What ever happened to Bill Struck?

[callletters]

I always loved the way the old WTUE was programmed. Chart numbers 40-35 were always the third record of every hour. Numbers 34-29 were always at a quarter till, and were never played after 3:00 pm, to make way for album cuts. I didn't know it at the time, but I caught the end of Bill Struck's last show. He ended it by saying, "The Bill Struck era is over", followed by the sound of an explosion. He supposedly visited the station once in '74 when Bill Lyons was sick, and that's the last time I ever heard his voice.

Also, does anyone know what WTUE sounded like during the day in '68 and '69? All I remember is that it didn't catch my attention.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Bill Struck (remember when he'd play an oldie & say Bill Struck Gold?) worked in Denver for a long time, retiring in the past couple of years. I emailed him & he actually remembered this high school kid from Cincy who was a big WONE-FM fan back in the day. I want to say he worked for Clear Channel. WTUE came in around 1971...before then it was WONE-FM, automated Top 40 in living mono, but in 1970, with live afternoons featuring Bill Struck. That covered at least 1969 through the Rock Of Dayton's inception. That was my first taste of FM top 40 & it was executed very well...not to say I never listened to music on AM again...I continued that into the late 70's, but WTUE...it was a gem & my heart sunk when they went AOR in the early summer of 1975... Jason Baby Roberts frequents this board...I'd bet he'll weigh in on this topic...

 

[robmadden1]

WONE-FM Call letters are now used on 97.5 in the Akron/Canton area. I grew up in Cleveland and listened to 97.5 as a kid.

Heres thier site:

http://www.wone.net/

 

[KFodor]

Bill Struck (remember when he'd play an oldie & say Bill Struck Gold?) worked in Denver for a long time, retiring in the past couple of years. I emailed him & he actually remembered this high school kid from Cincy who was a big WONE-FM fan back in the day. I want to say he worked for Clear Channel. WTUE came in around 1971...before then it was WONE-FM, automated Top 40 in living mono, but in 1970, with live afternoons featuring Bill Struck. That covered at least 1969 through the Rock Of Dayton's inception. That was my first taste of FM top 40 & it was executed very well...not to say I never listened to music on AM again...I continued that into the late 70's, but WTUE...it was a gem & my heart sunk when they went AOR in the early summer of 1975... Jason Baby Roberts frequents this board...I'd bet he'll weigh in on this topic...

Jason "Baby" is not me (but you're right, he does frequent this board, so he may want to fill in the blanks here). Nonetheless:

I recently interviewed Terry Wood (former WONE PD and later AM-FM Ops Manager). The full interview is on the Dayton Broadcasters Hall Of Fame website on the "media page". (It takes a couple of minutes to load.)

During the interview, he admitted as to how the station kind-of "backed in" to playing rock full time on FM. The station was originally automated. And yes, it started out as live for about 6 hours a day. Station poo-bahs said they would go more live as they got billing on the FM. Slowly, it expanded. Then, eventually, a decision was made to "brand" the station, hence the beginnings of WTUE, (they called it Dayton's "One/Tue Punch" back then). He told me the station did well for a number of years before the higher-ups decided the album rock route had more potential, which led to the format switch in August, 1975.

I've also read elsewhere (and I'm not sure of the truth of this), that at one time, Group One owned the call letters "WTWO" for the FM station, but sold them to another station before 'TUE came along.

I posted some new WONE/WTUE stuff on the media page at the Dayton Broadcaster's Hall Of Fame website, and I have recently come into some more stuff, too. I'll try and post what I haven't gotten to yet ASAP.

However, I PDF'd a copy of an old WTUE "Top 40 Tune Index" from 1972 that was donated to the website. If you want your very own copy, all you have to do is print it off! It's yours for the askin'!

