WMTS-FM/AM Webpage

[KnoxvilleTVFan]

There is a webpage Alan Cole Freeman created about WMTS-FM 96.3 and WMTS-AM 810.

You can see the page at http://www.wintektx.com/freeman/wmts.htm and on that page, he mentions that he attended MTSU from 1976 through 1980 and worked at WMTS-FM.

This is a webpage I found on the Internet so check it out because it is interesting reading. One other thing, the stations were nicknamed "Double Barrel Radio" in 1978.

 

[ROCKO11]

Alan needs to update his page. WRMX is now WCJK (JACK-FM). Jack may be stairing down that page with his own set of double barrels. He plays what he wants and you like it. I don't think he'll play Elvira from the Oaks!

 

[Tibbs4]

Even more interesting than the current Jack run was the infamous WZKS era. No Oaks there either.

 

[ROCKO11]

96 KOS , how can we forget the screaming jocks of that format trying to compete with KX-104! That facility had it together when it was programmed 96 KISS. The double barrels were sticking out of the UA Tower then!

R

 

[yorkie9]

I still remember the 96 KISS billboard that was up across the street from Rivergate Mall. I can't remember how long they stuck with the format or what happened. I guess that was around the time Y-107 dethroned KX-104? It all runs together after a while...

 

[Tibbs4]

96 K-OS went to a continuous stunting loop of weeks of "Hit The Road Jack" (isn't that scary???) and evolved out of the WKOS calls
on Feb 13, 1984 as the station ID went to WZKS and a few days later 96 Kiss was born with a welcome blast and Van Halen's "Jump"
was the first song played. Phil Valentine signed off 96 Kiss in August or September 1985 with Orleans "Still the One" and Magic 96 began an era of sad*** music and bad ratings. 96 Kiss, shall I just proudly say, remains one of Nashville's top 10 best sounding stations.

Once broadcasting from high atop the United Aritist Tower on (Nashville's) world famous Music Row -- that was WZKS Murfreesboro/Nashville...

 

[jetfli]

...and Zippo in the morning was one of Nashville's best-ever local morning shows.

 

[romer979fm]

96 KOS , how can we forget the screaming jocks of that format trying to compete with KX-104! That facility had it together when it was programmed 96 KISS. The double barrels were sticking out of the UA Tower then!

R

the screaming "Bear Bradley" era didn't last very long... 96-KOS eventually morphed into Drake-Chenault AC...
with "The Flying Dutchman" doing mornings...lost of influence from the North Carolina owners. I worked two
weekends there while they were in Murfreesboro...out of a studio the size of a closet...playing tunes off four
reel-to-reel machines,,,and having to hit Mutual news at the top of the hour! Their logo was a crown...and they
actually tried to make the calls WKOS stand for "We're Kings Of Sound". I have a few of those license plates...and
the Flying Dutchman's book about rock and roll (he pitched it on the air)...boxes of those were used as furniture.
Awful radio.
But not as bad as Valentine doing mornings...puking his was thru saying "MMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAGIC 96"

 

[Tibbs4]

CR --- you lasted longer than I did...do you remember the weekly and daily music flips at the whim of
the same owner??? Reel to reel was excellent. You know, I remember a truly unreal experience when PM
Drive's Mike Bradford (does anyone remembers that name??) made the comment of how great the music
was sounding only to get a CALL ten minutes later that changes were on the way...lighter AC-type
music and then a few days later it was nearly hard rock. That was radio by the seat of your pants...

I wonder how many people worked there through that stuff? I will admit, though, when it was on it's
game --- it was a decent sounding station musically...all three days.

 

[mattthepm]

Isn't WMTS's original FM tower still standing on top of the Adams Aluminum building at the corner of NW Broad and Medical Center Parkway in the 'Boro? I think I saw a single bay antenna about midway up it whilst driving by the other day.

I've got a photo somewhere of WMTS 810's news director 'handing over the mic' to the student general manager of MTSU's WNAR, which eventually became WMTS 88.3 FM. The mic had a WMTS flag on it and everybody was all smiles ;D . This was around 1995 or so when they handed off the calls.

I remember when 810 moved into a former Tops Hamburger building on South Church St across from WGNS's studios in the mid 90's. That was during the 'WAPB' period.

 

[bigdave3]

96 K-OS went to a continuous stunting loop of weeks of "Hit The Road Jack" (isn't that scary???) and evolved out of the WKOS calls
on Feb 13, 1984 as the station ID went to WZKS and a few days later 96 Kiss was born with a welcome blast and Van Halen's "Jump"

I remember being a senior in High School and going to my car at lunch to hear the launch of 96 KISS. The "Hit The Road Jack" stunting with sweepers that said "Hide all children and small pets from the speakers...". It was pretty exciting. You're right Tibbs,they played "Jump" first, then a Culture Club song, I believe it was "Church of the Poison Mind". It was really fun trying to figure out what format they were going to be in the lead up to the launch.
As far as 810 goes, I got my start in radio there. (When I was there it was called 810 Country WMTS) I was really saddened when I heard that John McCreery had passed on. He was a really great man who always had a smile on his face and a great joke to tell.