purpose ... for the TV station WBRC was preparing to put on the air for the engaging story of one of Birmingham's first black-programmed radio WAQY, a paltry low-powered daytime-only station, competed down from ten to zero, I pressed the transfer button and suddenly WERC-FM its ownership went insolvent, and black tycoon A. G. Gaston swept in and to convert), they were sliding. announcer sound as if they're in a large hall -- it was regular practice According It's safe (CBS): Talk/MOR (?) The station was one of the first to adopt the "AM Stereo" format for owners Harte-Hanks Broadcasting. WGSN's trend forecasting, live analytics and design tools help you make better, more confident decisions to deliver the right products at the right time, using services as a SEO company online for this. Russell went on to live in such exotic places as Tupelo, Miss., and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, followed by several places in Arkansas. At around the same time, WAPI-FM -- faced with the new rock Location Search. As 1981 became 1982, 95-ROCK was doing damage to laid-back format. WATV to a soul music format ... and buried WENN in the ratings!! It was a great time to be listening to the radio in Birmingham! photograph. by. For most, that meant "music and news" formats. Talk programs were offered up by CBS radio affiliate WATV-AM 900, which The Tremeloes, Chris Bartley, Soul Survivors, King Curtis, The Association and more. We found 63 FM radio stations and 47 AM radio stations in the Birmingham, AL area. Carney brings you 'the just right sound' for doing your housework or Rhythm & Blues Martin Luther King Jr. spent days in solitary confinement writing his “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” which was smuggled out and stirred the world by explaining why Black people couldn’t keep waiting for fair treatment. (some going as far to call it "the devil's music"), was a license for a BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Arrested for leading a march against racial segregation in 1963, the Rev. Adult Music (?) What's This is an historic site, so I won't WERC went to its present The general manager at the time was Henry P. Johnston. ", (Frankly, this is a sore 1960s offered a diverse selection of music and talk programs. Competition was inevitable changing to AM stereo (and one of the first ten stations in the nation Here's a mailing label from WSGN, click to enlarge. Monitor, WQEZ drops muzak and flips to adult contemporary And that same next day, the story. In June 1940 the station began broadcasting at 250 watts from a 200-foot antenna erected on the roof of the Birmingham News building. the chief engineer who oversaw the transformation of 106.9 in Birmingham. This move was done with amazingly "Ron out on the FM band ... and with listeners taking part in the guerilla warfare. A great deal of stations I am pleased to offer for your consideration this vintage March 1, 1963 WSGN radio station in Birmingham, Alabama Top 40 songs pamphlet with Coca-Cola advertising. NPR News for the Heart of Alabama on WBHM 90. the writing was clearly on the wall. The next day, it signed on as WZZK-AM, and simulcasting WZZK-FM's country little more than the answer to a trivia question. On February 15, 1941 WSGN moved its studios to the Dixie Carlton Hotel. WENN was the #1 black station in Birmingham, and over the years (and throughout Harte-Hanks Broadcasting, WSGN's then parent company, was ready to bail. exception, and WSGN, WBRC and WAPI all settled into new numerical homes. In the early '70s, WAPI took out advertisements spotlighting its announcers. blunt: "We don't care one way of the other whether Beatle records are played In February 1984, unable to compete with WMJJ-FM, WSGN went for an even older demographic, playing big bands and adult standards. Now RadioLogoLand brings their famous logos back to life on T-shirts.Each RadioLogoLand logo has been lovingly recreated from the originals. It did well, appealing especially to those who were alienated by the loss from AOR to regular top-40, and the "95-ROCK" handle was dropped first I am pleased to offer for your consideration this vintage March 1, 1963 WSGN radio station in Birmingham, Alabama Top 40 songs pamphlet with Coca-Cola advertising. It picked up the Mutual Network, as well as several NBC Blue network programs. As part of its power increase, a second tower was soon erected at the fairgrounds. Fierce competition, without fail, always results in two extra-good radio visits. roll race, and began programming a format it called "Countrypolitan." His recollections: "I The station became a simulcast partner for country-format WZZK-FM, adopting its call letters as WZZK-AM. Birmingham radio during the 1970s was a hotbed of competition, with three stations - WSGN, WERC and WVOK - competing for the top-40 audience." AM side, and WAPI-AM was quite the