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WKLM 980 am Wilmington with Aircheck

A

amlover

I read some great post's here about WKLM in my hometown of Wilmington and thought I'd post a link to my website and my little tribute page to WKLM. I have pictures as well as a sample air check of Jon Fox who did afternoons to sign-off. I have several hours of tape from 1966 and will post more from time to time. Enjoy! Any comments welcome. Thank you.

al

the link:

http://www.alhardee.net/entertainment.html
 
Thank you for posting this..Amazing stuff. I've been in possesion of this aircheck twice in my life and lost it both times. Some pretty wild stuff for Wilmington in 1966. Talking about cough syrup and "turning on" WKLM's Top 40 run as the "All American" was short lived. When they went Country, they actually kept the PAMS Series 18 jingles and the reverb. It was billed as the "All American Nashville Sound" John Fox and all the Top 40 guys were, of course, gone. I think John Fox's real name was Ron Higgins. He worked at quite a few other stations in the South including WNOX in Knoxville. Someone told me he passed away some years ago. I don't know if that is certain. A couple of years prior, Higgins/Fox worked at WHSL under the name of Jim Dandy. At that time WHSL sounded very good. I remember accent reverb on WHSL and those great, hyped up newcasts, which ended with a "Countdown" to the top of the hour (like a rocket launching) Initially, for the first year or two they were on the air, WHSL was only operating with 250 watts. They would fall off the face of the earth just past Monkey Junction going south and at Scotts Hill, going north. I recall being down at our place on the sound at Hampstead and hearing WRNB in New Bern and WRMT in Rocky Mount drowning WHSL out..and that was only 17 miles away! WKLM, on the other hand could be heard from Morehead City to the state line and as far west as Whiteville. Again, thanks for posting this!
 
My pleasure. I remember everything you mentioned. You are right about Jon's real name being Ron Higgins. To bad the All American was short lived but it sure was fun radio for us kids. I actually have some pictures too of WHSL when they were in the Trust Building on the corner of Front and Market St. I took when I worked there and some air checks when they were Top 40 then switching to country. And not to forget WGNI-1340. I have pictures, and tapes when they were at 211 North Second. I was always the one who took pictures and made tapes and I'm sure glad I did.
 
Hey "mobley" are you the son of Mama Mcgraph of McGraphs music that was in Wilmington by chance? My friend in Wilmington said he though you were? Anyway I loved that store and loved mama. She was so nice to me and I bought many a 45 records from her.
 
Thanks for the WKLM memories and pictures. Does anyone have a copy of the original Downbeat intro and outro used on all the Thoms stations? It was cut with echo with the Ray Conniff S'wonderful.
 
A friend (who still lives in Wilmington) and I have been talking about a Wilmington Radio Reunion. It started within the GNI crowd, but I think it would be fun to do the whole market from the 60s-70s era. Anyone interested?

I have a Bill Weathers air check that I got from Randy Allen (and Jay Howard). He was so good. I remember getting he call the night he died. 211 North 2nd was a sad place that day! I think he was 37 (died in 1969). His daughter is a superior court judge in Wilmington (or was a couple of years ago.)
 
Mom Mc Grath was actually my aunt. She was a wonderful person and is greatly missed. I remember sitting in the back of the store looking through Billboard and Cash Box (remember that?) trying to learn as much as I could about radio.
 
I remember going in her record store every week and seeing the top tunes displayed with the 45's behind the cashbox survey. She had them in order according to where they were on the chart. Also she had a record player so you could listen to the 45 rpm before you purchased it. Some great memories from a wonderful period in time.
 
An old WHSL alumni here! Hi! I was at WHSL from June 1965 through April 1966. I used the name Tom Shannon. How original! ;) I first did the 7-midnight show, but moved to morning drive when Bob Raleigh left later in the summer. Steve Reno (Jimmy Hammonds, who later married the sheriff's daughter) was there until he was drafted and sent to VietNam. Jerry Kearns had just left WKIX in Raleigh and replaced Bob as PD. Don Swan (Man! Didn't we have "cool" names? heh heh) was mid-day. Remember the "Whistle Tan Tone?" We played that every quarter hour for the beach crowd. WHSL was a pretty good station. I remember "Joey" from the old WKLM. That was just prior to the Jon Fox era. We were forbidden walking past the WKLM studio window by our boss, Sid Wilson. Sid was not a very good manager of people and as WKLM began to blossom Sid's gruffness took its toll on our folks. Stiff competition, an inconsiderate Sid, low pay, and a general feeling of defeat set in in early 1966. I left WHSL for Charleston, S.C. and was met by Jon Fox who was at the competition...again. I stayed with radio through 1980, ending up in Rocky Mount at WRMT. I tired of radio and in 1977 enrolled at N.C. Wesleyan College where I graduated in 1980 with a degree in history and a teaching certificate. I retired from teaching at the end of 2004 and have been enjoying the leisure life ever since. WHSL, in spite of all the hardships, marked a fun time for me and I'll always remember Wilmington with a smile.
 
I remember putting some WGNI bumper stickers on Sid's car one night. There was some great radio in Wilmington in those days. It was a very competitive market.

Dusty Dunn worked at HSL at one time, I do believe and a guy named Bill Hennesee (sp?).

Russ Spooner also worked at WKLM.

Their studios was the old S&W cafeteria biilding. They had originally been on the second floor of the building on the southeast corner of 2nd and Princess.
 
