I know virtually nothing about WSAC, other than it was on a low-powered ‘graveyard frequency’. According to this tribute site which credits Paul Urbahns with photos and some old survey sheets (not included in this presentation because we don’t have permission… yet), WSAC went on the air on November 16, 1955 at a power of 1,000 watts. An FM station was added later, and is mentioned on this aircheck as an AM/FM simulcast.
Aside from the above mentioned tribute site, there’s virtually no information available on WSAC. I have reason to believe that the station is airing religious broadcasting, as there are two references to EWTN (Catholic Radio) and 1470 Ft. Knox via a Google search, but I can not verify any of that. Perhaps one of our site visitors has more info that I.
This particular aircheck, I think, originally came to me via Tom Prestigiacomo, whom I worked with at WMC-FM in 2005. It sounds like a composite made for one of the trade publications in then in print in 1972. The competition in the area Top 40 format would have been WKLO or WAKY back then. It sounds like WSAC made a concerted effort to be a serious player in the format, but obviously never had much of a chance.
This has an introduction, then takes the listener through an entire broadcast day. At the end of this recording, the announcer exhorts listeners to “Keep on Truckin'”.
This aircheck is a little funky but I’ve heard alot worse……I thought the Looney Tunes intro at the 50 second mark was cute.
What I can remember about 1470 was that around 1984 the station moved to Bullitt Co. Ky. and became WBUL (Top 40). Then was sold to Zarris around 1990 and simulcasted WZCC 1570 New Albany,Indiana (Christian Music and Talk).In 1999,the station changed to WLCR (EWTN).Later on WLCR moved to 1040 in Mt. Washington Ky. and 1470 went dark and is still silent to this day.
I’ve heard there was an issue with a radio station license being issued to essentially a military base.
A community was created around Ft Knox. Someone took advantage of this “community” and pursued a license. When the military found out they protested. The compromise was a disclaimer that was included with the legal ID, “Not affiliated with any government agency”.
In 1955, my husband played live music on WSAC on Ft. Knox and WIEL in Elizabethtown. I am trying to find out if anyone has any recordings from then.
from 1970 to about 1975 wsac ft knox was the best radio station in the country and the most progressive,, they introduced me to hatfield in the north ,gentle giant ,springsteen genisis, kevin ayres ,roxy music eno, velvet underground, the commercials were read by the announcers,, they played so many cuts in a row that they would turn the level down long enough to do the legally required fcc i d and then back to the music. when jim morrison died that night all that was played was the doors ,all night..now classic rock stations play the same 3 songs by an artist and call it classic rock, clear channel owns a gazillion fm stations and broadcast their artist and screaming commercials, the content is unadulterated garbage
I was in junior high/high school during this time period. I learned about so many different groups from this radio station. I am still trying to find out about a song/group from this time period with no luck. The words that I remember were as follow: “You, are the color blue, when I look at you, in the magic pool. I, love the color blue, when I look at you in the magic pool.” It really had some great guitar with a guitar wha wha ending. Do you recall this song?
WOW! While stationed at Fort Knox, I read the Sports, and ran the board for The Cinn. Reds Baseball games. WSAC was a great station. I had a complete blast! If I remember right the PD at the station was a Tad Murray. WeServeArmorCenter. WSAC gave me the experience to move to KSBK, in Okinawa. I’ve always appreciated WSAC for giving me a break. Thanks for the post!
I too remember WSAC , Kevin Cohen was the DJ in the evening that played some of the most fantastic music available. You could listen for hours and not hear something you were familiar with, but unlike other radio stations he played real music, he did not follow the “rules” familiarity and repetition. I used to keep a spiral notebook to write down the artist so I could purchase the albums for my collection. I would give every dollar I have for a copy of his playlist.
Anyone happen to have the image of the Eagle logo giving the peace sign with Radio Free Fort Knox on it? Was in underground newspaper ads and promo posters. “Music That Stones” Ah, the early 70s.
I grew up in Radcliff. It is right next to Ft Knox and was the home of WSAC . They added an FM . I forget the calls but think the frequency was 105.5 which was later moved , changed and is now 103.5 the revamped WAKY licensed to Radcliff . I enjoy the nostalgic sounding jocks .
