WHBT-FM Harriman - Bill Fortune (1983)

During the 1980s, radio DJs loved to entertain the listener by playing their favorite songs. One example of this is what you're about to hear in this aircheck. We take you back to 1983 where country music station WHBT-FM in Harriman featured a DJ named Bill Fortune.

In this short aircheck, we showcase Bill's ability to entertain the listener by playing your favorite country music songs.

WHBT-FM Harriman - Bill Fortune (1983)
(Aircheck courtesy of Carl D Hogg on SoundCloud)

Tennessee FM Radio in the 1980s (audio)

During the 1980s, FM radio featured unique and exciting formats that suited the listener's needs. Here in Tennessee, many FM stations presented these formats in a unique style by DJs who played the hits.

As a thank you to what FM radio done in Tennessee during the 1980s, I now bring you an audio montage of how FM radio sounded in Tennessee during that decade. The audio presentation features a lot of legal IDs as well as an interesting promo aired on WRVU in Nashville circa 1982. The montage includes legal IDs for long-gone stations such as WTNZ in Clinton and WNKX in Sevierville. The audio quality for this montage varies.

Enjoy this look back at how FM radio sounded in Tennessee during the 1980s.

Tennessee FM Radio in the 1980s

(Clips courtesy of DXers Matthew C. Sittel and the late Pat Dyer, and the FM DX: Recorded History website)

1980 in Tennessee Radio

The clock turns back to 1980. Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States. An LCD pendant watch in 1980 was $34.95. The average monthly rent in 1980 was $300. And the average income per year was $19,500. And in Tennessee, Johnny Majors was in his fourth year as Tennessee's head football coach while Tennessee's population was at 4.591 million that year.

While 1980 started a brand new decade - the 80s, local radio was evolving to suit the listener's needs. Whether it was country music or rock music, your favorite radio station was carrying it. Let's travel back in time to 1980 as we feature some radio lineups from that year.

(Lineups courtesy of the Fred 1980 annual as featured in the American Radio History website)

WKGN-AM 1340/KNOXVILLE
Jim Donovan 12-6am
John Payne 6-10am
Stewart Clark 10am-3pm
Keith Lambert 3-7pm
Jennifer Lear 7pm-12am

WREC-AM 600/MEMPHIS
Joseph Hargraves 12-6am
Steve Butler 6-10:30am
Allan Tynes 10:30am-2pm
Rick Kaucher 2pm-12am
Larry Anthony and David Anthony (weekends)

WKIR-FM 104.1/JACKSON
Mark Ward 6-10am
Suzzane Craig 10am-2pm
Jim Seech 2-7pm
Brian Davis 7pm-12am
Tony King 12-6 am
Bill Charity and Mike Brown (weekends)

WNOX-AM 990/KNOXVILLE
James Maurice 2-5:30am
Dave Dunaway 5:30-10am
Phil Williams 10am-2pm
Mike Beach 2-6pm
Scott Majors 6-10pm
Tom Michaels 10pm-2am
Joey Burchfield (weekends)

WRJZ-AM 620/KNOXVILLE
CP and Walker 6-10am
Rick Kirk 10am-2pm
JJ Scott 2-6pm
John Isley 6-10pm
Adele 10pm-2am
Mark Thompson 2-6am

WKDA-AM 1240/NASHVILLE
Jim DeMarro (mornings)
Al Risen (middays)
Dale Turner (afternoons)
Bill Hudson (evenings)

WLAC-AM 1510/NASHVILLE
Pat Reilly and Dick Kent 6-9am
Chuck McCartney 9am-1pm
Mark Damon 1-3pm
Allen Dennis 3-6pm
Smokey Rivers 6-10pm
Spider Harrison 10pm-1am
Shadoe Bailey 1-6am

WMC-AM 790/MEMPHIS
Les Tivers 12-5am
Hal Jay 5-9am
Les Acree 9am-12pm
Jackie Strickland 12-3pm
Phil Conner 3-7pm
Larry Nobles 7pm-12am
Robin Scott (weekends)

WMPS-AM 680/MEMPHIS
Bill Murray 6-10am
Kevin Murphy 10am-3pm
Walt Jackson 3-7pm
Jaybird Marvin 7pm-12am
Sid Wood 12-6am
Paul Watt and Carol Williams (weekends)

WMQM-AM 1480/MEMPHIS
Jim Corbitt 6am-12pm
Sam Felts 12-3pm
Pete Thomas 3pm-signoff

