This forum started out with mention that 1480 was frequently broadcasting an unmodulated carrier (dead air). This was the case today between 4 and 5 pm. After 5, programming came on but it sounded like it was coming through a tin-can tied to a string. Totally unlistenable.
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J Alex Bowab said:
Is that the site that had the quonset hut type building/s ?
I remember seeing an old Bauer (5000J ?) transmitter inside.
And a stage that looked like it was used for live performances.
I also seem to remember an very old FM band antenna mounted on one of the AM towers.
Does this sound right?
Yes, there was a Quonset hut. Four self supporting towers in a straight line. WABB and WKRG both had FM stations back around 1955. WKRG was at 99.9, WABB at 102.1. This would be the FM antenna you saw. Back then it was horiz-polarization only. As I understand it, the xmtr burned up, and they didn't bother replacing it, so WABB FM went away (until they got the 97.5 CP in 1973). I was in Atmore at the time; could barely pick up the AM signals day, and nothing at night, so my dad bought an FM radio so we could pick up those two stations (and one in Andalusia). Both stations simulcasted their AMs. We got it mainly to hear the Mobile Bears baseball games.
During the top 40 days, the engineers built a reverb unit inside the quonset hut: A chamber/closet with a speaker at one end, and a microphone at the other end. Created an echo. If you banged on the walls it went out over the air. At some point this physical reverb was replaced with an electronic one. Crude, but it worked.
In 1963, there was a forest fire adjacent to this site, and to control the fire, some trenches were dug to contain the fire. Dug up the ground radials, and WABB had to operate nights non-DA with something like 250 or 500 watts while repairs were made.
The DA-N pattern at this site was OK for Mobile in 1954, when there wasn't much population west of Azalea Rd/McGregor Ave, but it got worse as the city spread out. At the airport at night you couldn't hear a peep. I believe the pattern was modified later to try capturing a little more of west Mobile.
During the top 40 days, the engineers built a reverb unit inside the quonset hut: A chamber/closet with a speaker at one end, and a microphone at the other end. Created an echo. If you banged on the walls it went out over the air. At some point this physical reverb was replaced with an electronic one. Crude, but it worked.
In 1963, there was a forest fire adjacent to this site, and to control the fire, some trenches were dug to contain the fire. Dug up the ground radials, and WABB had to operate nights non-DA with something like 250 or 500 watts while repairs were made.
The DA-N pattern at this site was OK for Mobile in 1954, when there wasn't much population west of Azalea Rd/McGregor Ave, but it got worse as the city spread out. At the airport at night you couldn't hear a peep. I believe the pattern was modified later to try capturing a little more of west Mobile.
The studio may have been in the quonset hut at one time. My earliest recollection of the studio was in the Mobile Press Register Bldg at 300 Govt Street. The newspaper owned the station at one time; later it owned 50% of WKRG AM FM TV with Mr Giddens holding the other 50%. I have been in touch with a guy in Calif who worked at WABB around 1954.
J Alex Bowab said:
Okay, you've got my curiosity piqued. What was their story?? All I can gather via some basic Googling is the cause was due to falsifying program logs.
Also, regarding WABB -- what kind of local competition did they have pre WKRG-FM? I know WTIX and WNOE were big factors by day ... but what about other Mobile stations that tried and failed top-40?
--Russell
WMOZ was owned by Edwin H Estes. He also owned WPFA 790 in Pensacola, a country station. WMOZ, a 1 kw daytimer on 960, had incredible ratings, and was an easy sell to advertisers. The FCC was strict about 18 minutes per hour, but WMOZ was known to run way over the limit, then falsify the logs submitted at license renewal. Even heard one story where a DJ died in between the date of the log and the time it was submitted for license renewal, so his signature was forged.
It ain't smart to forge a dead man's signature when you are in competition with another station that is sitting there taping you and counting your spot load.
Back then, the FCC randomly picked out a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday (and so on) from the 3 year license period, and you submitted the logs, and a composite total showing the 18 minute limit was not exceeded.
The Estes licenses were revoked, and 960 fell silent, much to the joy of WGOK 900, the other black daytimer, around 1964. Within 2 years, WMOO 1550, which came on the air in 1964 as a country/gospel mix, began to block program black, and eventually went totally into the format, hiring Sugar Daddy (Ruben Hughes) Poppa Rock (Jordan Ray), and Deacon TJ McClain (host of the Gospel Train) the 3 personalities that made WMOZ so dominant. This was 1967, though they still had some paid religion blocks midday bcuz the money was too easy and too good to pass up.
