Whilst perusing old Tennesseans in the microfilm

[NashRadio]

room of the downtown library, I came across the article "FM Dial Full for Midstate Listeners" in a special radio section 5/16/65 [If this has been brought up before- I mean the article, I know we've discussed history- I apologize]

90.3 WPLN 15kw "Brahms, John Cage, Shakespearian drama, children, UT sports [joking]"
92.3 WKBJ, Milan 28.5kw (no elaboration)
93.3 WJIG, Tullahoma 3.6kw (ditto)
94.3 WDBL, Springfield 3kw simulcasts AM "entertainment, information, farm reports, housewives recipes," blocks of c&w, pop + r&b
94.3 WPTN, Cookeville 3kw
95.5 WLWM 20kw "pop standards, folk, big band, jazz"
95.9 WDXE Lawrenceburg 3kw
95.9 WRHM Livingston 3kw
96.3 WMTS, the 'Boro "easy listening music, news, local sports, Chicago White Sox [wha? not joking], late night jazz"
97.9 WSIX 100kw vertical, 100kw horizontal (!) "block programming": "classics, jazz, news specials, & documentaries with historical references"
98.3 WHUB, Cookeville 1.5kw
99.3 WDXL, Lexington 3kw
99.7 WMSR, Jackson 19kw
100.1 WFLT, Franklin 0.9kw [same as today?]
101.7 WHNR, McMinnville 3k
102.3 WIRJ, Humboldt 3kw
102.3 WDKN, Dickson 3kw "1 year old!" "Swap & Shop, ladies features, news, c&w to r&b" at night: "good standards, local sports"
102.9 WHAL, Shelbyville [pronounced: sheh-vul] 29kw
103.3 WNFO 19kw "sports, city council meetings, Dixie Flyers games, Brentwood Horse Show, standards"
104.1 WTJS, Jackson 50kw
104.5 WFMG, Gallatin 20kw [There was an ad on the facing page: "Coming 5/26,/ 50,000 watts/ from Music Mountain USA/ Middle Tennessee's Favorite/ (ask anyone)/ WFMG/ Gallatin Tennessee]"
105.5 WSMT, Sparta 3kw
105.9 WLAC 100kw vertical, 100kw horizontal (2!) "George Shearling [who?] to Roger Miller 'The Nashville Sound', 'the Sound of Music', CBS news"
106.7 WKTA, McKenzie 7.1kw
107.3 WCOR, Lebanon 3kw

Pretty much the same 45 years later!

 

[anotherguyTN]

I'm surprised at there being a listing for WMSR 99.7 in Jackson. Considering that this is the same frequency as WMC-FM in Memphis, who was running at 300K watts, was this actually possible? Is it possible that it was on another frequency and a misprint? I was a kid at the time so I really don't know.

 

[w9wi]

I'm surprised at there being a listing for WMSR 99.7 in Jackson. Considering that this is the same frequency as WMC-FM in Memphis, who was running at 300K watts, was this actually possible? Is it possible that it was on another frequency and a misprint? I was a kid at the time so I really don't know.

City is wrong, it should be Manchester. It's the station that's today (W)WTN.

Is 106.7 for WKTA correct? Today it's on 106.9, but it wouldn't be the only frequency change on that list!

For what it's worth, WMC-FM isn't protected from interference any further than it would be if it was running just 100k.

 

[Journeyman]

105.9 WLAC 100kw vertical, 100kw horizontal (2!) "George Shearling [who?] to Roger Miller 'The Nashville Sound', 'the Sound of Music', CBS news"

Light Jazz piano picker

 

[TheBigA]

It's George Shearing. Not Shearling. Anyone from Bell Buckle will tell you what a shearling is.

But George Shearing was a blind piano player. Amazingly still alive at 90:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Shearing

Surprised to see 95.5 as WLWM. Always thought it was WSM-FM. I'm just way to young. I see National Life shut the FM down in 1951, and returned the license to the FCC. Amazing. Then years later, realized "Holy crap? What were we thinking?" That's like when your mama threw out all your baseball cards as a kid.

Nice of 103.3 to air city council meetings. Talk about compelling programming.

Also interesting that PLN's format hasn't changed much. I bet the UT sports was NOT a joke.

I love things like this.

 

[K4WRF]

At one time, WTJS was on 99.7 and was moved to 104.1 by Scripps Howard so that WMC could improve their coverage at. Not sure of the time frame but late 50's might be right. All of the documentation was still at WTJS as of about 15 years ago.

 

[Tibbs4]

Seems like I remember seeing those old call letters for WSM-FM. Watt may have mentioned that a while back
.
I also remember the two Cookevegass stations being 3 kw's cause WTTU,the college station, was all of 1kw. But I can't remember when those two stations kicked into 100kwers. It seems like somewhere in the early to mid 1980's? I remember the WHUB reel to reels (like Romer talks of at WMTS/WKOS - was the same I think?) Ah, Air Supply was once a hard rocker on HUB! Mr Medley --- "we don't play that in Cookeville. They can play that all they want in Nashville."

