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Plough Broadcasting

E

eden

Guest
Several of you on the Mt. Rushmore thread have started talking about WMPS and Plough Broadcasting. My Grandfather is Wayne Hudson (former president of Plough) and I can never get him to really talk about his radio days. It's always short stories here and there. I know he was there when Dees was there, he was also the GM of K97 at one point and Ron Olsen worked for him. So...I was wondering if any of you guys knew him, worked with or for him and if so, can you tell me some stories?!!? Please?!!!!?
 
I always look to Kenny Bozak for Plough info, and Dano was there when it was "happening". I was at 680 WMPS for six months while they phased out "top 40" and phased in country, and got "ploughed under" when the format change was through.
The arrangement was interesting. WHBQ was at least physically removed from RKO's corporate gaze, but the "listen line" was still hooked up from the Drake days, so you never knew when someone big was listening in. WMPS was physically one floor above corporate HQ, so there was certainly more scrutiny, considering the President and National PD were literally hearing you on the way in (piped into the elevator, even). The studios were fascinating for an equipment archaeologist. AM and FM had control rooms, of course. There was a main production studio, and a news booth, both adjacent to AM control. On a half level above, two other teeny prodo studios overlooked the main production room. I know there were times when the main production room would be tied up with public affairs stuff, and I would do dubs in one of those other little cubby holes.
K-97 was automated at that time, and when you recorded spots, you had to program the client info into a punch tape, and feed that through an encoder when you dubbed the spot onto cart. I did one of the two midday shifts on WMPS (Walt Jackson did the other), and voice tracked the all night shift on K-97. As I have explained before, voice tracking on that system required carting up your breaks on a long cart. If you messed up half way thru, you bulk erased it and started over.
WMPS/K97 was on the thrid floor at 112 Union, and Plough corporate was on the 2nd floor. I recall Plough having a record library (and librarian), and a production studio of their own on floor #2.
Out front was an old theatre marquee, and in the heyday they would post 8 x 10 glossy's of the air personalities in the "coming attractions" windows. That practice had passed by the time I came along. Most everywhere I worked, once I got there, stations quit promoting personalities with pictures on surveys, or quit putting weekenders pix on websites... a guy could get a complex, y'know...
 
Eden
I was there when your grandfather was at the helm of WMPS and an exec of Plough Broadcasting. I have nothing but good things to say about him and enjoyed working for him. I just used his name on the Mount Rushmore thread. If you could ask him who worked in the upstairs office with him. I am trying to remember his assistants name that was responsible for FCC compliance and all the other bureaucratic stuff.
Tell him Dan Sears says hello. I often wondered where Wayne is and how he is doing. Is he still in the Memphis area? Tell him I migrated back to Arkansas. If anybody remembers some of the staff during the years 1970 to 80 lets list them....and if they are still around, something else I would like to know.

Aubrey Guy
Mike Day
Doc Damon
Roy Mack
Dees
Bill Murray
Wayne Hudson
Sylvia Black
Jon (Rock and Roll) Anthony
Mike Donegan "The Dook"
Dan Sears
Bud Leonard
Kenny Bozak
Robert E. Knight
Ron Jordan
Bob McClain
Rob Grayson
Larry Bachus
The Nightcrawler (overnights)
Harry Simpson (Jordon always said when he was a teen if Harry was on the radio then he was out to late)
Robin ? (always parttime)
Mitch Craig
Donnie Brooks
Bill Burk (yep from ... fame in the Press Schimtar did a short daily sports report)
For all practical purposes Jerry Lawler, although he didn't get a pay check...hehehehe
They once tried to hire Fred Winston...he didn't take the morning job. (right after Dees left)
Tom Collins???? Had wild hair, and played the guitar on the air? Am I right about his name?

Ok Gents and Ladies, this geezer's brain is fried thinking of others, please add more and let me know if they are still around? Rob?

Dan
 
Yes, he is still in Memphis and doing well. He says to tell you hello! All he could remember was Ed Crump, he said he was in charge of all the FCC stuff.
 
