old 680 aircheck found on youtube

[mikl73]

This was during the time when 680 was trying to go head to head against WDIA and WHRK.

http://youtu.be/nFscQHELIEE

 

[snazzyjazzy]

It's amazing how much of that stuff that was played back then is still heard on the radio today. Hugh Brooks and Joe P. Washington both must go way back on the radio here. Time and temperature were both a big deal to mention back then. Only the high end cars had clocks in them. It was almost unheard of to have a temperature readout in a vehicle back in 1985. It's not really necessary to mention anymore. I really admired the talents of the DJ's that I heard back in the 1980's growing up.

 

[mikl73]

I did not realize CJ was part of the crew on 680. Anyone know where he was prior to 680?

I agree about the music. I wouldn't expect as much of today's R&B music to be around in 25 years as the music from 25 years ago is today.

 

[tomservo]

They broadcast in stereo? I wonder if any stereo airchecks exist.

 

[mikl73]

The internet is incredible. CJ was PD at WLOK and then Became PD at WHRK/WKDJ.
I found this in the 1-19-1985 edition of Billboard.

I have attempted to send CJ and email maybe I will hear back from him it's been many years since we were last in contact.

 

[mikl73]

Here is the Billboard

http://books.google.com/books?id=GS...kdj&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=cj morgan wkdj&f=false

Zack - 680 was stereo through several formats so it's very possible. It sounded incredible when in true stereo. I recall at the end of the stereo on 680 there was no left/right separation.

 

[robgrayson]

The pictures on the video were from WHBQ, not WKDJ. 680 never used the RCA BK-5B mikes, and we had the single deck ITC cart machines specifically for music along with the two 3-deck ITC's for spots and jingles (and drops, yes suh, Mr. Dees.)

 

[robgrayson]

I have posted a couple of airchecks on youtube, also. Here's one from when I was back in high school at the mighty WDDT, Greenville, MS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya3ZgnLwQS4

One from after I was fired from WMPS (the station that became WKDJ as heard on the aircheck from this thread) when they went country. I went to Jackson, MS to fill in, and accidentally became PD..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImSKFm3UG9c&list=UU6vi98nSWX6qFqHIYzXoL7g&index=5&feature=plcp

And one from FM100...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myYLuPPLXPA&feature=related

What a random bunch of junk!

 

[BTA-50F]

Interesting that the station was AM stereo. If I recall correctly, they had an RCA AMPLIPHASE transmitter at that time. Their AMPLIPHASE always sounded good. Curious as to how AM stereo was interfaced to the AMPLIPHASE exciter.

 

[mikl73]

nice stuff Rob! I only rememeber DDT as Country 900.

 

[radiosaur]

Interesting that the station was AM stereo. If I recall correctly, they had an RCA AMPLIPHASE transmitter at that time. Their AMPLIPHASE always sounded good. Curious as to how AM stereo was interfaced to the AMPLIPHASE exciter.

The Ampliphase was a backup at that time. The AM stereo was Motorola C-QUAM into a Nautel AMPFET 10. Processing was an Optimod AM.

Another interesting note…When Viacom bought 680 AM and took it oldies, we had to use program lines from Ridgeway to Benjestown because there was not a practical STL path. We replaced the line amps at the transmitter end of the program phone lines with tube units to see if it would warm the sound up a bit. It did. I remember doing “Solid Gold Sundays” simulcast and listening to the AM in the headphones because it sounded so good.

 

[Danoinark]

Enjoyed....

 

[BTA-50F]

Interesting that the station was AM stereo. If I recall correctly, they had an RCA AMPLIPHASE transmitter at that time. Their AMPLIPHASE always sounded good. Curious as to how AM stereo was interfaced to the AMPLIPHASE exciter.

The Ampliphase was a backup at that time. The AM stereo was Motorola C-QUAM into a Nautel AMPFET 10. Processing was an Optimod AM.

Another interesting note…When Viacom bought 680 AM and took it oldies, we had to use program lines from Ridgeway to Benjestown because there was not a practical STL path. We replaced the line amps at the transmitter end of the program phone lines with tube units to see if it would warm the sound up a bit. It did. I remember doing “Solid Gold Sundays” simulcast and listening to the AM in the headphones because it sounded so good.

I always admired how well the station sounded. Curious as to what year the AMPLIPHASE was taken out of service as the main transmitter?

