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WNIX Greenville simulcasting WNLA-FM Indianola

While scanning the dial in the Delta, I heard WNIX simulcasting WNLA-FM. When did this begin? I'm guessing that the news-talk format couldn't gain any traction there.
 
Don't tell me that they have went back to what they were when I was working at WBAD. Too bad it wasn't through ABC. Even when I first came on the scene, I literally kicked their butts in afternoon drive. But since right-winged talk shows bombed in the Delta, I guess it's not in the cards for them. No surprise about that mess. Debut must be confusing the listeners and at the same time trying to lure WBAD and WCLD-FM listeners to their second link of their AM (WNIX).
 
I'm old enough to remember when 1330, then WJPR, was a vital place on the dial. It was started by the guys who eventually come to Memphis and fired up WDIA, John Pepper and Bert Ferguson. The author Shelby Foote was once a copywriter there, as was Jan Gardner, who later owned an ad agency in Memphis. Another Memphis connection was WHBQ newsman Sid Leake, who worked at JPR back when my sisters were kids (long before my time). They would sing on some Sunday morning program, and many years later when I worked with him at the Q Sid still remembered them. My brother Walt got his start there while he was in the DECA program at Greenville High. Walt claimed their studios in the old house on Broadway were haunted, and I do recall getting a creepy somebody's-watching-me feeling when I was there. He called Mom one Sunday morning to let her hear a piano there which was playing one note over-and-over.

My memories of WJPR include hearing Coach Dunaway doing the Greenville High games, and hearing somber music played following a game in which a kid died. My dad would faithfully listen every Saturday night at 6:30 to hear the jackpot drawing from the Sunflower Store on Main. Barbee Ashley, Bennie Gresham, David Kuhn were some of the folks that were on air. David's brother Percy was chief engineer, and still was last I was through. He is in his 80's, i believe. Charlie Stone was there too, before becoming "Charlie Tuna" at WDDT, then moving on to Omaha and Oklahoma City. I would be hard-pressed to tell you what music they played with any specificity; I know it was MOR, and aimed at grown-ups. I vaguely recall it as tinkly piano stuff. They ran Mutual News, and at one point in the 70's were running Drake Chenault Hit Parade on their automation.

Thanks to Walt's paving the way, as I became a teenager, WJPR was a place that I knew people "in the business", and could go hang out and learn. I would stack 45's on my bike handlebars, ride down there, and "play dj" in the production room, or sometimes even the control room when they were on automation, playing the songs and their old jingles in audition.

Across town, the "hipper" WDDT played top-40, but was hamstrung with being a daytimer. WJPR ran into the night, with first class licensees manning the evening shifts. Their music shifted to a more A/C direction in the evenings. Allen Reynolds did the evening shift in the mid-70's, followed by the "Midnight Cowboy", who was also the control room guy at WABG-TV in his daytime job.
 
I remember WDDT top 40. Great sounding station. Its a shame its silent now. I heard it was one of those stations that was ruined by Bishop Willis. Has WNIX always been 1000 watts? I could have sworn it was more powerful. I used to pick it up as far south as Jackson on a clear day. Haven't been able to pick it up in a while.
 
I think they were always 1 KW, directional at night. Their old slogan was they covered "the delta like the dew".
 
robgrayson said:
I think they were always 1 KW, directional at night. Their old slogan was they covered "the delta like the dew".

WNIX is 1-kw/Day, 500-w/Night, DA-N, 3 towers.

LF
 
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