What was the best radio station in The Mountain State? I will start this tread with The old WKAZ am (1970’s-1980’s) and KEE 100 Huntington were cool R & R Stations and of course on the country side WWVA was a major force in Wheeling and even had a large audience in Canada at night. And the best equipment / facility day timer of all time any where could be the old WBUC which had almost a 100% on the air record under it’s owner-engineer in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
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The best WVA stations ever
- Thread starter secondchoice
- Start date
14WK/ 97.3 WKWK in Wheeling, late 60s until about 1975
WXIL (95XIL). Began in Parkersburg in 1975 when FM was still new here. It had a 50 SHARE! Some of the best jocks around, including the Dougger/Uncle Dougger, Jim Trefney, Cosmic Jerry Stone and a host of others.
Even though it was based in Bellaire, the old WOMP-FM. After WKWK went to easy listening, WOMP took over and never looked back for many years.
WXIL (95XIL). Began in Parkersburg in 1975 when FM was still new here. It had a 50 SHARE! Some of the best jocks around, including the Dougger/Uncle Dougger, Jim Trefney, Cosmic Jerry Stone and a host of others.
Even though it was based in Bellaire, the old WOMP-FM. After WKWK went to easy listening, WOMP took over and never looked back for many years.
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TarlekInSales
Guest
Speaking of the Dougger, whatever happened to him?
Doug Hoffmann, aka "The Dougger" or "Uncle Dougger" is alive and well and working in New Martinsville in sales for WYMJ/ WETZ (Power Country 104)/WETZ 1330 a.m. (currently simulcasting 99.5 as "Timeless Classics" is no more). BTW, he has been inducted into the West Virginia Radio Hall of Fame for this year! By far, he was the most entertaining air personality I listened to early on. Even now, he is easily in my 'top three.'
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TarlekInSales
Guest
I remember "diggin' the Dougger... he was on WUOK in Cumberland, for awhile.
I only heard the FM KEE 100 version in the early 1980’s. They had a killer bit in the AM. “The Spud Rim Shot Show” and “keep your soap on a rope” song was funny! They also had a very cool overnight guy, I forgot his name. At that time the AM was a very well done country station.gr8oldies said:
History goes back a long way. And, of course, West Virginia's radio scene has always been one of isolation, with each market operating largely-or-completely uninfluenced by anything outside the nearest ridge.
WKWK was a great radio station in the seventies (Mike McVay made a name for himself at 14WK), as were WKEE and WXIL. (BTW, The Dougger also tore up Altoona at WVAM in the early seventies--glad to hear he's doing well). Martinsburg's WKMZ was an excellent CHR in the eighties, and WVAQ has been an outstanding radio station for decades, now--some periods downright great, others still damn good. I always thought that WAJR was a model full-service outfit, too.
Don't forget WQBE and their 30-share days. WJLS deserves a nod or two, as well. And, yeah, wayyyyy back when, WWVA was basically a major-market radio station operating in a small market--they were DAMN good!
WKWK was a great radio station in the seventies (Mike McVay made a name for himself at 14WK), as were WKEE and WXIL. (BTW, The Dougger also tore up Altoona at WVAM in the early seventies--glad to hear he's doing well). Martinsburg's WKMZ was an excellent CHR in the eighties, and WVAQ has been an outstanding radio station for decades, now--some periods downright great, others still damn good. I always thought that WAJR was a model full-service outfit, too.
Don't forget WQBE and their 30-share days. WJLS deserves a nod or two, as well. And, yeah, wayyyyy back when, WWVA was basically a major-market radio station operating in a small market--they were DAMN good!
(1) I remember WKWK from trips to Oglebay Park years ago. A very good station at the time.
(2) WWVA lost a lot of its value when it dumped country for talk. I keep wondering when Clear Channel will officially make it a seventh Pittsburgh station. At least it still runs the preachers and the mine closing announcements.
(3) WVAQ is a good station out of Morgantown. It reminds me a lot of what college town stations sounded like in my younger days.
(4) Driving down to Bluefield some years back, I found the station I really enjoyed best was a station in Nashville (WLAC). I can't think of one that stood out there.
(2) WWVA lost a lot of its value when it dumped country for talk. I keep wondering when Clear Channel will officially make it a seventh Pittsburgh station. At least it still runs the preachers and the mine closing announcements.
(3) WVAQ is a good station out of Morgantown. It reminds me a lot of what college town stations sounded like in my younger days.
(4) Driving down to Bluefield some years back, I found the station I really enjoyed best was a station in Nashville (WLAC). I can't think of one that stood out there.
Speaking of Dougger, I'll put in a vote for The Great 98 out of Fairmont. WFGM was a great low-budget CHR for over a decade in the 80's and 90's. Competed and sometimes beat WVAQ and regularly topped all other stations in the market. It was set in the ideal spot on the dial and geographically since in was smack dab in the center of the Clarksburg-Fairmont-Morgantown market and had the stick on the highest point in Marion County.
Some great talent besides Dougger too. Al Mayo, Aaron Justice, Susan Madsen (RIP), Mark Mayhugh, Marty Scott, Kevin Shane....and the list goes on for quite a while. Not to mention they did sports on FM long before anyone else in the market and were good at it too. Jeff Carpenter was the voice of the North Marion Huskies for many years there working with John Turner and later Al Mayo. Always had a great sounding product.
Some great talent besides Dougger too. Al Mayo, Aaron Justice, Susan Madsen (RIP), Mark Mayhugh, Marty Scott, Kevin Shane....and the list goes on for quite a while. Not to mention they did sports on FM long before anyone else in the market and were good at it too. Jeff Carpenter was the voice of the North Marion Huskies for many years there working with John Turner and later Al Mayo. Always had a great sounding product.
Hoosierky said:
Wow...now that brings back some memories. Didn't KEE (Hit 100) go head to head with 94-WAMX (then at 93.7) for several years until 'AMX became light rock...then oldies and now a very successful country station? I remember WTCR having shares near 40 for a time...now aren't they trailing WDGG (the 100KW blowtorch) in the ratings?
Also - loved the old Super 102 in Charleston back in the day...
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txrad
Guest
Sorry I didn't see this thread earlier, but I would have to nominate WXEE in Welch, which for a brief, shining moment in the early 70's was ridiculously good for such a small market. It had recently been bought by a couple guys from Cleveland (Jerry Davis and Lenny Major) who brought in some great talent. However, it didn't take long to realize there weren't enought dollars in the market to support their overhead, so it became a typical small-market station shortly thereafter.
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[email protected]
Guest
102.7/103.7 WTUS When it first went on the air in 1997. Tight not built by anyone from around here. A cut above the rest....by far...
WKEE FM 100.5 in the late 60's was a regular in Cincinnati with an FM yagi...seemed very strange hearing good top 40 on FM back in the day when most stations were easy listening & signed off at 11PM.
The best station in the 70's were WCLG 1300 Morgantown, Very Strong sound with the "duck"Dick Hatch 6am to 10 am [He went on to do AM drive at WPIT Pittsburgh ] Pat Calahan PM drive went on to 96KX [WXKX pittsburgh}as suit case simpson still doing Radio work in Boston.And in Wheeling Fast Talking WKWK AM FM and Cable TV .
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