Memories From WTMA Listeners

[John Quincy]

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.

[John Quincy]

This came in from Rodney...

My WTMA memory is from 1967, when my favorite DJ Ron Phelps came to Lambs Elementary on Dorchester Road, played 45s on his record player, and passed out autographed Top 30 fliers and 45s after his show was over. Ron Phelps didn't have a fancy van or satellite dish to broadcast this show over the air, it was just something for us 5th graders outside by the big oak tree at Lambs. The last time I saw Ron was on July 4, 1970 when he and his family stood in a long line during the hot grand opening of Charlestowne Landing. Thank you Ron Phelps for being a great WTMA DJ and for entertaining us 5th graders with wonderful Top 30 music in 1967 at Lambs Elementary.

[John Quincy]

This was sent in by Bernie...

Here are a few memories I had of WTMA in the late 1950's.

At one point, due to diminishing ratings I guess, they changed to an intense music format using the title "Tempo." "On we go with our musical show. TEMPO" was how each hourly segment was introduced. Under this format, music selections were not introed nor back announced. The theme song was Ray Connif's "S' Wonderful" usually played in its entirety before a record was started. I think this format was introduced by radio programming consultant Mike Joseph.

Some of the announcers' first names were Joe and Doug. Sorry, I don't remember last names. The station was still located in the Dock Street Theatre and Chuck Smith was General Manager.

[John Quincy]

This in from Charles Hill...

Some random recollections:

1) Playing "Name It and Claim It" at 723-6692 (when they moved out of the Dock Street Theatre, the number became 556-5851). If you won a 45 - I remember getting Stevie Wonder's "Uptight" - you picked it up, not at the station, but from the inventory at "Kukie" Dave's Carolina Instrument Service, which was somewhere on King Street. (I think, but I'm not sure, that they had a second location on Reynolds Avenue.)

2) One of the major sponsors in the early-to-mid-Sixties was Royal Crown Cola, and they gave away lots of six-packs of RC; my kidneys were awash in the stuff.
My mother, a major Dr. Pepper fiend, was appalled at my lack of taste.

3) Ads for Art's Seaside on the Isle of Palms. Never actually got there myself, but the name is imprinted on my brain.

4) It was Charlie Brown, I think, who wouldn't use the word "Monday" on the air; he would refer to "Tuesday No. 1" and "Tuesday No. 2". Then there was the Charlie Brown Skirt-Watchers Society, "checking those winds". Heady stuff for us adolescents.

5) And then there was Uncle Boob. Booby (was it Bob?) Nash had the evening shift for years, it seemed like, and while the morning men tended to be laid back, Nash seemed to be hopped up on something. (It was not, I am sure, Sweet Daddy Cough Syrup, a bit of shtick invented by John "The" Fox, who succeeded Nash on the 7-12 shift.)

6) The weird thing, at least to me, at least then, was that you could actually listen to 'TMA on FM; the 95.1 facility was a simulcast all through the Sixties. Not that there was much competition; as late as '67 there were only two other FM stations in town, WCSC-FM (96.9) and WKTM (102.5).

[Patrick]

Charleston's first radio station was WBBY, owned by Washington Light. It was on the air from 1923 to 1926, and broadcast on 835 kHz with only 10 watts ERP. Later another station began broadcasting in 1926. Both stations were gone by 1930 when WCSC AM arrived. Of course everyone knows, by now, when WTMA began. WTMA-FM began around 1962, and simulcast until 1971 when the station (now WPXI) went from 10,000 watts to 100,000 watts and began playing only "beautiful music." It was nice to have WTMA-FM since the 1250 AM couldn't normally be received very far at night. Bad decision to eliminate the simulcast.

[Greg]

I had the privilege of working in the ol' WTMA building - for WBUB, which I believe was Dan Moon's office before it was a studio. I had the opportunity, as a lot of people who worked there at 1 Orange Grove Road has, to go back to the WTMA studio to 'nudge' the programming computer if it went off-air while unmanned. Being in the WTMA building was like stepping back into a earlier time in broadcasting...walking in the footsteps of 'legends'. I felt the same when I had a chance to go into the WOKE studios on Sam Rittenburg Blvd. Very sad to see the old studio destroyed...

I enjoy the WTMA memories website...especially hearing those old airchecks (Charlie still sounds as professional as ever - Keith Nichols' aircheck gives me nightmares!)

Thanks for the hard work, John!

-Greg Brownlee - former WBUB/WNKT DJ

[John Quincy]

This came in on 12/24/04 from Barbara Westervelt of Spartanburg, SC...

I remember listening to Uncle Booby Nash as a preteen during the summers in North Charleston and calling in for Rumor of the Night.

I also remember having John Trenton telling me I could not win any more 6 packs of RC Cola for "Name It and Claim It". I had to wait a couple of weeks before I could win again.

WTMA was our life as kids. We used to pick up the Tunedex on Mondays at Fox Music House in Pinehaven

I know my brothers have memories too. I will pass this e-mail address along.

[John Quincy]

On January 1, 2005 we received these WTMA Memories from Art Brantley...

