When was radio at it's Best

[RobynWattsV2.0]

Don't you mean 99.7 WHTK?

G

No, Q107. While WHTK also played a vital role during and after Hugo as well, Q107 was giving wall-to-wall coverage of storm reports as it was coming ashore. I remember them taking a call on the air from someone who was lucky enough to had crossed the Ben Sawyer Swingbridge to the Isle Of Palms and was describing how high winds had pried the swing span loose, causing it to spin around in the wind uncontrollably until one end of the span crashed into the water. Another incident during the storm was when a staffer at the station went out to their car during the height of the storm and was almost was killed by a falling parking lot light during the attempt. Why Q107 was able to stay on the air longer than the other stations was due to their tower located further inland and the studios were located in North Charleston. Both were a big plus for them since they were able to get back on the air much quicker than the other stations.

Robyn

 

[Gatekeeper007]

Robyn you are correct about Q 107's tower location being an asset back then. I always thought the Ridgeville location was a great site for a tower installation but it seems like some radio people didn't agree with me. They said that it's being inland caused trouble when band openings occurred. One thing I have never been able to get some people to understand is that most of the time there is a natural vapor barrier just off the coast of South Carolina due to the shape of the coastal land mass and water temperatures. This has the effect of most radio signals traveling up and down the coast much better than inland. Trouble is if you place a tower site west of Summerville it is not effected by this condition that much. Therefore Q 107's signal sometimes got squeezed out by costal stations north and or south of Charleston that were on 107 also. Under normal conditions they had one of the greatest signals around covering a very large area but has we all know conditions aren't always normal and this sure seemed to bug the GM at 107 when it was Kat Country. Still even thou it is not used by a radio station today I still believe that the old 107 tower site is one of the best locations around.

 

[quadraphonic]

From Fayetteville, NC (not that far from SC) I'd have to say about 82-88 was the best time for local radio.
All of the dj's and program hosts seemed like they were trying to get to know you better than anyone else was, and to do more to make you listen.
Q98, 94Z, G105, WRDU, Rock92, even WDLX or D-103 for its short ride, or, for an SC nod, The Big DM when it was jamming more than now, everybody seemed like they were having way more fun than they seem like today, and it made you want to listen.

 

[Preacherdude]

93.9 was still local to Forest City and carried every Braves game

93.3.

Yup. Bad proof reading. 93.3.
I miss real radio with turntables, carts, and no computers!
Program logs on paper, transmitter readings every three hours, stressing about doing the power changes on time.
No music playlists, instead following a clock. Being proud of a good segue. Timing out to the news.
Top of the hour ID's, and being taught to do them by the book.
Live all day. Part-timers on weekends. Little stations where new talent can learn, and aspiring to move up to the big AM or FM in town.
The smell of burning coffee in the pot that has been left on all day.
Taking requests.

 

[fortmill]

I have to agree with the majority that radio was much better before deregulation when radio served the public interest, especially during times of disaster.

Case in point: The late Q-107 in Charleston during Hurricane Hugo in September 1989. They've managed to stay on the air giving updates to the area while Hugo made landfall. When it was realized that the staff would not be safe during the storm, they evacuated the studios. When they came back after the storm had passed, they served the area in giving vital information for weeks afterward.

Robyn

Agreed, Q-107 performed an amazing public service during/after Hugo--they should have won some big-time awards, though I don't know if they did. If, Lord Forbid, the area was to suffer another Hugo type storm, I doubt any station would step up like Q-107 did. In answer to the original question, I agree that the 80s was probably radio's heyday in SC. For the first time, the big-three markets had a LOT of stations (and AM was still somewhat viable) and they were all competing like crazy. Guess we'll never see that again.

 

[charlestondxman]

I never was alive for Q-107, but that mammoth signal on 107.5 was big. Could be heard well in Savannah, Charleston, and anywhere S of I-126.

 

[Scooter Lesley]

Well,...congrats there quadraphonic..."Quadri Moto"! You finally submitted a post that made some damn sense!