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Knoxville Radio Legends That You Felt Were Over Rated

Every radio market have legends that were revered by a segment of the listeners but were concidered over rated by a vast majority of the people, even Knoxville. My nominee for Knoxville radio legend that I thought was very over rated was the late Claude Tomlinson and the Great Day Show on WIVK. I can recall people that were twenty years or so older than I was talking about how funny Claude Tomlinson was and always asking did you hear what Claude Tomlinson or Old Man Schlutz said this morning. Yet whenever I listened to him, I only saw him as average and not very humorous at all. Even a couple of years ago, when WIVK celebrated 40 years as the number 1 station in Knoxville, I heard several audio clips of Claude Tomlinson, Lester Longmire and Old Man Schlutz and had to wonder what the masses heard in him to develope such a following. What jokes I heard were very old even by the standards of twenty years ago. I just never saw what was so fascinating about him that he became a legend. Maybe it is a case of being too young to have heard him in his prime or a talent that appeals to an earlier generation but not to the next. Are there any other legends out there you felt were overrated? <P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by jwk1979 on 07/18/05 08:57 PM.</FONT></P>
 
I live far from Knoxville but used to travel once in a while to E. Tennessee in the late '70's & would always tune in Great Day on WIVK. It was far from the rapid pace cutting edge morning shows I usually listened to, but had a charm & comfort level that I guess many people liked. Sure the jokes were tame & old, but so was "Hee Haw" which was popular back then. It was old time MOR radio on a country station, friendly, familiar voices in light morning banter. Far from the country morning shows of today, trying hard to be safe and edgy at the same time with lots of celebrity gossip, almost risque but not quite humor, and people in the background to laugh at everything said. In proper perspective, traveling around I found Claude & show to be one of the most entertaining country morning shows of its time, maybe as Gerry House is to Nashville today, a little outdated but a friendly show with a long time following. For all the years Great Day was on it would have to be considered "legend" by some definition!
 
Everybody is going to HATE me but I think it needs to be said

John Ward.

The guy's play-by-play was SLOW! I still think his call of the Jay Graham touchdown run to beat Alabama in '96 was an embarassment- where in the middle of the run he called out- I'M LOOKING FOR A FLAG!

A gentleman? I'm sure. But then there was the little "I spend 40 hours preparing for every broadcast"- which was essentially how long it took him to write out his scripts. And QUANTITY of preparation does not equal QUALITY of preparation.

I used to listen to Mike Keith on his talk show and he'd go on and on fawning over Ward- playing rather pedestrian cuts of the Vols' broadcasts and acting as if they were the greatest prose he'd ever heard- and that IS the epitome of "being over-rated."

Or I used to go to events and they'd introduce Ward as "The best sportscaster in the United States!"

Um, I think I'd take Bob Costas over Ward. Nothing personal.
 
Re: Everybody is going to HATE me but I think it needs to be said

I don't know about John Ward, but I'm going to be just like you and get myself some possible hate mail coming too, by saying this.....

I don't know of any Knoxville radio legends that are overrated mainly because the Knoxville market is so funny, we never seem to be able to hang on to a good dj very long. Either they leave or the station changes formats. But, I do know of a whole radio station that is legendary here in Knoxville. It has been on the air for over 50 years now with basically the same format. It's a ratings monster that has been #1 for over 25 years now. I think I've given away enough clues.....it's WIVK. That station, to me, is too overrated. Sure, it's the most popular station in Knoxville, but alot of that is because it's just been around for so long. It's the station our grandparents grew up with. As far as the news goes and the traffic reports, they are the best though and everyone in Knoxville knows it. But as far as the country format goes, I think WIVK does an awful job with it. I've listened alot to South 105.7 and WKZX 93.5 whenever I want country music. Those two stations play the new country but also throw in a lost classic, or even a little rock n roll. You never hear the same songs twice. Also, they have less talk - well - 93.5 don't have any live dj's at all. 105.7 has great dj's that don't talk too much, get the commercials over with and get back to the music. WIVK on the other hand plays the same songs over and over and over again. The dj's talk way too much. They have too many commercials, and WIVK's idea of a lost classic is something from 5 years ago. I mean, come on. That station has been on for over 50 years and I know they've got more music stashed under thier lillypad than what they're playing. Also, they brag too much about how they're #1.