WMTS-AM 810/MURFREESBORO
Dan Jaynes 6-9am
Gary Rivers 9am-1pm
Ron Scott 1pm-signoff

WMTS-FM 96.3/MURFREESBORO
Bill Jones 5-9am
Roy Mecke 9am-1pm
Annie Stewart 1-5pm
Dave Countess 5-9pm
Alan Freeman 9pm-1am

WQUD-FM 104.5/MEMPHIS
Greg Hamilton 6-9am
Bill White 9am-2pm
Paul Selph 2-7pm
Debbie Clark 7pm-12am
Larry Cotlar 12-6am.

WSIX-AM 980/NASHVILLE
Gerry House 5:30-9am
Dave Hutcheson 9am-12pm
Jay Franklin 12-2pm
Dennis John Cahill 2-6pm
Vern Robinson 6-11:30pm
Ray Wiggins 11:30pm-5:30am

WSKZ-FM 106.5/CHATTANOOGA
David Carroll 6-10am
Chris Thomas 10am-2pm
Buster Bradley 2-6pm
Ron Richardson 6-10pm
Tim Cunningham 10pm-2am
Gary Beach 2-6am

WSM-AM 650/NASHVILLE
John Young 6-9am
Ralph Emery 9-10am
Gary Beaty 10am-1pm
Charlie Chase 1-5pm
News 5-6pm
Tony Lyons 6-9pm
Hairl Hensley 9pm-12am
Coyote McCloud 12-4am
Chuck Morgan 4-6am

WSM-FM 95.5/NASHVILLE
Dave Nichols 6-10am
Keith Bilbrey 10am-2pm
Donna Brake 2-6pm
Kris Bradley 6-10pm
Bennie Ray 10pm-2am
Mike Donegan 2-6am

WVOL-AM 1470/NASHVILLE
Jeff Mathey 6-10am
Brother Dave 11am-3pm
Fast Freddy 3-7pm
P.J. Carter 7pm-12am
Vic Watkins 12-5am

WWKX-FM 104.5/NASHVILLE
Drew Pearson 12-6am
Darrell Douglas 6-10am
Michael St. John 10am-12pm
Jeff Baker 12-3pm
Jon Anthony 3-7pm
The Unknown Disc Jockey 7pm-12am

WZDQ-FM 102.3/CHATTANOOGA
Dale Anthony 6am-3pm
Anne McCartney 3-9pm
Lana Bazemore 9pm-12am
Stanley Hall 12-6am

This has been a look at what radio in Tennessee looked like in 1980.

What's To Come... (March 28th edition)

We hope all of you are having a great week so far. As I got ready to post, I have been preparing a montage of Tennessee radio from the 1980s via audio clips courtesy of Matthew Sittel, the FM DX: Recorded History and P. J. Dyer. However, they will be in two separate files and will be uploaded at the end of this week.

As for what's to come, here is some content you can expect this week:

(1) A WSIX Nashville aircheck featuring Stan Campbell from 1985

(2) A WHBT-FM Harriman aircheck featuring Bill Fortune from 1983

(3) A WZXR "Rock 103" aircheck composite from 1981 courtesy of the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame YouTube page

and...

(4) A WZXR "Z103" aircheck featuring Jeff Baker from April 1986 courtesy of the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame YouTube page

We hope all of you will stay tuned and stay connected to the website.

WKGN Weekend Programs (1986-87)

(Courtesy of Grant Gentry of KnoxFinds on eBay)

The year was 1986. The state of Tennessee celebrated a year-long event entitled "Homecoming '86". Elie Weisel of the United States won the Nobel Peace Prize that year, The President of the United States was Ronald Reagan. And in 1986, WKGN was known as "The Sound of the City". On the weekdays, The Captain was WKGN's morning DJ. But on the weekends, WKGN aired some special features to suit the listener's needs. Whether it was Gospel Caravan on Saturdays and Sundays at 6am or Jazz Trax to close out your weekend, WKGN had a program just for you.

WKGN Stickers From the 1980s

Here are two WKGN bumper stickers from the 1980s:

(WKGN stickers courtesy of Grant Gentry, KnoxFinds on eBay)

More Knoxville Radio Stickers From the 1980s

Here are some more Knoxville radio stickers from the 1980s:

(Courtesy of Grant Gentry, KnoxFinds on eBay)