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WERC-AM is no more

WHHY-FM 101.9 - while it does have the original calls, they are not continuous.  In 1996, the station flipped to country and changed calls to WJCC - "Cat Country 102."  This lasted 2-3 years before it was back to top-40, WHHY-FM and "Y-102"

The '90s were a weird time for this station.  Nutshell: CHR until 1994, when Larry Stevens bailed for 103.3.  Bill "Birdman" Thomas, came back home to Montgomery to become PD of Y-102.  "The New Y-102" was a classic hits/CHR mashup, and sounded really good.  But Birdman was dying of cancer ... and after he died, the station started drifting.  By 1995, it was closer to modern rock, eventually dropping "Y-102" in favor of the name "Live 101.9" 

In the background, Holt Broadcasting was about to lose the station ... as I understand it, they used WHHY-AM/FM (the AM during all this time was a simul-zombie of the FM) as collateral for a TV station in Tallahassee they'd bought.  It went down, and with it Holt's ownership of WHHY. 

The new owners took it to Cat Country, and I believe it was Cumulus who dusted off the Y-102 name after they acquired it.  (Meanwhile, at the same time WHHY-FM went country, WHHY-AM 1440 switched to ABC Pure Gold)

So I'd say 101.9 is disqualified due to this technicality.  :D

--Russell
 
J Alex Bowab said:
WHEP - yes it is an enigma. Came on 1953, sold to Stewart a few years later. Stewart died some years ago, but his voice is still heard on some intros, promos, etc ... believe his son still runs it. One of their announcers was a retired senior citizen when I met him in 1985; can't imagine how old he is now.
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WHEP = Howard E. Pill. Pill was the longtime manager (owner?) of WSFA Radio in Montgomery. Pill was involved in other stations, but I don't recall which ones. Seems like WGEA/Geneva was one of 'em.

WJDB = J. Dige Bishop. Bishop was the first manager (later owner) of WCTA/Andalusia. Bishop also built WJAM/Marion, WTOT/Marianna (FL), WBMK/West Point (GA) and WABF/Fairhope.
 
Russell W. said:
WHHY-FM 101.9 - while it does have the original calls, they are not continuous. In 1996, the station flipped to country and changed calls to WJCC - "Cat Country 102." This lasted 2-3 years before it was back to top-40, WHHY-FM and "Y-102"

The '90s were a weird time for this station. Nutshell: CHR until 1994, when Larry Stevens bailed for 103.3. Bill "Birdman" Thomas, came back home to Montgomery to become PD of Y-102. "The New Y-102" was a classic hits/CHR mashup, and sounded really good. But Birdman was dying of cancer ... and after he died, the station started drifting. By 1995, it was closer to modern rock, eventually dropping "Y-102" in favor of the name "Live 101.9"

In the background, Holt Broadcasting was about to lose the station ... as I understand it, they used WHHY-AM/FM (the AM during all this time was a simul-zombie of the FM) as collateral for a TV station in Tallahassee they'd bought. It went down, and with it Holt's ownership of WHHY.

The new owners took it to Cat Country, and I believe it was Cumulus who dusted off the Y-102 name after they acquired it. (Meanwhile, at the same time WHHY-FM went country, WHHY-AM 1440 switched to ABC Pure Gold)

So I'd say 101.9 is disqualified due to this technicality. :D

--Russell
Click to expand...

The Cat Country days on 101.9 is why I didn't include them on my list. :)
 
Charles1 said:
The Cat Country days on 101.9 is why I didn't include them on my list. :)
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I saw WHHY-FM on someone else's addition to your list ... I forget who.

It's easy to forget that odd little chapter in the life of 101.9, though.

-RW
 
Oldies 1070 WAPI ???????????????????
 
WAPI-AM was never oldies. They were AC/full-service throughout much of the '70's and into the '80's, even after Magic 96 came along. They finally went to Adult Standards in '85 when WSGN became WZZK-AM (what a waste of a signal for 610 from '85 until they went back to standards as WEZN in '98, IMHO).
 
