February 11, 2006
Hi Folks! Really glad this site is here! THANK YOU for archiving what obviously was a VERY special element of Roanoke history! I have SO enjoyed digging thru and learning about WROV thru the years. It really was "The Station I Grew Up With."
I'm in my early 30's now and I have so many childhood memories of Bart and Rob O' on the radio and the Fisher-Frelantz oldies show on Saturdays. My Dad grew up with the station as well and would talk about things he remembered (Lendy's Drive In and being at Andrew Lewis High) as those songs played.
On into my early teens (mid 80's) WROV (AM) was still really important as my musical taste became more evolved there was Rob O' in the afternoon playing some old Moody Blues or Steppenwolf and John Andrews' show was GREAT in the late hours. I can remember him playing CREAM and JETHRO TULL tracks and a whole evening of GRATEFUL DEAD music when they came to town in '87. I learned a lot from John's show (mind you this was still in the days BEFORE "classic rock radio").
I was fortunate to intern at the station in the early 90's. Much of the work I did was on the FM side of the building but my heart really was over in the Quonset Hut with the old AM studio and transmitter. I hung around in that damp atmosphere as often as I could, knowing all those special years had taken place there! This website really proves that to be true!
I have to mention my warmest memory of my internship there was Jim Carroll paying me a compliment on my voice. I can still recall the thrill of hearing the man who himself had such a brilliant, rich voice randomly saying to me "You should be on the air!" WOW!! I'll never forget that. It really meant A LOT to me!
(Un)fortunately, I didnt "find my groove" in the radio business. Perhaps I was born in the wrong generation. I craved what radio WAS rather than what it has become.
One last memory of mine: I can still recall one of the station ID's, probably a late 60's early 70's clip that started with some funky music and the the bold voice says "ROCKIN STEADY MOMMA.....WROV!" Anyone else recall it??
Anyway THANKS AGAIN! Please keep adding to this site!! I promise to tell others about it!!
Sincerely,
Dave Lewis
January 18, 2006
My name is Bill Groff, a student at Cave Spring High School from '75 through graduation in '78, and I remember WCSH very well, playing in the cafeteria during "Gain Time." Remember that modular scheduling crap? I seem to remember the catch phrase as "Ya Can't Cut Us Off".
Anyway, I love the ROV site, and have practically inhaled every page. I remember listening to Rob O' when I woke up, and Pat Garrett on WCSH during lunch, then BP on the way home down Chapparal Drive to 419. I do remember Rob O' telling Roanoke about the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, and then playing "Sweet Home Alabama."
Lastly, I always wondered: Are Pat and Lee Garrett related?
Take care, and thanks for the site!
Bill Groff
December 9, 2005
What a wonderful Christmas present! My sister stumbled into the site by Googling my name under Images and, as Rob O'Brady used to say, "Viola!" (sic).
I hope to make a small written contribution in the near future, if that's acceptable to you. WROV news was my first full-time job right out of college, starting in Sept. 1973, and home to some of the best memories of my life. Thanks for keeping them alive.
PS: The text on the first page of the home page implies all those named "are no longer with us." Are all those folks deceased - or was it a mixture of living and dead? I am saddened to see so many names.
My best wishes to all of you, and especially those I used to work with.
Thanks again, and Happy Holidays,
Mark Fryburg
WROV News Sept. 1973 - Jan 1977 & March 1978 - Dec. 1979
December 15, 2005
I lived in Roanoke from 1964-2000 I loved WROV growing up with Fred and Jack and I am still a big fan of Rob O'Brady and Bart Prater but my all time favorite is the old Laban and Larry show.
Laban Johnson was a teacher of mine at Patrick Henry high back in 77 and I loved to listen to him and Larry Bly on WROV always made me laugh and I loved the music they played thanks for this great site.
David C. Renfro
Gate City Va.
December 9, 2005
Thanks for making a wife and mom of three boys remember she was once twenty-something and having a great time working for WROV news.
Mark Fryburg gave me my first job in news and after some time at other stations I returned to work with Rick Mosher and Bruce Jacobson. It was definitely one of the best times of my life and my letter of recommendation from Burt Levine helped to keep me employed for a number of years. I only began to recognize Burt's real radio clout later, when I saw the reaction of potential employers to that letter.
I have spent the morning re-living some great memories because of all your work on the site and just wanted to let you know how appreciated your efforts are.
