OLD WAMG-AM 1130 GALLATIN

[scottwmro]

Since in the WAY-FM thread, we got into some good conversation on the old WAMG (now WYXE) and the 104.5 (The Zone), in it's early days as WFMG, to some of you who remember and even ole timers, if anybody has anything on WAMG when the studio were on the square in Gallatin, behind the Enlow Center, post them!

I was told by Hoyt Carter at WNAH-AM. back in the early 60's, that he stopped by WFMG, and "Big Foot" Jones was running the station, doing a program called "The Shell Dinner Hour" on 104.5. The music was dinner music with Shell as the sponsor. I really wished we could have gotten some airchecks of the early days of WFMG and WMAG. They painted over the old "WFMG" logo on the wall outside the old studio. Didn't WFMG sign on at 20KW from the square? I have no clue, due to this occured before I was born.

I was also told that Justin Tubb was a jock on WAMG in the early days when the studios were on the square, and WAMG was just 250 watts, daytime only. Anybody remember this? I was too young then.

 

[romer979fm]

I first remember WFMG 104.5 playing big band music in the fall of 1971: I was a freshman
at WKU, and the WFMG signal boomed into Bowling Green (due to the tower site also being
used to microwave ABC programming to WBKO). I joined Lee Raines at WAMG in December of
1975 (after doing weekends at WCOR-FM Lebanon). Lee (with other buyers) paid $250k for WAMG...
running 250 watts day...with 5.7 watts pre-sunrise. Not a stellar facility: no hot water (Lee's first
purchase was a water heater)...two cart machines that still used aluminum tape to cue at the splice...
one phone line...one Wollensack reel/reel was the production facility...and no real direction.
Ken Larkin was doing mornings...which translated to 6a - 1p...followed by Bill Hart 1pm - sign off...
except...a part timer was hired to work after 6 during months when
the station operated after 6p. Weekends included Larkin (again) and Gerry Mulligan...and preacher
features on Sunday. Watching the preacher fight (physically) when one went over on time was a regular
occurance...and the board op was responsible for collecting the $$$ in advance. Fun.
Next post...maybe I'll try to explain just how BAD the place smelled: think chain-smokers...acoustic
asbestos tiles on every wall...and no windows.

 

[courier37027]

Chris, you referred to Sunday programming "preacher feature". In Centerville we called Sunday programming the "God Squad".

 

[olebud]

I believe WAMG signed on from the square late in 1966. As I was moving in to WHIN, Bob Perry was leaving to go to work for BigFoot at the new country station. In addition to Bob was Bill Hart, mentioned before by Chris. Bill did mornings and used to receive packages from listeners. The packages might be cookies, sometimes it was money. Not a big amounts, but money from female listeners. Did I also mention he got invitations from listeners? But that's another story. George Jones was a regular visiter.
Following Bill was Scoopie Brucie, an older fellow pretty well known by everyone on music row. I think he had worked at WENO in Nashville before.
A fellow named Jerry Pond got his start in the business working part time on WAMG. He later worked at WKDA AM midnight to 6a and from there moved to mornings at a Chattanooga station. After a number of years, he got out of the business and has now retired from the post office.

Justine Tubb worked at WHIN, not WAMB. He was there in the late 50's or early 60s before I got there. We used to get mail for him.

One outstanding memory was the small board with only 3 rotary pots with toggle swithes for switching uses for either the turntables or carts. There were only two carts and they were mounted vertically to the right of the joc. When you put the cart in, you had to engage the capstan or the cart wouldn't hold. Those who worked there say after a while, you could do it with just one hand.

For a remote vehicle, they had a former little mail truck, with the call letters. To show they were country, the call letters were painted so they looked like logs. country huh?

 

[scottwmro]

I believe WAMG signed on from the square late in 1966. As I was moving in to WHIN, Bob Perry was leaving to go to work for BigFoot at the new country station. In addition to Bob was Bill Hart, mentioned before by Chris. Bill did mornings and used to receive packages from listeners. The packages might be cookies, sometimes it was money. Not a big amounts, but money from female listeners. Did I also mention he got invitations from listeners? But that's another story. George Jones was a regular visiter.
Following Bill was Scoopie Brucie, an older fellow pretty well known by everyone on music row. I think he had worked at WENO in Nashville before.
A fellow named Jerry Pond got his start in the business working part time on WAMG. He later worked at WKDA AM midnight to 6a and from there moved to mornings at a Chattanooga station. After a number of years, he got out of the business and has now retired from the post office.

Justine Tubb worked at WHIN, not WAMB. He was there in the late 50's or early 60s before I got there. We used to get mail for him.

