Radio

KXOK’s Field Car is now equipped with the new radio telephone, enabling KXOK to give listeners faster and greater coverage of spot news and special features. With the radio telephone, the Field Car can keep in constant communications with the studio from any point in the St. Louis area.

KXOK is the first station in the St. Louis area to add both the field car and the radio telephone to its already considerable facilities. The Field Car, a new station wagon, is also being equipped with portable and wire recorders and additional power sources to enable field coverage of programs of interest to listeners. At some future date it is probable that a mobile transmitter will be added.

KXOK established a precedent in the field of radio broadcasting three months ago during the coverage of a spectacular million-dollar warehouse fire. Bruce Barrington, KXOK news editor repeated over the air a report by radio telephone of an on-the-spot description of the fire. This aroused so much favorable comment that KXOK lost no time in securing the service of a radio telephone available 24 hours daily to the station.

(Originally published in KXOK newsletter 4/1947).

If you’re tired of hearing the same old thing on the radio, even if it is your favorite tunes, or if you would like to take a breather from commercials, you might want to check out radio station KDNA-FM at 102.5 on the FM dial.

KDNA is a non-commercial, listener supported station that plays just about every kind of music imaginable, mixed with talk about a variety of topics.

On KDNA you will hear country and bluegrass music mixed with Beethoven, the Beatles, jazz and folk singers from foreign countries. Of special interest might be Jeff Cook’s Bluegrass Show where you often will catch local groups playing live in the KDNA studios.

KDNA is supported entirely by its listeners, one of only eight stations in the country that operate that way. They are also interested in listeners’ ideas for programs. So tune them in, give a listen, and give them a call about what you think. It will certainly be radio like you have never heard before.

(Originally published in C&W Music 7/5/1972).

The Summer Season coming again opens the WIL Roof Garden for the convenience of the many visitors who visit the Station from day to day.

The lighting system is being arranged, and all the porch furniture has been decorated with a new coat of paint.

Last year the roof garden proved a very popular spot in St. Louis because visitors to the Friendly Station could be comfortably seated far above the noise and heat of the city streets and enjoy the musical entertainment from the studios.

The fact that there is no charge and nothing to sell, but that the service was merely another courtesy of WIL, has been appreciated by the friends of the station.

(WIL Newsletter 4/19/1929)

WIL-AM will be remembered for many things. It was the second station on the air in St. Louis (ed. note: Not true), going on the air in 1922. It was the first station west of the Mississippi River to air commercials for businesses. It had the first “man on the street” broadcasts with someone with a microphone outside, talking to people on the sidewalk about events of the day. They were the first station to carry the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball games (ed. note: Not true).And at one time they were the number one rock ‘n’ roll station. WIL-AM also has a rich history in St. Louis country music. In the early days they presented shows by many of the best bands and singers in the area on regular programs. Then came the time that they changed the face of country music in St. Louis.

In early 1968 WIL-AM was broadcasting an all-news format competing with KMOX. Tom Perryman, the manager at the time, convinced the owners to switch to a full-time country music format. He hired the most prominent program director in the nation, Chris Lane of WJJD in Chicago. Chris was also a great DJ, now a member of the Country DJ Hall of Fame. Perryman gave Chris a free rein to assemble the best DJs in the business to staff the station. It was a search that started in January of 1968 and took until June of that year. Chris was quoted as saying, “I took my time finding just the right guys until I felt I had the cream of the crop in DJs to really make an impact on the market!” All the DJs but one were rated number one in their respective markets.

The first was Davie Lee from Dallas, who was also named music director. That meant he was responsible for all the music to be played on the station. For about a year, Davie did the overnight show before moving to the 10 to 2 slot for the next 20 years. Next was Dick Byrd from San Diego, the morning man from 5 – 9 a.m. Chris did the 9 to 11 a.m. slot.

Then there was Dan Daily from Charlotte, N.C., to handle 11 to 3 p.m. Walter Vaughn from Dallas was a late addition to do the 3 to 7 p.m. show. Mike Haines from Knoxville, TN. was chosen to do the 7 p.m. to midnight shift. Today these guys are still close friends and admit it was the most fun they’ve ever had in radio.

WIL-AM immediately became the number one country music station in St. Louis and was named the number one country music station in America in 1969. After leaving WIL to buy into a radio station in San Jose, CA., Chris Lane was replaced by Larry Scott  from WLAC in Los Angeles. He is also a member of the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame. After him the following men were program directors at WIL: Tom Allen, Walt Turner and Mike Carta. Under their leadership the station continued to prosper.