Kathy (Winstel) Randall
November 18, 2005
Just found the website, and can't believe my good fortune...Worked for Burt & Muriel and shared an office with Rob-O for 2+ of the most interesting years of my life, but time & distance have seldom brought me back to "The Magic City". Given that my years as "continuity director" coincided with some of the more chaotic times at the station (July '81--Sept '83), it was great to finally have the entire chronology.
Just a couple of personal rememberences...Burt hired me when I was a new mom, with a rather thin resume & no local contacts--my husband Carl and I were escaping the "trickle down economics" of the rust belt part of Pennsylvania, where'd I'd worked for WVAM/WPRR in Altoona. When Carl had job interviews, and before daycare was widely available, Burt let me bring my six month-old son Ben (playpen and all!) to the office, explaining that, as the father of six, he could understand my situation. What a guy...
I loved the things Burt came up with to promote the station & help make the whole City Market project front page news....the "Everybody's High School Reunion", the Beach Party, the New Year Parties...good times, good times.
I guess because I didn't have political baggage (or for that matter, a clue) of what had gone on before I got there, I lived pretty much in the moment, and my memories are happy ones. However, I'll never forget the day Muriel fell ill--because I'd scheduled a meeting to give my notice, as I was expecting my second child. The sorrow and confusion and fear we all felt was palpable, because Muriel was a force to be reckoned with, and Burt was so utterly at a loss what to do without her. I stayed on a few extra months, and not long after our son Dan was born, family needs of our own took us back to PA.
Hello to any of the good folks from days of yore who remember me...Carl & I live in Merritt Island FL, near the Space Center...Ben, now 24 & married was just deployed to Iraq (82nd Airborne)...Dan, now 22 is a senior in Communications at University of S. Florida. Our 19 yr old Becky is a sophmore there.
Fondly,
Sandy Bump
October 26, 2005
I really enjoy reminiscing the sixties and seventies and remembering (or trying to) all the personalities. One question, though... Wasn't there a d.j. for a short while named "John Signa"; I thought I remembered him being here after leaving WOWO in Fort Wayne. Could be old age fogging my memory though. Thanks, again, for a great site.
Mike Burke
September 26, 2005
Stumbled across this site today and what a flashback! I moved to Roanoke in 1965 (6 years old!) and remember listening later on to Ron Tompkins, Bart, Fred Frelantz, The Bly Guy and all the others on my transistor radio (loved how that reverb could bridge a loose spot segue)!
One fond memory was a Jr. high “field trip” to ‘ROV back in the early 70’s when we all actually crammed into the small studio. Bart fired a spot and it was DEAD AIR!! Yours truly had clumsily kicked the cart deck power cord out of the floor socket and was mortified when Burt Levine buzzed the studio asking if everything was OK. Bart calmly told him it was just a “bad cart” and kept things moving!
It truly was the “station I grew up with” and thanks to ‘ROV & Adrian Cronauer I got into radio myself (first at WSLC/WSLQ then did the radio gypsy thing for about 15 years). A lot of magic came out of that short little tower!
Mitch Todd
Director of Production
Music & Marketing
Sirius Satellite Radio
September 24, 2005
Hi guys...great site! My name is Bill Purcell. I'm a retired state trooper and musician here in Roanoke. I've written Twig Gravely and Steve Nelson about some old photos I have of my father and the Tide Family Band who had a show on WSLS in the early '60's.
The reason I'm writing is that I noticed you listed George Dyer as an employee at WROV. I don't know if you're interested, but I have a nice professional photo of George playing drums with my Dad and Mom at one of the area clubs (I think it was Lock Haven Country Club). I wasn't sure if you were interested in putting it on your site, but let me know if you are. Thanks.
Bill Purcell
August 31, 2005
On Friday 9/23 I will salute, remember & become 1240 WROV on XM Radio's 60's on 6 channel. I worked there in 1972 & 73 as their night jock. I also grew up listening to them since I was 11 years old. I am mentioned on the web site as well as my father Ray Bentley. I have air checks, jingles, the old chime time format & all the memories of Roanoke. From 4pm-9pm the 60's on 6 will become 1240 WROV on 9/23. Personalities featured will be Bart Prater, Fred Frelantz & Jack Fisher. I have great memories of this great top 40 radio station that no longer exists. A CD of the 5 hours will be available. I hope you will listen!