What a surprise to find the site. I also have many fond memories of WTMA. I grew up in Orangeburg and my family vacationed every year on the Isle of Palms.

I always loved listening to the guys on TMA and remember the giant partyline when we called in for contest. When we returned home I would climb on the roof of our house to try and pick up the station which came through every so often. I had a Viscount transistor radio (a novelty for us in the 50s), and could be mobile.

I'll never forget one time someone called the station and complained of a song played so the guys played it over and over for several hours to annoy the caller.

I also listened to WCFL out of Chicago around the same time. The DJ, whose last name was Biondi, later moved to Myrtle Beach.

Was there a DJ by the name of Brad Crandle? I remember he did a lot of neat stuff.

Bob Bell, who went to high school with me in the 60s, was also a DJ for TMA at one time I think.

BTW...I remember my dad borrowing a Sam Solomon's card to shop in the store. Did we really save any money?

[welched57]

Hey just found the website and it takes me back!!! Growing up in Kingstree in the 60s and 70s the AM was weak and static ridden, but I listened a lot at night when simulcast on WTMA-FM (95.1-later 95SX). In the early 70s I spent some summers at McClellanville and split radio listening between WTMA and the Big APE in Jacksonville. Then in the 80s I got to know Bob "Booby" Nash and Gerry London from my brief radio experiences - I look forward to checking out more of the site!!!!

Ed

[John Quincy]

This came in on March 24, 2006:

Thank you for this awesome site.

The '70s pukers with the reverb are classic. I spent many summers in South Windermere and out at Sullivans Island in the seventies listening to WKTM.

I have not been back to Charleston since 1981 but my family there goes way back. My grandfather owned the Charleston Matress Company that was next to the westbound Ashley River bridge by the old Limehouse Station.

Thanks.

Eric in Oregon

[John Quincy]

We received this on May 31, 2007:

What a fabulous page! So many memories, and just what the doctor ordered for going back to my home town of Charleston. I make it a habit to visit this wonderful site regularly to catch an up date, or see something that I missed along the way. Now pushing 50...yep 50 years old, this site enables me to go back in time to my teen years.

WTMA played such a large part in the lives of my family. My Mom, who we miss very much, loved the big 1250. We would catch her tuned into WQSN at times to listen to Dan Moon, but we'd always find her going back to the big 1250 to dial in the Big Boob!

I guess my favorite all time jocks were Keith Nichols, Brother Dave, and Gery London. Years later, I remember trying to imitate them when I tried out for a small market radio station job. It must have worked, 'cause I got the job!

One of my most cherished memories is when TMA brought Wolfman Jack to Charlestowne Landing. This was the late '70s and Wolfman had been successful in American Graffiti and was super big on the Midnight Special. What a great night of fun that was. I remember Brother Dave being friends with the Wolfman! It was great. Do any of these WTMA Wolfman Jack Disco photos exist? I'd love to see some. It would be great to have them on this page!

Brantley Kuglar
Williston, S.C.

[brnn64]

I have lots of fond memories of Crazy Bob McClain, Booby Nash, the Wolfman, and the others, but I'll save those for later posts. My most significant TMA memory, which I often share with my students in the US History class that I teach, was the morning of April 30, 1975.

The morning the Vietnam War ended, I was ten years old and my Dad was about to drop me off at school on the way to his job. As usual, we had TMA on and newsman Al Khami with his booming, authoritative voice was vividly describing the situation in Vietnam with the people trying to hang on to the helicopter. He concluded the broadcast by saying somberly, "And that is it. The war in Vietnam is now over."

Dad and I looked at each other in silence. After a few minutes, he said, "Well, what do you think?" (I was and still am a news junkie). I said, "It's gonna feel funny watching and listening to the news without hearing about the war anymore." He said again and said, "Son, never forget where you were at this moment."

Thanks to him, Al Khami, and WTMA, I never have.

[jimdiamond]

admin said:

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.................

[John Quincy]

We received this e-mail on August 18, 2007:

John, I grew up in Charleston and listened to WTMA every single night on a little GE transistor by my bed. Your site brings back memories of the Charleston that used to be. I fondly remember the days of Uncle Booby and the Good Guys.

I want to thank you for providing such an entertaining historical insight into that lost time! I don't believe there is a more polished or professionally presented site on the top 40 radio era as this one.

Thank you for laying this before our ears and eyes! Great job!

Best regards,

Gerald Johnson
Johns Island, SC

[John Quincy]

We received this note from Mitch Binnarr on September 9, 2007:

Great website!

I am a native Low country boy who grew up in Goose Creek in the 60s, now living in Florence SC. My first radio contact was WTMA-Tiger Radio, on a pocket sized transistor radio from Sears. My favorite DJ was Booby Nash!

I am 53 now, and those radio memories were brought to life on June 15th this year when the XM 60s channel did a recreated broadcast of WTMA that evening. I thought I had was in an episode of "Back To The Future." It was a great broadcast, and on the eve of my Daughter's wedding, it was a circle of life that experience.

Wish I had some memorabilia, but I commend this website for resurrecting and preserving something very special about Charleston's history!

Mitch Binnarr
Florence, SC