One outstanding memory was the small board with only 3 rotary pots with toggle swithes for switching uses for either the turntables or carts. There were only two carts and they were mounted vertically to the right of the joc. When you put the cart in, you had to engage the capstan or the cart wouldn't hold. Those who worked there say after a while, you could do it with just one hand.

For a remote vehicle, they had a former little mail truck, with the call letters. To show they were country, the call letters were painted so they looked like logs. country huh?

Gee Buddy,

I need to have lunch with you one day, you know so much on the old WAMG days on the square. OH YES! THE REMOTE TRUCK! I recall as a kid, growing up around Gallatin, seeing that old mail truck that had the call letters "WAMG" on it, and the logo was in logs! I loved it! At one time, I told Buntin I wanted to bring that idea back. I have a friend in Brentwood that has that old board you were talking about! He was in the process of restoring it.

I hated we lost Bob Perry. He was a friend of my dad's and a gentleman to me. He told me when I got WMRO back on he would come and help some, but we lost him before that happen. I felt so sorry for his wife, Mary Ann.

At times, I go up Franklin Street, past the police dept and just turn in the drive to the Enlow Center and just stare. I'd love to put a remote "modern" studio in there! The old days of WAMG, I miss them, because it was a part of my childhood! It would be cool if we had those calls instead of WMRO for 1560. I hated the calls WWGM....YUK!

Keep up the memories fellas on WAMG, I'm printing them off for my archives!

Scott

 

[Journeyman]

I have a friend in Brentwood that has that old board you were talking about! He was in the process of restoring it.

Thtat has GOT to be Jim Gilmore

 

[scottwmro]

I have a friend in Brentwood that has that old board you were talking about! He was in the process of restoring it.

Thtat has GOT to be Jim Gilmore

Journeyman,

Nope, it's not Jim Gilmore. He's name is Gary Nairon, know as Gary Davis on 92Q from about 1987-1990 (weekends). Gary's main job was the VP of marketing and training of Frist American Bank until Amsouth bought them up. Gary, along with his brother Richmond, restore old broadcast and phonograph gear dating back to the 20's or so.
The turntables that were at WMRO (given to Pat Julian from WHIN in the 70's) that came from WQKR, back then WQSI in Portland, TN, were restored by Gary Nairon. Gary is very talented in restoration of old studio broadcast gear. Pat can tell you that Gary's work is very good. What I had were Collins, Model 200 tuntables, taken out of the control room this year.

Now, I look for the CD players to come out. We are for the most part mp3.

Scott

 

[scottwmro]

For Buddy Sadler,

I'm thinking about bring back the "mailtruck" idea. I remember this when I was a kid and got excited when I saw it. I may get with you and Buntin to see if we can find somebody that has an old picture of the original WAMG "mail remote truck".

Scott

P.S. Keep Buntin straight for me! I have a hard time doing that! (HA!)

 

[romer979fm]

I'm thinking about bring back the "mailtruck" idea. I remember this when I was a kid and got excited when I saw it.

my response is different: I had to do remotes in that damn thing! Lee sold a remote every Friday at Gallatin Home Furniture (on the square...in sight of the old WFMG tower). A remote then meant be set up in front of the store at 8am, playing music from 45s on home-grade BSR turntables...and doing a live :60 every quarter hour. Had to speak with "O'Dean" the owner each break...but...the only copy info was their full-page newspaper ad...which NEVER changed.
Nothing was really on sale...the place was a total dump. Oh yeah...the van was never level, as it was parallel-parked in front of the store...and being close to the curb made the van tilt seriously towars the store. Imagine tracking records on a turntable at an angle. The van used a MARTI unit to feed to the studio...but it was on the same frequency as WSIX-AM...which used the frequency for air traffic reports. When they flew near Rivergate...they'd bleed in. Anyway...only the spots were fed from the station...a board op was there to handle that. A remote ran from 8am - noon...an hour off at noon for news/swap shop/some religious paid stuff...then back at it from 1-5p. Imagine eight hours on the air in a hillbilly submarine. No one came by. I hated Fridays...and no...the pay did not change for doing those remotes. WAMG did have people listening...they just had heard all that furniture store crap before.
In another post I'll tell you about the angry call from the Twitty family (people DID listen).