No less than FOUR applicants applied for the 960 frequency. One was Howard Smith, owner of WLPR FM 96.1 (I worked for him from 1965-67). He wanted to have 96 FM and 96 AM. The hearing went on for 20 years, by which time the applicants had all spent more in legal fees than the facility was worth. Howard ended up with the station, 5 kw D/1 kw DA-N (two towers) in 1986, long after he had sold off WLPR. It came on the air as WGRR, airing the satellite fed STARDUST format; by 1987 the WLPR call letters had moved to 105.5. When 105 gave them up, the Living Presence Radio calls came to 960 AM. The night signal took a beating from WERC Bham, whose main DA-N lobe came directly toward Mobile. I believe the station is now a daytimer, co-owned with 840 AM.
On the other question, a history of top 40 in Mobile: the first station to go at it was WKAB 840, a daytimer, around 1956. The Dittmans acquired WABB around 1959, and turned it into a great top 40 station. I always understood they came here from Cleveland, and copied WHK-1420, that market's leading purveyor of the format. I know the two stations' published Top 50 lists were identical in design, and they had the same jingles.
WKAB hung on by being more music intensive (they couldn't sell enough spots to be otherwise). Around 1962 they changed calls to WTUF Tough Radio, and hired a PD who had been at KAAY Little Rock. At sign off time they told listeners to tune over to their "sister station" on 1090, which not only put a very listenable night signal into Mobile, but it was the alternative in parts of west Mobile that WABB's DA-N didn't handle too well.
You gotta remember that in the 60s, Mobile had THREE fulltime stations, 710, 1410, 1480 ... and a half dozen daytimers. A fulltimer was a license to print money. Never mind that similar-sized cities like Chattanooga, Jackson, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, had 5, 6, maybe 7 fulltimers ... Mobile had 3!
WKRG 710 stayed MoR/CBS; 1410 as WALA had been MoR, but tried top 40 for a while in 1960/61 (I have a published weekly top 40 sheet from them in that era). Then the AM and TV were sold separately, and the new 1410 WUNI went country with great success. That's how it should be: at night, you had one top 40, one country, and one adult good-music station ... each had its own niche. So except for a little WNOE/WTIX day and KAAY night, 1480 had the format all to itself once WTUF gave up and went country, maybe 1964.
We actually listened to WNOE/WTIX more heavily when we went to the beach ... Dauphin Island or Gulf Shores ... we lost WABB before we got there, partly because of poor ground conductivity, and also because WGNE 1480 Panama City, traveled a salt water path and mowed WABB down.
WLIQ 1360 tried top 40 for a while around 1966, but it never went anywhere. WABB just kept on kicking ass. Not only did they have a format exclusive, but the black stations, WGOK, WMOZ, and later WMOO, were all daytimers, so the significant black population had nowhere to go except WLAC Nashville after dark. It was not unusual for WABB to have 60% night shares, as they played enough black music to hold onto both races.
I was overseas in the Navy 1968-71, so don't know much about what happened during that time ... then went to Jackson Miss for the rest of the 70s. WKRG FM was running the Drake Chenault Hit Parade format, which may have siphoned some of WABB's audience, but was not direct competition. That started about 1968. Around 1971-73 the 3 kw FM in Bay Minette went black, WWSM, and despite a signal problem in Mobile, it made a showing at night... until WBLX blew the doors off that compartment.
WTUF 840 had become WMOB when some people from New Orleans bought it; it was MoR. WMOB got the CP for 97.5 but couldn't go thru with it, so WABB bought it, and WABB FM AoR was born, about 1974.
Finally in 1978, a hot-shot from Dallas who had worked at KLIF came to GM WKRG AM/FM. By then, every other market had realized FM penetration was such that you could kick an AM's ass big time, so WKRG G-100 went for it (didn't you wonder when someone was going to finally realize that?). For the first time in 20 years, WABB 1480 knew what real competition was, and I vaguely remember the ratings showing G100 trouncing them, convincingly. The retaliation was to turn WABB FM 97 top 40, and in a few years they turned things around ... I don't think the owners of WKRG FM were committed to seeing the format through, so they evolved into AC (they were more comfortable with those demographics, and it complemented the AM's demos). That happens sometimes when you have a TV, AM, and FM ... and most of the attention was paid to the TV monster anyway.
