More nostalgia: Montgomery AM's

[BSOD]

And....

WBIL - 580 am out of Tuskegee had a decent signal into Montgomery back in the day.

They had the likes of:

Tracey Larkins
Steve Soul
Costee Macnair


And....

Remember Carl Bailey's WTQX 1570 am had a distant signal into west Montgomery..

 

[BSOD]

Hmmm....

What was truely amazing is that during the civil rights struggles of the 60s... the ownership, which were white, did very little to stop the announcers with messages to the black community. In fact Tracey Larkins hosted a talk show on Sundays at WRMA that was so pro-black, you would have though there was going to be an impending race war.

 

[rwells2265]

Same thing in Birmingham, with the original WENN (back when it was part of the McLendon chain). GM was Joe Lackey - white - and he cultivated a solid loyalty among his all black staff that, when the station was bought out by B'ham black tycoon A.G. Gaston (amidst the McLendon bankruptcy in the '70s), and Lackey was fired, the entire staff walked out with him. Lackey would land on his feet at WATV 900, turning a failing talk station into an R&B powerhouse - oh yeah, and installed the same original 'ENN staff, sweetly trouncing 'ENN. (PS - first record played on the "new" WATV: Maxine Nightingale's "Right Back Where We Started From")

Those old black stations truly were touchstones back in the day. Going by the audience makeup, you'd hardly know that an unpleasant social order was otherwise in force.

--Russell

 

[R.D.P.]

Some of the announcers they had on the old WTQX 1570 AM included:

Rev. Thomas J. Patterson
Sis. Jannie Venter
Bill "The Thrill" Bailey
Wayne Gilbert Sharpe
Dr. Feelgood
Joe Lee Harris
Clarence MacMillian
Rev. E.C. Clemmons
Rockin" Geeter

This station had many more talented announcers who graced their facility with their fine skills and love for the format.  Can't think of all of their names though.  Those listed are the ones I do remember hearing on there.

Around 1986 this station was granted night service but they many issues keeping it going.  Transmitter (1986 till 1990) and lack of nighttime announcers (1990 till 1996) would be the main ones. 

During the late 80s and early 90s, when this area was getting new Urban stations on FM, WTQX lost many of its listeners.

In 1996, after suffering many setbacks, this station went silent.

Their old tower is still standing though.  It was and still is located behind Selma Communications on West Highland Avenue. The tower isn't too tall but was powerful enough to provide Selma with a R&B format.

It still looks nice and pretty every time I ride by it. 

R.D.P. <><

 

[J Alex Bowab]

I question the reference to "McLendon bankruptcy" above ... first, be sure you're thinking of JOHN McLendon, who also owned WOKJ Jackson, KOKY Little Rock, KOKA Shreveport + WENN (all black stations) and not GORDON McLendon, the legendary father of top 40, in Dallas (KLIF KTSA KEEL WAKY KILT). That said,

John McL died about 1969, and his estate sold off the radio stations... I know because WOKJ was sold to the E O Roden Bcstg chain about the same time I put a directly-competing black FM on the air in Jackson (1971). I don't think the McL estate's disposition of WENN had anything to do with bankruptcy.

And as for WTQX Selma, I don't know about the Bailey gent you mention; he may have owned it later, but in the early 70s the owner was A B Stutts, who also owned a station in Greenwood, MS. One of my best friends from high school married into the Stutts family and was GM of TQX in its early years, after it went black and dropped its old calls WRWJ.

 

[Cigarlover]

It's so great reading about the history of AM and FM Stations in Montgomery, though it's so sad that there are few people who do not understand and respect the history of many of these stations, even the ones still on the air today.

 

[R.D.P.]

When I first learned of WTQX, in the early 80s, a fellow by the name of Bob Carl Bailey did indeed own it.  He also ran WZZA in the Shoals area too, till his death a few years ago.  Amazingly his family still runs that station, from what I recently read on the WZZA site. 

This man stayed with WTQX till it fell silent in 1996.  I remember hearing him speak, on here, very often.  He would talk about the issues that faced the black community and allow the listeners to call in and make suggestion on how he could improve this station.

During the late 70s till around 1991, they were located at 27 1/2 Franklin Street, on the top story of a building.  That building is now vacant.  From 1991 till they fell silent, they were located on Valley Creek Circle.  This building still stands too.  I can't view it too well from Highland Avenue but like the tower, it still looks nice and pretty from what I'm able to see.

R.D.P. <><

 

[tomservo]

Same thing in Birmingham, with the original WENN (back when it was part of the McLendon chain). GM was Joe Lackey - white - and he cultivated a solid loyalty among his all black staff that, when the station was bought out by B'ham black tycoon A.G. Gaston (amidst the McLendon bankruptcy in the '70s), and Lackey was fired, the entire staff walked out with him. Lackey would land on his feet at WATV 900, turning a failing talk station into an R&B powerhouse - oh yeah, and installed the same original 'ENN staff, sweetly trouncing 'ENN. (PS - first record played on the "new" WATV: Maxine Nightingale's "Right Back Where We Started From")

Those old black stations truly were touchstones back in the day. Going by the audience makeup, you'd hardly know that an unpleasant social order was otherwise in force.

