NashVegas 1979...

Mike (Beck) was PD of Country WKDA, and I was Program (Operations) Manager of WKDF/WKDA and PD of KDF. A great guy. (Alan Sneed)

Chip Emerson ~ go rest high on that mountain

Chip Emerson passed away this week. He was a contributor to our 101 blog; I even worked for him for a while after I graduated from UT. 

...from his dear friend Alan Sneed-

"We had been friends for over 50 years...He ran both Guy and Dolls (in the future Copper Cellar location) and The Place. He also worked for several Knoxville radio stations, including WKGN, 15Q, and WIVK and owned an advertising agency during the World's Fair. In the small world of Fort Sanders, he lived in the basement apartment at the 11th Street Grocery a year or so before me. We both ended up in Atlanta and remained close all these years. Chipper was truly a great one and loved by many. Rest well. pal."

Seeing your picture of The Brothers brought back a memory of working the overnight shift at WOKI around 1980. I did the newscasts as The Brothers recorded show played. Gary and Bill were riffing one night about an item in the news and crossed the line with their comments. I watched the phone expecting it to light up but only a single light blinked. I apologized to the listener and after 10 minutes ended the conversation assuring her it would not happen again. As I hang up, I hear Bill on the tape making the comment, “Bet she got a bang out of that!” The lone line started blinking again and I suggested she talk to our PD in the morning ~ Gary.

Steve Mears

Congrats to Wilhite and Wall...

We did not see this coming. We only enter in hopes someone will hear the show and maybe recommend us to a station. This marks 33 years since our first nomination at WIVK in 1992. (Darren Wilhite)

 "Bring On The Brothers"

Alan Douglas (Sneed) and Gary Adkins formed this great radio duo. Down the road Bill Johnson replaced Alan. The photo is Alan and Gary in the early days.

Last week 101 celebrated our blog-a-versary and we heard from several radio legends, thank you. Here are a few...

Congratulations! Wonder what became of Steve after Nashville. When we were at 15Q he gave me the politically incorrect nickname "Big Al the Kiddies Pal"- which he said was from a television clown show when he was a kid. Some of my Atlanta friends from 96 Rock still use it after all these years later. Cheers. (A.D. Sneedo)

Happy Anniversary George! Thanks for sharing and caring about the history of Knoxville radio. You do a wonderful job. (Mike Beck)

Hey George...for the last eighteen years you have given us a priceless gift! You've kept memories alive and reunited old friends. It doesn't get any better than that. Thank you so much. (Frank Erwin)

Today, September 7 2025...101 turns 18 years old. This is our 2094th post. We also added the interactive 101 Facebook page a few years later. Thanks to all for your reading, writing and arithmetic! 

This 101 Reload is from our 1-year anniversary where I revealed my DNA...and thought I was Lester Longmire, some thought I was Dr. Al's "Witch Hazel", ha.

Here's the reload~

Happy Sunday and thanks for reading Knoxville Radio History 101. Today 101 turns one year old! On September 7, 2007 this site was born. The intent was and is simple, share photographs and memories that I collected thru the years and to create a network of Ktown DJ's that wanted to do the same.

Many have emailed and asked...who are you? For those who haven't figure it out, I'm The Greek. My career as a DJ was short and sweet, my love for radio remains strong today, over 30 years since I started as a weekend DJ at WIVK (1976-1981) while attending UT. After working at WRJZ for Steve Bridgewater in 1982 my career path was at a fork and I got into the restaurant business.

In radio my mentor was Your Dave Young, Bobby Denton and Steve Bridgewater both gave me opportunities to fulfill my childhood dreams, and my closest friend in the biz was Jamey Kerr (now with Dick Broadcasting for 30 years...congrats to you Jamey)!

Like many of you I fell in love with radio as a youngster. In the late 60's I started listening to and imitating John Ward on the Vols network and Milo and Ernie, who called the Atlanta Braves games.

In 1976, my senior year in high school, I took and passed the then very difficult FCC 3rd class license test. That summer I worked at WBLC in Lenoir City. In the fall as I was about to start at UT, the phone rang at my home and it was Bobby Denton. Little did I realize what a great and memorable experience lay in front of me. For the next five years I worked with great people...Bob Thomas, Bobby Denton, Claude Tomlinson, Ed Brantley, Mike Hammond, Jimmy Vineyard, Suitcase Simpson, Jean Ash, Dan Bell, Ed Rupp, Bob Kesling, Randy Miller, Jeff Winters, Jamey Kerr, Joe Grant, Tony Eubanks, Terry Womack and of course Your Dave Young.

In 1982 with a UT diploma in my hand I had to make a career decision. I was having fun at WRJZ, we were playing country and had a great staff...Bill Beason, Steve Bridgewater (Dr Don West), Eddie Beacon, Jessica James, Martin Baker, David Henley, Ernie Baker, Brad Schulz, Bob Ziegler and GM Bill Hays. WRJZ ended up being my last hurrah as a DJ.

Fast forward to today. I live in Orlando, still have over 27,000 minutes of Ktown air checked and many journals with Ktown radio history...so I thought, what the heck. Let's share it all and see what happens. Today I'm still a radio fan, I listen to today's Ktown radio via the Internet, and love it.

In our first year 101 posted 170 times and had over 16,100 visitors. I'm just that kid of the 60's who fell in love with my transistor radio and all the sounds that came over the air waves!!!

As 101 starts year two, keep the photographs and memories coming our way~KtownRadio@gmail.com

It's late 1966 and WIVK AM is now at 850 on the dial and beaming 50000 watts of power...and FM is taking off in the radio universe, therefore WIVK playing up the "whole" radio ads. This one features Kenny Dearstone and Mike Hanes.

 

James Slick Maurice on WNOX via The 101 Audio Vault...

It's March 1953 and WIVK 860 located on Gay Street directly across from the Regas Restaurant, is about to flip the switch and turn on for the first time.

Marketing was already king as "the independent voice of Knoxville" was featuring Jim Hess in the local newspapers!

Look Mom...I found Dave-

 ...Dave Elrod that is!

Check yesterday's post! I knew back in that WKGN era there were 4 on air DJs- Alan Douglas (Sneed), Dave, Robin Beck (Mike Beck) and Keith Lambert (Kerry Lambert).

Either through fact or AI, Dave has appeared on this classic WKGN photo with Ted Nugent, ha. PS- he was in the original, or was he?

PS- the format was AOR!

HAPPY NATIONAL RADIO DAY

 

Bill Williams

Knoxville media legend and many decades WBIR-TV news anchor Bill Williams has passed away; he was age 91. 

Like many TV personalities, Bill got his start behind the radio microphone.

This photo is at his first gig, KCRC in Enid, Oklahoma, back in 1956.

Go rest high on that mountain!

Before cutting his teeth as the nighttime DJ at WKGN 1340 in 1973, Jack Diamond worked at KEYN in Wichita, Kansas.

Jack (and Guerilla) exited Ktown for WAKY in Louisville before settling in for a many decades' gig at WAMZ in Louisville as Coyote Calhoun. 

Here's my journal entry from Jack's arrival...he exited in September.