 

[Don78]

Tibbs, great quote reminds me of a conversation I had with a preacher when I did the sunday morning shift at WAMG in the late 70's he was speaking of hearing the Oak Ridge Boys on the country station the day before. He told me "I used to like them when they sang gospel, but now that they sing that Rock and Roll I don't care for them. I heard them yesterday singing "Come on in baby take your clothes off" that was just awful". That quote was so priceless I remember it 30 years later.

 

[w9wi]

Seems like I remember seeing those old call letters for WSM-FM. Watt may have mentioned that a while back
.
I also remember the two Cookevegass stations being 3 kw's cause WTTU,the college station, was all of 1kw. But I can't remember when those two stations kicked into 100kwers. It seems like somewhere in the early to mid 1980's? I remember the WHUB reel to reels (like Romer talks of at WMTS/WKOS - was the same I think?) Ah, Air Supply was once a hard rocker on HUB! Mr Medley --- "we don't play that in Cookeville. They can play that all they want in Nashville."

I'm pretty sure that when 95.5 was WLWM, it was independently owned -- didn't belong to WSM.

98.5 Cookeville never made it beyond 50kw. (a pretty effective 50kw though!)

 

[Tibbs4]

Watt it's been 25 or more years (seems like a few years) since those days. You know, I guess I assumed WHUB (now Magic) was the same power as WPTN (now the Giant). Yeah, they carry similarly here in Nashville...Austin Stinnett was the engineer, IIRC. Great guy. Does anyone know when both stations took their power increases? I seem to recall 94 making a big deal about it. I think HUB virtually didn't say anything. Could be wrong. Mr. Medley probably figured "why do we need to waste the energy playing to cows!"

 

[TheBigA]

Mr. Medley probably figured "why do we need to waste the energy playing to cows!"

Ahhh but they're contented cows.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Might WLWM have been a sister to WLW? I know they owned a lot of stations in the midwest and mid-south in the 60s and 70s, all with call signs beginning "WLW".

 

[K4WRF]

WLWM was started by Webber Parrish and he sold it to WSM, Inc for what was about $100,000 in NLT stock at the time (1968). I'm sure Webber told me once what those call letters stood for but I can't remember. Hell! I don't remember what I had for lunch today so never hold me to any of this! I do know for sure it had nothing to do with WLW or their parent company at the time AVCO.

WPTN would have made the jump to hold their class "C" back in the late 1980's and the HUB would have made their change in the mid-90's. I don't ever know what became of Austin Stinnett, he was indeed a real good fellow.

 

[TheBigA]

Anyone who thinks radio today is run by Wall Street bankers and people with no heart would do well to study the history of AVCO and what they did in the 80s.

 

[Tibbs4]

I sense a possible major motion picture in the making, Big A!!!

 

[riceman]

Tibbs2 and Watt....I enjoy your posts. You are correct about the Cookeville stations upgrades. I was on-air at WGSQ (formerly WPTN-FM) when they went 100 KW in 1989. The owner at that time was the American Network Group. They had bought WPTN-AM/FM and moved the FM, from 94.3 to 94.7. WPTN-FM changed calls to WGSQ-FM before that (back in 1981) when Bob Gallaher and Drue Huffines purchased the stations from Redmon Turner and Louise Keltner (my first radio job).

I had moved to Memphis by the time WHUB-FM (now WGIC-FM) upgraded to 50 KW, but I think it was around 1994.

And we ALL agree, Austin Stinnett IS a great guy!!! It's probably been 7 years since I've seen or heard from him. He was still doing some engineering back then, and his son Tony, was helping him out a lot.

 

[Tibbs4]

I remember meeting Drue Huffines back in the early 80's (maybe 1982 or so?) when they bought WPTN. IIRC he offered me a job, but I didn't want to work the country format. He seemed like a pretty decent guy and I would see him around town for years after that (especially Ralph's Donuts - best on the planet) and he always joked around and offered me at least the janitorial job. Those were the days.

Austin was probably the most approachable engineer (along with MR. Charlie Wooten at CC in Panama City) and he I swear if I ever needed him to fix something (and I did a lot over those few years) he was literally waloking through the door before I hung up the phone. I guess it's been at least 10 years since I have spoken to him.

I didn't realize WHUB was so late in upgrading that signal. I always thought it was a better signal that 94 (but I was long gone before either increased power.) I guess that meant that WRJT (Jet 107.1) which is now WKXD (106.7) lic. to Monterey (TN, not CA hahaha) was, for a while, the powerhouse of the Upper Cumberland.