The wild haired guitar player was Tom Dooley.
 
Also, Michael Jay (still doing prod for WDIA), Kevin Murphy, Bob Dayton (? I remember his last name was some town in Ohio), Don Roberts, Jay Marvin (who was doing talk at WLS at one point). Remember Robert E Knight doing voice tracked shifts on K-97 as "King Robert"?
And there a girl doing nights, I think her name was Jennifer Fox. While I was there, around Christmas '77, they set up some equipment in a storefront downtown, and did a marathon for some sort of charity. Each jock would stay on as long as they could stay awake... and then the next person in line took a shot at it. It was cold, building had no heat, and downtown Memphis was plain old spooky at 2 or 3 in the morning (no security guard or anything, just me by myself). I took a stroll down the deserted Mid-America Mall, too cold for winos, even... silent but for the tap tap tapping of Mr. Peanut's cane on the Obleo's window. Hovering over all of this was the reward of a weekend in the perported luxurious Plough condo on the beach near Tampa/St. Pete for the jock who could brave it the longest. I launched into my part of the exercise after working all day at the station doing production and whatnot. I held out for about 23 hours, till the log and format made no sense to me, and I was mumbling incoherently. After Kevin Murphy took a dive, Jennifer Fox stayed on 23 1/2 hours and won!
 
I listened to Aubrey Guy in the 50's from Bolivar County Mississippi (Shaw) and he did a great low key show in the late afternoons...his sign off was "This is AG "from "C "collierville" and Good Bye! He was a good one. Thanks JBI
 
robgrayson said:
till the log and format made no sense to me, and I was mumbling incoherently.
Click to expand...

Sort of like how I sound nowadays...
 
robgrayson said:
robgrayson said:
till the log and format made no sense to me, and I was mumbling incoherently.
Click to expand...

Sort of like how I sound nowadays...
Click to expand...

Heck I still miss you on the Elvis channel....and that's no lie Rob.

I do remember Kevin Murphy, tall skinny dude, glasses and a big deeeeep pipe.
Jay Michael too...
I kind of remember Jennifer Fox. This would be after the format change right? WMPS' first female jock?
Dano
 
Jennifer Fox preceded the format change to country... but there was another girl after the format change. She met Jerry Lee Lewis at The Vapors, sat on his lap, and he asked if she was a cousin! No kidding!
 
Up until the move out to Thousand Oaks about 4 yeears ago, some of the old reel to reel tape decks with a Pough Broadcasting ID plate on them were still being used at WDIA and WHRK. I'k almost bet they're still around somewhere stored at one of the transmitter sites.
 
robgrayson said:
I always look to Kenny Bozak for Plough info, and Dano was there when it was "happening". I was at 680 WMPS for six months while they phased out "top 40" and phased in country, and got "ploughed under" when the format change was through.
The arrangement was interesting. WHBQ was at least physically removed from RKO's corporate gaze, but the "listen line" was still hooked up from the Drake days, so you never knew when someone big was listening in. WMPS was physically one floor above corporate HQ, so there was certainly more scrutiny, considering the President and National PD were literally hearing you on the way in (piped into the elevator, even). The studios were fascinating for an equipment archaeologist. AM and FM had control rooms, of course. There was a main production studio, and a news booth, both adjacent to AM control. On a half level above, two other teeny prodo studios overlooked the main production room. I know there were times when the main production room would be tied up with public affairs stuff, and I would do dubs in one of those other little cubby holes.
K-97 was automated at that time, and when you recorded spots, you had to program the client info into a punch tape, and feed that through an encoder when you dubbed the spot onto cart. I did one of the two midday shifts on WMPS (Walt Jackson did the other), and voice tracked the all night shift on K-97. As I have explained before, voice tracking on that system required carting up your breaks on a long cart. If you messed up half way thru, you bulk erased it and started over.
WMPS/K97 was on the thrid floor at 112 Union, and Plough corporate was on the 2nd floor. I recall Plough having a record library (and librarian), and a production studio of their own on floor #2.
Out front was an old theatre marquee, and in the heyday they would post 8 x 10 glossy's of the air personalities in the "coming attractions" windows. That practice had passed by the time I came along. Most everywhere I worked, once I got there, stations quit promoting personalities with pictures on surveys, or quit putting weekenders pix on websites... a guy could get a complex, y'know...
Click to expand...