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Fascinating site Jason...Boy did I have a different picture in mind of what the WTUE air studio was like! I had a large, state of the art studio pictured based on the GREAT sounding product that was WTUE. To find out that there were probably equally well equipped pirate stations in the day is a powerful testimony to the air & programming staff of the early 1970's WTUE. To think that great 50,000 watt rick of Dayton came from what appears to be a large closet sized studio.

There is a station that has the record library in the studio to this day...WSLM in Salem,IN. And some of the records are 78's...or they were just a few years ago.

 

[hipporadio]

I remember Bill Struck on 104.7 from my days with my FIRST stereo FM component receiver from Radio Shack bought from lawn-mowing money [fantastically, that STA-77 is still alive 'n kickin' today]... Bill was afternoons, IIRC on WONE, when the station was mostly automated. What jars my mind was his “hit-bound” proclamation of Mas.hmak.han’s “As Years Go BY”—sounded like Track 3 from "The Munsters TV Show" soundtrack. It was a song that barely-charted in the Fall of 1970, but was frequently played by the emerging WONE. Until I purchased it a few yews ago for 99-cents on the Collectables site, the only recording I had of it was on an original 1970 cassette record-push on my first ancient RCA cassette recorder... BTW, I hauled it out for a nostalgic listen after reading this post

My first exposure to WONE-FM was in the summer of 1969 while visiting a riverside Dayton park. They were an “effortless hit music station” – automated at the time... The first song I heard on it was Andy Kim’s “Baby I Love YOU”.... Struck later played it in late 1970 as a "Bill Struck Gold feature".

‘TUE did MUCH BETTER a few years later... 'Rest is history!

 

[callletters]

With me, the first song was Big Yellow Taxi by The Neighborhood, when they actually had a countdown on Mondays at 5:00.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

I went to the Montgomery County Fair to see WONE-FM broadcast live...met Dave Michaels (who I later worked with at WCSI). This was before their 50KW stereo days...what were they? 14,500 watts mono? But it was a magic moment seeing their 4 channel mono Sparta remote board with Three Dog Night - Liar playing through it...from a 45 of course!

Hippo...I still have my 45 of Mashmakan from back in the day...as well as my WTUE Super Tue 45 with the WTUE Jock greetings on the flip side. I won that gem on Record Recall. That station died an early death...and for the last few months, you could tell that the morale was zero...I suspect the jocks saw the writing on the wall long before the end. Somewhere I have a cassette of Bill Struck counting down at least part of the top songs of 1970...including his moving intro over 1970's #1 song on his countdown...Bill opened up his pipes fully when he screamed WAR!!!!!!!

 

[Radio Fish Heads]

Answers to some of the questions ! Bill Struck retired from CC Bownsville, Tx
area stations ; he was over three of them at the time --- I think. Bill is living
back in Denver, Co as to be close to his kids, and Grand-children. Fully retired
from Radio. He did tell me, he is working for the Public TV station there on a
part time basis. I have a good Collectors edition of the Top 500 playlist WTUE
put out with the Jock pics on it..... Contact me if you want a copy. Its legal
paper size. Some message boards have some "things NOT correct with respect
to what happened to WTUE in the final top-40 CHR days..."