 

[radiosaur]

Interesting that the station was AM stereo. If I recall correctly, they had an RCA AMPLIPHASE transmitter at that time. Their AMPLIPHASE always sounded good. Curious as to how AM stereo was interfaced to the AMPLIPHASE exciter.

The Ampliphase was a backup at that time. The AM stereo was Motorola C-QUAM into a Nautel AMPFET 10. Processing was an Optimod AM.

Another interesting note…When Viacom bought 680 AM and took it oldies, we had to use program lines from Ridgeway to Benjestown because there was not a practical STL path. We replaced the line amps at the transmitter end of the program phone lines with tube units to see if it would warm the sound up a bit. It did. I remember doing “Solid Gold Sundays” simulcast and listening to the AM in the headphones because it sounded so good.

I always admired how well the station sounded. Curious as to what year the AMPLIPHASE was taken out of service as the main transmitter?

Well, thanks...I think the answer to your question would be early 80s..maybe 82 or so? I could be off by a year or two. I think we acquired it in 1985.

 

[BTA-50F]

Interesting that the station was AM stereo. If I recall correctly, they had an RCA AMPLIPHASE transmitter at that time. Their AMPLIPHASE always sounded good. Curious as to how AM stereo was interfaced to the AMPLIPHASE exciter.

The Ampliphase was a backup at that time. The AM stereo was Motorola C-QUAM into a Nautel AMPFET 10. Processing was an Optimod AM.

Another interesting note…When Viacom bought 680 AM and took it oldies, we had to use program lines from Ridgeway to Benjestown because there was not a practical STL path. We replaced the line amps at the transmitter end of the program phone lines with tube units to see if it would warm the sound up a bit. It did. I remember doing “Solid Gold Sundays” simulcast and listening to the AM in the headphones because it sounded so good.

I always admired how well the station sounded. Curious as to what year the AMPLIPHASE was taken out of service as the main transmitter?

Well, thanks...I think the answer to your question would be early 80s..maybe 82 or so? I could be off by a year or two. I think we acquired it in 1985.

I remember when this station changed from WMPS to WKDJ. I think it was late '82 or early 83 - Had hired Steel and Bill away from WDIA. I was in High School at the time and my old car had one of the great AM only radios. 680's audio clobbered WDIA as far as quality and loudness. 'DIA seemed to have a lot of carrier shift at that time....You know your getting old if you can remember injuring your finger while setting a car radio preset!

 

[anotherguyTN]

This thread got me to thinking that I've joked in the past aboiut how many formats that some of Flinn's stations like 1210 have had, but how many has 680 had since firing Dees? I think at least Plough got what they deserved after firing him and not being able to keep a format any time until they eventually sold. Even after that, how many changes have there been?

 

[radiosaur]

This thread got me to thinking that I've joked in the past aboiut how many formats that some of Flinn's stations like 1210 have had, but how many has 680 had since firing Dees? I think at least Plough got what they deserved after firing him and not being able to keep a format any time until they eventually sold. Even after that, how many changes have there been?

Here’s a starting point, possibly not in the correct order:

Top 40
Country
Urban Top 40 (WKDJ)
Adult Contemporary (WRVR clone)
Oldies (68 Gold)
Urban again (The Juice)
Music of Your Life
Air America
Sports

Did I leave any out?

 

[cscott]

Well I can certainly confirm the first 3 since I pushed (pulled) the plug on each of them. As Ive written on here before, once Dees left it was lights out. And also its worth noting that all of this happened just as FM was taking off.....cs

 

[firepoint525]

Another interesting note…When Viacom bought 680 AM and took it oldies, we had to use program lines from Ridgeway to Benjestown because there was not a practical STL path. We replaced the line amps at the transmitter end of the program phone lines with tube units to see if it would warm the sound up a bit. It did. I remember doing “Solid Gold Sundays” simulcast and listening to the AM in the headphones because it sounded so good.

Was this during the time that their call letters were WRVR-AM? I still recall those days, and I remember listening to them a bit during that time. I did not know that they simulcast Solid Gold Sundays, and it was certainly a disappointment to me, last time I was in Memphis over a weekend, to realize that 'RVR had dropped Solid Gold Sundays. Anyone remember when they dropped Solid Gold Sundays?

 

[robgrayson]

In 2000 or so. I had gone to WRVR specifically to do Solid Gold Sunday, and Entercom decided to drop it because it skewed the numbers "too old." This was before they had purchased FM100, so they had to pay attention to things like that. After they dropped SGS, I went back to FM100.