WJLQ Q100 Pensacola was doing top 40 about this time, using a TM automated format. It was on a 500 ft tower in Fla, so its success was confined to Pensacola (except for maybe a 3 share in Mobile) until it went on a TV tower in Baldwin County around 1985. It was somewhat confusing when you had Q100 and G100 (100.7 and 99.9) as dials were analog back then.
The more recent history you all probably know better than I do. It says a lot for the Dittmans that they have owned the WABB (am/fm) calls for 51 years now, and have dominated the contemporary music arena the entire time except for G-100's heyday , maybe 1978-82. It's a far cry from that pitiful 5 kw AM that barely serviced Mobile, as the FM now shows up in Biloxi, Mobile, Pensacola, and Fort Walton Arbitrons.
It ain't smart to forge a dead man's signature when you are in competition with another station that is sitting there taping you and counting your spot load.
Back then, the FCC randomly picked out a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday (and so on) from the 3 year license period, and you submitted the logs, and a composite total showing the 18 minute limit was not exceeded.
The Estes licenses were revoked, and 960 fell silent, much to the joy of WGOK 900, the other black daytimer, around 1964. Within 2 years, WMOO 1550, which came on the air in 1964 as a country/gospel mix, began to block program black, and eventually went totally into the format, hiring Sugar Daddy (Ruben Hughes) Poppa Rock (Jordan Ray), and Deacon TJ McClain (host of the Gospel Train) the 3 personalities that made WMOZ so dominant. This was 1967, though they still had some paid religion blocks midday bcuz the money was too easy and too good to pass up.
No less than FOUR applicants applied for the 960 frequency. One was Howard Smith, owner of WLPR FM 96.1 (I worked for him from 1965-67). He wanted to have 96 FM and 96 AM. The hearing went on for 20 years, by which time the applicants had all spent more in legal fees than the facility was worth. Howard ended up with the station, 5 kw D/1 kw DA-N (two towers) in 1986, long after he had sold off WLPR. It came on the air as WGRR, airing the satellite fed STARDUST format; by 1987 the WLPR call letters had moved to 105.5. When 105 gave them up, the Living Presence Radio calls came to 960 AM. The night signal took a beating from WERC Bham, whose main DA-N lobe came directly toward Mobile. I believe the station is now a daytimer, co-owned with 840 AM.
On the other question, a history of top 40 in Mobile: the first station to go at it was WKAB 840, a daytimer, around 1956. The Dittmans acquired WABB around 1959, and turned it into a great top 40 station. I always understood they came here from Cleveland, and copied WHK-1420, that market's leading purveyor of the format. I know the two stations' published Top 50 lists were identical in design, and they had the same jingles.
WKAB hung on by being more music intensive (they couldn't sell enough spots to be otherwise). Around 1962 they changed calls to WTUF Tough Radio, and hired a PD who had been at KAAY Little Rock. At sign off time they told listeners to tune over to their "sister station" on 1090, which not only put a very listenable night signal into Mobile, but it was the alternative in parts of west Mobile that WABB's DA-N didn't handle too well.
You gotta remember that in the 60s, Mobile had THREE fulltime stations, 710, 1410, 1480 ... and a half dozen daytimers. A fulltimer was a license to print money. Never mind that similar-sized cities like Chattanooga, Jackson, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, had 5, 6, maybe 7 fulltimers ... Mobile had 3!
WKRG 710 stayed MoR/CBS; 1410 as WALA had been MoR, but tried top 40 for a while in 1960/61 (I have a published weekly top 40 sheet from them in that era). Then the AM and TV were sold separately, and the new 1410 WUNI went country with great success. That's how it should be: at night, you had one top 40, one country, and one adult good-music station ... each had its own niche. So except for a little WNOE/WTIX day and KAAY night, 1480 had the format all to itself once WTUF gave up and went country, maybe 1964.
We actually listened to WNOE/WTIX more heavily when we went to the beach ... Dauphin Island or Gulf Shores ... we lost WABB before we got there, partly because of poor ground conductivity, and also because WGNE 1480 Panama City, traveled a salt water path and mowed WABB down.
WLIQ 1360 tried top 40 for a while around 1966, but it never went anywhere. WABB just kept on kicking ass. Not only did they have a format exclusive, but the black stations, WGOK, WMOZ, and later WMOO, were all daytimers, so the significant black population had nowhere to go except WLAC Nashville after dark. It was not unusual for WABB to have 60% night shares, as they played enough black music to hold onto both races.