But, here I am complaining about WIVK and it's the highest rated country station in the country and it wins awards all the time. So, they must be doing something right or they wouldn't be on top like they are. I think of WIVK though as a brand that people have used for years. Sunbeam Bread for instance. We'll say WIVK is a loaf of Sunbeam Bread. South 105.7 and WKZX 93.5 are loaves of Merita Bread. My family has used Sunbeam for years, I have too. Even though Merita might taste better and be cheaper, I buy the Sunbeam anyway because it's what I've always used. If I gave the Merita a chance I might like it better, but I won't because I feel more comfortable with Sunbeam Bread. I bet that didn't make a bit of sense, because it don't to me either. I think it's time for me to just go to bed. I just wish the big green frog would play ZZ Top one time. Goodnight all.
 
Re: Everybody is going to HATE me but I think it needs to be said

But you see, you've hit the nail on the head...it's every programmer's dream to have their station become a brand name and give the devil is due...WIVK has done it. No other Knoxville station has ever figured out how to do that...
or if they did, they just didn't know how to go about acheiving it!

Of course WIVK is number one in the country...you would be too with absolutely no competition in a country market like this in East Tennessee. Look at the Tri-Cities and Chattanooga...same ratings dominance with WXBQ and US-101. Face it...we're in the Appalachians..the heartland of country music and nothing else will come close.

Finally, let's look at this from WIVK's point of view...you're number one, you have zero competition...why would you mess with a successful formula? The only time they ever did was when WOKI came along and promised 12 in a row Country. What did WIVK do? They offered the same exact thing and it killed WOKI's stragedy... brilliant programming. No I'm not a fan, but I do recognize when someone knows what they're doing...WIVK certainly knows how to keep and defend their number one position!

TK



> I don't know about John Ward, but I'm going to be just like
> you and get myself some possible hate mail coming too, by
> saying this.....
>
> I don't know of any Knoxville radio legends that are
> overrated mainly because the Knoxville market is so funny,
> we never seem to be able to hang on to a good dj very long.
> Either they leave or the station changes formats. But, I do
> know of a whole radio station that is legendary here in
> Knoxville. It has been on the air for over 50 years now
> with basically the same format. It's a ratings monster that
> has been #1 for over 25 years now. I think I've given away
> enough clues.....it's WIVK. That station, to me, is too
> overrated. Sure, it's the most popular station in
> Knoxville, but alot of that is because it's just been around
> for so long. It's the station our grandparents grew up
> with. As far as the news goes and the traffic reports, they
> are the best though and everyone in Knoxville knows it. But
> as far as the country format goes, I think WIVK does an
> awful job with it. I've listened alot to South 105.7 and
> WKZX 93.5 whenever I want country music. Those two stations
> play the new country but also throw in a lost classic, or
> even a little rock n roll. You never hear the same songs
> twice. Also, they have less talk - well - 93.5 don't have
> any live dj's at all. 105.7 has great dj's that don't talk
> too much, get the commercials over with and get back to the
> music. WIVK on the other hand plays the same songs over and
> over and over again. The dj's talk way too much. They have
> too many commercials, and WIVK's idea of a lost classic is
> something from 5 years ago. I mean, come on. That station
> has been on for over 50 years and I know they've got more
> music stashed under thier lillypad than what they're
> playing. Also, they brag too much about how they're #1.
>
> But, here I am complaining about WIVK and it's the highest
> rated country station in the country and it wins awards all
> the time. So, they must be doing something right or they
> wouldn't be on top like they are. I think of WIVK though as
> a brand that people have used for years. Sunbeam Bread for
> instance. We'll say WIVK is a loaf of Sunbeam Bread. South
> 105.7 and WKZX 93.5 are loaves of Merita Bread. My family
> has used Sunbeam for years, I have too. Even though Merita
> might taste better and be cheaper, I buy the Sunbeam anyway
> because it's what I've always used. If I gave the Merita a
> chance I might like it better, but I won't because I feel
> more comfortable with Sunbeam Bread. I bet that didn't make
> a bit of sense, because it don't to me either. I think it's
> time for me to just go to bed. I just wish the big green
> frog would play ZZ Top one time. Goodnight all.
>
 
Re: Everybody is going to HATE me but I think it needs to be said

WIVK knows what they are doing and they are still real about it. I live in the DFW area, but listen to WIVK everymorning online. Because they KNOW quality programing. Unlike the 4 DFW country stations, who can't see to get there paws on any awards, they on the other would perfer to station bash. But, I for one, listening to wivk for the past 10 years or so, know that they have come along way. With the great Mike Hammond, and of course Colleen Addair, music director, she keeps some the old hits in the system with the news hits too, having them played all equally it seems. Unlike the Dallas stations which seem to be comptely cules to that. One finally thing, WIVK is number one in the country, and they do know how to do a few things right, perhaps stations across the country should take some pointer from them.<P ID="signature">______________
Penguins can fly too!!</P>
 
> Ask some of the older folks in radio.
> They know him.
>
Who's Jerry Caylor?
WHO'S JERRY CAYLOR?????????