--Russell

Considering the legacy of these stations, it's a shame what became of both.

When I moved out of B'ham a few years ago, WATV had moved TX site from Finley Blvd to out in Pratt City and I think it cost them some coverage. They dropped the C-QUAM stereo and were satellite fed. I don't recall hearing anyone live or local at that time beyond someone from one of the soul food restaurants calling in the daily menu.

Whatever they're doing today, it's probably a shell of its former self.

Back in WENN's heyday, were they strong enough to be picked up from Montgomery? I know their tower was way up in NE Jefferson County near Remlap, if I remember correctly. It was a monster signal.

 

[J Alex Bowab]

From what I remember in the early WTQX days, the studio was adjacent to, or just above, the bus station.

WENN, 1320 with 5 kw, should not be listenable in Montgomery. You might be able to hear it faintly if there are no power lines around, but as a practical matter, no, you shouldn't be able to listen to it. This station was DA-D back in the 60s, and I'm not sure why ... tho possibly (and I'm trusting a failing memory) because WCPC in Houston Ms was originally on 1320 before moving to 940.

WENN, WATV, and WBUL in the 70s were all black programmed daytimers. The only black signal after dark was WJLD 1400, a Class IV, and it was poorly programmed. I visited it on time around 1975 when it was running a home-made automation system with no jocks, only liners cut by a white guy. As the only fulltime signal, it should have been the dominant one, but was not. Too, WJLD had an FM, WJLN, which went to waste.

 

[tomservo]

I'm sorry, I should have clarified. I was referring to WENN-FM when it was on 107.7.

 

[StrayKats]

Back in those days, the only Birmingham station I could remember picking up with any regularity was the old Kicks 106 (WKXX) and Magic 96 (WMJJ). Once you got on I-65 just past Prattville, all of the 100kw FMs were audible. More rarely, you could hear the old WUOA / WFFX 95.7 when it was based in Tuscaloosa. To me, it was (and still is) almost always easier to pick up stations in Montgomery which were in a pie shell from southeast (Dothan / Panama City) to southwest (Mobile/Pensacola) than from the north.

 

[rwells2265]

I question the reference to "McLendon bankruptcy" above ... first, be sure you're thinking of JOHN McLendon, [SNIP]
John McL died about 1969, and his estate sold off the radio stations... I know because WOKJ was sold to the E O Roden Bcstg chain about the same time I put a directly-competing black FM on the air in Jackson (1971). I don't think the McL estate's disposition of WENN had anything to do with bankruptcy.

Absolutely, I know it's not the Texas McLendon group -- I guess I'm guilty of assuming folks on the board knew the distinction. I should have clarified. (oops)

Perhaps I stand corrected on the circumstances surrounding the change - in any case, there was some forced disposal of WENN-AM/FM, and A.G. Gaston swooped in and purchased the combo.

--Russell

 

[J Alex Bowab]

RW, I'm sure you would never confuse the two McLendons, but others, especially the younger guys, might... which is why I mentioned it. I've known people who thought the two were one and the same ... and lotsa guys who mis-spelled them as McCLENDON.

This remark probably belongs on a forum about the history of black radio, but this one mentions numerous black stations of yesteryear ... WBIL WTQX WXVI WRMA. In seeing the personnel of those stations mentioned, I'm reminded of a controversy that swirled within black radio (including me, as I was in ownership/management of a black FM in Jackson Miss in the 70s).

It was particularly true in the early days of black radio (then known euphemistically as Ebony Radio) that most of the DJs used silly names in lieu of real ones ... I have memories of Topsy Turvy, Big Daddy Dandy, Poppa Rock, Sugar Daddy, Gay Papa (seriously! at KOKA Shreveport), Happy Johnny, Mighty Burner, Mad Hatter, Tall Paul, et al. The names, and some of the on-air clowning, in the opinion of many critics, perpetuated a negative stereotype akin to Amos & Andy, Stepin Fetchit, and minstrels.

I notice that some of you mention DJs who had used those goofy names. As time went on, there was an increase in the criticism, and an insistence that since the DJs were often looked at as role models, they should use real names and, without sacrificing personality, sound intelligent. At my station we used that model.

