Rhett Walker once told me that Y-107 had an incredible listener base right up till the day management pulled the plug. The apparent reason: The station name and logo had become synonymous with such outrageous on air behavior that local Christian preachers were having success in deterring advertisers from purchasing airtime… despite high ratings and incredible fan loyalty.
All that to describe the atmosphere surrounding this station by 1994. About one year before the flip to “The River”, here’s the whole Y-107 bunch, Morning Zoo and all, scoped down to just under an hour.
I have to give credit where credit is due: These series of Y107 airchecks were recorded for me by VO talent (and former Y107 Creative Services Director) Bumper Morgan. It only cost me postage and a few bucks (not kidding and thanks Bump if you happen to read this). It’s nice to listen to the station as it was shortly before it was dumped into “The River” (pun intentional). :>)
Sadly, the Y107 that was featured here pales in comparison from the years before.
Robyn
The original three Y107 airchecks that were posted way back in 2002 here on airchexx.com were from the previous era you mentioned. Ironically, those are originals produced by Bumper Morgan also. I worked with Rhett Walker a few years ago and he was kind enough to give me copies.
You’re right, Robyn. Y107 was on its way out as management was under immense heat to ‘tone it down’ because of some pretty bad press regarding what they called ‘shock radio’ back then. Kinda like shock jocks today, only what they did was FUNNY, and a lot more mild than the blatant stuff we’ve seen in recent years.
The River, quite frankly, sucks by comparison with Y107’s glory years. Thanks for sending this in!
As an on air member of the original “outrageous fm-Y-107”, I can testify that the time, place, and airstaff came together to form a ‘perfect storm’ of great radio.
Marc Chase was and is a genius programmer who led us to the highest arbitron ratings Nashville had ever seen. Long time vets like Coyote McCloud, Rhett Walker,
and the rest of the staff developed an atmosphere that was as conducive to fun and winning as any environment that I have been around in twenty seven years of radio. I was lucky enough to play a small part in that. I can truly say there will never be another Y-107. That makes me very proud and very sad all at the same time.
Gary Jeff Walker middays/afternoons 3/85-12/92
I was the night jock on Y107 in ’86-’87 at the height of Y107’s ratings power. WKDF, a great rock station, had been number one for 16 straight years and we knocked them off. It was during that time that maybe only Z100 in NY had a better radio station in the world.
Our staff invented “stunting.” We held staff meetings every Monday morning at 10 and mapped every week. We were the first-ever “breast augmentation station” when we gave away a nice pair. Despite protests from NOW, 10,000 women entered to win. We appeared on CNN, the BBC and Australian radio when the morning show at 5KA in Adelaide called the contest line to enter their morning news girl. Marc Chase let me pick the winner, a poor girl as flat as Kristi McNichol. Her winner’s promo, “The breast is yet to come!” is the best I’ve ever played.
Other contests during my time on Y017 include our own Stupid Human Tricks contest when we buried a guy named Glen Solderstram in a box for 5 days for $7,000; The Hidden Cash Cow when we hid a hereford on the grounds of the governor’s mansion; showed up at the inauguration of Tennessee governor Ned Ray WcWhertor with Tim Dukes in a gorilla suit handing out Nilla Wafers; the Bon Bovi Bonfire; the PTL Club. My favorite was the Nashville Christmas Parade in 1986. We were banned from tossing out candy to kids along the sidewalk, so we rented three-wheelers and led the station’s fire truck and Urban Assault Vehicle as we threw cash and set off a melee.
I have hours of Y107 airchecks and they are priceless.
Gary Jeff Walker and I first worked together in 1981 at KZ106 in Chattanooga. We worked together again at WLW and WOFX in Cincinnati and are still great friends.
Y 107 was the best. Never has been and never will be anything like it again. I miss all the airstaff including the late Coyote McCloud.