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What Radio Station from what era would you bring back.

J

J Alex Bowab

I'm a newcomer to this forum, so I dunno if the topic has been covered before ... but since I spent some time in Chicago in the 60's I look occasionally at that market's forum. They had a great topic, which drew a lot of participation, and I wondered if the Sissimippi forum hasn't done it yet, some of you may want to consider offering your thoughts on What Radio Station from a previous era would you bring back -- if you could access a time machine. From my time in Jackson (1971-79) I know that many would say WZZQ or WJDX.
 
It would be too easy to give the obvious answers like WJDX, WQID in the Mickey Coulter era, WJDQ under Larry Fuss, so I'll demurrer to those. Let's look to some lesser-known, but still excellent stations for the time (particularly for the markets they were in):

How 'bout WKNZ/Collins about 1982?

Really obscure: WKKY/Pascagoula when it was a 500-Watt daytimer on 1460 under a young Nick Bazoo?

104.9/Centreville about 1984. In the middle of NOWHERE, but still not too shabby.

WTYL/Tylertown also about that time. A bit corny-sounding, to be sure. But, they truly exemplified community service broadcasting.

(Just so I get one north of I-20 in) Maybe KZ-103/Tupelo when it was still on 103.5.

WSJC/810 Magee about 1988. I miss the radio stylings of Lavelle. Don't we all?

DE
 
DeadElvis said:
It would be too easy to give the obvious answers like WJDX, WQID in the Mickey Coulter era, WJDQ under Larry Fuss, so I'll demurrer to those. Let's look to some lesser-known, but still excellent stations for the time (particularly for the markets they were in):
WTYL/Tylertown also about that time. A bit corny-sounding, to be sure. But, they truly exemplified community service broadcasting.
DE
Click to expand...
One year I was in charge of Radio Awards for MAB and this station jumped out at me as seemingly winning every category in its class. Definitely small town, but WTYL was obviously a reflection of the community.

From my experience, Starkville radio (WSSO and WKOR) in the 70's was exceptional from the standpoint of talent level for a small market. Competition of college town radio offered a good preparation for bigger markets.
 
13-WRBC! But only if they could be in that funky old concrete cathedral radio on N. State Street. From the era when your friendly Uncle Walt did the mornings, Harry Nelson the afternoons, and Rick Shannon (Dr. Grady Brock) rocked the nights!
 
Definately Q-101 Meridian during the entire 90's. They ruled that city from the contemporary spectrum. The only other station in the market was WOKK(country) Oh, there were other signals, just 2 players from a $$ standpoint. Great presentation, jocks, street presence.
 
We all have feelings for the radio stations we were first exposed to. So I would bring back 3 stations. WRBC and WJXN when they were both rock n' roll fighting each other in Jackson. But the grand daddy of them all, which covered all of south Miss. in the daytime with their 50,000 watts from New Orleans: WNOE. That's my all-time favorite. I would stay home from high school, put the clock radio in the window in Jackson, and L-I-S-T-E-N! All day. I'm fortunate to have later had my voice on all three.
 
On a clear day I used to listen to WTIX AM and WNOE in Brandon. Great stations. I really miss all those old stations with the real disk jockeys. Today everthing sounds like all prerecorded voice tracks and excessive self promotions and annoying positioning statements. boring. yuck.
 
Hands down...it's gotta be 62-JDX from the 70's complete with "Burt & Kurt" and 'The Flying J"
Nice to know that Randy Bell is still around. Loved listening to 62-JDX when visiitng my Aunts there in Jackson. Kurt's voice imitations truely gave you a feel for the colorful characters of Jackson and Mississippi. The station related so much to it's local market...a novel concept lost in these days of "franchise corporate radio."
 
Those voices were great. Jay-ree clower, "The Senator", Red Wood, Mohammad Walli", etc. I still remember that "remote" where they broadcast live from Byrum and Red Wood was to pull and Evil kenevil and jump a bulldozer over the Pearl River. I would love to find a tape of that bit. I know it exist. I had a college roomate that had a vinyl copy of it. Not sure where he got it. JDX just wasn't the same after they left. Its really a shame what radio has been reduced to these days. Its just not any fun anymore. Its almost like the few disk jockeys left are just talking to themselves because most people I know may have the radio on but are really not listening too it.
 