It's a secret....laundry so dirty it can't be named here. Unless you have the secret handshake and a decoder ring, you may never know.


(tongue firmly in cheek)


Jeez....This isn't the reactor at Oak Ridge. What's the story?? Do YOU know?

I sure as heck don't...but I'm not the one that brought him up, and then played coy.
 
Re: Everybody is going to HATE me but I think it needs to be said

> But you see, you've hit the nail on the head...it's every
> programmer's dream to have their station become a brand name
> and give the devil is due...WIVK has done it. No other
> Knoxville station has ever figured out how to do that...
> or if they did, they just didn't know how to go about
> acheiving it!
>
> Of course WIVK is number one in the country...you would be
> too with absolutely no competition in a country market like
> this in East Tennessee. Look at the Tri-Cities and
> Chattanooga...same ratings dominance with WXBQ and US-101.
> Face it...we're in the Appalachians..the heartland of
> country music and nothing else will come close.
>
> Finally, let's look at this from WIVK's point of
> view...you're number one, you have zero competition...why
> would you mess with a successful formula? The only time they
> ever did was when WOKI came along and promised 12 in a row
> Country. What did WIVK do? They offered the same exact thing
> and it killed WOKI's stragedy... brilliant programming. No
> I'm not a fan, but I do recognize when someone knows what
> they're doing...WIVK certainly knows how to keep and defend
> their number one position!
>
> TK
>
>
>
> > I don't know about John Ward, but I'm going to be just
> like
> > you and get myself some possible hate mail coming too, by
> > saying this.....
> >
> > I don't know of any Knoxville radio legends that are
> > overrated mainly because the Knoxville market is so funny,
>
> > we never seem to be able to hang on to a good dj very
> long.
> > Either they leave or the station changes formats. But, I
> do
> > know of a whole radio station that is legendary here in
> > Knoxville. It has been on the air for over 50 years now
> > with basically the same format. It's a ratings monster
> that
> > has been #1 for over 25 years now. I think I've given
> away
> > enough clues.....it's WIVK. That station, to me, is too
> > overrated. Sure, it's the most popular station in
> > Knoxville, but alot of that is because it's just been
> around
> > for so long. It's the station our grandparents grew up
> > with. As far as the news goes and the traffic reports,
> they
> > are the best though and everyone in Knoxville knows it.
> But
> > as far as the country format goes, I think WIVK does an
> > awful job with it. I've listened alot to South 105.7 and
> > WKZX 93.5 whenever I want country music. Those two
> stations
> > play the new country but also throw in a lost classic, or
> > even a little rock n roll. You never hear the same songs
> > twice. Also, they have less talk - well - 93.5 don't have
>
> > any live dj's at all. 105.7 has great dj's that don't
> talk
> > too much, get the commercials over with and get back to
> the
> > music. WIVK on the other hand plays the same songs over
> and
> > over and over again. The dj's talk way too much. They
> have
> > too many commercials, and WIVK's idea of a lost classic is
>
> > something from 5 years ago. I mean, come on. That
> station
> > has been on for over 50 years and I know they've got more
> > music stashed under thier lillypad than what they're
> > playing. Also, they brag too much about how they're #1.
>
> >
> > But, here I am complaining about WIVK and it's the highest
>
> > rated country station in the country and it wins awards
> all
> > the time. So, they must be doing something right or they
> > wouldn't be on top like they are. I think of WIVK though
> as
> > a brand that people have used for years. Sunbeam Bread
> for
> > instance. We'll say WIVK is a loaf of Sunbeam Bread.
> South
> > 105.7 and WKZX 93.5 are loaves of Merita Bread. My family
>
> > has used Sunbeam for years, I have too. Even though
> Merita
> > might taste better and be cheaper, I buy the Sunbeam
> anyway
> > because it's what I've always used. If I gave the Merita
> a
> > chance I might like it better, but I won't because I feel
> > more comfortable with Sunbeam Bread. I bet that didn't
> make
> > a bit of sense, because it don't to me either. I think
> it's
> > time for me to just go to bed. I just wish the big green
> > frog would play ZZ Top one time. Goodnight all.
> >
>
sorry guys/gals but some of you "older" listeners may remember "Brother John",who did evenings on WOKI around the late 70's to about 1982. Brother
John and the tv show, "WKRP in Cinncinnati" was what made me want to do radio.
Brother John was the man at the time with his "boogie check" that some claimed
a few years ago stole the idea from John Landecker at the Big 89 WLS, Chicago.
He was not "overated" but cool at the time. Sorry, I was very impressionable
in high school:).
 
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