IN 1982 WAPI AM did some oldies weekends when I was talking to Margert Barker about a job in thre news dept.
 
iN 1982 WAPI am when on highland av did some oldies shows at night , on thr weekend,s , could have been a test, I hace some of the airchecks of that. But anything could happen, wow talk moving to fe and music back to am, but for the old erc is so they can have a fm sig.
 
On that, I stand corrected. The only AM stations that did oldies full-time, though, were WYDE, WCRT and WVOK.

As far as part-time oldies, Ward McIntyre hosted a show on WSGN that was on Wednesday nights in the early '80's...complete with breaking out the PAMS jingles from the mid to late '60's.
 
yes ,I loved that, and I have most of the jingles from wsgn pams 32 and 33 as well as most stations in bham , my time working in radio ,I almost always got a copy of the jingles, even wbrc radio, I love that stuff.Would be great to see wapi do oldies
 
Charles1 said:
WAPI-AM was never oldies. They were AC/full-service throughout much of the '70's and into the '80's, even after Magic 96 came along. They finally went to Adult Standards in '85 when WSGN became WZZK-AM (what a waste of a signal for 610 from '85 until they went back to standards as WEZN in '98, IMHO).
Click to expand...

WAPI was standards before '85. WAPI dropped the AC/full service format in July, '83 to change to their version of adult standards called "Hit Parade" (I have some airchecks of WAPI during its "Hit Parade" days). From Feb. '84 until October of that year, Birmingham had three adult standards stations: WAPI, WTWG "Stardust 1220" and WSGN with "Real Music". All three of them couldn't survive. WTWG dropped its standards format in October of '84 after selling out to Good News Broadcasting Co. a Christian organization which took the station to a MOR christian format (as WAYE). WAPI soon bailed out of the adult standards race a few months later in January '85 and went back to adult contemporary, then turned around 3 months later and went back to adult standards to fill the void when WSGN dropped "Real Music" and became country WZZK-AM.
 
It was sad to see wsgn die like that
 
rangerscotty said:
It was sad to see wsgn die like that
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It sure was. I was listening the night WSGN signed off. What a waste for Katz Broadcasting to throw a simulcast of 'ZZK on 610 all those years.
 
I'd have loved to hear the old PAMS jingles and what-not from WSGN; that was before my time. I grew up with 610 being WZZK and not knowing the great history.

WCRT seemed to be my station of choice as a kid, while others my age were seeking out rock and top 40 music on FM. They were the first station I ever called… I won a Temptations album on one of those newfangled CDs. My parents didn't have a player yet! I think I kept it for several months before my father finally broke down and got a CD player and some CDs from Musicland in the Galleria. I don't think it was too much later that they flipped to the business format.
 
Zach said:
I'd have loved to hear the old PAMS jingles and what-not from WSGN; that was before my time.  I grew up with 610 being WZZK and not knowing the great history.
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Zach, be very careful what you wish for.    ;D

Right now I'm working on little project for an upcoming addition to the "Radio Clip of the month" feature on my site:

http://www.birminghamrewound.com/features/this_month.htm

There's some vintage WSGN on there, as well as top-40 ERC (the day it flipped from MOR), and others. 

--Russell
 
WHHY-FM 101.9 - while it does have the original calls, they are not continuous. In 1996, the station flipped to country and changed calls to WJCC - "Cat Country 102." This lasted 2-3 years before it was back to top-40, WHHY-FM and "Y-102"
Click to expand...
I didn't realize that as I was strictly working off the Broadcasting Yearbooks on David's site (never thought about a station flipping its calls back). ::)

I never lived in Montgomery, but my dad grew up there and had a Sunday afternoon radio program on WSFA radio in the late 30's when they were located in the Jefferson Davis Hotel (Now, THAT'S going back!). I have a couple of old 16" transcriptions of his show (not in the best condition).
 
Charles1 said:
Can't wait to hear it next week, Russell. Good stuff as always.
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Thanks, all, for the kind words.

This month, for those who haven't yet visited (for shame!), I've posted an old ca. 1943 transcription from WAPI featuring Stanleigh Malotte, who jockeyed the Mighty Wurlitzer at the Alabama back in her glory days. As to what I referred last week, THAT little project is still on the digital splicing block and will be finished soon. Stay tuned ... or, I should say, stay bookmarked. ;D

--Russell
 
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