There came a time that FM radio became more and more popular, and WIL-FM also became a full-time country music station.

After some time, the ownership decided to go with only WIL-FM and bought out the AM DJs, changed the call letters to WRTH and became the “middle of the road” format station that it is today. WIL-FM was a huge success and became the number one rated station in St. Louis, which it still is today (ed note: Not true).

Although it no longer is playing country music, the “old” WIL-AM with its dream team line up of DJs with their great visibility in the area, the Shower of Stars at Kiel Auditorium with all the great stars from Nashville, is still fondly remembered as the best thing to have ever happened for country music in St. Louis.

(From Gateway Country Music Association Who’s Who).

Baseball fans comprise what percentage of the radio audience? That is the question Radio Station WIL is trying to determine at this time, and the early replies will be surprising to many who are of the opinion that a large majority is prevalent in the radio audience. Out of the first one hundred and four letters received at the station commenting on the baseball situation, only five request the play-by-play in preference to a musical program – a percentage of approximately 5.01 per cent.

WIL is now broadcasting a musical program in the afternoons during the time that other local stations are on the air with play-by-play descriptions. It is interesting to read some excerpts from the letters now on file.

“Please play us music in the afternoon. We are not all baseball dizzy.”

“Your musical program is an antidote for baseball. By all means continue your musical program and keep part of the population of St. Louis sane for a period of two or three hours in the afternoon.”

In checking the results of the new policy to broadcast musical programs during the baseball games, WIL has found that radio dealers find that the musical demonstration of radios is much better than the baseball broadcasts, it was said.

(WIL Newsletter 5/3/1929)

When a group of local businessmen got together to build St. Louis’ “superstation” in 1925, their agreement included a chance for some corporate self-promotion.

That superstation went on the air December 24, 1925 with the call letters KMOX, but this wasn’t the set of call letters the organizers had wanted. Their group was called “The Voice of St. Louis, Incorporated,” so they sought KVSL. This request was turned down by the federal government. The group responded with a second request, this for KMO. The government had already assigned those letters to a West Coast maritime station. Finally, on the third attempt, the local group got what they sought, and KMOX was assigned to St. Louis in early December.

This group of men realized the promotional power of radio in that era. There were already several stations operating in St. Louis: KSD, KFUO, WEW, WSBF, WIL, KFQA, WMAY, KFVE and KFWF. Of these, WEW was owned by St. Louis University, KFWF by the St. Louis Truth Center, KFUO by the Lutheran Church, WMAY by the Kingshighway Presbyterian Church and KFQA by The Principia, all of which were non-profit institutions. Although some people felt the use of the public radio waves for advertising was not appropriate, many stations had been doing it since 1922 when WEAF in New York set the precedent.

So the new radio station, KMOX, would have the power to reach large audiences throughout the Midwest during the day and across the nation at night. While the investors were portrayed as civic-minded folks who wanted to put St. Louis on the map with the new station, a second motivation became obvious early in 1926. It was then that the regular program schedule of KMOX was announced.

Beginning January 4, entire program blocks were allocated to the companies that had invested in the Voice of St. Louis. The Merchants Exchange provided live reports throughout the broadcast day, with live coverage of the closing. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat provided news updates from the Associated Press. Brown Shoe Company had a program for children Monday and Friday nights at 7:00, featuring Buster Brown and his dog Tige. This was followed by F.C. Taylor Fur Company’s program of “interesting features.”

A Globe-Democrat article also told of an afternoon show “of particular interest to women” presented by the C.F. Blanke Tea and Coffee and Candy companies. “There will be short talks on problems peculiar to the housewife and the care of the household. These talks will be interspersed with musical numbers.”

Another investing corporation, Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards, tried to apply a weekly program revolving around a schoolhouse theme to their business. “The schoolmaster will discuss with his ‘class’ problems that relate to the planting of fruit trees, the planting of gardens, the care of the lawn and landscaping of yards and estates. Messages from Luther Burbank and other nationally known figures will be incorporated into the work of the ‘school.’ Many interesting romances of the fruit world will be discussed.”

The concept of sponsored hours proved successful. A year later, program listings indicated many of the same shows were still running. The early investors in KMOX really got their money’s worth, with their advertising messages broadcast to the masses.

(Reprinted with permission of the St. Louis Journalism Review. Originally published 12/00)