I was overseas in the Navy 1968-71, so don't know much about what happened during that time ... then went to Jackson Miss for the rest of the 70s. WKRG FM was running the Drake Chenault Hit Parade format, which may have siphoned some of WABB's audience, but was not direct competition. That started about 1968. Around 1971-73 the 3 kw FM in Bay Minette went black, WWSM, and despite a signal problem in Mobile, it made a showing at night... until WBLX blew the doors off that compartment.
WTUF 840 had become WMOB when some people from New Orleans bought it; it was MoR. WMOB got the CP for 97.5 but couldn't go thru with it, so WABB bought it, and WABB FM AoR was born, about 1974.
Finally in 1978, a hot-shot from Dallas who had worked at KLIF came to GM WKRG AM/FM. By then, every other market had realized FM penetration was such that you could kick an AM's ass big time, so WKRG G-100 went for it (didn't you wonder when someone was going to finally realize that?). For the first time in 20 years, WABB 1480 knew what real competition was, and I vaguely remember the ratings showing G100 trouncing them, convincingly. The retaliation was to turn WABB FM 97 top 40, and in a few years they turned things around ... I don't think the owners of WKRG FM were committed to seeing the format through, so they evolved into AC (they were more comfortable with those demographics, and it complemented the AM's demos). That happens sometimes when you have a TV, AM, and FM ... and most of the attention was paid to the TV monster anyway.
WJLQ Q100 Pensacola was doing top 40 about this time, using a TM automated format. It was on a 500 ft tower in Fla, so its success was confined to Pensacola (except for maybe a 3 share in Mobile) until it went on a TV tower in Baldwin County around 1985. It was somewhat confusing when you had Q100 and G100 (100.7 and 99.9) as dials were analog back then.
The more recent history you all probably know better than I do. It says a lot for the Dittmans that they have owned the WABB (am/fm) calls for 51 years now, and have dominated the contemporary music arena the entire time except for G-100's heyday , maybe 1978-82. It's a far cry from that pitiful 5 kw AM that barely serviced Mobile, as the FM now shows up in Biloxi, Mobile, Pensacola, and Fort Walton Arbitrons.
One other remark about Q100. Before they got traction, WBSR 1450, a 1 kw Class IV, had incredible Pensacola ratings with a signal that made WABB AM seem like a 50 kw by comparison. They were owned by Mooney, who had WERC Bham, WKGN Knoxville, WMAK Nashville. A broadcaster up in the northeast (can't remember his name, but he had worked for some big time stations in the major cities) decided to semi-retire and move to Florida like everyone else was doing. This was maybe 1977, and WBSR was still nailing down big numbers. He bought WBSR for something close to $1 mil as I recall. Almost overnight, WJLQ Q100 rode the FM tide that was changing radio listening habits forever. The Q got the double-digit numbers, and WBSR sank badly. As I recall, the guy died not long after, and his estate sold off BSR for a fraction of what he had paid for it. It was a sad situation, but this was not the only case of someone thinking AM's glory days would last forever, and this FM thing is just a curiosity that will never make it.
Addendum: The above narrative mentions WPFA and WKAB. Interesting that both stations at one time had UHF TV affiliates. WPFA put channel 15 on the air in the early/mid 50s (about the same time WEAR-3 debuted) ; WKAB put channel 48 on around 1952-53 (about the same time WALA 10 debuted). Both were doomed to failure as almost every UHF did in the early days. No network affiliation, no cable distribution, minimal tower height. WPFA at the time was owned by Lamar Outdoor Advtg (Estes acquired it later); WKAB 840/TV 48 was owned by the Pursley Broadcasting Svc; studio/xmtr was on Donald Street in the Toulminville area of Mobile. WPFA 790/TV 15 studio/xmtr was where Pace Blv runs into Palafox (where 790 AM is still located); WMEZ 94.1 antenna was on that tower in the 70s.
Dunno what inspired a Montgomery TV station to adopt the WKAB call letters several decades later. Probably just happenstance.
Dunno what inspired a Montgomery TV station to adopt the WKAB call letters several decades later. Probably just happenstance.