 

[trusty]

Here's some info for reference (from Broadcasting Yearbooks):

1945
1240 / WCOV
1440 / WSFA

1950
800 / WMGY
1170 / WJJJ
1240 / WCOV
1440 / WSFA
1600 / WAPX

94.5 / WCOV-FM

1955
740 / WBAM
800 / WMGY
950 / WRMA
1170 / WCOV
1440 / WSFA
1600 / WAPX

1960
740 / WBAM
800 / WMGY
960 / WRMA
1170 / WCOV
1250 / WETU
1440 / WHHY
1600 / WAPX

98.5 / WFMI-FM

1965
740 / WBAM
800 / WMGY
950 / WRMA
1170 / WCOV
1250 / WETU
1440 / WHHY
1500 / WFMI
1600 / WAPX

98.9 / WFMI-FM
101.9 / WHYY-FM
103.3 / WAJM-FM

1970
740 / WBAM
800 / WMGY
950 / WRMA
1000 / WFMI
1170 / WCOV
1250 / WETU
1440 / WHHY
1600 / WAPX

92.3 / WCOV-FM
98.9 / WFMI-FM
101.9 / WHYY-FM
103.3 / WAJM-FM

1975
740 / WBAM
800 / WMGY
950 / WRMA
1000 / WQTY
1170 / WCOV
1250 / WETU
1440 / WHHY
1600 / WAPX

92.3 / WKLH
98.9 / WFMI-FM
101.9 / WHYY-FM
103.3 / WMGZ

1980
740 / WBAM
800 / WMGY
950 / WLSQ
1000 / WABT
1170 / WCOV
1250 / WETU
1440 / WHHY
1600 / WXVI

92.3 / WLWI
98.9 / WBAM-FM
101.9 / WHYY-FM
103.3 / WREZ

1985
740 / WBAM
800 / WMGY
950 / WLSQ
1000 / WZTN
1170 / WACV
1250 / WETU
1440 / WHHY
1600 / WXVI

89.1 / WLBF
90.7 / WVAS
92.3 / WLWI
98.9 / WBAM-FM
101.9 / WHYY-FM
103.3 / WREZ

 

[jimmcc]

WETU should be in your 1955 list as it is listed in the 1955 Broadcast Yearbook with 250 watts at 1570.

Actual sign on was October 1954.

1250 and 1000 watts came in 1955, 5000 watts in 1956.

 

[trusty]

WETU should be in your 1955 list as it is listed in the 1955 Broadcast Yearbook with 250 watts at 1570.

Actual sign on was October 1954.

1250 and 1000 watts came in 1955, 5000 watts in 1956.

WETU is licensed to Wetumpka. It was listed with the Montgomery stations after the 1955 yearbook but only by itself in 1955. The reason for the inclusion with Montgomery stations was probably the increase in power, which would show up in the 1956 Yearbook.

Remember, Broadcasting Yearbooks always reflected a station's activity of the previous year.


(I only showed stations listed under the Montgomery heading to be consistent. As you know there are many small towns with stations that can be heard in Montgomery, and maybe someday I'll have time to do a more complete study. )

 

[ThePowerCow]

Well.....

I miss the days when WXVI- 1600 am was a very popular station with all the great radio personalities like:

Jack the Playboy
Dapper Dan
Bill Black (deceased
Ralph Featherstone (deceased)
Kenny J
The Mad Lad
Tracy Larkins
Nathan Jones (deceased)
Rev. Thomas Earl Jordan (the preacherman)
The Soul Finger
Cubie Ray
The Spiderman
Roscoe Miller (the Killer Diller)
Jerry Jackson
Al Dixion (Dickie Do)..the soul mouth of the south
The Wonder Boy (Al Dixon's son)
The Soul Leader (Al Dixon Jr)
Myself (guest who)

WXVI barely has any kind of an audience today. It's a complete waste of a frequency. If for it not being owned by a large church it would have bit the dust years ago. With an FM translator and a twenty-four hour talk format, this station would once again trounced FM stations in Montgomery. 8)

I would guess the calls changed from WAPX to WXVI shortly after the takeover and deadly shooting in 1974.
http://www.al.com/news/montgomery/index.ssf/2014/10/40_years_ago_group_karate-kick.html

 

[JD36108]

WXVI barely has any kind of an audience today. It's a complete waste of a frequency. If for it not being owned by a large church it would have bit the dust years ago. With an FM translator and a twenty-four hour talk format, this station would once again trounced FM stations in Montgomery. 8)

The Hampster fell off the wheel at transmitter long time ago. I don't know if it runs on very low wattage or even on the air at all, and any links to the church that owns it, they don't even acknowledge the station on their site.

seems to be someone within that church is just holding the calls purely to preserve it's heritage. from what i understand, there is nothing in the bell building where the studio supposedly is located.

 

[ThePowerCow]

The Hampster fell off the wheel at transmitter long time ago. I don't know if it runs on very low wattage or even on the air at all, and any links to the church that owns it, they don't even acknowledge the station on their site.

seems to be someone within that church is just holding the calls purely to preserve it's heritage. from what i understand, there is nothing in the bell building where the studio supposedly is located.

It is on, but barely. The Bell Building downtown has been vacant for over a year. "Studios" I think are on S. Perry St. just south of I-85. At least that's what the building says.

 

[ThePowerCow]

I was always curious how long 1440 xmtr was on Narrow Lane Rd. Found this on the FCC site and discovered it was there since the 40s. Back then that was waaaaaaaayyyyyyy out of town. Before then they transmitted from Hunter Loop Rd. (wayyyyy out west), Mobile Road, and Jeff Davis Hotel. I see no mention of the then South's Finest Airport at present day Gunter AFB. You learn a lot when you're laid up with hurt back.

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/p...ortletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=60224&.pdf