furlow ( Yes, BR Too )... the AM station on 1590 shot to the top in the ratings in 1964. What a great ride until FM took over, Anybody remember the rest of these guys? Thanks J Boyd.
 
Not very good at this but a couple of things need to be mentioned and a major Thank You is overdue to you guys that put this together in the first place. So, thanks guys for some great memories and current updates including the skinny on Lou, you'll never believe my real name, Saint. Lou worked for me at KTEM in Central Texas and at the ill fated Sunny 94.1 in BR. I can easily say that I've never worked with a jock more well prepped to go on air,more concerned about the quality of his show and with more passion for that show than Lou. The fact that he is no longer on air is a sad commentary on what Radio has become.

My favorites growing up: Pre WLS days in Gary, Indiana. WLAC Nashville. Spring 1960 WLS. While stationed at Marine Baracks, Boston, WMEX and WBZ. In Houston, while trying to adjust to being a sloppy civilian and just prior to my Radio debut at KTLW in Texas City, Bill Young's KILT.

Chuck White did indeed go by "Chucker," more or less unofficially, when he was at WIBR when they played oldies back in the '80's. He was well aware that the REAL Chucker was the 'LCS night jock of old.

Yes, I programmed Oldies at WIBR for 3 years. It was my 2nd of 4 programming gigs in BR, none of them concurrent. I was asked occasionally during those years and in subsequent years if I'd worked at LCS. My reply was always the same, yes I did, but I'm probably not the the DJ you remember. He was there for 4 or 5 years, I was only there for 3 months and couldn't use it there because someone else already was. As far as my being aware of who the "REAL Chucker" was..I used that name many times before my time in BR and many times after. Besides that, if real means first, then the late and truly great Chuck (the Chucker) Browning would be it.

White's main impact on the BR market was when he was PD at WJBO during the Ross and Wilson era (late 1970's). Randy Rice was OM of the Manship stations and PD of WFMF.

If you mean Rice was OM during the aforementioned Ross 'n Wilson era, he was not. I was hired from LCS to program JBO. Ross Brittain also worked at LCS, Brian Wilson was the all nite jock and filling in on mornings at JBO when I got there. Putting them together was a natural even though management was against it from the beginning right up till the day they left, a little over 6 months later. (hardly an era but that is how most remember it. I've always taken that as a compliment.)

It was during that time that I finally talked George into making the big switch, changing WFMF from AOR to CHR. That's when I became OM and hired Rice out of Little Rock to program FMF, JJ Stone from Beaumont/Port Arthur for Afternoons on FMF and Rex Russell from Beaumont/Port Arthur as 1/2 of the R 'n W replacement show when they left.

It wasn't until 3 or 4 months after that that I was fired.

I would come back to BR 3 more times to PD gigs and to eat Papa Joe Messina's Crawfish Etoufee and Shrimp Po Boys.

Some of you might get a kick out of listening to some more Radio from the 70s/80s/90s in the BR/NO area. I found a old site that I had in 98/99. I couldn't believe it was still up! From the front page, click AUDIO and choose BEST OF. In the montage there's a bunch of stations including 6 of the 7 stations I spent some time with in BR/NO. It's worth a listen, if for no other reason than to hear Ross Brittain announcing that Elvis had died on LCS. (Ross did 9A/noon on air and read news in the afternoon.

http://www.skywayradio.com/wendy/chucker/

I do miss Radio sometimes here in my little cabin in the hills of SW Arkansas with my Wonder Dog Koika and my cat Tommy Boy. Not a lot, just sometimes.

Chuck White
 
Chuck...

Great to hear from you. I hope all's well for you in Arkansas. And thanks for straightening me out on the White-to-Rice transition.

You hit the nail on the head concerning what radio has become. It's sad to think of the major talent that's left the business because of corporate consolidation. I can't remember the last time I listened to a music-driven radio station with any regularity.
 
First station KORI-FM... cracked foundation meant everytime it rained, water seeped through the floor. To this day, I pick my feet up before I touch a mic

My checks bounced for a few months there, but after nearly 7 years, I learned alot there... I guess I couldn't be where I am, if I hadn't been where I was... (Does that sound like a George W Bush-ism)
 
I got my first radio/recorder (of many!) as an Xmas present in 1987.

I became hooked on listening to the following local stations through the years:

  • WTIX-AM (The Mighty 690!)
  • WRNO-FM (R&R Hall Of Fame)
  • KHOM-FM (Zippo In The Morning!)
  • KOOL 95-FM
  • WYAT-AM 990
  • Oldies 106.7
  • WTIX-FM

8)
 
Chucker!!!!!!, you still have at least 1 fan down here in good ol' Baton Rouge... ;D I can remember a few things from back then, from that Bingo game on WIBR yall used to play on air, to you talking about your "Teddy" dog that was sitting in the corner while you were doing your show... drop me a message if you get a few minutes, I have some info for you!

~Crayzee~

 
waynewatkins said:
I just got a message at work...

When I mentioned some of the folks I worked with at WNOE, I did not mention Wanda Honey. She got her feelings hurt, so here is her mention...and that IS her real name.

Just realized I didn't mention my bubba Jack Da Wack! Luv Talleywacker! Don't think I'll get a scorned phone call from him though...

Hmmm...

OMG Jack..hmmm quite a few memories there, he was a blast...He was like a little kid with ADD...Does anyone remember TY at WNOE...cant remember his last name. Black guy on rollerskates....He was so sweet, and had one of those "Hey baby" kind of voices.
 
A friend called me and told me to check out this site and topic. I'm glad he did. This is Holy ground with some of the Radio Legends that inspired and motivated me to make a living at what I love. I'll take this time to say Thank You to you guys since I never see you anymore. I hung around the Imperial palace alot and B97 at the Hyatt until Dan Vallie let me be an intern passing out B97 Supercards, doing call out, getting Jack-da-Wack's lunch and pulling carts for Ya Boy T.Y. I ran some board on Weekends but after Hi-School finally got On The Air at Bob's WLSU which by then was WPRG and was in the bottom floor of Tiger stadium across from my dorm. Couldn't get a job anywhere back in N.O so I stayed in school and did some work at WIBR , WYNK and FMF. Then finally got the call to come home and been living my life On The Air since. I've had the extreme pleasure to work with some of you and Thank God because you made it fun and spontaneous. At Noe in the Quarter when the AC was out I walked in to see the Fat Man in his underwear (Still in therapy). Racing the Wierdo on ATV's in the Dome, at the startline Wayne gunned it as we all took off but he was in Neutral so when he hit the shift in full throttle he flipped the four wheeler in the air and backwards. I crashed from Laughing so hard. Thanks for the memories... lol
 
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