Sincerly,
Terry Young The MotorMouth
XM Radio
Washington DC
August 27, 2005
Just been browsing your website. My family moved to Roanoke in 1961, my 9th grade year, so I was plonked down in the middle of the heyday with Ron, Fred, Jerry Joynes, the Voice of the Turtle, etc.
Later, I think it would have been the summer of 1966, because it had to be when I was home from college, whoever was the night DJ then went though a period of several weeks where every night at 10:17 he would play back to back "Mystic Eyes" by Them and "Over Under Sideways Down" by the Yardbirds. A good dose of early psych-O-delia for Roanoke.
I'd cheat a little in those days and listen at night to the long range signals of WABC, WLS, WKBW, etc., but WROV held its own with the big city stations, back when radio meant something.
Also good to see some WPXI stuff. In the late days of PXI just before its meltdown, I was driving around listening one day and one of the DJs, I think it might have been John Andrews, played some really lame song, then kept playing it over and over, just to see how many complaints he could get.
In the early 70s, after I got out of the Navy, I took the test for a third class FCC license pretty much for the hell of it and to put my Navy electronics training to some use. I worked for a while in Earl Bramblett's silk screen printing shop, printing "Love Is..." cartoons on panties. Business slowed down, and Earl laid me off. (I'm glad that's all he did to me!) There was an ad in the paper for WLRG, for the midnight to six shift. I applied for the job and Aylett hired me, or it was probably Stevie Blunder-Wonder McFarland who actually did the hiring. Easiest job I ever had, just programming the machines to play the big automated MOR reels, doing rip-and-read news and weather onto carts to program in, and checking the transmitter every hour. The newspaper would come at about 4:30 or 5, and I'd provide Paul Houston with the local news by rewriting the local stories as pithy broadcast bites. I hope the statute of limitations on copyright infringement has expired. That wasn't part of my regular job, just something Paul and I cooked up because I was pretty good at it. Worked with quite a few former or future ROV people there. Paul, the Blunder Wonder, Charlie Bell Boswell, teenage Larry Dowdy passed through there. Did Randy Akers ever work at ROV? He was a strange guy. And there was a guy named Jeff Scott(?) - did he end up at ROV for a while? Big Al Samuels, later ended up in production at one of the TV stations. Jeff Scott told me about the joys of going out and climbing the tower in the middle of the night. It was pretty cool, but I never went more than about 2/3 of the way up.
One night about 1 AM there was somebody pounding on the door. WLRG wasn't in the best of neighborhoods, but there was a glass window in the door and I saw this harmless looking skinny guy with huge hair and beard, so I opened up to see if he was in trouble or something. Familiar voice: "Hi, I'm Chuck Holloway, mind if I come in for a while?" Chuck said he just wanted to get acquainted with everybody in radio in the area, and we shot the bull for an hour or so. Sorry to hear about his passing, he was a good guy.
My "career" in radio lasted about a year. Went back and worked for Earl Bramblett for a while, then on to bigger and better things.
You need to do a section on the ROV news operation, which I thought was quite good in the early to mid 70s. I did some political campaign work in 1975, and I loved working with Mark Fryburg and Libby Dubick. They were good folks.
Snake
August 12, 2005
First let me say, I love the website. ROV-AM definitely deserves it as do all the great talent that has gone through there.
However, it disturbs me that you have not made a section or mentioned the FACT that after the music dies on ROV- AM, the station itself did manage to plod on from 1996 - 1999 under the same call letters WROV 1240 AM.
And while it may sound vain, it was I, Brian Davis who kept the station AND it's rich history alive by creating a local 3 hour afternoon drive sports talk show during those 3 years and the final years of the ROV - AM existence. This was at a time when Clear Channel GM Joe Conway was considering burying the station completely. But because of my relentless effort and desire to preserve the station I was able to convince Conway to turn the station to an ALL SPORTS format, and even though we lost the ROV- AM call letters , I managed to save the 1240 frequency. And as you know, it became The GAME.
I realize ROV- AM was a rock and roll monster during it's hey day of the 50's 60's 70's and 80's. But, your website is called ROV HISTORY isn't it ? Why do you stop the story before the end ? It isn't right. I loved that station as much as Bart Prater, know that. When I was doing my sports show before it became The GAME, I would honor that station by playing the original ROV -AM jingles that I found in an old closet in the back. I used the SAME BOARD that the old legends used including Wolfman when he came through. When I did the weather on AM 1240 in 1996 - 1999, I used the "WEATHER GIRL" cart.
