...had they been there

[Max]

Here's a thought that has rattled around my brain while on Reserves...who are some voices YOU think would've sounded good on the Super '79? ::)At the top of my list is Ray Foushee, from WDRB-TV. I have always loved his baritone voice and I do believe he was there from the beginning doing voice over's (Million Dollar Movie) and live spots, along with Wilson Hatcher (and no, I'm not including HIM on my list). Guess he decided to go the television route and last time I looked at their site he was still there. In marketing of some sort, I believe. But I feel like his voice would have sounded great on WAKY and in AM in general! And incidentally, like radio changes with ownership and the times, Channel 41 has never been the same since FOX took it over! From Leave it to Beaver, Rocket Robin Hood, Addams Family, Lost in Space, Flipper, Fright Night, Presto the Clown (hey, I was a kid), Speed Racer...the list goes on. It was a TV wonderland for a kid. Media in the 70's was never greater than with TV41 and WAKY.

I don't think Ray would have fit in with WKLO...for some reason I only recall deeper, raspier voices. I know his voice was one of the deeper ones, but I think he would've fit in with WAKY better.

So who would YOU like to have heard?

[Travis]

I would have liked to have heard ME! ;D But, I went about things the wrong way (due to a lack of guidance and problems at home). Opportunity does, in most cases, only knock once and I wasn't ready to grab the brass ring (does any of this make any sense?)

I also felt that I was born a bit too late. I would have loved to have been on WAKY in the mid '60s and completely out of the business by the mid '70s.

By the way, Wilson Hatcher is a name I haven't heard in years. I can hear him now: "Channel 41 where independence WAS fun." Yup. Born too late.

[Max]

Yes, but Fox took away their independence and it ceased to be fun, at least to me. Wilson passed away awhile back. Do you remember his leisure suits when he did the rather poorly put together Channel 41 News? Or how about Ray's always straight long hair? He kept that look for what seemed like forever. I videotaped their anniversary special a few years back (30th, I think). He's finally cut his hair, although it's still a bit over his ears. But I digress...

Joe Elliot is another one who would've sounded great on WAKY. I was shocked to read an article here awhile back that he is blind!

Could've fooled me!

[John Quincy]

Uhhhh...Joe Elliot WAS on WAKY.

He was part of the Oldies crew in the last days. (As a matter of fact he was there on the last night.)

[Max]

Oh, okay. Guess I would've known that had I not already 'jumped ship' to FM by that time. Thanks, John.

[1240WINN]

I think that Night Train Lane (WAMZ) has that WAKY/WKLO type of voice. Not surprising since Coyote Calhoun hired him. I really enjoy listening to Bobby Jack Murphy, too, but he would have been more at home on WINN or WTMT in that era.

I guess the other obvious person I thought of was Terry Meiners. He followed Burbank at WHAS, so I think he would have done well at WAKY. Of course, I haven't heard him introduce a record in forever, so I can't be sure. Maybe he can audition for Johnny Randolph

And Max, you are absolutely right about Channel 41 when independence was fun. I think they did a lot of things that kept local TV programs around a little longer (like Presto the Clown), but 41 was also important because their selection of old shows foretold the arrival of Nick at Nite and TV Land. When they joined FOX, all of the magic went away.

[jslone]

Oh how Joe Donovan would have sounded at WAKY. Ya know ya talk about WDRB used to be fun before FOX network took them over look at WHAS-AM. It used to be fun to listen to. But look what right-wing talk shows has done to it. With the exception of Joe Elliott , Terry Meiners,Francene,Paul Harvey & Sports Talk 84 the others will almost cause you to pull your radio out. (If they were like Milton Metz was talk radio would be worth listening to )While im not trying to talk politics maybe someday the voters will get fed up & slowly vote out the right wing & shrink thepower they have on the media & just maybe AM Radio & some of the TV stations will return at least to the days when they were both enjoyable to watch & listen to

[Max]

Let's just talk radio, please .

[jslone]

Sorry didnt mean to get into politics but as a music lover it just sickning how certain groups has ruined what used to be enjoyable days for Radio & TV

[Max]

Well, the certain groups I would blame for that are not so much political in nature, but rather management and 'consultants' who are out of touch with the listening public and would rather dictate what we want to hear, based on what they believe would rake in the dough. Radio has left us out of the mix and become a power struggle.

[jslone]

Youre right. It has became a power struggle & the listeners have been left out. It is shame. However we all have some of the music & can remember & enjoy when radio was fun. Which is what this website is about. The good times.

