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Post by John Quincy on Jan 3, 2008 13:58:12 GMT -5
This came in from Rick Black of Marietta, Georgia:
Something I remember about WTMA was not mentioned on the Web site, but may be of interest to those who remember the station in the 1960s. I spent two summers in Beaufort, S.C. in 1965 and 1966 and was able to get WTMA on WTMA-FM 95.1. I was continually switching between WTMA-FM and WAPE (690 AM) in Jacksonville, FL. The WTMA AM signal was weak in Beaufort, but the FM came in fine in Beaufort as long as you used a TV antenna pointed at Charleston.
I enjoyed top 40 radio on FM for the first time those two summers in Beaufort, so I listened to WTMA-FM more than I did WAPE, which put a killer signal into Beaufort with its 50,000 watts of power.
Now, as you are probably aware, WTMA-FM is now WSSX-FM with 100,000 watts of power and has long ago split from WTMA, even though they are both under the same ownership. Also on 95.1 MHz is WAPE in Jacksonville, which left its old 690 AM spot, which is now WOKV. Both Jacksonville stations are owned by Cox Communications, which also owns WSB here in Atlanta.
I am enjoying the WTMA tribute site, one of many Web sites springing up on the Internet that are about old top 40 AM stations of the 1960s.
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Post by John Quincy on Jan 28, 2008 15:16:46 GMT -5
This was received on January 28, 2008:
I used to win many, and I mean many, records at WTMA with "Name It and Claim It". I still have some of those records.
I remember a friend and I used to go to the Dock Street Theater back then and Bob Townsend would let us go upstairs while he was spinning the hits. There was always coffee and Krispy Kreme donuts to eat. I also remember the big clock on the wall. If I recall clearly he also worked for a while at one of the TV stations in Mt. Pleasant.
Around 1966 I got a job in Lexington, NC and traveling highway 52 all the way there I heard Bob Townsend on a station that was somewhere between Kingstree and Darlington I think. Time passing kinda fades the memory.
From the mid '50s to who knows for how long, WTMA and their DJs are forever etched in my mind. Boy! Those were the days.
Thank you,
Robert Smith
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Post by John Quincy on Feb 1, 2008 16:08:57 GMT -5
We received this from Patti on January 20, 2008:
Somehow I stumbled upon your website and have been "lost in the 50s & 60s." I met Bobby Dee (Dowst) a long time ago when he was with WAPE in Jacksonville/Orange Park Florida. I understand that he passed away in 2005. Are there any pictures of him around anywhere? I couldn't find any on the website. Sure wish you could come up with some/one?!
Thanks for the memories.
Thanks for writing Patti. Wish we had a picture or two of Bobby from his WTMA days. Anybody?
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Post by vienna8520 on Jun 23, 2008 12:50:41 GMT -5
Hi Jim, It was WCSC radio that was in the Francis Marion Hotel. I believed they moved to 485 East Bay Street in the early 1950's with the addition of Channel 5. I spent a lot of time at 486 East Bay working parttime for their radio stations in the late 60's and early 70's (during the great reign of Ken Crook (PD) and thingy Anderson). Thanks for this great web-site. What memories! Joe Martin
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Post by John Quincy on Jul 27, 2008 13:56:20 GMT -5
This was received on July 27, 2008:
Hello John,
I thought I would email you about the radio station WTMA. Bill Walton and Jack Gale were my favorite disc jockeys.
Jack Gale had a program on Saturday night. It came on from 10 pm till 1 am. I think it was called the Hound Dog Show. (Correct me if i am wrong about the program.)
I was sorry to read about Bill Walton passing away. He was my favorite DJ.
Thank you for letting me share this with you.
Sincerely,
Ray Evans Phoenix, Arizona PS: I was in the Air Force at CAFB from 1954 to 1958.
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Post by mike29401 on May 19, 2009 18:30:41 GMT -5
This is more a WKTM memory. I listened to Booby Nash a lot as a kid when he was over on KTM for a while. And for some strange reason, I can do this promo from memory (mostly, maybe):
(male voice) "Here my dear To prove I'm sincere A present I got you Something I brought you To show you my love is so true."