The Fm was WWKK
omigosh. on a whim, i started looking for a radio station i used to listen to when i was a teen living in Louisville. i Googled “Ft. Knox radio stations” and found this thread.
i used to search the radio at night after my parents thought i was sleeping, and because i was taking Spanish classes, i used to listen to “Radio Liberacion” on WSAC, “desde La Habana, Cuba.” it was all Spanish and they spoke too fast for me to understand, and i didn’t know the politics of the day, only that Castro was in charge. this was probably late 1960’s. sometimes i couldn’t get the station to come in very strong if the weather was bad, but it also played some of the best music i’d ever heard. i heard selections from Bonnie Raitt’s album “Give It Up” that moved me so much and i went out of my way to find that album. i heard lots of music there i never heard on the top 40 stations. this was before FM.
at the end of the broadcast day, they played a song they never introduced and many years later, once the internet was born, i finally learned that the main song was “I Bid You Goodnight” but i could never find the right artist. it was not Joseph Spence. it had a Reggae feel and i always thought it might be Bob Marley. i finally found out tonight it was “A Very Cellular Song” by the Incredible String Band (from Scotland). according to Wikipedia, “the song is a 13-minute reflection on life, love, and amoebas, whose complex structure incorporates a Bahamian spiritual (‘I Bid You Goodnight,’ originally recorded by the Pinder Family).” you can hear it on YouTube here: //youtu.be/cJfV-a24TOY
btw, i went to high school with Tom Prestigiacomo…small world
I worked at WSAC on weekends: game nights and when Kevin wasn’t feelin up to it. I worked the Sunday morning shift with recorded local church programs from 6:00am to 10:00am, then I would go on air and opened with Pink Floyd’s Animals. I think it was in 1977. The Fort Knox enlisted club was just being opened up when I decided it was not the career for me, but I really enjoyed the learning experience. My air name was Carrie Stoner. Give a shout if any of this rings a bell =)
I am older than you. But I worked at WSAC as a disc jockey in 1961. I was the “morning man”, playing Doris Day and Frank Sinatra. Happy memories!
The song you reference is called “You,I” by the Rugbys. It peaked at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in summer 1969. A great lost 45!
I remember WSAC was owned by Byron Cowan back in the 70’s. I drove by it many times, on Wilson Road, as I recall, near Redmar Plaza. My mom lives next to Byron’s daughter – I’ll have to look her up next time I’m in Kentucky, and see what she can tell me about the station’s final years.
WSAC. The best radio station in the 79’s.
70’s.
Im older than you. I worked at wesuck radio 1966 67. The private enterprise…..Thats what we called it….. I did afternoons, Johnny Stalder did Mornings. Byron owned the place and the starlight drive in. I remember when the put the fm in. Winter of 66. It was a robot. A carousel. First sterio record we played was Petula Clark. Brian McIntosh was PD. We played top 40 and the bold gold!
We didnt care about WAKY or WKLO they were formatted so handicapped. We went wild no holds barred. Did what we wanted.
I went back about 10 years ago and it was the board of health or something. Drove out of there like it all never happened. We had one hell of a station back then, with the compressor, and orban wire echo in the rack. Happy days kid!
By the way fm 105.5 had a new ten pot Gates stereo statesman board with the outer space knobs on the pots! Located in a beautifully carpeted lush studio in back there that we never used. Everything in 66 67 was playing from the carousel there in the hall. Brian was the only one besides Bob Fouts the engineer who knew how it worked. I still have the WSAC jingle package on reel to reel. What else you want to know?
I worked at wwee sack in 66/7 and we always tagged b the ststion id at the top of the hour with
“The private enterprise”!
This was the first Progressive Rock station during the late 60’s and early 70’s in this area of Kentucky (Fort Knox). I used to listen to it at night in Louisville
Stationed at Fort Knox in early 1971, and in my free time, the program director let me do sample airchecks. Just found a aircheck I did on old reel to reel tape
I began my radio career at WSAC-AM in 1974 as an intern from ECC, went part time and then full time as a board operator and DJ in 1975. My air name was Lee Walker. I was barely passable as a jock, but thanks to the training and patience of Dave Jacobs, Program Director at the time, I was able to improve enough to land a gig in Savannah, GA. A 40+ year radio career followed. Just retired.
My time at WSAC was challenging, but crazy fun! I learned at lot – some good; some not so good – but I’m so grateful for the experience!
Randy Bush