Have You Ever Listened to a Station for the Jock?

[gr8oldies]

I think I need to find a way to defy the laws of physics, build a time machine, and send you back to an era where radio better suited your personal tastes, Chimp.

Sometime in the 1940s?

 

[gr8oldies]

Gary Burbank on CKLW. I hadn't heard anything quite like it, especially on a station with a strict format. Driving into my high school restaurant job, the Right Rev Deuteronomy Skaggs often played as I entered the parking lot. Gary went on to WHAS, Louisville and eventually a long career at WLW, Cincinnati

 

[vchimpanzee]

Sometime in the 1940s?

No, radio stations sounded like I want in the 60s. The ones the parents liked.

 

[Phil Harmonic]

Rick Dees when he was in Memphis at WMPS and later WHBQ in the 70's before he went to LA.

Back in the 70s, a few of us WJDX/Jackson DJs and our PD, Bill Tanner... drove up and hung out with Rick Dees, watched him work in the production studio... then it was off to Bob Hamilton's Memphis house, where he published the Hamilton Report trade magazine. Radio was hot in Memphis with WMPS, WDIA with DJ Rufus Thomas and WHBQ. You have to mention George Klein at WHBQ, he was huge both on the radio but also on WHBQ-TV. What great personalities back then... their audience was huge.

 

[Kemosabe]

Yep, Dan Ingram on 770 WABC, NYC (2-6PM), Dan was to me the ultimate DJ.

Agreed. I enjoyed listening to Big Dan "laughing and scratching" on "the Ingram mess." His timing and wry wit were nonpareil.

From a 1970s Ingram countdown:
"Well, the 'Bad Girls' now have moved down to number three, which is right under 'Good Times.' Hmm…"

 

[Kemosabe]

Another one for me: John Records Landecker on WLS in the 70's.

He was excellent. The following video showcases his talent:

 

[sack]

Grew up in North Jersey and every night I would leave WABC and go to WOR for Jean Shepherd.
Also a huge fan of Dan Ingram.

 

[Weiserguy]

Grew up in North Jersey and every night I would leave WABC and go to WOR for Jean Shepherd.
Also a huge fan of Dan Ingram.

I also listened to Shep in the late '60s and early '70s on WOR (AM). He was a fun listen, but he wasn't a disc jockey. "Raconteur" is a more accurate term. He was like the in-house subversive in a station full of starched shirts. (Most of the interesting folks were down on the second floor at 1440 Broadway, where WOR-FM was located.)

Shep's 90-minute Saturday night performances, live from the Village Limelight, were appointment listening.

 

[alok]

Agreed. I enjoyed listening to Big Dan "laughing and scratching" on "the Ingram mess." His timing and wry wit were nonpareil.

From a 1970s Ingram countdown:
"Well, the 'Bad Girls' now have moved down to number three, which is right under 'Good Times.' Hmm…"

Got to explain and let you be Ingram . . . on the next two songs,

Remember Gladys Knight and The Pips . . . Midnight Train to Georgia . . . 1973.
Ingram would say near the end of the song . . . audio levels between him & song equal, such that you heard the song & Ingram perfect . . . as Glady's sang . . . I GOT TO GO, I GOT TO GO, I GOT TO GO . . . Ingram would say . . . Gladys it's down the hall - 2nd door on the right! - I said down the hall - 2nd door on the right!!!

here ya go, be Big Dan at the end of song . . .

*****

Then there was this one . . . The Rolling Stones . . . ANGIE . . . 1973.

Ingram would start the intro and time it perfect everytime . . . I don't think he used a stopwatch but the intro time might have been on the cart label ????

A and A, A and B, A and C, A and D, A and E, A and F - then hit the vocal perfect (from Mick) . . . AAAANNNNN - Gie

go ahead you be BIG DAN . . . it's the beginning intro this time . . .

BIG DAN, great jock! Great station, 50,000 watt 770 WABC, great audio on then good AM radios.

As I said years ago in the group here I got to go up and sit in on Charlie Greers overnight show on WABC (10 times in 1968) with a DJ friend that knew Charlie . . . all the overnight staff, DJ , board op (2 engrs) when not on the board, one sat in MCR ( Master Control ) and monitored the Over The Air signal and 2 news people that did live local news, following the ABC network news on the hour and on the half-hour with quick news briefs, just before the half-hour.
These people along with the nighttime security guard (making his hourly rounds), with his dirty jokes (a different one each hour), after the studio ON AIR light went off were FUN and they were all having FUN on a station that was easily being heard on the east coast at night and into the mid-west back then.

it was FUN, at the station & listening to it over in Jersey . . . WABC was "slick"

 

[TexasTom]

And oddest of all, About 1976 and 1977, KMMK FM in McKinney, TX has gone from Easy Listening to Top 40 under new ownership. The prior staff pretty much cleaned out the building of equipment, music library and such before the FCC okayed the sale. The facility was horribly lacking and the jocks were very green. To give an example or two, a carousel in the next room had the commercials with a remote start by the board. The problem was the commercials were like 15% modulation versus an otherwise average of 85-90% modulation. When production was done, a reel to reel played older songs that certainly leaned rock as the studio doubled as production. With only one carousel, all commercials were aired 1 at a time. It was all requests and dedications. With no music library, everything played was a current. With all this to deter listening, I loved the feel of the station. You could tell the jock was loving every minute of it and the audience was quite responsive. That was what made me listen. I was perplexed by how long the volume of the commercials was maybe a 2 when the jock and music was a 10 as far as volume goes. We are easily talking a year or more! There was no specific jock I preferred but all had that smile that came from deep inside interacting with listeners.

