Knoxville radio history

[history]

WNOX and WRJZ were both Top 40 stations during this time period.

Respectfully, I have to differ. The writing was on the wall. They knew that the younger audience was moving to FM. And we're talking about top 40 in 1979. That year belonged to disco. NOX and RJZ may have been the closest to top 40 on AM - they may have even still described themselves as top 40 to the trades. Yet, I certainly don't remember either playing much of the disco hit music of the era. Post Eddy Roy era WNOX had taken a turn to more adult friendly titles - more gold and a much softer texture. Granted, there was always a good amount of dayparting musically at NOX. But by the time John E. Douglas arrived to program NOX, the presentation was almost too adult and too laid back for my taste. After Bob Kaghan's departure, 62 RJZ moved in much of the same direction. By the way, I'd forgotten that RJZ had gone country prior to the NOX flip. Thanks for the reminder. And for the refresher on WBIR-AM to WHEL too.

As for WOKI? They were the FM side to WORI. Didn't Pirkle sign OKI on in '73? Or was it '75? Quickly, some memories. Automated top 40. Jingles from TM's Pacific and Southern package. Didn't Mike Beverly move to OKI from WFLI in Chatta-boogie? Gary Adkins brought "The Brothers" over from W-149. Early reel to reel automated voicetracked station that matched the music reels up with a prerecorded voice reel. Misfire one cut and your backsells were playing too early or too late. By the early 80s, they'd gone live with the likes of Brother John St. John and Fast Eddie Ashton.

Fun stuff Derrick. Thanks for starting the thread.

 

[RMarino]

For what it's worth... WNOX was running "American Top 40" in 1979.

I heard Casey Kasem mention the call letters on an old February 1979 show that ran recently on XM.

 

[gcc5582]

Don't forget George Patrick(Tom) Dooley from KHJ and his short stint at 15Q or Michael Henry Martin and an equally short stint. Bob Khagen(sp) actually worked at the Q for a short time before putting WRJZ on the air.

 

[KnoxvilleTVFan]

Respectfully, I have to differ. The writing was on the wall. They knew that the younger audience was moving to FM. And we're talking about top 40 in 1979. That year belonged to disco. NOX and RJZ may have been the closest to top 40 on AM - they may have even still described themselves as top 40 to the trades. Yet, I certainly don't remember either playing much of the disco hit music of the era. Post Eddy Roy era WNOX had taken a turn to more adult friendly titles - more gold and a much softer texture. Granted, there was always a good amount of dayparting musically at NOX. But by the time John E. Douglas arrived to program NOX, the presentation was almost too adult and too laid back for my taste. After Bob Kaghan's departure, 62 RJZ moved in much of the same direction. By the way, I'd forgotten that RJZ had gone country prior to the NOX flip. Thanks for the reminder. And for the refresher on WBIR-AM to WHEL too.

As for WOKI? They were the FM side to WORI. Didn't Pirkle sign OKI on in '73? Or was it '75? Quickly, some memories. Automated top 40. Jingles from TM's Pacific and Southern package. Didn't Mike Beverly move to OKI from WFLI in Chatta-boogie? Gary Adkins brought "The Brothers" over from W-149. Early reel to reel automated voicetracked station that matched the music reels up with a prerecorded voice reel. Misfire one cut and your backsells were playing too early or too late. By the early 80s, they'd gone live with the likes of Brother John St. John and Fast Eddie Ashton.

Fun stuff Derrick. Thanks for starting the thread.

Eddy Roy would go on to be a DJ at WQBB and WEZK (now WJXB). I heard him on the radio before and he is such a great DJ.

I am glad that we are talking about Knoxville radio history and I am glad I started this thread. WORI-AM was on 1550 and located in Oak Ridge. I am not sure what format they carried at the time.

 

[history]

For what it's worth... WNOX was running "American Top 40" in 1979.

Yeah. I caught that too. Good point.

 

[jwk1979]

For what it's worth... WNOX was running "American Top 40" in 1979.

Yeah. I caught that too. Good point.

Iirc, WNOX ran "American Top 40 with Casey Kasem from it's inception in 1970 until WNOX switched to country in April 1982, at which point, WOKI started airing AT40.

 

[history]

Iirc, WNOX ran "American Top 40 with Casey Kasem from it's inception in 1970 until WNOX switched to country in April 1982, at which point, WOKI started airing AT40.

I tried to pull up an aircheck at airchexx.com of who I'm guessing must be Derrick's dad on NOX from July 79. The link doesn't work though. LIke I've said, the ol' memory isn't what it used to be. I sure didn't remember NOX staying with the format for that long. I have some NOX tape from fall of 81 that I'll ahve to check out.

