• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Whatever Happened To?

T

tothedj

Someone on this web site proposed a great idea regarding radio personalities
we all remember.
I mentioned recently whatever happened to Vern Strickland and Ken Tanner?
This time, i have some other names from years ago that i often wonder about,
and i hope to get plenty of posts.
I want to start with Bart Ritner, who was at WPTF radio and a brief time worked
at WPTF-TV when Durham Life Broadcasting owned these.
Next, i often wondered about those i worked with at WEED in Rocky Mount during
the time i was there in the mid 1980's, people like Butch Pindell, Leslie Jordan,
Bryan J. Conners, and Bob Mitchell.
Finally, when WCEC was on the air here, there are two people i can recall,
Rick Roberts and Art Simmons, what are there whereabouts?
This and any other people you remember, let us know...
 
tothedj said:
Someone on this web site proposed a great idea regarding radio personalities
we all remember.
I mentioned recently whatever happened to Vern Strickland and Ken Tanner?
This time, i have some other names from years ago that i often wonder about,
and i hope to get plenty of posts.
I want to start with Bart Ritner, who was at WPTF radio and a brief time worked
at WPTF-TV when Durham Life Broadcasting owned these.
Next, i often wondered about those i worked with at WEED in Rocky Mount during
the time i was there in the mid 1980's, people like Butch Pindell, Leslie Jordan,
Bryan J. Conners, and Bob Mitchell.
Finally, when WCEC was on the air here, there are two people i can recall,
Rick Roberts and Art Simmons, what are there whereabouts?
This and any other people you remember, let us know...
Click to expand...

Let's see Butch Pindell is still in the area at last I heard he was doing something with TV in Wilson I think. BTW, he was the first PD I worked for there at WEED he is a nice guy who gave me a chance and I thank him for that. I also worked with Leslie Jordan (no relation). She was an interesting firecracker. Bryan and Bob I think (one of the two) is/was in Wilmington. The other two at CEC I don't remember. BTW, When did you work at WEED? I started there in Aug of 1986.

Here's one for you where is Bob Inskeep? and his sidekick Rohl<sp>Gorman (aka Zoot).
 
Bart Ritner does some kind of public relations/customer service work for Aluminum Company of NC and from time to time appears on commercials for that company, mostly on AM stations in the Triangle.
 
tothedj said:
I worked at WEED from March of 1983 until early August of 1986, mainly doing
evenings.
Click to expand...

Who knows we may have passed in the office or something in 1986. I didn't go on the air there until the 27th, but I would heve been through the office getting all the forms and stuff taken care of in early August of '86.
 
Last contact I had with Rick Roberts was, I believe in 2004. He was involved in a station in Eastern NC and wanted to pick the broad of our sales manager.

I had the pleasure of working with Rick and Art at WCEC in 1980. Frankly, that station was ahead of it's time.
 
Rick Roberts is actually Rick Mendelson. He is retired and living in Wilson. Rick and I worked together at WBTE/WDJB in Windsor. Then later he & I worked at WVOT for Voyager Communications. Rick went on to manage WMFR in High Point and came back to buy WVOT and we got back together. I left WVOT in 1993. Though our break up was not very good. I will say to this day that he taught me the business end of radio and that is why I have had my current station for 14 years. I owe him a debt of gratitude. About 4 months ago I contacted Rick's wife Jamie and told her that I wanted to patch things up, gave her my number and wanted Rick to call, but it never came and for that I am sorry.
 
magic95.9 said:
Rick Roberts is actually Rick Mendelson. He is retired and living in Wilson.
Click to expand...

Wow, I had no idea Rick was still in Wilson. I haven't seen that guy in years.

Wilson has lost quite a few of it's old-time radio stars over the years. We all know about the recent death of Slim Short, but others include (in no particular order):

Jim Rochelle (WGTM)
Bob Johnson (WGTM, WVOT)
Bill Bunn (WGTM, WVOT)
Mark Six (WGTM)
Thomas Ward (WVOT, WGTM)
Raymond Frazier, AKA Kevin O'neal (WLLY)
Wallace "Wally" Bullock (WLLY)
Jim Lafferty (WVOT)

They were all VERY colorful characters. Those were the days of great, local AM radio in what was then considered a 3 card market.
 
Hey Magic95.9, Reach waaay back to the VOT days. Whatever happened to Dan Mills, intrepid news director? Last I heard he'd left Wilson and moved to Greenville. I haven't heard anything about him in 15 years. I know his family is from Lafayette, LA. I thought about him when Katrina came in.
 
Hey Don,

Well you know Dan was the one who they thought started the fire that burned down WVOT, last I heard he was in Southern California this past week!!!! :D

Actually I have no idea where he is, Susan Jones is in Greenville, I have seen her a few times.

Don, would love to talk to you, got something up my sleeve that may interest you. By the way, for all of you who reads these posts, I should say Don was the best part time announcer we had at WVOT and he should be in major market, smooth delivery and very personalbe on the air, you couldn't help yourself for liking Don.
 
I worked with Rick and Jamie in 1980 at WCEC. That's where they met. I have always had fond memories of those days in Rocky Mount/Wilson. Too bad many markets like that have been consumed by the larger markets like Raleigh.
 
magic95.9 said:
Well you know Dan was the one who they thought started the fire that burned down WVOT, last I heard he was in Southern California this past week!!!! :D
Click to expand...

Ain't torchin',,, er, touching that one! Sorry, Freudian slip.

magic95.9 said:
I should say Don was the best part time announcer we had at WVOT and he should be in major market, smooth delivery and very personalbe on the air, you couldn't help yourself for liking Don.
Click to expand...

Holy crap, how much do I owe you for that one? Thanks! Shoot me an email at [email protected]. Bring more compliments. ;D
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom