Steve West, WGKX Memphis | October 9, 2004 is a post from: Airchexx.com

I can’t say why I hold such an emotional attachment to WMC-FM. I will say that this particular evening was the last time I was on major market radio, the last time I got to interact with callers or really be myself on a commercial radio station. Given my feelings toward this station, and Memphis, Tennessee, its little wonder why I was very emotional on this day.

At the end of this, is my farewell to Memphis. Nobody does a farewell… I figured what the heck. I wasn’t going to get to be on Memphis radio anymore. So, I had this really good speech I wanted to give, and wouldn’t you know it… my son, who was at the station with me, decided at that moment to enter the studio and just start talking to me while I was trying to speak… thus, lots of long pauses as I tried to remember exactly what I wanted to say but hadn’t written it down. Kids hahahaha…. But in the end, it was my son who was the reason I had to leave in the first place, so perhaps it was appropriate that he be there to remind me that it wasn’t the listeners or even radio that my first responsibility was to.

Nevermind. I’m just rambling.

If you’re a radio person, how did you leave your last gig?

Steve West, Last Show on WMC-FM Memphis | October 30, 2005 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Both K97 and Nelson are legendary in Memphis.  WHRK was (and still is) the FM station of the mother of all R&B stations, 1070 WDIA.  There is more on the history of this station on the web, so we won’t go into the long history of 97.1 FM.  Henry Nelson – Well, he’s been at nearly every station in Memphis (all of us who worked there seemingly ended up at at least half of them!), did mornings, at least that I KNOW about, on K97 and at WRBO for a few years before Citadel blew out the locals and started airing syndication in 2005.

The list of legendary performers who got their start in part by their exposure on WDIA ‘back in the day’, is seemingly endless, from B.B. King to Barry White and so many others.. and most ended up over the years, at least the latter ones, on K97 after its split from the AM.

True, today K97 is nothing less than a full blown Urban Rap station – and I suppose is earning it’s own reputation for greatness with a very young generation… but for the rest of us who remember what pop music was like, skewed either to a Rock or R&B direction… this quick scope of WHRK Memphis is great, and speaks volumes as to where Urban radio went after 1984.

Henry Nelson on WHRK “K97″ Memphis | November 1984 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Then owned by CBS (now Entercom), WMC-FM was HOT! Trying hard to maintain a decent lead over crosstown WMBZ (the Buzz), which was in it’s death throes, PD Lance Ballance pushed the music envelope right to the edge with these “Whatever Weekends” – CBS’ (Infinity) answer to the emerging “Jack” variety hits format. At the time of this recording, I was at the end of a 4 month run as the weeknight host while they looked for a replacement to the previous host who abruptly quit back in May. So, I was it.

Enough about me. This is the hottest FM 100 sounded in years, and the amount of energy expended on air is breathtaking. Listen for rock, disco, dance, callers asking where to party, and at the tail end of this 16 minute scope, my brother Mike, stuck in New Orleans desperately waiting for a flight out back to Massachusetts. He did get one, the LAST flight out of New Orleans International before Katrina arrived.

Many thanks to Patrick in Memphis for recording this. I never thought THIS show would find it’s way back to me and never recorded it – they say you’re pretty good if others record you, so THANKS PATRICK! I’m flattered beyond words!

Steve West on WMC-FM 100 Memphis | August 28, 2005 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Skip tells us he found this tape at the transmitter site of what is now WSMB 680 a while back. This is an original recording of Harry Chapman, the morning man on what was Plough, Incorporated owned WMPS.

Listen to the old commercials! We couldn’t recreate the “quaintness” of these old swing-era sings. WMPS sounds very Middle of the Road here, playing hits from Ray Charles, the Four Seasons and some lesser known regional hits. Without hearing the rest of the broadcast day it’s hard to get a feel for WMPS’ format, but the station is VERY sold out, with this 45 minute morning show clip being more commercial load than music. Lots of live reads.

Ever wonder what early 60s radio sounded like… radio before the British Invasion? Here’s your history lesson.