[RJC]

Tony Cruise could have done WAKY or WKLO in the mid 70's. He has the voice, but would need to talk a mile a minute. ;D

[Max]

Just listening to the radio this morning brings to mind yet another voice I feel would have fit in not only at WAKY, but at WKLO, depending on the frame of mind he is in. Les Cook could have done the job at either legendary station, if only we were able to send him back in time. When he's more subdued he would have fit right in at the Super 79 and when he's a little more agressive he has traits reminiscent of the Big 1080, particularly when he closes his show with his "...'cause I need this gig?"

[Mike Griffin]

Bobby Jack would sound good anywhere.

Coyote is one who has surprised me. A screamer on WAKY to a down-home guy on WAMZ. I asked him once back in the old days what he was going to do if the stuff he was doing on WAKY ran out. He told me, "I can be the most personable son-of-a-bitch you've ever heard." He was right. A great talent.

I want to mention Ray Shelton who was at WHAS. He did Greater Louiville commercials for them for years. Growing up his was my favorite voice. I can't imagine him on WAKY, but I loved the way he sounded and always wished that I was that good.

As to personality on TV, look at the other stations, not just '41. In the mid-60's I used to love the 11 PM news on WHAS. One of the things I hate most about the weather reports on TV these days is it's all just so much electronic junk. Milton Metz on the other hand had a magnetic board that he stuck temperatures and the little Fisbe charactor to. Then there was the magic weather writer. His sign off with the nations hot spot and ice box...and in Cariboo it's 55 degrees. Then there was Ray Shelton with the Greater Louisville commercials....all followed by the late show, a locally run movie.

Channel three was great too. I remember the anchors there, Livingston Gilbert, then Ed Callay with sports. I don't recall the weather guy in the '60s but Tom Wills came at the tale end of the '60s -- Mellissa Forsythe became co-anchor with Livingston Gilbert. Then there was Tom Duncan in Frankfort.

The news wasn't produced for three year olds where attention is held by flashing so many images by that you wonder what you saw, rather the personallities of the anchors, which were unique, not the homoginzed stuff we have now, held the attention.

[Max]

Mike, I believe the meteorologist who preceded Tom Wills was Bill Gladden. I, too, remember Livingston Gilbert and Ed Callay, as well as Ray Shelton, who always had a pleasant demeanor...could have read children's stories and done it well. I also remember Ryan Halleran and Julie Shaw, who hosted the Morning Show. WAVE did a live broadcast in the early 70's of the Morning Show from what is now the American Legion Park (City Park, as it was called then). I remember Melissa Forsythe when she was on WHAS and thinking she was a 'babe'.

[Kevin]

While reading this post it was said "look what talk-radio has done to AM". I have heard many people say that talk-radio actually saved AM.

No matter what you think of politics to say that talk radio ruined AM is like saying cable ruined TV.

I know we don't wanna go into politics, but some statements must be challenged.

[Mike Griffin]

I agree, I don't think that talk radio killed AM. The problem is the confluence of consolidation of ownership and the new program and automation capabilities that exist today have homogenized it, mostly taken out the local component, and made it nearly unfit to listen to.

Talk radio has certainly been a boon to AM in much the way Sally Jessie, Geraldo, and Jerry Springer are/were to daytime TV. The local voices are gone and in it's place ______ (insert your qualifier here).

Talk radio has had a huge impact on politics. Under the Reagan administration much was done to de-regulate everything, including radio. The fairness doctrine was one thing that went by the wayside during that time...for right or wrong. That opened the door for entertainers, like Rush Limbaugh to say whatever they wanted without concern for presenting the alternate viewpoint. Rush's success brought others of the same vein and now we have a significant impact on politics by people who only want to sensationalize and lampoon because it gets an audience and sells books.

The other side has started out much later. Air America Radio is in a few cities and seems to be growing. Al Franken who is one of their hosts wrote a book, "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot." It's about politics as is about every moment of his show. Just like Rush, politics as entertainment.

In all of this has the truth gotten lost? I don't believe that regular listeners to either of those shows and many of the other shows are capable of making informed decisions in the voting booth. They do have hand crafted opinions directly injected into them to help them feel superior to others who hold an alternate point of view. Too much propaganda. Say it often, say it loudly, and it becomes the truth. The country suffers.

[Travis]

Max mentioned that Les Cook would have made a great jock at WAKY. I've never heard Les as a high energy jock, but he did sound good doing the news on Hi-95, in 1975, under the name of Johnathan Stone (not the JS of WKLO fame) and as a jock playing oldies (of all things) at Hi95 events held at the old Troubadour.

Ray Shelton was considered a doll by many women, including my own mother, and there were the usual rumors that he drank heavily, beat his wife, etc.

I, too, remember Bill Gladdin as doing the weather on WAVE TV before Tom Wills. All he had was that grease pen to draw circles & arrows on the map and a series of sliding panels which revealed some sort of relevant weather information behind each one.