J Alex Bowab said:
I'll have to add that to my list. Seems like a lot of well known calls wind back up in the same state or area but on different facilities. Like WSGN from Birmingham to Gadsden, WVOK from Birmingham to Anniston, WKXX from B'ham to Attalla. I know there's some others, but I can't think of them.
Add to that list the WABT calls which found a home in Birmingham TV and Tuskegee AM.
Since I've taken all of you on a trip back to the early days of Mobile radio, how about this look at a C E Hooper Radio Audience Index from NOV 1964. Hooper was the industry standard back then, more so than Pulse, and Arbitron was not around. This is IN-HOME listening only. Two dayparts: 7 to noon, and noon to 6 pm. No demographics.
WABB WABF WALA WGOK WKRG WLIQ WMOZ WSIM WTUF other
7-Noon 23.5 2.2 12.5 7.5 22.0 8.0 13.2 1.5 8.2 1.3
Noon-6 27.7 0 11.1 14.0 22.2 6.6 14.2 2.2 8.6 2.7
There was a (**) next to WMOZ saying "This station conducted a type of audience promotion during this survey which in our opinion could result in an inflation of their figures."
WLIQ, WSIM, and WABF (Fairhope) were all easy listening.
Here is a CE Hooper from April 1963:
WABB WKRG WALA WMOZ WGOK WTUF WLIQ WABF WSIM Other
7-noon 29.3 23.4 14.8 11.0 9.5 5.7 2.7 2.1 no show 1.5
noon-6 32.2 17.9 11.4 14.3 11.0 7.6 3.2 0.7 no show 1.7
WTUF was still top 40 at this time, WALA had gone country (but had not yet changed to WUNI).
I find the numbers for WMOZ/WGOK (20 to 25% total) to be believable, given the percentage black population. However, one of my early-days radio mentors claimed that the black station numbers were inflated: he believed that even when Hooper called a white home, the black maid would likely answer the phone, and when asked "what station are you listening to?" she would give the call letters she was familiar with.... WGOK or WMOZ.
The "other" was actually "other AM and FM". You can see that FM was not a factor, and out of town stations (like WWL WNOE WTIX) weren't really significant (except when we went down to the beach). The 3 fulltime AMs controlled the market, as I said previously.
As can be seen, WSIM (1270 Prichard, previously country WAIP) was a disaster as a beautiful music AM. This thread got started by asking what other stations along the way challenged WABB. I now recall that WSIM did try top 40 briefly somewhere between 1964-66. It later became WKSJ AM, which springboarded into WKSJ FM, and you know where it went from that point.
WABB WABF WALA WGOK WKRG WLIQ WMOZ WSIM WTUF other
7-Noon 23.5 2.2 12.5 7.5 22.0 8.0 13.2 1.5 8.2 1.3
Noon-6 27.7 0 11.1 14.0 22.2 6.6 14.2 2.2 8.6 2.7
There was a (**) next to WMOZ saying "This station conducted a type of audience promotion during this survey which in our opinion could result in an inflation of their figures."
WLIQ, WSIM, and WABF (Fairhope) were all easy listening.
Here is a CE Hooper from April 1963:
WABB WKRG WALA WMOZ WGOK WTUF WLIQ WABF WSIM Other
7-noon 29.3 23.4 14.8 11.0 9.5 5.7 2.7 2.1 no show 1.5
noon-6 32.2 17.9 11.4 14.3 11.0 7.6 3.2 0.7 no show 1.7
WTUF was still top 40 at this time, WALA had gone country (but had not yet changed to WUNI).
I find the numbers for WMOZ/WGOK (20 to 25% total) to be believable, given the percentage black population. However, one of my early-days radio mentors claimed that the black station numbers were inflated: he believed that even when Hooper called a white home, the black maid would likely answer the phone, and when asked "what station are you listening to?" she would give the call letters she was familiar with.... WGOK or WMOZ.
The "other" was actually "other AM and FM". You can see that FM was not a factor, and out of town stations (like WWL WNOE WTIX) weren't really significant (except when we went down to the beach). The 3 fulltime AMs controlled the market, as I said previously.
As can be seen, WSIM (1270 Prichard, previously country WAIP) was a disaster as a beautiful music AM. This thread got started by asking what other stations along the way challenged WABB. I now recall that WSIM did try top 40 briefly somewhere between 1964-66. It later became WKSJ AM, which springboarded into WKSJ FM, and you know where it went from that point.
Thanks for the history. Very interesting.
I came within a eyelash of working for Mr. Dittman in the 80's.