I may not have had the impact in the late 90's that they had during the heyday but I did add a few extra years of life to the old ROV - AM , and I treasure that. And I feel I deserve a spot on your website for it.
I notice you post staff members that were not only marginally talented at best , but merely had a "cup of coffee" at the station as their tenure. I actually worked on air at WROV both the FM AND the AM for 4 YEARS !
You may hate my story or not want to admit it but it is FACT and can never be taken away. I am proud of what I did because of the rich tradition and history of that great station. You may continue to ignore it but because it is fact , it can not be denied.
I remember when we were running a promo in 1996 I believe about the station celebrating 50 years on the air. Well, I was the only local show on the station at the time.
Please don't confuse this with conceit, I just feel I deserve a spot in the history of this station as small as it may seem or be.
Thank You. My Best Regards, Brian Davis
July 30, 2005
What a pleasure it was to come across your website this morning!! I was just so proud to find my Dad’s name listed as one of the “WROV Personalities of the 1960s”. Don Pugh was a disc jockey there in the mid-60s, a few years before I was born.
My Dad passed away earlier this year, on February 12th. It made me feel so good to see that he was remembered somewhere. Dad was a jack of all trades, but his experience in radio was always the most fun to talk about. I guess it was his “15 minutes of fame”.
Anyway, I was wondering if there might be any way you could post a picture of my Dad on your website, in remembrance of him. My family does not know about this website yet and they would just be so proud if I could show them Dad’s picture on your website. I went ahead and attached two pictures to this email. The one in which he’s wearing a tie is from the era that he worked at WROV.
My Dad was loved by lots of friends and family. He owned his own printing business during the last years of his life (Don Pugh Graphics). My brother and Mom are now running the business and they are just so impressed with how many people he knew and how many that loved him. It would mean a lot to a lot of people around town to see Dad remembered on your website. I sincerely hope you will consider it.
Well thank you for taking the time to read this long-winded email. I really appreciate your site and urge you to keep up the excellent work!
Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you!
Sincerely,
Steve Pugh
Loving Son of Don Pugh
April 29, 2005
As I read through the list of individuals thanked for their contributions to the website, it appears that Lee Garrett was omitted.
I was Mr. Garrett's paperboy in the late 1970's and early 80's and spent some very enjoyable time with him discussing technical stuff like PC's, radio and the like.
I apologize if I have responded to the wrong address, but it is the only one I can find on the site. Thanks so much for the wonderful website dedicated to a truly remarkable radio station and group of people who helped make my childhood so enjoyable!
Sincerely,
Barry "Scott" Brown
Raleigh, NC
April 17, 2005
Your WROV web site is great and the jingles brought back so many great memories. WROV-AM was a constant and much welcomed companion in our little house on Pechin Avenue in Roanoke City. If my older brother and I were in our room, the radio was on and it was only tuned to 1240-WROV! From 1964, WROV brought us great music, reports from Vietnam, weather reports, high school basketball games (Thanks Jim Carroll) and some hilarious commercials (Do you remember the Lendy's Mission Impossible commercials? How about the Yule-Tide HI KARATE commercial?).
The DJ's at WROV-AM could have been stars in cities like New York, Boston or D.C. but we were blessed to have them here in Roanoke. I'll share one quick memory from the late spring of 1967. I attended a record hop at Morningside Elementary School in S.E. Roanoke and my favorite WROV DJ was hosting the good times: Sammy Russell. I was a shy 13-year-old kid, but managed to come up with the courage to speak to Mr. Russell. He spoke to me about a new Beatle's LP that was in the works and told me all the tracks were going to run together without any dead-space. I didn't realize it, at the time, but we were talking about the Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band LP.
I won my fair share of Quickie Quizes and I dialed the request line many times. WROV wasn't just a radio station that played music, but a familiar voice in our home. I bought my first record: Paperback Writer by the Beatles after hearing it first on WROV. It was where I first heard Jumpin' Jack Flash, Light My Fire, Sunshine Superman, Sunshine of Your Love and Purple Haze.