 

[knoxbob]

While attending high school ('76 til '80) I did some intern work at WRJZ. I remember the first disco tune that they added to the playlist, only because they had to due to requests, Ray Parker Jr and Raydio.."Jack and Jill". In the early 80's I worked at WETQ while it was country and WATO was AC.

Some other knoxville history was when CP & Walker went to work at AM 850 and they changed the calls to WHIG. I can't remember the format but it didn't last long.

I remember Randy Miller doing nights at WKGN and then going to WNOX for afternoons while I was a senior in high school.
WNOX gave WRJZ a run for the money in 1980.

 

[history]

I have some NOX tape from fall of 81 that I'll ahve to check out.

Here's the playlist from that WNOX tape - early September 1981:

Gallery "Nice To Be With You"
* 1 pm News
Bob Seger "Against the Wind"
Diana Ross / Lionel Richie "Endless Love"
Bread "Everything I Own"
Journey "Who's Crying Now"
Carpenters "Touch Me When We're Dancing"
Jimmy Buffet "Margaritaville"
Little River Band "Lady"
Dan Fogelberg "Hard to Say"
James Taylor "Your Smiling Face"
Ray Parker Jr. "That Old Song"
Smokey Robinson "Cruisin'"
Don McLean "It's Just the Sun"
Orleans "Love Takes Time"
* 2 pm News
Chuck Mangione "Feels So Good"

Certainly a lot less gold than I remembered. Not as AC as I remembered. Nothing overtly top 40 about it either. MOstly a safe adult in office lean to it. The McLean song was a stiff. Peaked at 83.

 

[KnoxvilleTVFan]

I tried to pull up an aircheck at airchexx.com of who I'm guessing must be Derrick's dad on NOX from July 79. The link doesn't work though. LIke I've said, the ol' memory isn't what it used to be. I sure didn't remember NOX staying with the format for that long. I have some NOX tape from fall of 81 that I'll ahve to check out.

It was not my dad who worked at WNOX 99. It was an unknown jock. I don't know if he said his name or not but it was an unknown jock at WNOX 99.

 

[jwk1979]

I have some NOX tape from fall of 81 that I'll ahve to check out.

Here's the playlist from that WNOX tape - early September 1981:

Gallery "Nice To Be With You"
* 1 pm News
Bob Seger "Against the Wind"
Diana Ross / Lionel Richie "Endless Love"
Bread "Everything I Own"
Journey "Who's Crying Now"
Carpenters "Touch Me When We're Dancing"
Jimmy Buffet "Margaritaville"
Little River Band "Lady"
Dan Fogelberg "Hard to Say"
James Taylor "Your Smiling Face"
Ray Parker Jr. "That Old Song"
Smokey Robinson "Cruisin'"
Don McLean "It's Just the Sun"
Orleans "Love Takes Time"
* 2 pm News
Chuck Mangione "Feels So Good"

Certainly a lot less gold than I remembered. Not as AC as I remembered. Nothing overtly top 40 about it either. MOstly a safe adult in office lean to it. The McLean song was a stiff. Peaked at 83.

Several of the songs on this list, i.e. Diana Ross/Lionel Richies "Endless Love, Dan Fogelberg "Hard to Say", Journey "Who's Crying Now" and The Carpenters "Touch Me When We're Dancing" were Top 40 Hits at the time, Bob Seger "against The Wind" was only a year old. With the exception of the songs by Gallery and Bread, nothing on this playlist was more than two or three old at the time and most had been Top 40 hits during that time period. This play list is not much different than most Top 40 stations playlist of that time.

 

[KnoxvilleTVFan]

While attending high school ('76 til '80) I did some intern work at WRJZ. I remember the first disco tune that they added to the playlist, only because they had to due to requests, Ray Parker Jr and Raydio.."Jack and Jill". In the early 80's I worked at WETQ while it was country and WATO was AC.

Some other knoxville history was when CP & Walker went to work at AM 850 and they changed the calls to WHIG. I can't remember the format but it didn't last long.

I remember Randy Miller doing nights at WKGN and then going to WNOX for afternoons while I was a senior in high school.
WNOX gave WRJZ a run for the money in 1980.

You worked at WETQ-FM 94.3? I didn't know that. I was wanting to find out what format 94.3 was carrying at the time. What was the name of the station? Was it "Q-94" or was it just WETQ?

 

[knoxbob]

It was Q-94FM we were country at the time. Tony Eubanks was PD/mornings..Arch Bishop did middays and Dan King afternoons. Arch worked at WIMZ for a while after the Q-94 gig. The station barely made a splash in the market and it might have lasted about a year and a half. The owners didn't spend any money on it. Most of the equipment was mono even though we transmitted in stereo.