I'm thinking that Greater Louisville always used music from one of John Phillip Sousa's marches as its theme whenever Gladdin started his weather segment, but I may be crossing that memory with Shelton's weather on WHAS TV.

Regardless. As Mike Griffin pointed out, they didn't have nearly the technological junk back then as they do today and, surprisingly, the forecasts in those days were just as accurate as the ones we get today. ;D

[Max]

No, Travis, your memory is right on the ball! In fact, the tune is going through my head right now. My dad, who is an John Philip Sousa fan, could tell me what the name is...

...if you're the least bit curious!

[Mike Griffin]

www.dws.org/sousa/mp2/semperfi.mp2

[Travis]

That's the tune. But what is its title? I suspect that "semperfi" is an abbreviation because the MP3 file has an old DOS eight character limitation as its file name.

[Mike Griffin]

Semper Fidelis (1888)

[mrslescook]

I agree that Les Cook should have been there, and yes..I am partial, I married him! But from what I have heard from WAKY excerpts, definitely!! Les can get into that "George Carlin" Hippy Dippy Weatherman phase and just reminds me of the good ol WCOL and WNCI teenage years in Columbus Ohio! I still like Wolfman Jack too !!!

[Max]

I agree that talk radio was not what killed AM radio. I could say FM, but I think it's a much bigger picture. Human beings these days are never satisfied. Just take a look at technology and how it is changing. In due time, only a select few will actually have a job. But first somebody realizes FM radio sounds more like your stereo than does AM. Good, let's go with that. Cassettes are better than 8 track. Good, let's go with that. Digital is better than analog. Good, let's go with that. Automated is cheaper, cuts down on overhead, and reduces on-air mistakes. Good, let's go with that.

Human greed and insatiable desire for change is what killed AM music radio. It's talk radio and sports radio that's keeping them in existence. As for me, I get excited whenever I hear music on AM, regardless of format. For those who like classic country and want to hear it on AM, try 1430 WXAM out of Hodgenville...but you have to be fairly close to be able to get it. If you're on I-65 around exit 94-exit 81 you might get it...but it's a gem. I miss 1530 out of Cincinnati, too.

[Kevin]

I really can't understand why an AM station doesn't have a one or two hour OLDIES type show, I mean the stuff 1080 has at night is just ridiculus. (Health talk? Financial talk? Vacuum repair talk?)

Surely to goodness an oldies, or specialty music type show with a small but potiential audince would be worth the investment. They could have oldies jingles and the whole show could pretend it was still like 19__ (fill in the blank). It could have old news reports and it could do campy stuff. Who knows, it could catch on and be a winner.

[John Quincy]

My guess is the stuff on 1080 at night is brokered programming where clients pay for big blocks of time to promote their businesses and services. This is very common with secondary and tertiary AM talk stations -- and almost all of them do it on the weekends. Unfortunately the station can make a lot more money putting this kind of stuff on the air than programming (and selling) music programming.

Of course, if somebody wants to buy a block of time on an AM station and play oldies every night, there are probably a couple of outlets in the Louisville area that would let you.

[Mike Griffin]

So, there is not even the suggestion that stations operate in the public interest and good any more.

The way to success on AM is to put together a vitamin collection, a book containing health lies, or some hoaky investment newsletter. Make up lots of lies about it that sound good, pay some money so gullible people can hear them and send you checks. What could be more American?

[Max]

Ever notice how almost inclusively every thread started always gradually starts to drift and sometimes change altogether? . (I admit I'm guilty of the same thing...and this one has started a cool offshoot!). But getting back to the golden throats who could've added much to the rich history behind WAKY's mic, Dick Clark himself would've fit in superbly. I guess a good many people think of him as being on TV only, but he actually started in radio in Philadelphia. However, he had already started the 'Bandstand' around WAKY's start.

[Young Daniel King]

Mike said:

www.dws.org/sousa/mp2/semperfi.mp2

Mike:

Thanks for the link..what memories. I remember when Jerry Bigler (Big and I were at Steinert's in New Albany)set up a meeting for me to take an aircheck to Harry Lockhart at WAVE. I told Bigg that "WAVE is my grandmother's station", I wanted to do "ROCK"...yeah..right.

I was so excited to be working with childhood idols...Livingston Gilbert, Bob Kay, Uncle Ed Kalley,Ryan Halloran and yes...by that time, 1974, Tom Wills was the weatherman. Being at WAVE Radio and TV was the most memorable time of my radio career.

[Mike Griffin]

I don't think people realize how big WAVE was in those days. Up til the early '70s WAVE was the only station with a traffic copter and the tie with TV for news and information made it big.