Harry Chapman on WMPS 680 Memphis | July 19, 1963 is a post from: Airchexx.com

When you listen to this aircheck, see how detail oriented the local weather guys are, This might be interesting to listen to for those who live outside ‘Tornado Alley’.

As a new service to our visitors, you can now view the latest breaking weather video from AccuWeather.

Arkansas Tornado Coverage on WMC-TV, WLMT-TV and WREC-AM Memphis | February 24, 2007 is a post from: Airchexx.com

When the Buzz format launched, there were high company hopes that this station would fit well between HotAC WMC-FM 100, Alternative 92.9 WMFS and even CHR 107.5 Kiss-FM, while complimenting sister (and ratings/revenue monster) WRVR 104.5 The River. While at the outset the format change and music mix did attract a lot of listener attention and did pull from the above named stations, the effect was not as long-lived as Entercom would hope. The Buzz did manage to sound the death knell for then WKSL ‘Kiss-FM’ (it flipped first to Rhythmic WYYL “Wild 107.5″, then became home to AAA WMPS 107.5 “The Memphis Pig” before returning to CHR in 2003 as WHBQ-FM “Q107.5″), and spark minor format tweaks at WMC-FM, but overall it was not enough.

PD and morning host Kramer was relieved of his duties in 2004, replaced first by the team of Brad & Dana, then later by the syndicated “Kid Kraddock in the Morning” show. Brad & Dana would move to afternoons when perhaps the only format icon on the station, Argo, was released in 2005 to make room for Kraddock. With most of the format staple jocks gone, ratings continued to slump as the music was tweaked from core Adult Alternative crossovers to a more pop mix. In fact, 94.1 began an irreversable downward slide in ‘04 which continued until the format was finally put out of its misery, following the purchase of former rivals WMC-FM and WMFS.

Format Change: WMBZ 94.1 The Buzz Memphis flips to Snap! 94.1 | October 27, 2006 is a post from: Airchexx.com

From what we can gather, this station originally had its transmitter on the west side of the Mississippi River (thus, the ‘K’ call) prior to its sale to Barnstable broadcasting in the 90s and subsequent move to Millington, a northern suburb of Memphis in Shelby County. One other interesting point: 98.1 FM has had numerous format changes over the years, this CHR incarnation just one of many formats, including Oldies, Classic Hits and others.

This station is currently owned by Citadel Broadcasting, and known as Classic Rocker “98-1 The Max”

QuickCheck: KMPZ-FM Z98 Memphis | January 17, 1989 is a post from: Airchexx.com

So, with little fanfare and virtually NO imaging or announcements whatsoever, the music was pulled in the middle of a song and the CNN News feed simply clicked in, followed by the Al Franken show on the Air America Network.

One of the most haphazard format changes heard in ages. We present it to you as a scoped 10+ minute audio time capsule, to serve as a place holder for the next format change that will inevitably happen to this noisy unkempt AM signal which was once home to Rick Dees, Terrence McKeever, Roy Mack and others in it’s heyday of the 60s and 70s as Plough Broadcasting’s WMPS.

And, to confuse you further, Locally owned and operated WMPS now occupies AM 1210, after having been moved by Flinn Broadcasting from 96.1 to 107.5 and then to internet only, only to resurrect them on the aforementioned AM 1210 in 2005.

Lost, are you? This audio clip should explain it all.

Format Change: Standards WJCE Flips to Progressive Talk 680 WWTQ Memphis | January 28, 2005 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Imagine the surprise hearing this tape. Rob Grayson, where are ya! This is from before the Memphis appearance of Rick Dees, before FM 100 was Top 40… even before FM was even popular!

Regardless of how good these stations sound here, the number one station hands down in the city was neither. It was the Soul station, WDIA 1070. And the Memphis sound sure is heard all over this aircheck. Take a listen and go back to a more troubled time, almost 34 years ago!

Was it really that long?

Memphis Composite – WHBQ, WMPS, Others | September 2, 1972 is a post from: Airchexx.com