What stations do you want more of?

[John Quincy]

Here at LKYRadio.com, we've been fortunate enough to post exhibits from most of the pre-1990 Louisville and Lexington stations. While I can easily tell by the number of hits which pages on the site are the most popular (last week it was WAVE and WHAS), what I'd like to know is:

Are there any stations you'd like to see items from that aren't already on LKYRadio.com?

Of the existing stations represented, which would like you to see more items (airchecks, photos, etc.)?

Any suggestions to make the site better?

Of course, we're at the mercy of our contributors when it comes to adding content. Just about everything from our own personal collection has been posted. But I'm hoping there are still lots of tapes, pictures and promotional items still stashed away in people's closets, garages and storage units that will eventually be make available to LKYRadio.com to share with the world.

[1240winn]

What about WXVW? It was across the river in Indiana, but it was part of the Louisville radio scene.

And more WINN is always appreciated.

[johntravolta]

More WLAP-FM!!!

(And some WFMI too!)

I love the WLAP/WFMI battle, circa 1987!

[chad]

I would love to hear some airchecks of Joe Donovan's shows on WHAS. He played so many obscure songs that never get heard anywhere anymore. I sure wish I had taped him more often but I wasn't expecting his surprise dismissal as in June we heard from the PD that "Joe Donovan will be here for quite a long while" then two months later he was off the air.

[davereichel]

WXVW AM 1450. Just across the bridge and the 1st station I worked for.

[robynwatts]

I can't complain since the site is a work in progress.

I do have a question? Has the cutoff date been moved to where stations that were around in the early 90s can be featured as well?

[John Quincy]

Yes, early '90s is fine. The 1990 cut-off is just a rough guideline. Generally, any Louisville or Lexington area radio from the pre-consolidation era is what we're shooting for. But we gladly break "the rules" depending on the station and the material. (For instance, we have some WHAS audio from the '00s online.)

[kdmacharg]

I also would like to see info about WXVW where I worked part-time from about 1979 until about 1988. I also did a little freelance at the old WDGS and WHAS. --Ken

[blackpanther]

More airchecks and liners would be great! Especially WQMF and WKQQ. I grew up on those 2 rock stations and the liners were top notch. As for airchecks, any additional would be sweet.
I used to have many dozens of tapes filled with things like this from those stations, but sadly over the years and after many moves it was all lost.

This site is a treasure.

[John Quincy]

Thanks for the nice feedback blackpanther.

Hopefully more WQMF and WKQQ material will be coming our way. (If anybody has some they'd let us borrow to make copies of, please e-mail [e-mail].)

[dbsteff]

Hi....I worked at both WLRS-FM, as well as WXVW-AM back in 1967--1969. At that time, WLRS was the associated radio operation to a small broadcasting academy the "Louisville Radio School" from whence came the call letters W-L-R-S.

I recently submitted some old pics from those years to Joe Stamm at WLRS. He has posted them on the WLRS Web Page at the "Locals Only" -- "Old School" tabs.

A brief history of my time at the station is there as well.

At that time, WLRS, as well as WXVW in Jeffersonville, and WORX in Madison, were all owned and operated by a wonderful gentleman named Clarence Henson. He also owned and operated the Louisville Radio School.

Ancient History, I suppose. I also have pics taken at WXVW...but since the call sign is now defunct, I suppose no one would be interested in them .

Used to work with one guy named Tim Goodwin, who was a student at the school, have lost track of him over the years, in case you know him, I'd love to make contact with him again. He'd be in his late 50's by now.
I also submitted some audio clips, but they haven't posted those on the web page, as yet

Regards
Dan

[dbsteff]

REGARDING WLRS pics.

In case you took the time to view the pics I submitted to WLRS, and which are now posted on their webpage, I thought you might like some detail regarding the equip in the pics:

The Reel-to-Reels were Magnecord 1022s.

The cart machine was a Sparta-Matic. The console was an RCA BC-9, as best I recall, the mics were Turner 510s......a very popular dynamic mic at the time due to it's presence peak. The turntables were Fairchild, the cartridges on the tone arns were Shure M-44-7.

The transmitter was an RCA BTF-10D....new at the time.(Not shown, obviously)

The studio shown in the pics, was located in suite 908 in the 800 Building.

I'm shown in one of the pics, standing below a WLRS poster and in front of a NAB plaque.

I'm also shown at the board, in the white polo shirt, cueing up an LP.

Tim Goodwin is shown in another pic, also at the board.We all change over the years, don't know if Tim is still as lithe as then.

The Girl shown, at the board, wasn't actually staff. She had come in from Scotland to visit one of the other Jocks, whom she was related to. We posed her to take the pic. She had the most delicious accent, wish we could have made her staff. She'd have been quite a hit.

WLRS, at that time was an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System

On of my most vivid recollections was being on the air the night that Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. Mutual had a reporter on scene.....it was quite horrific. I submitted a recording of a special done the next day by MBS to WLRS for their files. It includes the awful goings-on at the time of the assassination. I don't know if they'll post it to the webpage. It's rather long, about 30 minutes.

I also submitted a "Christmas Greeting" 1968, including the voices of Dick Brabant, myself Dan Steffen , Don Fugate, and Glen Behr.....the air staff at the time. It's only about 30 sec. I hope they'll post it.

Don Fugate and I both performed at both WLRS and WXVW. We had been having trouble with the Collins AM transmitter at WXVW, so I was "babysitting" during the graveyard shift while Don was on the air. WXVW, at that time (1968) was using an antiquated, even for the time, Western Electric console. It was a 30's vintage console, but still worked great.

Collins Transmitters are known for their reliability, so it was unusual to have a recurring problem with one. We did, however.

There was a 6L6 vacuum tube in the low voltage power supply, and for some strange reason it would die frequently, producing a sort of cascade effect, such that it would take down the entire transmitter. Since the DJ on the air took his headset feed from the on-air monitor, he would know this had happened when his headphones would fill with static....thus a clear indication that the Transmitter was off the air.

This particular night, and, by the way, I have a picture from that night.....anyway, Don had the mic open and was reading the weather forecast. I was watching from behind him at the VU meter on the modulation monitor.

Suddenly, Don stopped, mid-sentence, and turned to me saying:

"Well, this Son of a B--tch is off the air again!."

As soon as he began to say that, I began waving my arms frantically for him to shut up. It was to no avail. Don had not closed the mic before making this declaration, and I, watching the VU meter jump with Don's voice knew he had just blurted this comment out over the air.

As Murphy's law would have it, another tube, a 12AX7 had died in the air monitor, producing the same earful of static. Don was deceived, therefore into believeing he had just been knocked off the air again.

Since the mic was open, the studio speakers were muted, so I couldn't hear what had happened. As soon as Don realized what he had done, he punched up the cart machine for a commercial and closed the mic.

It was too late. The 5-line phone lit up sequentially, from left to right. The first caller was a fireman, up late at the firehouse. His comment when Don answered the phone was simply:

"OH NO IT'S NOT!!!"

If anyone is interested, I have many more stories about both WLRS and WXVW and my times there.

Regards

Dan



ps

McMartin MPX generator, and a collins audio limiter are shown.

[John Quincy]

Thanks so much Dan. We appreciate it...although we would have loved to have had those pictures at LKYRadio.com too. :-)