October 23, 2017 [Monday] Issue #1662

ALL THE NEWS THAT IS NEWS

CHATTANOOGA RADIO TV LEGEND PASSES INTO THE NIGHT In the 1960s, Dayton, TN native Don Welch gets his start in Chattanooga, TN broadcasting as a news reader and disc jockey on WDXB-1490. In 1967, after Don leaves WDXB-1490, he becomes an announcer on WRCB TV CH 3. For the next six years, Welch performs a little bit of everything on CH 3, eventually becoming the regular weekday weatherman. On Sunday, October 15, 2017 Emmitt N. [Don] Welch, Jr. passes away peacefully in his Hixson home from Parkinson’s disease.

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BEASLEY NAMES NEW PM DRIVE DJ IN TAMPA, FL In 2004, Rich Fields becomes Bob Barker’s announcer on The Price Is Right. In 2009, The Game Show Hall of Fame names Rich Fields as Best Announcer of the Year. Fields also holds the record for announcing the most network televised game shows in a single season – 7. Throughout his career, he announces nine TV game shows. Rich begins his radio career on WRBQ FM (Q105) Tampa, FL. Beasley names Rich Fields as new PM Drive DJ on Classic Hits WRBQ FM (Q105) Tampa.

MAYBE THERE STILL IS A CHANCE Former NPR host Diane Rehm reminds us that we must never count ourselves out age wise for marriage. At 81, broadcasting legend Diane Rehm marries John Hagedorn, 78, of Lake Worth, FL on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at Washington National Cathedral. In 2016, Diane meets John Hagedorn at an event sponsored by non-com WMFE FM (90.7) in Orlando. He praises her memoir, On My Own, about being a widow, and offers to meet her if she visits Florida. That’s how it all begins. Diane and John are now man and wife.

SMART SPEAKERS ARE THE NEXT HOT GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS Recent commotion of smart speaker unveilings from Amazon, Sonos and Google greatly expands the options available to consumers for the Christmas shopping season. According to Strategy Analytics, this stimulates first-time buyers into multiple smart speaker ownership. Fourth quarter 2017 sales of smart speakers expect to reach nearly twelve million units globally, which brings the full year total to twenty four million units. Amazon, Google and Baidu lead the way in smart speaker sales.

TRIVIA QUESTION: When is the first broadcast of Perry Mason on the radio? The answer appears below.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

•WTAR-850 Sinclair Communications Sports Radio Norfolk, VA debuts new lineup: Outkick the Coverage with Clay Travis, Dan Patrick; The Herd with Colin Cowherd, local Nick Bailey show and the Rich Eisen show. •JEFF POPE & MARLA DAVIES say goodbye to mornings on Alpha Media Hot AC KEZR FM (Mix 106) San Jose, CA. •BO MONEY former PD of iHeartMedia KQBT FM (93.7 The Beat) Houston, TX until he exits in August 2016 is new PD of Urban WZRL FM (Real 98.3) Indianapolis, IN.

ENTERTAINMENT AND NEWS MILESTONES

•1954 WEST GERMANY joins NATO on October 23rd. ‎•1969 MERLE HAGGARD’s single Okie From Muskogeebags #1 in Billboard Country on November 15th. •1978 CBS raises LP record prices to $8.98 on October 23rd. ‎•1984 WILLIE NELSON’s rendition of Steve Goodman’s City Of New Orleans grabs #1 in Billboard Country on November 3rd. •1997 SAN FRANSCISCO, CA experiences a black out at 6:11 am on October 23rd. •2004 GEORGE STRAIT’s I Hate Everything scores #1 in Billboard Country on October 23rd. ‎

EMAILS YES WE HAVE EMAIL

FRANK HALEY [News Director/News Anchor KDAZ-730, ex KKIM FM, KOB-770, KTRH-740, KILT-610, KLIF-1190, KVIL FM] (Albuquerque, NM) I grew up in Dallas/Farmers Branch, Texas during a time when everyone treated each other like family. We didn’t eat fast food very much. We drank Kool-aid, ate bologna, PB&J sandwiches, and hot dogs. We would gather coke bottles to take to the store and use the money to buy movie tickets, candy or a Coca Cola in a glass bottle. You sure could get a lot with that coke bottle money. We went outside to play games like hide-n-seek, baseball, football, basketball, climb a tree, water fights, play in the rain, kick ball, or just lay back and watch a kite in a big blue sky. Chasing lightning bugs on a summer night was always fun. There was no bottled water just the water hose that we used when we became thirsty.

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BILL CHERRY [Realtor, In late 1950s Music ’til Dawn host on WWL-870] (Dallas, TX) Hey, Jim and Suzie, Several years pass, and I’m back on KGBC (part-time) at the same time I opened and ran my real estate business. And then there was a lag of a year or two, and then I went to TV doing features about Galveston’s past for “News -24 Houston.” Some of those are on YouTube under “Bill Cherry’s Galveston Memories.” I didn’t try to do radio as a career, although I always wanted to, because I knew in my heart I wasn’t good enough to be a top paid DJ, and I didn’t like the reputation radio had by then of being transient for talent, i.e., being constantly being fired and having to move from town to town. It was a good decision. Nevertheless, I adore radio to this day, and I have always favored it over TV. Throughout my business career, I primarily used radio for advertising. It worked excellently. Regards, Bill

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NICK ALEXANDER [ex KNUS FM, KVIL FM, KXOL-1360, WFAA-570, KZEW FM, KLIF-1190, KAND-1340, KDOK-1330] (Dallas-Coppell-Quinlan, TX) Jim My life in radio: I was a high school senior and I placed a phone call one night in the fall of 67 to make a request. I starting speaking with the DJ, “Hal Martin” (Michael Spears) and we became friends. I started hanging out at the station and became friends with other DJs including Michael O’Shea. I worked at Radio Shack and on Sundays when the store was closed, I would hook up 2 turntables and a tape deck and play DJ. I would then take the tapes to my friends for critiques. After high school I was going to El Centro College and got involved with creating an on campus radio station KELC. When the draft was eliminated and a got lucky with a high lottery number, I knew I would get drafted so I quit Radio Shack, and with Michael Spears help got my first job at KAND Corsicana. I enjoy your weekly column. It’s great keeping up with the biz. Best wishes to you and Suzie. Nick Alexander Productions Quinlan, Tx

TRIVIA ANSWER: On October 18, 1943 listeners hear the first broadcast of Perry Mason on CBS radio. John Larkin plays Perry Mason the longest on radio.

CHARLES GEORGE [KC5RAI, ex KCHU FM] (Dallas, TX) I found an album of Jimmy Witherspoon, it had on it a sideman, T-Bone Walker. I wonder how much they had to pay T-Bone Walker since he was already a star. Like there was an announcer Randy Coffey (sp) and I know I heard him on Rock, Easy Listening Stations. I liked hearing him on the air, enough to remember his name. I heard it on the X. I once wrote XEG in Monterrey, Mexico. Turned out they had an address in Fort Worth on the card they sent me for a reception report. Tonight listening to Dave Washburn and The Three Quarters Jazz Band. 73, KC5RAI

T-BONE WALKER (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) I was called “T-Bow” but the people got it mixed up with “T-Bone”. My name is Aaron Walker but “T-Bone” is catchy, people remember it. My auntie gave it to me when I was a kid. Mother’s mother was a Cherokee Indian full blooded. There were sixteen girls and two boys in my mother’s family, all dead but two.

Jim Rose and Suzie
Houston, Texas – Laus Deo