I actually have my old 8 x 10 Black and White that hung on the 3rd floor hallway.
The OLD newsroom was moved so the K97 automation system would have a home. The OLD AM control was moved down to the recording studio as the newsroom was moved also down the hall. If I recall this occured post Dees. I remember that old punch tape system. I had to fill in a few times to voice track...I think Jordan told me to use Wolf Dan...and I did... ::)

Dan S.
 
Danoinark said:
Eden
I was there when your grandfather was at the helm of WMPS and an exec of Plough Broadcasting. I have nothing but good things to say about him and enjoyed working for him. I just used his name on the Mount Rushmore thread. If you could ask him who worked in the upstairs office with him. I am trying to remember his assistants name that was responsible for FCC compliance and all the other bureaucratic stuff.
Tell him Dan Sears says hello. I often wondered where Wayne is and how he is doing. Is he still in the Memphis area? Tell him I migrated back to Arkansas. If anybody remembers some of the staff during the years 1970 to 80 lets list them....and if they are still around, something else I would like to know.

Aubrey Guy
Mike Day
Doc Damon
Roy Mack
Dees
Bill Murray
Wayne Hudson
Sylvia Black
Jon (Rock and Roll) Anthony
Mike Donegan "The Dook"
Dan Sears
Bud Leonard
Kenny Bozak
Robert E. Knight
Ron Jordan
Bob McClain
Rob Grayson
Larry Bachus
The Nightcrawler (overnights)
Harry Simpson (Jordon always said when he was a teen if Harry was on the radio then he was out to late)
Robin ? (always parttime)
Mitch Craig
Donnie Brooks
Bill Burk (yep from ... fame in the Press Schimtar did a short daily sports report)
For all practical purposes Jerry Lawler, although he didn't get a pay check...hehehehe
They once tried to hire Fred Winston...he didn't take the morning job. (right after Dees left)
Tom Collins???? Had wild hair, and played the guitar on the air? Am I right about his name?

Ok Gents and Ladies, this geezer's brain is fried thinking of others, please add more and let me know if they are still around? Rob?

Dan
Click to expand...


Sylvia Black was at WMC during the news / talk days as late as 1995.

Bob McLain is somewhere in the Carolinas I think doing mornings.

Jon Anthony can be found at jatampabay.com.
 
HEY, YA'LL...THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST POSTING ON THIS SITE...I WORKED AT WMPS IN 1968...WHEN I WAS DOING THE AFTERNOON DRIVE SHOW THE PD WAS HAL SMITH. ALSO THERE WAS JOHNNY DARK DOING 7 TO 10 PM. ROY MACK DID THE MID-DAY SHIFT AND BILL REEVES DID THE 10 PM TO MIDNIGHT SHOW. THEN, HARRY TOOK OVER FOR OVERNITES FROM THE TRANSMITTER SITE. WE ALSO HAD A NEWS GUY I WORKED WITH IN JONESBORO NAMED LLOYD LEWALLEN. I WAS ONLY THERE FROM JANUARY TO NOVEMBER. THE RATINGS STARTED TANKING AND MOST OF US GOT FIRED. OH, AND PAUL WHITE WAS THERE FOR A WHILE DOING NIGHTS ...I REMEMBER COMING UP TO THE STATION ONE NIGHT ...I'D ONLY BEEN IN MEMPHIS FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AND WHEN I ENTERED THAT HUGE CONTROL ROOM THERE WERE ALL THESE PEOPLE SITTING ON THE FLOOR AND PAUL WAS TRACKING THE NEW BOB DYLAN LP. AND, WE WERE A TOP-40 STATION. PLUS, ALL THIS GREEN SMOKE WAS IN THE ROOM...THAT WAS MY INTRODUCTION TO THE 'BEATNICK' CULTURE OF THE LATE SIXTIES. ANYWAY I REMEMBER SOME OF THE PEOPLE YOU MENTIONED...I DO REMEMBER THE DAY I GOT LET GO I WAS HEADING OUT DOWN THE ELEVATOR AND SCOTT 'SUPER-SHAN' SHANNON WAS COMING UP ...
 