Group One Broadcasting brought Art Wander into town from Akron, Ohio ; the
home base for the Company. Art told Dave Michaels of the up coming change
in the format . Dave was not happy with the idea; but this was already a done
deal from the Home Office. The following things happened next.
Art Wander hired Patti Spitler for mornings from WVUD
Bawana Johnny had already quit - went to Florida 1st, than to Dallas, Tx. ( died )
Scott Brody...Al Morgan...Sean McKay....Greg Mason all left on their own
Bill Lyons...Billy Daniels...were fired
Dave Michaels was offered a job at KLZ radio in Denver with Bill Struck; he turned
it down and was fired by Don Kidwell....
Before that happened however----Art Wander hired Chuck Browning from WMMS
in Cleveland as PD....( this ushered in a whole new group of AOR jocks to WTUE
Radio....)
Its funny; there was a little restaurant on the corner ; right under the Manpower
Bldg. right where the WONE-WTUE studios were, and Terry Wood and Art Wander
and Dave Michaels had the last supper there . Actually it was breakfast ! Wood
was trying to talk Dave into going to Denver to work with Struck-- becuase he
knew the Ax was going to fall shortly...
And the next day, he was fired. Radio is beautiful ! Last question ---- NO there
was NOT ( 2 ) Jason Roberts on WTUE CHR radio; only one. He was the youngest
of the air staff .... he also called himself at times --- Jason Baby Roberts etc.....
The rumor was he was fired by Terry Wood . We never really knew why ? Maybe
someday "he" will tell us !!!!! Wood could be a jerk at times; everyone knew that.
He had a temper. Trust me ! Where the news people are today I don't know ;
Bill Carney, Kent Scott, Phil Easley , Don ? , ( John London now at TV 5, has
been for years, and Dennis Jensen at 9 for years....both worked there in the day.
The End.....

 

[Radio Fish Heads]

Also........"Pete Boston" was let go....he went to Channel 22 ( Dayton ) as a
sales person for awhile, than moved back to La La land ( California )...........
Someone told me; he was killed by a jealous husband ..... it may NOT be a
joke..... and Dominics' restaurant - across from the fairground ( Farhills ) was
a hangout for Pete, Danny Clover, Chris Cage, Dave Michaels, Lyle Steig and
Mary Rae Dopke , and some of Daytons' more night time people; also the Phone
Booth Lounge.....many memories. Loretta Switt ( from Mash ) was in Dominics
one night for Kenley Cast party after the show, and Pete Boston went over
to her table, and told her how big of a fan he was ; Danny CLover and Michaels
were in a booth with him , I think Pete got her autograph. He was like that !!
Turk Logan at Grubb Steak ( at the Bar ), and Malcolm - Club House 22 also
there.... thoes were great years In "The Gem City".....

 

[KyDXIn]

There is a station that has the record library in the studio to this day...WSLM in Salem,IN. And some of the records are 78's...or they were just a few years ago.

I'm about 15 miles from there, and while never visited the place, I've heard it must be like a studio setup from the 60's or before. Maybe someone could buy the place and turn it into a living radio museum? Wouldn't it be cool to have a "you say it- we play it" station?

 

[callletters]

Dylan West seemed to have the most trouble with the new format, and I think he had to launch it. What happened to him?

 

[BobOnTheJob]

There is a station that has the record library in the studio to this day...WSLM in Salem,IN. And some of the records are 78's...or they were just a few years ago.

I'm about 15 miles from there, and while never visited the place, I've heard it must be like a studio setup from the 60's or before. Maybe someone could buy the place and turn it into a living radio museum? Wouldn't it be cool to have a "you say it- we play it" station?

Take a tour of WSLM...they welcome visitors...you haven't lived until you've seen the innards of Radio Ridge...

 

[KFodor]

Fascinating site Jason...Boy did I have a different picture in mind of what the WTUE air studio was like! I had a large, state of the art studio pictured based on the GREAT sounding product that was WTUE. To find out that there were probably equally well equipped pirate stations in the day is a powerful testimony to the air & programming staff of the early 1970's WTUE. To think that great 50,000 watt rick of Dayton came from what appears to be a large closet sized studio.

There is a station that has the record library in the studio to this day...WSLM in Salem,IN. And some of the records are 78's...or they were just a few years ago.

The original WTUE air studio was the first room off to the right of the elevator when you arrived on the second floor of 11 South Wilkinson. When I went to work at the station in 1976 (which proves I'm not "Jason Baby"...he's actually Mark Elliott - not his real name - who made a big splash on the old WDJX-FM), the room was pretty much the way it appears in the 1972 photo on the website.

