Halls of Fame

“Gentleman” Jim Gates – 2011

The career of Gentleman Jim Gates began at KATZ in 1968. After three years, he moved to KWK, followed by WESL, where he was co-owner of the station and served as GM and PD. In 1986 he returned to KATZ as GM. He also worked at KXOK in 1993 and them KMJM where his show was the highest-rated on the station. In 2000 Jim had a show on the Peabody Award-winning KJZJ, and he also worked at WFUN-FM and KTGP. Known as “The Brown-Eyed Scorpio, Gates earned over 40 Gold Records from the music industry. He became the first station executive in the country to air Rap when he programmed the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight.” The NAACP presented Jim Gates with its Legend Award in 2008.

Doug Eason – 2011

After working as a broadcast specialist for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, Doug Eason made his mark in commercial radio in a career that spanned over 40 years. The majority of those years were spent in St. Louis radio, where Eason was remembered by his listeners as a gentle-voiced disc jockey and strong presence in his community. However, the man affectionately known to his co-workers as “The Leprechaun” also worked as VP/GM of KATZ and WESL. His degree from SIU Carbondale opened doors for him later in his life. While teaching full-time and mentoring high school students, Doug Eason also hosted a daily show on WGNU.

France Laux – Legacy

France Laux has been called St. Louis’ “pioneer baseball voice,” a tribute that referred to his work with the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardinals. He was the voice of baseball for 19 years on KMOX starting in 1929. The Sporting News presented him with its first award to the nation’s outstanding major league broadcaster in 1937. He did radio play-by-play in nine World Series and nine Major League All-Star Games, but his work wasn’t limited to baseball. Laux also broadcast boxing, football, wrestling, hockey and basketball. His voice was also heard on KXOK in St. Louis as part of his play-by-play baseball agreements, but his association with KMOX lasted 30 years. His list of broadcast booth sidekicks reads like a “Who’s Who” of sports: Gabby Street, Dizzy Dean, Pepper Martin, Joe Medwick, Leo Durocher and Frankie Frisch. He often bragged that he had worked for 20 years without missing a broadcast or arguing with a player or umpire.

Buddy Moreno – Legacy

​Buddy Moreno’s name became synonymous with the Big Band era because the group he led appeared many times on CBS, NBC and Mutual network radio from 1947 – 1952. His CBS appearances included several stops on “Saturday At the Chase,” which originated live from St. Louis.

His second career was as a disc jockey, first at WHHM in Memphis. After a year there, he returned to St. Louis, where he worked at KWK, WEW and WSIE. At the latter two stations, the formats allowed Moreno to share his big band expertise and experience with listeners, and he developed a regular following that would tune in just for his programs.

He was an all-night disc jockey at KWK for ten years, moving to WEW to take the job of announcer/program director. In 1996, Moreno came out of retirement to host a weekly big band program on non-commercial WSIE.

Buddy Moreno, KWK, 7/15/1961

Chuck Norman – Legacy

​Chuck Norman started his radio career in 1948 as a late-night disc jockey where he made money selling time on his own show. Three years later he moved to WIL.

​Five or so years into that gig, he left the market for a year but returned and put WGNU (Granite City) on the air in 1961. In 1965, he added WGNU-FM, claiming it was the first radio station to broadcast country music in stereo. He sold the FM in 1978.

​The AM format was switched to talk in 1977 and the station was later dubbed “Radio Free St. Louis” developing its audience by featuring non-mainstream hosts.

​Through his entire life, Norman maintained ownership of the station, which, in his later years, gave him the distinction of being the only original sole-owner left in the St. Louis market.

​In addition, he held an annual holiday party every year starting in 1976 to benefit the area’s needy families.

Dave Dixon – Legacy

​Dave Dixon, a native St. Louisan, was the first African-American vice president of Laclede Broadcasting, the owner/operator of KATZ, and, in a related field, the first African-American promoter for Regal Sports, a concert and sports production agency. He had started with the company as a disc jockey in 1958 and was closely associated with most of the station’s early remote broadcasts.

In addition to being a local producer and promoter of live music shows, Dixon was the popular host of KATZ’s “Night Beat Down Rhythm Street,” which originated from various lounges in the St. Louis area.

He served as president of NATRA, the African-American organization of television and radio announcers.