The 1960s were a wonderful, terrible time and I'm glad that WROV was there with me and my family all along the way. Keep the memories alive!!!
Ralph Bratton WROV-AM Listener 1964-1988
April 6, 2005
Hi, just a note from a member of the "Cowboy Stool Riders" in Northwest Roanoke (Pharmacy located at 17th and Melrose - Nolan's. I think years were 1952-1956). The name was given to us Guys and Gals by one of your popular DJ's then. Several years ago I believe he was at WTOB in Winston-Salem, NC. It is great to see these attached records and memories.
During the days I was there a lot of firsts happened, for one the first jet--a T-33--I think landed at Woodrum Field due to a fuel smell in the cockpit. On landing he blew at least 2 tires due to and had to be grounded for several days, a second attempt ended the same way. New parts and a expert test pilot ended the problem and he was off in the Wild Blue Yonder. All this can be found in the Roanoke Paper. Several of us watched out Monroe Jr. High Art Class room at some of the proceedings. I have a picture somewhere of the aircraft that Ralph Carr of Roanoke took developed and printed. This took place in the 1951-1953 and my guess is 1952. Clayton Lemmon who owned an aircraft business there, if he is still alive, would have a lot of information. Woodrum Field was rich in history especially in the wartime years of W W II. A few friends used to catch rides around the city with the cost about $2.50 each. This became a challenge for my work ahead in aviation.
Thanks Roanoke for the fine school system we had in our day although I did not finish there. That was not a fault of the teachers because in the Military and Goverment work I competed with graduates of many other degrees and was able to hold honors. I could name many but I would leave some because of my memory not doing so good.
Somehow I got a little off WTOB but as a young man it helped us move along toward our lives of today. Many have fallen for one reason or another and it is memories that help us keep pace along with our Faith in God. For this trancsends the years of our lives and one day we make a connection again to our past just as the radio waves of WROV was received so many years ago.
Thanks and God Bless, John Obenchain
March 7, 2005
For some reason, something made me do a search on Burt tonight and I came across the wrovhistory.com website.
What a wonderful tribute! I can't wait to forward it to the other sons & daughters of the late, great Burt & Muriel Levine.
Excellent job! Thanks for remembering them so fondly!
Beth Levine Cupp
February 26, 2005
Hi:
I think you did a tremendous job of telling the WROV History. You should be congratulated on your extensive research. And, thank you for placing on the web. It's a wonderful read and brought back many great memories for me.
I attended Va Tech from 1969 - 1973 and listened to WROV all the time. I was very fortunate to work for WROV in the 70's.
I regard my time at WROV as a very important part of my years in broadcasting. I left radio broacasting in the 80's to establish a career in computer hardware and software engineering. I have my own computer center based in Radford, VA and we are in our 23rd year of business.
Thank you again for writing this story.
Bob Boling, WROV Alumni
February 17, 2005
Congratulations on a fantastic website....I'm so glad that I stumbled upon it.
I was at Virginia Tech from 1981-1986. I had worked at WUVT and had done just about everything possible there (much to the detriment of whatever it was I should have been studying)...One day in 1985 while I was on the air at WUVT-FM my phone rang and Drew Lane from WROV told me that there was an overnight opening at the station and that he thought I was good enough and responsible enough and that I should check into it. (Drew has been at WRIF in Detroit now for the past 13-14 years)
Anyway....I applied for the job and got it. (I had a car and a pulse) I started in June of 1985 and drove up from Blacksburg 6 nights a week. I only kept the job full-time for 3 or 4 months and then did some part time before moving on to WVVV (Rock 105) in Blacksburg later that year...
...but it seems like I had several years of memories from that summer at WROV....I cannot remember who trained me (I don't think it was John Andrews) but the guy kept a loaded handgun right next to the turntables by the console. Freaked me out 'cuz he kept telling me how terrible the neighborhood was...especially at night. One great WROV feature was that intercom at the front door....in the studio you could hear a chipmunk sneaking up out front...people would drive in...hit the intercom button at 2am and make a request. I always played those requests.
Bruce Jacobson was on before me...Steve McFarland after me. There was an office in the other side of the building that had a couch....McFarland might have been living with his dad (who was ill and Steve returned to Roanoke to take care of him)...Steve was constantly bringing women in. He would poke his head into the studio to let me know he was around and then disappear to the room with the couch. Often he would call me at 1 or 2am and give me a number to call and wake him up at 5am ("Babe, what's the number here?")....Often he was late and Drew would just saddle up and do the show until he got in...once or twice they were both late and I would stay and introduce Joe McKeon with the news (Joe could barely hide his disgust)...