CR

 

[scottwmro]

I'm thinking about bring back the "mailtruck" idea. I remember this when I was a kid and got excited when I saw it.

my response is different: I had to do remotes in that damn thing! Lee sold a remote every Friday at Gallatin Home Furniture (on the square...in sight of the old WFMG tower). A remote then meant be set up in front of the store at 8am, playing music from 45s on home-grade BSR turntables...and doing a live :60 every quarter hour. Had to speak with "O'Dean" the owner each break...but...the only copy info was their full-page newspaper ad...which NEVER changed.
Nothing was really on sale...the place was a total dump. Oh yeah...the van was never level, as it was parallel-parked in front of the store...and being close to the curb made the van tilt seriously towars the store. Imagine tracking records on a turntable at an angle. The van used a MARTI unit to feed to the studio...but it was on the same frequency as WSIX-AM...which used the frequency for air traffic reports. When they flew near Rivergate...they'd bleed in. Anyway...only the spots were fed from the station...a board op was there to handle that. A remote ran from 8am - noon...an hour off at noon for news/swap shop/some religious paid stuff...then back at it from 1-5p. Imagine eight hours on the air in a hillbilly submarine. No one came by. I hated Fridays...and no...the pay did not change for doing those remotes. WAMG did have people listening...they just had heard all that furniture store crap before.
In another post I'll tell you about the angry call from the Twitty family (people DID listen).

CR

Oh gosh Chris, I remember that very well. As a matter of fact, I saw you doing those dreaded Friday remotes after I got out of school (remember I'm younger than you HA!) Anyway, I recall my parents listening to the station and buying furniture there, just because the ads were all buried in our brains. I fliped between WAMG & WHIN (WHIN was playing Top 40 back then). I need to meet you and Buddy down at CC one day and buy you and Buddy lunch!

By the way, this Chris, I have a question about my building. Was the two offices an extension that Lee added later? In my office (GM's office), there is one wall that is solid white brick, and if you walk outside, you can see a long crack that separates the two office from the rest of the building. Do you know what year those two offices were added? Also, I have crawed under the building doing wiring and you can tell where those offices were added later. I think the original part of the building was built in 1970.

The old shack where the old Gates transmitter was at one time is still there, it has a new roof, but vandals have tore up some of the side of that old building, and I'm going to either tear it down or have to some major repairs to it. It's not used for anything anymore. I tore down the original WAMG, widcharger, 200' tower in 1999, due to the guy wires were rusted and the tower was in bad need of repairs, due to rust took it's tool. I put up a new 150', Self Supporting Tower in 1999, about 30 feet to the right where the old tower stood. The new tower sits more straight behind the building and the place looks much better. Chris, you would be surpirsed at the changes I made, it even smells good in the building. Frebreeze does wonders and my wife loves candles. Leslie (my wife) told me to tell you to stop by and see up, what a difference.

 

[Noel Ball]

I believe WAMG signed on from the square late in 1966. As I was moving in to WHIN, Bob Perry was leaving to go to work for BigFoot at the new country station. In addition to Bob was Bill Hart, mentioned before by Chris. Bill did mornings and used to receive packages from listeners. The packages might be cookies, sometimes it was money. Not a big amounts, but money from female listeners. Did I also mention he got invitations from listeners? But that's another story. George Jones was a regular visiter.
Following Bill was Scoopie Brucie, an older fellow pretty well known by everyone on music row. I think he had worked at WENO in Nashville before.
A fellow named Jerry Pond got his start in the business working part time on WAMG. He later worked at WKDA AM midnight to 6a and from there moved to mornings at a Chattanooga station. After a number of years, he got out of the business and has now retired from the post office.

Justine Tubb worked at WHIN, not WAMB. He was there in the late 50's or early 60s before I got there. We used to get mail for him.

One outstanding memory was the small board with only 3 rotary pots with toggle swithes for switching uses for either the turntables or carts. There were only two carts and they were mounted vertically to the right of the joc. When you put the cart in, you had to engage the capstan or the cart wouldn't hold. Those who worked there say after a while, you could do it with just one hand.

For a remote vehicle, they had a former little mail truck, with the call letters. To show they were country, the call letters were painted so they looked like logs. country huh?

Rumor has it when Bill Hart saw the homemade 3 pot board he asked "I wonder if i can go back to driving a truck?"

 

[deltas69]

regarding the old WAMG mail truck..with right hand drive i might add..the last known location was behind a decrepid house out on albright lane.. it was sitting there tires flat, but still sporting the faded WAMG paint just as it did in it's better days..when the tornado came though last april (200 YARDS FROM MY HOUSE BY THE WAY..I WATCHED IT FROM THE FRONT YARD)..it headed northeast and destroyed that house as well as several very nice homes across the road..the WAMG mail truck vanished in the twister..have no idea where it landed..but most likely in the river about 500 yards from where it sat..I wish i had some pics of the WHIN bus..got one of me sitting in it at the fair..but you can't see any paint...lot of 10 and 15 dollar talent fees in that 63 dodge..last time i saw it, was on i 65 going through the madison area just after ron bledsoe bought the AM and FM..two guys from 104.5 were flying down the highway in it ..way faster than a 63 dodge with 13 inch wheels ought to go..