A very unique and interesting individual.
I came within a eyelash of working for Mr. Dittman in the 80's.
A very unique and interesting individual.
You're quite welcome! I'm typical of old people ... remember all kinds of historical tidbits from the 50s and 60s but can't tell you where I was yesterday.
Isn't it fascinating how times have changed ... 45 years ago, 1% of the audience was on FM ... an AM like 1480 had no problem getting a 25 share (but can barely break a 1 share now). Today a station could be profitable and in the top 3 with a 7 share, but back then, a 7 probably resulted in red ink on the P&L!
Isn't it fascinating how times have changed ... 45 years ago, 1% of the audience was on FM ... an AM like 1480 had no problem getting a 25 share (but can barely break a 1 share now). Today a station could be profitable and in the top 3 with a 7 share, but back then, a 7 probably resulted in red ink on the P&L!
Many thanks for the historical nuggets about Mobile radio. Was always curious about AM 840 ... but one question about WMOB, although this would be while you were in the service: in the 1970s jingle montage on the PAMS site (not sure if it's still there, but was as of a few years ago, but anyway....) there is cut for WMOB from the "WLS 71" package. If they were MOR, they must've been chicken rock, because I wouldn't imagine such a station going with those, since they were SO identified with WLS (the WMOB calls were sung in the WLS sig).
WSIM was part of the Holt chain (WHHY/Montgomery - WHSY/Hattiesburg - WHNY/McComb). A story I read a long time ago, authenticity not vouched for, was that (Charlie?) Holt bought that station and programmed it largely for his mother, who was in a nursing home. Strikes me as an odd reason to make an investment, unless he was seeking a tax write-off for the company ... not out of the bounds of reason, given WHHY all but printing money at the time.
*********
Re WSGN: As I understand it, when WZZK bought 610 and ditched the calls and nostalgia format in 1985, they offered to donate the calls to Gadsden State Junior College for their station. The move was clearly to preempt any other station from snatching them, as the "brand" was still valuable; 610 might have been a faded flower by '85, but its glory days were still much remembered.
And when WVOK 690 changed calls to WJOX (not my decision, I'd have kept that name - but what do I know?), it wasn't long before a station owner in Talladega thought the WVOK call letters would spiffy up his little combo.
--Russell
WSIM was part of the Holt chain (WHHY/Montgomery - WHSY/Hattiesburg - WHNY/McComb). A story I read a long time ago, authenticity not vouched for, was that (Charlie?) Holt bought that station and programmed it largely for his mother, who was in a nursing home. Strikes me as an odd reason to make an investment, unless he was seeking a tax write-off for the company ... not out of the bounds of reason, given WHHY all but printing money at the time.
*********
Re WSGN: As I understand it, when WZZK bought 610 and ditched the calls and nostalgia format in 1985, they offered to donate the calls to Gadsden State Junior College for their station. The move was clearly to preempt any other station from snatching them, as the "brand" was still valuable; 610 might have been a faded flower by '85, but its glory days were still much remembered.
And when WVOK 690 changed calls to WJOX (not my decision, I'd have kept that name - but what do I know?), it wasn't long before a station owner in Talladega thought the WVOK call letters would spiffy up his little combo.
--Russell
The WMOB call letters back in the 40s (and maybe early 50s) were on a station at 1230 kc. The station went off the air. WKAB/WTUF 840 changed to WMOB, a move that I believe coincided with its acquisition by a group of broadcasters from Louisiana, including John Vath, GM of WSMB. They did pretty well as an agressively programmed MOR station, albeit a daytimer. They had the 97.5 CP but I believe one of the principals died and they let WABB have it. 840 then became WWAX, "Wax" an oldies station which I remember well from about 1982 and liked it. When a preacher, Rev Buddy Tucker, acquired 1360 AM, he chose the WMOB call letters ... so those calls have shown up in the market THREE times over a 60 year period - 1230, 840, and 1360 - all totally unrelated. I don't know specifically about the jingles, though ... I believe Roger Cavaness was another principal in the Louisiana group, and he had a top 40 background; chicken rock probably accurately describes what they were doing in that era. So I could see them buying some contemporary jingles.