Good people..Mike Bell and Rob-O as well. When Rob's dog died it was front page news for a week. When he was absolved of any wrongdoing, that story was a column inch on page D-18 next to Dear Abby.
I went to WVVV...then WWWV in Charlottesville and then I returned to be a part of the original WROV-FM airstaff signing on Feb 14, 1989. I did middays initially between Cheryl Ann Robinson and (the late) Tim Meadows (what a freak Meadows was!)....I stayed for 2+ years and then moved to Bozeman, Montana where I am currently GM for the Clear Channel cluster.
Thanks for a great website,
Dave Cowan
February 13, 2005
Thank you for your web site. I have been hoping for just such a site for many years. One of the many things which made those of us who grew up in the 50s in the Roanoke area so fortunate was WROV. I left to go to college in 1960, so I wasn't around for much of what you call its heyday. I was definitely there, though, when WROV started playing rhythm & blues and other music of black artists, which almost no other "white" station in the country was playing at the time, especially in the south.
My hero, of course, was Jivin' Jackson. I wish you had more on your site about him. I'd love to hear him again doing an Automobile Exchange commercial, describing the very cherry '52 Chevy coupe, complete with a "stove and a piccolo." (You see, in 1955 you couldn't assume every car had a heater and a radio!)
Thanks for transcribing his sign-on routine. I had forgotten about that until I read it just now, but, boy, did that bring back memories!
I had always believed Jivin' Jackson's real name to be Jack Allen, not Jackson Allyn, but I have to assume you know more about this than I do. The rumor was that a girl in my 9th grade world history class at Andrew Lewis in 1955 was his very young wife. I've never known for sure if that was true. No one ever spoke to her, as far as I know, because she would have been much too exalted a presence for a 14 year-old to talk to!
I'd especially love to hear again Jerry Joynes deejaying Moonlight Serenade on a Saturday night, counting down the top 20. I don't think his theme song was the Glen Miller version, but whoever it was, that's something else I still remember well. You know, if anyone ever had a perfect voice for radio, it was Jerry Joynes.
Thanks again for a great job. If you ever take this site down, archive it somewhere!
DeWitt Shank Lewisburg, WV
February 2, 2005
I never worked at WROV, but I did enjoy them while at Virginia Tech from 1973-1977. I worked at 7Q in Christiansburg and later on at stations in Charlottesville, Richmond, Baltimore and Washington at DC101 for 14 years. I still remember WROV and Bart Prater as one of the best ever! I did not realize that former WUVT alums Matt Eakle and John King became a part of WROV history. I envy them for that. I also worked at different places with Marty Shayne and Barry Michaels. Bart's comments about Burt Levine's legacy are absolutely true. You have a created a website that is worthy of the great WROV, and I thank you.
Ernie Kyger WASH-FM, Washington DC
December 1, 2004
As a native of Roanoke who grew up on a steady diet of WROV, reading this site brought back a lot! I wasn't really a big listener until the 1970s... with "Big Bart, BP, the wizard of rock at ROV". The first promotion I remember well was when WROV lost its "W"... this was probably after the Ides event you recounted, so it must have taken a lot of nerve to try the same sort of concept again. I think the "W" was found not so far from the Ide, it was on a Wiley Drive sign down by the river as I recall. Have you heard a radio contest that original since then? I sure haven't.
I also think if I heard the Super High-Low jingle today I would still grab a telephone and dial 343-4444 before I realized what I was doing. Considering it took a day or so to nail down a jackpot worth maybe $89.34 or something like that, this must have been the most cost-effective promotion ever run - and the bane of C&P telephone!
And then there were the continuing adventures of... Chicken Maaaaaan (HE'S EVERYWEHRE, HE'S EVERYWHERE).
Thanks for putting this together. With all this thinking about old times in the Star City, I've really worked up a taste for a Cheesy Western and a bowl with! Too bad it's 1100 miles to the TT from here.
Bob Glenn
Dallas, Texas.
November 24, 2004
First of all, my sincere compliments on a labor of love that's long overdue: one of America's great radio histories has finally come to roost online.