old man river said:
HEY, YA'LL...THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST POSTING ON THIS SITE...I WORKED AT WMPS IN 1968...WHEN I WAS DOING THE AFTERNOON DRIVE SHOW THE PD WAS HAL SMITH. ALSO THERE WAS JOHNNY DARK DOING 7 TO 10 PM. ROY MACK DID THE MID-DAY SHIFT AND BILL REEVES DID THE 10 PM TO MIDNIGHT SHOW. THEN, HARRY TOOK OVER FOR OVERNITES FROM THE TRANSMITTER SITE. WE ALSO HAD A NEWS GUY I WORKED WITH IN JONESBORO NAMED LLOYD LEWALLEN. I WAS ONLY THERE FROM JANUARY TO NOVEMBER. THE RATINGS STARTED TANKING AND MOST OF US GOT FIRED. OH, AND PAUL WHITE WAS THERE FOR A WHILE DOING NIGHTS ...I REMEMBER COMING UP TO THE STATION ONE NIGHT ...I'D ONLY BEEN IN MEMPHIS FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AND WHEN I ENTERED THAT HUGE CONTROL ROOM THERE WERE ALL THESE PEOPLE SITTING ON THE FLOOR AND PAUL WAS TRACKING THE NEW BOB DYLAN LP. AND, WE WERE A TOP-40 STATION. PLUS, ALL THIS GREEN SMOKE WAS IN THE ROOM...THAT WAS MY INTRODUCTION TO THE 'BEATNICK' CULTURE OF THE LATE SIXTIES. ANYWAY I REMEMBER SOME OF THE PEOPLE YOU MENTIONED...I DO REMEMBER THE DAY I GOT LET GO I WAS HEADING OUT DOWN THE ELEVATOR AND SCOTT 'SUPER-SHAN' SHANNON WAS COMING UP ...
Click to expand...

Is this Dennis from J'br? ;D Last I heard Lew Allen was in Pocahontas Ark..had somekind of electronics repair shop.
 
In reference to the "old" AM control room... I remember coming up to Memphis in about '74 and meeting Roy Mack. The AM control room was then a smaller room, off to the east of the one I later worked in, and a step up. It had, as did most of the Memphis stations I worked at, an RCA console. The later WMPS control room I worked in had an LPB board.
Years ago, when I was just a kid, my brother Walt came up to Memphis to WMPS, and visited a friend he had worked with in the delta named Charlie Stone. While he visited with Charlie, I was shuttled off with my mom and sister-in-law to the clothes store across from King Furs, all the while eating my heart out because I wanted to go to the station. I guess it was about 10 years later, I was working there (the station, not the dress shop!)
Here's another MPS name which just crossed my mind, Rusty Revere. Ring any bells? And Donnie Brooks had to change his name and became Dan "Turkey" Wilson.

More names... Gary Smith, Lance (or Rance? or Vance?) Weirick (I know that's not spelled right), Larry Lawrence, these came from the Solid Rock jock sigs package someone gave me.

And somewhere lost in my stuff, I have an aircheck of Emperor Charlie B. Watson, filling in on the morning show...
 
Rob..when I started, that was where the control room was located and looked down on the news announce booth. It was Rance by the way...
Also there was a guy who did mid days at one point named Charlies ?...had deep deep pipes...
 
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