BeBopBabys said:
An old WHSL alumni here! Hi! I was at WHSL from June 1965 through April 1966. I used the name Tom Shannon. How original! ;) I first did the 7-midnight show, but moved to morning drive when Bob Raleigh left later in the summer. Steve Reno (Jimmy Hammonds, who later married the sheriff's daughter) was there until he was drafted and sent to VietNam. Jerry Kearns had just left WKIX in Raleigh and replaced Bob as PD. Don Swan (Man! Didn't we have "cool" names? heh heh) was mid-day. Remember the "Whistle Tan Tone?" We played that every quarter hour for the beach crowd. WHSL was a pretty good station. I remember "Joey" from the old WKLM. That was just prior to the Jon Fox era. We were forbidden walking past the WKLM studio window by our boss, Sid Wilson. Sid was not a very good manager of people and as WKLM began to blossom Sid's gruffness took its toll on our folks. Stiff competition, an inconsiderate Sid, low pay, and a general feeling of defeat set in in early 1966. I left WHSL for Charleston, S.C. and was met by Jon Fox who was at the competition...again. I stayed with radio through 1980, ending up in Rocky Mount at WRMT. I tired of radio and in 1977 enrolled at N.C. Wesleyan College where I graduated in 1980 with a degree in history and a teaching certificate. I retired from teaching at the end of 2004 and have been enjoying the leisure life ever since. WHSL, in spite of all the hardships, marked a fun time for me and I'll always remember Wilmington with a smile.
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I remember when WHSL came on the air very well. We would listen to it on the way to school each morning when my parents drove to Roland Grice School. My neighbor Mr. French was manager at the time of WKLM and was concerned about this new station. However WKLM was always a favorite and I remember meeting "Joey" before the All Americans came on board. Joey took me to the transmitter site and that's how I got the pictures you see on my website. I have two old Collins Cart machines that came from WKLM and you can see them in my pictures.

I do remember hearing Tom Shannon and Bob Raleigh on WHSL. Steve Reno,(Jimmy Hammonds) and I became friends over the years and he was back at WHSL as Jack Anders when it was Country Music. Very fond memories for sure!
 
XTalker said:
I remember putting some WGNI bumper stickers on Sid's car one night. There was some great radio in Wilmington in those days. It was a very competitive market.

Dusty Dunn worked at HSL at one time, I do believe and a guy named Bill Hennesee (sp?).

Russ Spooner also worked at WKLM.

Their studios was the old S&W cafeteria biilding. They had originally been on the second floor of the building on the southeast corner of 2nd and Princess.
Click to expand...

I remember Russ Spooner at WGNI. He worked nights and his show was called Russ's Record Rack. My first trip Mike to WKLM was when they were on the top floor of the building across from Futural's Pharmancy on 2nd. and Princess before they moved.
 
I came in to the Port City from college when WKLM was on the second floor on Princess Street. I love radio so I went to see the studio. What a sight. The console had a huge ice box cardboard packing chartan over it to keep out he street noise because of no air conditioner and the window was open. The DJ was inside the box with his mike real close to keep out the noise of the city. When he saw me he jumped up fussing because I was late for the shift. I explained I was just visiting the new station and could not take the mike. I missed my chance to operate the wonderful new station.

Sidney Wilson built WHSL-am himself with the help of a fine engineer from Lumberton. Sidney had two personalities. Bad and Worse!
We were great friends but that didn't help much. There is enough copper under the 1490 antenna to make you rich. Sidney got a good deal on copper or had a good source for wire. He plowed it in himself across the river. It is done right for grounding and refection.

When whistle hit the air (WHSL) Sidney went to the schools and gave out toy whistles to the kids. What a mess and lots of noise. The station played "Shake a Tale Feather" each hour with lots of promos and prizes for the station. I remember going up the stairs to his office and he had all the give away stuff hid in his office so he could manage it.

WGNI in the 50s had their tower and studios at the foot of the North East Cape Fear River. This property was swamp and water. They built the structures on cement pileings just over the water. You crossed a bridge to get inside the building. During storms the staion and tower were in the water. The staff stood on coke crates to operate the console. I don't know why no one was killed. They built new studios (second story)on Second Street with tall WGNI letters on the roof to identify the studios. I believe they left the tower in the swamp when it fell down later. In those days if you worked radio you were somebody special.
 
About several years after GNI moved the studio to 211 North 2nd, FCC inspector JJ Freeman came visit and was hopping mad because he went to the Eagle Island site and no one was there. His file had not been updated with the move.

Station had to move the tower when DOT built the new bridge for 421. New site was on River Road near Greenfield lake. I seem to remember a 5/8th wave tower.

In 1971, WAAV FM came on the air. Transmitter in the same location. Antenna side mounted on the WGNI tower.

Several years later, we built a taller tower on the same site. I will never forget the day several us left 211 to go visit the tower construction site
. When we pulled out of the parking garage, someone said "I don't see the tower". When we arrived on the site, most of the tower was stuck in the mud and marsh. The crew was putting the final tension on the guy wires and one broke (incorrectly installed insulator at the top) and it came crashing down! Needless to say, Leo Brody was not a happy camper.

It at least proved to the neighborhood that the tower would collapse within a fraction of it's height so there was no concern of it just falling over onto a neighboring building.
 
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