Your info about Holt/WSIM (Wonderful Sound in Mobile) is correct. A college classmate of mine worked there, and I hung around the station a lot. (1962-64) That's where the story came from. It was losing money (look at the Hooper ratings I showed above), but Holt, the announcer friend told me, had a soft spot for the station because his elderly mother listened to it. It was programmed like a beautiful music FM that we would hear in the following decade. Holt also at one time owned WHXY Bogalusa, I'm told. The calls all fit a pattern except WSIM.
Your info about Holt/WSIM (Wonderful Sound in Mobile) is correct. A college classmate of mine worked there, and I hung around the station a lot. (1962-64) That's where the story came from. It was losing money (look at the Hooper ratings I showed above), but Holt, the announcer friend told me, had a soft spot for the station because his elderly mother listened to it. It was programmed like a beautiful music FM that we would hear in the following decade. Holt also at one time owned WHXY Bogalusa, I'm told. The calls all fit a pattern except WSIM.
The WTUF calls are now on FM 106.3 in Thomasville, GA, which is in the Tallahassee, FL Market.
-Travis
-Travis
J
JPatrick
Guest
J Alex,
I really have enjoyed the history that you and others had posted. I had joined WABB AM during their last #1 book. I remember
that at WKRG FM, Ed Routt came in from Dallas, Blaine Kelley was the pd, and G100 debuted with awesome numbers. It was a great introduction for me and the radio biz. Give Bernie credit...he was a fighter and after some memorable battles, WKRG FM was out of the format by the late 80's, evolving into their present day ac format, which has been doing real well for them.
Sorry to hear about WABB-AM. God knows we tried to make it work after FM dominated the market(I know you mentioned
all the formats at one time). Bernie was good to work for and I had a great relationship with him until the day he died, but he was just really into the CHR FM's in Mobile and BHam(WAPI-FM) in the 80's, and all the marketing and interest went into those.
In 1988, I told him the future on AM was non-music and we began to integrate talk and sports programming at night and on the weekends, but WKRG AM was always a step ahead with Rush, etc. I know Tim Camp did a great job with the station in the early 90's before he became a part of WNSP.
Mobile will always be my second home and I was always proud to have been a part of WABB.
John Patrick(Bowler)
I really have enjoyed the history that you and others had posted. I had joined WABB AM during their last #1 book. I remember
that at WKRG FM, Ed Routt came in from Dallas, Blaine Kelley was the pd, and G100 debuted with awesome numbers. It was a great introduction for me and the radio biz. Give Bernie credit...he was a fighter and after some memorable battles, WKRG FM was out of the format by the late 80's, evolving into their present day ac format, which has been doing real well for them.
Sorry to hear about WABB-AM. God knows we tried to make it work after FM dominated the market(I know you mentioned
all the formats at one time). Bernie was good to work for and I had a great relationship with him until the day he died, but he was just really into the CHR FM's in Mobile and BHam(WAPI-FM) in the 80's, and all the marketing and interest went into those.
In 1988, I told him the future on AM was non-music and we began to integrate talk and sports programming at night and on the weekends, but WKRG AM was always a step ahead with Rush, etc. I know Tim Camp did a great job with the station in the early 90's before he became a part of WNSP.
Mobile will always be my second home and I was always proud to have been a part of WABB.
John Patrick(Bowler)
Great to hear from an old friend (and fellow SHC alum)! Funny how when one talks about Dittman expanding beyond Mobile, WAPI FM Bham is always mentioned ... but we forget WAPI AM and the Memphis area FM that were part of the group.
Yes, Ed Routt is the person I was referring to when in a prior post I said a hotshot from Dallas came in to run WKRG's radio stations.
Indeed, John, the list of people who have passed through WABB AM/FM reads like a Who's Who of Contemporary Broadscattering!
Yes, Ed Routt is the person I was referring to when in a prior post I said a hotshot from Dallas came in to run WKRG's radio stations.
Indeed, John, the list of people who have passed through WABB AM/FM reads like a Who's Who of Contemporary Broadscattering!
I don't know how many of you saw the final episode of "Lost", but I'm waiting for a similar event when all the ex employees of WABB come together again.
It happened recently. About 60 former WABB employees from 60's - 2000's converged for a "family reunion" of sorts in Mobile.
"Barney Dickman" was sorely missed and well remembered.
Check out the "I worked at WABB" group of Facebook for details....
John Bowler HAS to be at the next one per Kathy Richardson.
"Barney Dickman" was sorely missed and well remembered.
Check out the "I worked at WABB" group of Facebook for details....
John Bowler HAS to be at the next one per Kathy Richardson.
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