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WRBC Memories

D

Doug M

I spent 30 years in the biz from 1968-1998 but it all started about 5 years before that when I was 13. A friend and I had just seen a movie downtown and when we walked by the studios of WRBC we decided to walk up the stairs to see where our favorite music came from. This was 1963, and after about 10 minutes of watching Larry Parks thru the window I knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. A little while later, Jimmy McCoullough walked in and I heard him tell Larry that he needed someone to answer the phones for him that night for his "Party Line" dedication show. I spoke up and said "I'll do it", he said "great, call your folks and see if you can stay". For the next year I was at the station every Friday and Saturday night, answering the phones and helping out anyway I could. I remember helping Herb Guthrie set up a remote on the roof of the concession stand at the old drive in on Hwy 80. It was the most fun time of my life, especially when the Beatles hit in January of 64. When my dad was transferred to Little Rock that summer, Herb Guthrie called the GM at KAAY to see if he could get me in up there because he knew how much I loved radio. We moved to Birmingham a year after that and all the way thru high school, my mind was set on getting back into radio. After high school I started at a small station in Georgia and spent the next 30 years living out that dream that started the first time I walked into WRBC. (You can see most of my bio at "satisfaction440.com".) I spent most of my years around Birmingham. The other names from that time I remember were Bob Bishop. Wayne Dowdy, and Bob(?) Mack. I would love to know what happened with all these folks, If you can let me know I would appreciate it. I know that Wayne went into politics and Jimmy owned a station in Greenville (I think).

Thanks,
Doug Monks
 
The Bob Bishop you remember from RBC went to Vicksburg and put WBBV on the air. He passed away several years ago. It was JIM Mack (McAlilly) who was in sales for many years at WRBC, WJDX..etc. Jim died seven or eight years ago, as I recall. Wayne Dowdy is also head of the democratic party in Mississipp, but we don't hold that against him. My first Jackson gig was at WJXN in 58, replacing Jim Mack 6-9PM when he went to RBC. At the time JXN was still the big Top 40 in Jackson. I was 16 at the time and worked the 6-9P at WJXN for two years until I graduated high school. Spent time at WRBC and WWUN and WSLI before going to Knoxville, Mobile, New Oleans and Dallas..The Senandoah Valley and Biloxi before coming back to Jackson as GM at Z106 for a few years. Bert Case (WLBT) was also a jock at WJXN in 59. You mentioned Larry Parks...he worked a long while in Forest. Larry died a couple of years ago. I haven't heard from Jimmy McCullough in ages. Last I heard he had an Ad business of some sort in McComb. Like to see him again.
For awhile he was a partner in the Greenwood Class C FM (WSWG)and WXXX AM in Hattiesburg. He came to Knoxville to visit one time when I was at WKGN there. He left Knowville about ten o'clock and made it to Jackson in time for his Sunday morning 6AM shift. (This was pre-Interstate highway travel.)
Good Times...Fun Memories.
 
I remember Jimmy McCullough when I worked at WXXX in Hattiesburg while in high school. It was the Saunders-McCullough Group. Marshall Magee was the GM of WXXX then. Is Mr. Saunders still alive?
 
Mr. S is deceased, to the best of my knowledge.....Nobody seems to know the location of Jimmy, despite requests hereon. It was quite a thrill to hear WSWG which was one of the first stereo FM stations in the state..,.they were fully equipped with the finest in equipment from RCA, and the studio was a showplace''''it was that station that really fired my desire for FM. Thanks J Boyd
 
WSWG was our home office. Our payroll came from WSWG as well as everything else. I visited once when in Greenwood. It was much nicer than WXXX. What year did they go stereo?
 
Late '64 or early '65. They had a news room with two mikes...one left and one right...would give news on one, weather and special features on the other.
It was a BLAST to hear it for the first time....J
 
J Boyd... speaking of "Where Is He Now"... whatever became of James Lee Martin, AKA Rick Martin? Always "glad to have ya along..."
 
Rick was (is) a fine fellow...last I heard, he was in the publicity biz in Washington State....that was several years ago...Cheers....JBI
 
Yes, he was- I always liked the guy, and thought well of him. He was very good to me- enough so that over 35 years later, I remember him and hope he is doing well. He was one of those who by simple virtue of encouragement helped me have a long career in the biz.
 
What year did WRBC change its format? I've always thought it was around 1975 but I'm not exactly sure. I do know that it went all news for a short time and then went back to music with a AC or MOR station as "The Adult Entertainer" before WKXI moved from 94.7 to 1300 around 78 or 79.
 
I would place the change to all news in the Fall of 1975, give or take. It happened while I was at WKOR, in between stints at JDX.
 
robgrayson said:
I would place the change to all news in the Fall of 1975, give or take. It happened while I was at WKOR, in between stints at JDX.
Click to expand...
Actually recall it as summer,maybe July 4th-ish,Rob. I had a summer job in Canton and dating a hot ex-cheerleader at the time. Heard the music die around midnite,I believe.(I married the cheerleader,btw...)
 
I defer to my colleague from the mysterious east-central... Per the all-news... we had a jingle we copped from someone's comedy album which we used occasionally at the old Rock103... "If the records weren't free we'd be ALL NEWS".
 

I remember coming here to visit as a teen and hearing 13 WRBC! I once took a studio tour and met Super Shannon..hahah I loved to watch that guy work!
 
"If the records weren't free we'd be ALL NEWS".
Click to expand...

Reminds me of my favorite sweeper we had down at WZRH (the Zephyr): "and now, thanks to our sales staff, here's another commerial-free hour...". Never failed to get a rise out of said staff.
 
Doctor_Technical said:
"If the records weren't free we'd be ALL NEWS".
Click to expand...

Reminds me of my favorite sweeper we had down at WZRH (the Zephyr): "and now, thanks to our sales staff, here's another commerial-free hour...". Never failed to get a rise out of said staff.
Click to expand...
They maybe could use the liner-"If our programming didn't stink and we had listeners,we'd have commercials here."

Sorry,had to repre$ent the $ale$ pro$.
 
I heard from a usually reliable source that Barber wanted to put the air staff on commission, too.
 
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