 

[KnoxvilleTVFan]

Does anyone know about the history of AM 1580? I think that in the early 1980s, the calls were WSKT-AM.

 

[KnoxvilleTVFan]

As for WOKI? They were the FM side to WORI. Didn't Pirkle sign OKI on in '73? Or was it '75? Quickly, some memories. Automated top 40. Jingles from TM's Pacific and Southern package. Didn't Mike Beverly move to OKI from WFLI in Chatta-boogie? Gary Adkins brought "The Brothers" over from W-149. Early reel to reel automated voicetracked station that matched the music reels up with a prerecorded voice reel. Misfire one cut and your backsells were playing too early or too late. By the early 80s, they'd gone live with the likes of Brother John St. John and Fast Eddie Ashton.

history, WOKI-FM 100.3 signed on in April 20, 1974.

 

[KnoxvilleTVFan]

I found out about AM 1040. On August 15, 1984, it signed on the air as WBZW. I am not sure what format it carried. On July 1, 1988, it became WQBB and I do think they carried a standards format at the time.

 

[jwk1979]

Does anyone know about the history of AM 1580? I think that in the early 1980s, the calls were WSKT-AM.

AM 1580 was WSKT-AM from at least the early 1970s until mid 1980s. It was owned by the late Hary J. Morgan and ran a religious format until at least 1986, when I left Knoxville. I went to school with a couple of his daughters and lived next door to one of his daughters and son-in-law, who was an announcer for the station for several years before leaving in the mid 80s to go into business for himself.

 

[KnoxvilleTVFan]

AM 1580 was WSKT-AM from at least the early 1970s until mid 1980s. It was owned by the late Hary J. Morgan and ran a religious format until at least 1986, when I left Knoxville. I went to school with a couple of his daughters and lived next door to one of his daughters and son-in-law, who was an announcer for the station for several years before leaving in the mid 80s to go into business for himself.

Thanks very much. I was wanting to find out about about AM 1580. They did signed on in May 21, 1961. I do believe they carried a religious format at the time.

 

[KnoxvilleTVFan]

While attending high school ('76 til '80) I did some intern work at WRJZ. I remember the first disco tune that they added to the playlist, only because they had to due to requests, Ray Parker Jr and Raydio.."Jack and Jill". In the early 80's I worked at WETQ while it was country and WATO was AC.

Some other knoxville history was when CP & Walker went to work at AM 850 and they changed the calls to WHIG. I can't remember the format but it didn't last long.

I remember Randy Miller doing nights at WKGN and then going to WNOX for afternoons while I was a senior in high school.
WNOX gave WRJZa run for the money in 1980.

I do believe that WHIG-AM 850 was still country right after WIVK-AM 850 changed the calls. I don't know if they simulcasted the 107.7 signal at the time.

It's just my guess that WHIG-AM was playing country music.

 

[SuperQ]

Lessee, catchup time.

WHIG went AC with CP and Walker to compete with U-102 on AM 850. It lasted a couple of weeks until the phone calls from WIVK listeners who only had AM radios in their old trucks forced them to change back to country. CP lasted a good while. Walker went back to Blount County and his dad and Delmar Haynes bought 1470 and Walker ran that. He actually simulcasted the CP and Walker Show on 1470 for a while after that show resurfaced on U-102.

WSKT was religious into the late 80's with Harry J Morgan. Studios were in the lobby of the Hyatt. He then got the 1180 frequency (WJHM) and put on ABC's satellite oldies format which later appeared on 105.3 for years.

The old 1580 was leased to a couple of local radio groupies who went screaming Top 40 with it for a few weeks until it disappeared. Then sold to a succession of black out of town preachers. Now owned by some folks in Atlanta who made a lot of money getting an 80-90 FM and leasing it to Radio One.

W149 went to 15Q with a lot of high priced out of town talent and might have lasted year. (15Q is gonna make me rich). It changed to a quasi=automated easy listening format and then went religious as WITA.

103.5 was an automated MOR format called hit parade into the mid to late 70's. Went MusicCountry 103.5 while still co-owned with Channel 10. Preacher Mull was on late at night. The existing staff changed the format to AOR about the time Stoner bought them hoping to save their jobs with the new regime. Few survived.

1240 had Doc Johnson on the morning playing piano (and simulcasting on 103.5) well into the 70's. They tried the ill-fated NBC 24 hour news service for a while and then become standards WHEL when Stoner bought them.

104.9 was the Clinton FM with automated Top 40. It had to change frequencies to 95.3 to make room for the LaFollette FM. Ironically, the current owner of the LaFollette FM, Clifford Jennings was a DJ/salesman on 104.9 WCFA. 95.3's plunge from Mac Sanders country into bankruptcy and Top 40 is previously documented.