Though, you may think it looks somewhat trashy, the old rotary pot Sparta console was state of the art for that day and age...so, too the turntables. (The old Rek-O-Kut tonearms were about industry standard then.)
The "dual microphones" in the picture are kind of interesting - even the mikes were "stereo" then. About the only thing that seemed kind-of "old" in the shots are the Tapecaster cart machines that you had to engage with the "slide handle" to the right of the decks. By then the hot new cart decks were ITC triple bangers that were in place at stations like WING by around 1972 or 1973.

Sometime after the Top 40 format went away, the 'TUE studio was relocated to a room off to the left of the elevator, back down from the old WONE control room. There was a production studio between the two control rooms. And, of course, the "new" 'TUE control room featured the ever popular closet with the ladder to the roof. And that's as far as I'll take that story, to protect the innocent.

As for me - I worked in the WONE/WTUE newsroom for about 2 years or so. Appeared as myself on both stations. There were never 2 "Jason's" on WTUE. I adopted the name years later, around 1985 or so.

By the way: some of you older folks who might be interested - the old WONE Top 40 record library, at least what didn't go to 'TUE as "oldies" ended up in Wilmington, Ohio at WDHK-FM. I know...I played a lot of records there with WONE stickers all over them. One of the "people with interest" in the station once worked for WONE during its' top 40 days. I'm not sure how he ended up with all the records...I just know many of them ended up in the Wilmington studios at 333 W. Clinton Avenue.

I ended up with a few of the old WTUE 45's myself - I forget who it was, but someone was taking a trash bag full of them out to the dumpster one day when I pulled into the parking lot. Like any self-respecting DJ at the time, I said "don't throw that out - throw it in my car"! Sorry, but I got rid of my 45's ten or more years ago...

 

[KFodor]

Dylan West seemed to have the most trouble with the new format, and I think he had to launch it. What happened to him?

Dylan West (aka Rick West) was on WONE when I worked there. (Don't know about 'TUE). He left to become PD at WBZI-FM in Xenia where he attempted to launch a "young country" format there. I know. He hired me to do afternoons at the station in December, 1980. It was more of an "album country" format leaned young.

Though the format was not exactly a ratings killer at that particular time, it's worth noting that the station was very big, very early on listener-wise with artists like Alabama and Hank Williams, Jr. I think Rick was just ahead of his time with this one - by 1989 the young country movement hit big time with artists like Randy Travis, Alan Jackson and, of course, Garth Brooks. Rick understood at the time that country's demos were beginning to gray in the early to mid 80's and a correction of some type was needed, lest the format go the way of "beautiful music".

 

[KFodor]

Answers to some of the questions ! Bill Struck retired from CC Bownsville, Tx
area stations ; he was over three of them at the time --- I think. Bill is living
back in Denver, Co as to be close to his kids, and Grand-children. Fully retired
from Radio. He did tell me, he is working for the Public TV station there on a
part time basis. I have a good Collectors edition of the Top 500 playlist WTUE
put out with the Jock pics on it..... Contact me if you want a copy. Its legal
paper size. Some message boards have some "things NOT correct with respect
to what happened to WTUE in the final top-40 CHR days..."

Group One Broadcasting brought Art Wander into town from Akron, Ohio ; the
home base for the Company. Art told Dave Michaels of the up coming change
in the format . Dave was not happy with the idea; but this was already a done
deal from the Home Office. The following things happened next.
Art Wander hired Patti Spitler for mornings from WVUD
Bawana Johnny had already quit - went to Florida 1st, than to Dallas, Tx. ( died )
Scott Brody...Al Morgan...Sean McKay....Greg Mason all left on their own
Bill Lyons...Billy Daniels...were fired
Dave Michaels was offered a job at KLZ radio in Denver with Bill Struck; he turned
it down and was fired by Don Kidwell....
Before that happened however----Art Wander hired Chuck Browning from WMMS
in Cleveland as PD....( this ushered in a whole new group of AOR jocks to WTUE
Radio....)
Its funny; there was a little restaurant on the corner ; right under the Manpower
Bldg. right where the WONE-WTUE studios were, and Terry Wood and Art Wander
and Dave Michaels had the last supper there . Actually it was breakfast ! Wood
was trying to talk Dave into going to Denver to work with Struck-- becuase he
knew the Ax was going to fall shortly...
And the next day, he was fired. Radio is beautiful ! Last question ---- NO there
was NOT ( 2 ) Jason Roberts on WTUE CHR radio; only one. He was the youngest
of the air staff .... he also called himself at times --- Jason Baby Roberts etc.....
The rumor was he was fired by Terry Wood . We never really knew why ? Maybe
someday "he" will tell us !!!!! Wood could be a jerk at times; everyone knew that.
He had a temper. Trust me ! Where the news people are today I don't know ;
Bill Carney, Kent Scott, Phil Easley , Don ? , ( John London now at TV 5, has
been for years, and Dennis Jensen at 9 for years....both worked there in the day.
The End.....