(female voice) "Oh, give me! I want it! You shouldn't have done it. That face It looks like an old shoe."
(male voice) "But it's new and improved and better by far With a handle, a logo, and the face of a star. You can use it Abuse it"
(female voice) "Oh, I'd like to lose it."
(male voice) "And I've got seven more in the car."
(female voice) "What is it?"
(male voice) "It's lovely"
(female voice) "Who is it?"
(male voice) "It's new"
(female voice) "HOW COULD YOU? IT'S UGLY!"
(male voice) "But I got it for you." "It's your new Booby Cup"
(female voice) "I think I'll throw up."
I think I may actually still own the cup in question.
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Post by robert on Apr 3, 2013 16:20:52 GMT -5
In an earlier post Charles Hill mentioned "Name It And Claim It". I believe that I won the second most 45's during that time. A girl in Hanahan won more than me. I always picked my 45' that I won from Bill Mcclain at McClain's Music on Rivers Avenue next to the Gold Mine Pawn Shop. I still have some of those 45's that I won. I also sent in "Bucks For Breaks" a number of times. Also while here I might mention that I listened to the interviews with C. J. Jones and Buzz Bowman. Buzz forgot to mention he was at WQSN with C. J. for a while. C. J. did mention it though. I remember them at WQSN because I was the winner of a contest on WQSN that had all of Charleston trying to win $10,000. John McNeil, was at the Bank of North Charleston on Remount Road win I went there and it was aired on Channel 2 news a night or two later. I still have the picture of me in the bank that was printed in The North Charleston Banner paper. I have not been able to locate the broadcast that was on channel 2 but would love to have a copy of it. If C. J. or Buzz make another interview I wish the moderator would ask them if they remember that contest. I bet they do. Thanks, Robert Smith N.Charleston
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Post by drjknox on Feb 21, 2018 9:07:55 GMT -5
This was sent in by Jim...I came back to Charleston in 1966 and listened to WTMA mostly at night and on weekends. WTMA was located in the Dock St. Theater and there was one gal that did the station sign off around midnight that was a spot announcement for a local furniture store. She had one great sexy voice and really did a good job with the spot announcement for signoff. I am also curious as to where WTMA was located prior to the Dock St. Theater location. I know one radio station in the early 50’s when I lived in Charleston before was located in the Frances Marion Hotel. I could not remember if it was WTMA or WCSC Radio? Just curious as to where or what happened to some of the older Radio Announcers. ............Since you referred to 1966 and beyond and the sexy sign-off, here's a couple pieces of info for you. The furniture company was Them Furniture (pronounced TIM) and I had the pleasure of running that sign-off many a time, since I worked at the Tiger during the weekends between Jan 1967 and March 1968. The radio station you refer to at the Francis Marion was wcsc. In fact when the Church on King Street across from Library back then, caught fire, channel 5 broadcast live from that location since they were right there. That was then, this is now. I was a 19 year old kid in 1963 when I started at the tiger. Probably a lot of the more popular dj's stayed in radio and went on to bigger and better things. Signed - Jim Diamond................. Hey Jim, Been many years. The story about the Church fire next to the Francis Marion reminds me, I was on the air at the time and one of our WTMA salesmen was out on the road and phoned in a live report. His name was Hank Dejesus, and yes he was Latin. He was describing the flames and the steeple could fall at any moment, so I asked him which way was it going to fall? On the hotel, on Sears, on the library. His answer was: "Oh Danny.......its falling DOWN!" Danny Knox
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Post by robert on Aug 2, 2020 14:51:00 GMT -5
I have a 3 part here. !. The way I won many 45's on WTMA was that we had 2 phones to dial in on. When we dialed in on one and got a busy signal we had the other (dial)phone ready to release the rotary dial with the last digit. 2. Anyway I received a number of Bucks-For-Breaks. I remember one as :"You get bucks for breaks on TMA, all you have to do if you wanna win a buck is send a break for a buck to TMA". 3. I wish there was a way to listen to a 1960's full day version of WTMA complete with the music, weather,etc. GOSH!
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