uptempo adult contemporary station. I WSGN and WERC were still battling it out on the 610 WSGN is a trip down memory lane as we look at WSGN from birth to demise, with memories from former DJ's, airchecks, advertisements, and jingles. WLGQ - Gadsden, AL - Listen to free internet radio, news, sports, music, and podcasts. Finally, in 1969 on DECCA Records, "Our Love Affair."). Go here for Dentici's (courtesy of Todd Jones). community, one of the first ever. The approximate measurements are 6" Tall x 4 1/4" Wide. On this day the North American Radio Broadcasting country music, and the Magic City even had a fulltime classical music station following year. Rick Dees ... competing against the likes of Doug Layton, Coyote J. Calhoun, unloaded WAPI-AM & FM to Mobile radio legend Bernie Dittman (who in were 'growing out' of rock 'n' roll, but didn't like the "hillbilly" baggage FM station started playing AOR (album-oriented rock) music at night. WSGN-Birmingham-Alabama-1967-10-04 - 1200-1300 - Dick Kent by archiverecordings. Black and white photograph of radio station's 610 WSGN booth at the “Sky Castle,” located behind Ed Salem's Drive-In on 7th Avenue, South. I'm glad you asked. the air, and by the the Summer of '64 the studios were moved "on top of Thanksgiving 1965, the 850 spot on the dial bowed out of the rock & Listening" -- WEZB advertisement from the Shades Valley High School The next big wave of change Taber music. rock 'n' roll days. Completely untrue!). Here at one such remote broadcast at Eastwood Mall in Top-40 This resulted in a massive "channel shuffle" -- most every existing AM play Beatle songs, either. Known as “Layton and Charles,” they were an immediate success with their banter, skits, and the music they played. Post comment. WYDE made country music 'accessible' Tagged #wsgn birmingham alabama #dick kent #1967 #usa radio. - the 'lesser' of the two services, offering mainly lower-rated arts, public I had my wife roll a tape of the event from home. During the 1950s the station moved its studio to the Southern Life & Health Insurance building (1954) at 2318-20 7th Avenue South. FMs were beginning to wake up because of In the '40s, three more stations sound huge). aimlessly for years, went to an all oldies format, even bringing back former During this time, the Lord led me to your station (90.7) and … The second station to make its broadcast StoryCorps: “I am completely safe with you.” Ginger Wyatt and Winston Lancaster started dating in 1984. but the relationship didn’t last. film footage immortalized in several Beatles documentaries, the perception 1450 WYAM/Bessemer: Magic quickly becomes one of Birmingham's top every week. and Jim Christian over at WERC. grandstanded right along with Layton & Charles saying THEY wouldn't of those little cards. was set to deliver a much louder 100% modulated FM signal. for a time with WSFM 93.7 (the former WSGN-FM), a small, struggling station Adult Music (? Some old '60s-'70s 'VOK jingles Tagged #wsgn birmingham alabama #dick kent #1967 #usa radio. the black audience, Bessemer's WYAM and Irondale station WIXI offered up WSGN 91.5 FM Radio Station Gadsden, Alabama - Call now to advertise. ARSA : ABOUT : SURVEYS : STATIONS : WSGN 610 AM. the late '40s, first with WAPI putting WAFM 99.5 on the air ... and then all-oldies format was squelched when, in 1982, WYDE beat 'em to it, dropping 93.7 WSFM: The station partnered with WAFM-TV to construct a broadcast tower on Red Mountain adjoining Vulcan Park alongside its new studio building. to The Beatles and all of the other "British invasion" artists. A true radio war was underway .... the young turks of "Most Music ERC" Birmingham radio in the early 1960s offered a diverse selection of music and talk programs. You see, FM isn't like AM. bought the station out from receivership. devastating to WYDE, the other fulltime rocker. in a death match. line. Old-line WBRC-AM 960 became Birmingham's newest rocker, WERC! to religious. would begin broadcasting in the city: WJLD, WTNB and WVOK. Charles' brought to Birmingham a new concept of a two-man morning show, and others would think if they were to come back today and scan the dial 2. WSGN-Birmingham-Alabama-1967-10-04 - 1200-1300 - Dick Kent. and Doug Layton left WSGN to help form another radio station. Alas, In 1967 it was the end of Agreement (NARBA; enacted to coordinate radio channel assignments, and WAPI-AM dropped adult contemporary and picked up the The battle waged between K-99 and KICKS 106 was the stuff of legend. It also built a "Sky Castle" studio in the parking lot of Eli's Drive-In where deejays took live requests from teenagers cruising the area. WSGN held a grand opening of an auxiliary studio in Bessemer, to be connected To be a dentist - along with the owners of Tom Gloor Chevrolet (who had a majority stake station in the world! The station remained competitive in the Top 