WONE/WTUE News Director Kent Scott is out of radio. He lives in Seattle, Washington and is quite happy. He does stay in touch...I heard from him by e-mail (since he was my boss for a couple of years) last year.

 

[Radio Fish Heads]

Will the "real Jason Roberts" please stand up...from the Rock of Dayton days
WTUE....
Looked at the time
Young ( was 19 I was told )
Glasses
Face may still have been broken out ( no offense )
Kinda of nervous - alittle when cracking the Mic ---maybe hyper
Great Screamer ---- funny
Does the "Paula Schroyer" ring a bell ?
Come on ----Jason ---talk to us !!!!!
The Fish

 

[KyDXIn]

The original WTUE air studio was the first room off to the right of the elevator when you arrived on the second floor of 11 South Wilkinson. When I went to work at the station in 1976 (which proves I'm not "Jason Baby"...he's actually Mark Elliott - not his real name - who made a big splash on the old WDJX-FM), the room was pretty much the way it appears in the 1972 photo on the website.

Was this the WDJX in Louisville, KY? I kinda sorta remember an Elliott there, but I was more into country then.

Here is a site devoted to the history of WDJX. Check out the aircheck. http://www.lkyradio.com/WDJX.htm

 

[KFodor]

The original WDJX-FM was in Xenia, Ohio...studios originally on Kinsey Road. (Not the same building as the old WBZI/WGIC).

Geoff Vargo was the GM...Buddy Scott (yes, that Buddy Scott) was the original PD. The station was at 103.9 (where the X resides today.) The intent was to fill the CHR hole left by WTUE's exit from Top 40 and to be an FM competitor to WING (which was about the closest thing you had to Top 40, even though they were leaning more and more adult at the time.) Some really good jocks moved through that facility in a fairly rapid succession during those CHR days. (I've even been told yakker Glenn Beck was a morning host for about a month or so).

I don't exactly remember the day they debuted...I wanna think it was late 1970's, perhaps. (Help...Mark aka Jason Baby...save me here!) But they debuted with an early promotion called "The Death Of AM Radio"...giving away FM car converters (which was actually a smart...and cheap...promotion). But, if I remember right, the station, though a Class A in Xenia, debuted with a 6 share 12 plus.

The studios, and tower later moved closer to town into Beavercreek. And later, the tower was successfully moved to Dayton.

The station filled the CHR hole until, I believe, Alan Gray bought the station from Arnold Malkin (the original owner), after which time it became "Majic 104", later "Oldies 104", later "The River", etc...etc...etc.

Louisville took over the call letters after Beavercreek's WDJX gave up those calls.

I would still love to find an aircheck of Dayton's WDJX. It's apparently a fairly hard aircheck to find. But that station was very significant for a number of years to Dayton radio and thus, I'd love to have it for the Dayton Broadcasters Hall Of Fame site.

 

[callletters]

Jason, think "We Will Rock You". As far as DJ's go, Dave Lyons comes to mind instantly! The all Beatles marathon they tested with was great too.