Not to strike up a debate, but I hear a lot of "used to be", and "good old days" stories and I agree to a point. Back when many of these stations were in their "hay day" there werent as many stations in the market, and not as many entertainment choices to dissect audiences. The stations of the day were indeed extraordinary and talent heavy, but there was a building full of people doing a lot fewer things than skeletal staffs are doing now. The main reason I'm writing this is that sometimes when reading posts on this site, you'd think nobody listens to radio anymore, and maybe a lot of RADIO people dont. But radio listenership is UP. 262 MILLION people listen to radio every week. There are only a little over 300 Million in this country. Pretty good sampling by my math. Thanks for allowing me to vent.
 
People DO listen to the radio these days, but seems everyone complains about it. If these station owners would listen to these complaint and fix them, instead of accusing the complainers with having too much time on their hands, maybe we would have radio stations that sounded better in both technical quality and in talent. Since radio stations do what they do "because they can" most listeners don't bother to complain because it won't do any good anyway, they just get disgusted and fire up the Ipod.

WXXX in Hattisburg and WDDT in Greenwood were cool stations.
I also liked the brief existence of WZRX 1590 when it was album rock, I liked it until they switched it to hair metal as Z-Rock. Plus I had AM stereo back then. Sounded good.
 
You mention WDDT, and it certainly had its moments. Many people graced the airwaves of Greenville, Jackson, Hattiesburg, Starkville, Biloxi, etc. on their way to greatness in the big time... and they weren't necessarily any better where they wound up than they were when we got to hear them here. At WKOR I worked with John "Boogie" Bailey in 1975. Within 3 years he was doing morning drive in Chicago. At WJDX, I worked with Dennis Jon Bailey (2 different "John" Baileys). Within 2 years he was at WRKO, Boston. From Ron Lundy (WDDT to WABC), Gene Wooten (WQID to WPLJ), to Harry Nelson and Gerry Peterson Cagle (both legends at RKO stations East and West coast)... we got to hear some of the greatest talents at stations where they had their freedom to be creative, grow and learn, and make us proud!
 
I'm sure you meant to say WDDT was in Greenville, not Greenwood ... call letters stood for its newspaper owner, Delta Democrat Times.
 
Having grown up in the Pine Belt the best memories when I was a kid was:
1) WBKH - 950 / My grandmother would listen to this country station religiously when Jimmy Swan did mornings. Many old-timers like me remember Jimmy as much as a country/bluegrass bandleader and a featured performer on WDAM-TV's Thursday night prime time programme "McCaffery's Showtime". He would often have his son appear on-air when he was a kid; that kid still heads out "1 mile north of Eastabuchie on U.S. Highway 11" every day as the long time ND at "That DAM-TV station!"

2) WXXX - 1310 / If you wanted Top 40 in Hattiesburg during the daytime, this was the place to turn to. Fine jocks, great production (O'Brien, Craig Dale, Rob Neal, Jackson Walker, among others). Although he would probably rather us not remember these days as he has been a long time evangicial Christian, Jim Cameron would voice some GREAT commercials for "The STOOOOOOOONE TOOOAD!"

AND...while I'm here, a former collegue of mine from our days at WHER-FM when it was easy listening is asking all of our friends and her listeners throughout the Pine Belt to nominate her to be selected as the female radio broadcaster who would guest co-host with Regis Philbin for a day! Sherri Marengo does double duty as AM drive host on WHER-FM "Eagle 103", and later in the day on WNSL-FM "SL-100", and I believe she is PD for one or both of them. Anyway, Sherri has been part of the Hub City radio scene for nearly 30 years is a wonderful individual with a lot of talent. Sadly, I am not in the Pine Belt and am unable to nominate her. If you are there, let your friends know and pass the word:

Nominee must be nominated by a home listener ("nominator"). Nominator must provide the name of the nominated Broadcaster, the radio station call letters, city and state of the station where the nominee works. If possible, a web address or link to picture, biography and a video or audio clip of the nominee may be included.

Go to the site http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/regisandkelly/contests/cohostsearch10/index.html
 
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