Looking for old WOKI Airchecks

[Mid West Clubber]

To clarify the question above about I-100 Z-93 and star 93,,,, here is how it went as I remember.. Sometime between Jan and March of 93, I -100 stunted for a short while, and became Country as Hit Kicker 100 I beleive... Z-93 was Country I think at the time, but only briefly cause they also used the Z-93 Monicker while it was a hard rock station,,, one sweeper said,, It takes balls to rock hard....FCC wouldnt allow that now... then Z-93 became CHR still under the Z-93 name and most the I-100 jocks went to Z-93,,, in fact I think Z-93 and later Star 93 was located on the First floor, while WOKI Hit Kicker 100 was still located upstairs.. The Z 93 name changed by june or jully of 93 to Star 93,,, same format, but not quite as hot as Z-93... IDK for sure, but I think Brother Clay stayed on as PD for a few months, or even a year or so after the swap, so yes, I know for sure that Star 93.1 was once owned and operated by Pirkle and friends,,, But I think citadel bought them all out a few years ago, so Star 102.1 has no connection aside from the calls to the former I-100... Star 93.1 played more Rhythm and Dance, but also more AC Ballads than what I-100 would have played, but I know that Open house Party with John Garabedian...(Spelling)...???? immediately started airing on 93.1 both when they were Z and star as well, and I think OHP still airs on 102.1 to this day... Star 102.1 has a big signal too, but nothing like WOKI had, but much much better than 93.1..... 94.3 went with a CHR Rock format trying to compete with both Star and WIMZ,,, but when 106.7 became Alternative Rock, they changed 94.3 to Extreme Radio 94.3 with a really hard lean... Not sure who owned 94.3 at the time, but when 106.7 became a simulcast of mix 95.7, 94.3 changed to Modern Rock Alternative as The X,,,, and still are to this day, and I know Pirkle owns 94.3 now days... Please correct if im wrong, cause I may very well be about 9.3 especially, but im proof positive on the z-93 to star 93 swap.

 

[SuperQ]

Pirkle was LMAing 93.1 from the Benns brothers as Z-93. They then sold it out from under him to Jacor. As usually happens with Johnny, lawsuits followed. He didn't feel he had been given the proper opportunity to convert the LMA to a purchase.

 

[Mid West Clubber]

Man why so many lawsuits with Johnny,,,,,?????????? Is JP still really rich living in a mansion on the west side of knoxville.

 

[formerradiojunkie]

So its almost as if,, I-100 were around today,, it would sound pretty much just like star 102.1, but be on 100.3 instead of 102.1........ Kinda what I wondered. I honestly think that the Z-93 name and calls only lasted a few months, and that following summer they were Star 93.1..... idk for sure..

I was there through the change. I was working at WOKI. Since I was a part-timer I was not informed of any switch until after it happened (although a lot of us saw it coming anyway). When it changed I simply moved to WWZZ, Z-93. I honestly cannot remember how long it was Z-93 before it changed to Star. It may have been a year or two. At the time I felt as if I wasn't given a choice to stay at WOKI or go to Z93. Turns out I did have a choice. I wanted to stay at WOKI and felt I was forced into going to WWZZ. It was fun but awful at night because they turned off the AC in the building. If you opened the windows millions of bugs flew in the studio. It was also badly wired. Kind of reminded me of someone who might set up a radio station in their garage.

I was also there through the change to Star. In fact, I worked the last day it was Z93. I remember seeing CD's of Benny Mardones and the like thinking "Man, this is some awful music!" LOL. Larry Trotter came in and offered me a part time job and I politely declined. I went back upstairs to "The Hitkicker WOKI" and stayed there until I graduated from UT. Looking back I probably should have took Mr. Trotter up on the offer just to try something different.

 

[formerradiojunkie]

You can hear some airchecks from the I-100 days by going to this site:

http://www.twiar.org/i100/index1.html

There are a few on there, not a lot, but it will bring back some memories.

Mike

Well, it looks like the above site is gone. Which is sad because I no longer have the old aircheck tapes around the house. Was going to go to that site and save them to my computer but it looks like the site is gone. If anyone knows of another let me know.

 

[formerradiojunkie]

Also,,, Does anyone know why their were always young kids hanging out at the old WOKI studios,,, Where these kids from the DJs there, or was part of the building used as Day Care or something... I heard storys of kids tearing stuff up and old buster having to come in and fix things alot... I cant completely confirm this story, so if any of you guys can....Feel free...

One more thing,, another story I havent yet confirmed... I dont know if it was for WOKi or Z-93,,, but I guess Johnny Pirkle or the PD one or the other picked up a homeless Alcoholic on the street one cold night, and let him run nights playing songs and Adverts, but I dont think he was suppoed to talk much,,,, anyway, Supposedly one night he got a little too liquired up and was removed and fired..... Can anyone confirm any of the above rumours.

Not sure on the day care thing but I know Julie London used to bring her kids to work. Clay also used to bring Dawn in on occasion. There were kids around but it wasn't like it was all the time.

As for the homeless alcholic, Michael Benz hired him to work overnights at Z-93 when it was "hair metal". They were trying to compete with IMZ at the time and played a lot of album rock and heavy metal. I enjoyed listening to the station during that period. The overnight guy wasn't alllowed to talk on air. Just board-op.

 

[Mid West Clubber]

Thanks for the info... I know Clay brought in Dawn alot, but I think alot more kids were downstairs at WOKI at the time.... but only Pirkle could know for sure..... thanks anyway..... Big help/

 

[jdc42]

jdc42,
first i am a big time listener of woki from 1982 to 1993 back when it was the best station in k-town. then that horrible day when woki changed to the hit kicker and i just cried. i found my music on wwzz 93.1 and ask my cousin, bother clay, what the hell happen and he told me it is all about money and that is the direction that radio is going and it is sad. he was right on. that is why knoxville radio sucks now. woki would still be around if they had just left it alone. when i moved from cleveland ohio to knoxville tennessee in 1982, my top 40 outlet in cleveland wgcl G 98 suggest that i would really enjoy woki hits 100 and i did alot. thanks wgcl 98 fm in cleveland, you did me a great service. rest in peace woki hits 100 and i-100, what it was called back in 1984 to 1993. you died in 1993, 15 years ago and i miss you so much. i still cry about knoxville radio and the day that happen. thanks for reading this and to find out the whole story check the east tennessee board, bring back woki - is that possible?? i will post the whole story. i am apart of the clay/harrison family and so was brother clay. jdc42, please respond to this post and yes i would love so old woki airchecks from the 1980's and early 1990's. johnny prickle - you are rich asshole and dont care about people, you only care about and you destroyed knoxville radio for all of us and you dont even give a crap. that is sad!!!!!!!