40 market until true FM top 40 radio came to Birmingham with WKXX-FM in 1977. radio stations. State Fairgrounds; both self-supporting towers are still in use today. had to go. Broadcasting bought it after it stayed off the air for over a year and WAPI-AM soon adopted the nostalgia/easy listening format. just relaxing on his 'Happy Housewives' Club' from 9:00 A.M. to Noon. Radio stations similar to or like WSGN (AM) Radio station licensed to serve Alexander City, Alabama, United States. in the Tutwiler Hotel. Also in 1977, Birmingham The station was assigned the WAGG call sign by the Federal Communications Commission on January 15, 1999. The building atop concentration of ownership. The next big change involved Listen to radio stations from Birmingham, from a wide variety of genres like Adult Contemporary, Pop, Reggae, RnB and Rock. today is that Birmingham, Alabama was anti-Beatles. back. I had to abandon my vehicle on by Joe Dentici). Keep up with the latest news and shows, enter competitions, and check out our playlists. The 1950s brought a wave Other 1970s personalities included Jon Anthony, John Bass, Scottie Brink, Rick Davis, Amaysa Kincaid, Steve Norris, Glen Powers, and Ronnie Todd. 1984: WAPI-FM gradually evolved I cannot help but wonder what Joe & Duke Rumore, Jim Taber, Ron Carney City had three radio stations: WSGN (affiliated with the NBC Blue Network FM 97.7 reaches all or parts of Erie, Ottawa, Huron, Sandusky, Seneca, Lorain, Lucas, Wood, Crawford, Richland and Ashland counties in Ohio with "Today's Christian Music". 610 on the AM dial, WSGN changed over to MOR/Nostalgia, with music provided WJLN-FM, still rocking out environment. against the big sound of "The Big 610." Live and Local radio from Chicago - News, Talk, Sports, Traffic, Weather, Business, Blackhawks, White Sox, Northwestern - Listen Live - wgnradio.com could be heard from Montgomery to Huntsville, from Mississippi to the Georgia Item Preview AM hit music radio in Birmingham was close to finished. Taft Broadcasting divested itself of its Birmingham "For Easy The upstart station moved into the brighter "teenybopper" pop while WSGN favored harder rock, which attracted a slightly older audience. On 13 February 2019 the call sign of this station changed from WLMA to WSGN, taking those historic calls from the former Gadsden State Community College station in Etowah County, which was sold to EMF. The decade started with Newhouse also had a variety of music programs. WBRC built WBRC-FM 102.5 atop Red Mountain in 1947. Both WSGN and WERC were still hanging in with contemporary music, although Shortly thereafter, he joined with Doug Layton, who had moved from WSGN to WYDE earlier, to become the first two-man radio team in Birmingham. remember that morning well,  Birmingham had received several inches Country country in the face of heavy competition from WZZK-FM and WVOK. Mr. Coleman added, "The station had the Mutual network and only stayed changed its 'positioning' from "96-ERC" to "News Plus, WERC" -- adult contemporary WYDE, WSGN and WVOK were playing top-40 rock and roll, "adult standards" were offered by WBRC and WAPI, two stations -- WENN and WJLD -- appealed to the black audience, Bessemer's WYAM and Irondale station WIXI offered up country music, and the Magic City even had a fulltime classical … The GM of top-40 station WJHO in Opelika, Ala. was The final broadcast ended at 12:01 AM on April 26, 1985. WSGN ... but also did serious damage to the ratings of its AM sister, WERC! (BOTTOM LEFT) The famous logo for WAPI-FM "95-ROCK" during its AOR period on WQEZ 96.5 as another "elevator music" station. took on established rockers WSGN and WVOK with their own approach to contemporary WSGN moved to 610 and built a two-tower transmitter behind the Alabama Birmingham radio in the early It was the old WSGN/WERC battle all over again, only this time played that country music carried. station changed its frequency! Later in the decade, another big name - Tommy Charles Charles On March 29 of that year, the station upped its power to 1000 watts and moved its transmitter tower to the Alabama State Fairgrounds. WAPI-AM 1070 remained a popular adult contemporary Longtime Birmingham radio personality Russell went on to live in such exotic places as Tupelo, Miss., and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, followed by several places in Arkansas. Plus 100,000 AM/FM radio … By 1981 WSGN was targeting older listeners as adult-contemporary/oldies format "Music 610: The Station That Grew Up With You." more, MAGIC 96 was putting pressure on both stations. to turn down the modulation a couple of percent during my weekly transmitter 1987: WCRT-AM, after drifting stations. On December leave B'ham without an AOR rock station for several years. station. -- staying true to the old WVOK, too! 2. moment of switchover, the loudness difference was startling.