I moved to Dallas in 1984, by which time KMMK no longer sounded like that. In the time that I listened, I would probably describe their format as ranging between Adult Top 40 and Hot AC. But after another sale, they became KWPL and the format became better defined as Hot AC until 9 PM or so in the evening. After that time, they let their evening DJ mix in some personal selections, and those could get positively weird. I remember hearing everything from Madonna remixes to "Blind Man in the Bleachers" by David Geddes interspersed into the station's standard music mix.

Years later, I read an interview with someone who had worked their while it was still KMMK, and he commented that the physical facility was just awful -- specifically, he mentioned having rats drop from the ceiling occasionally during his shift.

 

[radiofan2023]

I remember hearing everything from Madonna remixes to "Blind Man in the Bleachers" by David Geddes interspersed into the station's standard music mix.

Holy cow….

 

[K.M. Richards]

But after another sale, they became KWPL and the format became better defined as Hot AC until 9 PM or so in the evening. After that time, they let their evening DJ mix in some personal selections, and those could get positively weird. I remember hearing everything from Madonna remixes to "Blind Man in the Bleachers" by David Geddes interspersed into the station's standard music mix.

And people wonder why competent programmers do not allow the jocks to make any music decisions during their shifts ...?

 

[davideduardo]

Back in the 70s, a few of us WJDX/Jackson DJs and our PD, Bill Tanner... drove up and hung out with Rick Dees, watched him work in the production studio... then it was off to Bob Hamilton's Memphis house, where he published the Hamilton Report trade magazine. Radio was hot in Memphis with WMPS, WDIA with DJ Rufus Thomas and WHBQ. You have to mention George Klein at WHBQ, he was huge both on the radio but also on WHBQ-TV. What great personalities back then... their audience was huge.

That was a narrow window. Dees left Birmingham when WERC-FM knocked down the ratings of his AM home, WSGN, and went to Memphis. Tanner left Jackson to go to Pittsburg just a little after that.

"T" and I would chat fairly often as I was doing hotter AC at WERC (AM) and his WJDX was very similar. And our markets were very similar, too.

 

[landtuna]

No, radio stations sounded like I want in the 60s. The ones the parents liked.

Me too. You're not alone Chimp.

 

[K.M. Richards]

No, radio stations sounded like I want in the 60s. The ones the parents liked.

Me too. You're not alone Chimp.

As I think both of you know -- but have trouble accepting -- those stations have either already departed the scene or are on their way out.

I won't rehash the details, because I know it's already painful enough for you, but it's all about the demographics. What remaining audience there is for those nostalgic formats is way over the age where ad revenue is probable. In fact, to put it bluntly, that audience is quite literally dying off, one listener at a time.

There really isn't much hope to be had for a renaissance of that type of radio, and my best advice to you and the rest is: If you find such a station and it streams, by all means enjoy it while it lasts. When that solution stops working, be content with your memories.

I know I have also suggested building up your own libraries of songs from back then, but if you're going to go after that solution, I suggest you do it sooner rather than later because the sources for that music also seem to be falling by the wayside.

 

[rparky54]

I found Lee Sims entertaining when he was on KCBQ, but I wouldn't have listened to the station if I didn't also like the music played.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

As I think both of you know -- but have trouble accepting -- those stations have either already departed the scene or are on their way out.

I won't rehash the details, because I know it's already painful enough for you, but it's all about the demographics. What remaining audience there is for those nostalgic formats is way over the age where ad revenue is probable. In fact, to put it bluntly, that audience is quite literally dying off, one listener at a time.

There really isn't much hope to be had for a renaissance of that type of radio, and my best advice to you and the rest is: If you find such a station and it streams, by all means enjoy it while it lasts. When that solution stops working, be content with your memories.

They were having a perfectly fun time discussing air talent from long ago, which was the topic of the thread. Everybody was chatting and reminiscing happily. Then the buzzkill comes in.
We get it. We all know that. We all know there is no more air talent. We KNOW the demogaphics. We know the advertisers don't want anyone over 45. We all know that no one wants personalities, just music. We all know that we have to make our own streams. We all realize that. We have been told hundreds and hundreds of times that there is no more air talent, no more AM band, no more anything. But they were having a fun time reliving the days when their favorites were on. The topic of this thread was about jocks that people liked to listen to.
It was not, "Radio is dead, so get over it." All they were doing was reminiscing.
Jeez.

 

[K.M. Richards]

My apologies, to anyone who is offended, that I am a realist.

But when the conversation moves from "I liked listening to (jock) on (station)" -- and pointing out that I added my own example -- to "I want stations like that again" it has gone beyond reminiscing.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

My apologies, to anyone who is offended, that I am a realist.

But when the conversation moves from "I liked listening to (jock) on (station)" -- and pointing out that I added my own example -- to "I want stations like that again" it has gone beyond reminiscing.

I clicked on your live link, but I don't see the conversation that you are referencing.
Perhaps I missed it, but I don't see the statement "I want stations like that again."

All week long, this board talks about: mergers & acquisitions, bankruptcies, layoffs of air personnel, and Audacy stations that will be taken off the air and go silent. The atmosphere is very serious and very grim.

But, there has to be some threads, where older people can be nostalgic and talk about the fun days. The huge majority of people here realize that radio is dead, there is no going back, and they need to live stream their music. -- D.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Perhaps I missed it, but I don't see the statement "I want stations like that again."

Post #43.

But, there has to be some threads, where older people can be nostalgic and talk about the fun days.

I don't object to reminiscing. I do object to people thinking those days can come back.

As I said, I am a realist. So sue me.