If I may be so bold...
Everyone has regrets, and I've had a few ("Hey, turn down that Sinatra song!") One thing that just didn't happen for me was to have worked, even for a few months, at the "pole in the hole" (I believe that was a "Prater-ism") although I did send Bart an aircheck in the early 70s while I was at WJJJ in Christiansburg and he was classy enough to send a reply that he would keep it on file for six months. Thanks, Bart: you made my day.
I remember hearing 'ROV for the first time when I went to Salem to visit my cousin, a school-teacher at what was then Andrew Lewis High School. Growing up in the wilds of Giles County didn't expose one to a lot of good local radio during the day, but when the skywaves from WCFL, WLS, WABC started rolling in, the mountains started rockin'. So it was mind-blowing to hear a station in Roanoke that sounded like it could have come out of Chicago or New York. I remember lots of commercials on WROV that Summer I visited Salem, but I didn't dare touch that tuner: who knows what the jocks were going to say...and what heavy hummin' hit was going to blast out of that little 4-inch speaker. Finally in the fall of '69 I got a board op spot at our local 5KW daytimer and I lurched somewhat shakily on my own future in wireless communication.
Fast forward several years and a jump to a part-time gig in Pulaski, I again visited my "cuz" in the Roanoke Valley. Listening to Prater one afternoon, he did a "name it and claim it" contest...I immediately recognized the song as being "Annabella," the follow up to Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds' "Don't Pull Your Love"...I hit the phone and amazingly didn't get a busy signal. Bart picked up...I spilled my answer down the telco and he said come get yer tune and gave me directions to the station. I jumped in my rusty Dodge and headed over to the Rock & Roll Doublewide to claim my 45. I was working at WPUV in Pulaski with a guy named Chuck who had worked with Bart in Marion. After asking the receptionist if I could speak to Bart, since I "was in radio and worked with one of his friends from Marion," she politely sent me toddling down the hallway to the studio where I believe Paul Houston had just told Bart a joke that sent them into near hysterics (or they were laughing at the geeky kid staring into the studio).
I waved at Bart who graciously allowed me to enter his kingdom. After thanking him for the 45 I related my "I know a friend of yours so we're practically co-workers" story. He smiled and we spoke briefly of our friend, and then he had to do a break, cracking the mike on that lovely Gates Diplomat and being...Bart. Not wanting to overstay my welcome, I pledged to say "Hi" to Chuck and I walked merrily out of the studio and back down the hallway (where I saw a note from Paul warning people "don't blow my cool") and out to the parking lot.
I still have the record...somewhere.
WROV-related Bits & Pieces:
A student nurse I was dating in the early 70s made me a "Pickle Jar Lid" and put it on a locket...wonder where she got that idea?
I remember being on the air at Triple-J in Christiansburg when Phil Beckman stopped by to use the bathroom. Hey, when ya gotta go...
One time the "Bly Guy" came to Blacksburg to speak to a group of radio folks at VA Tech. Afterwards, my wife and I were enjoying a visit with Bob Ridle (from WRVA at the time) who used to work at WJJJ. We were rather loud, and Larry politely tried to get us to hush up. Lar': I am SO sorry about that.
Tom Twine (a great guy whom I don't see enough of) used to follow me when we worked at WUVT at VA Tech in 1970. He later did a gig at WROV, as did Wally Sale, who also worked at the 'WOOV.
More time passes. I wind up at WLVA in Lynchburg, first at night and then middays with a brief detour on mornings. That little station (which could use a tribute site of its own) had the good fortune to be a "Beach House"...where several former WROV jocks, who left there for whatever reason, could find a place near Roanoke to work while sitting out their non-competes and we benefitted from their talents. Along with Rich Randall and Chuck Holloway (I worked for Chuck when he was PD...great guy...gone way too soon) there was another former WROV jock who came to 'LVA mid days...I'm thinking his name was Rob (not O'Brady) and I remember him doing a spot for Earl Pace Photography that began: "Hello, I'm Earl Pace...and I'd like to shoot you...I'd like to shoot you in your home...in your back yard...etc." of course referring to shooting people with a CAMERA. I believe it won an Addy Award. Steve Finnegan worked at WLVA for a while too.
I eventually wound up at Susquehanna Radio's WARM-FM (WARM-103) in York/Lancaster, PA, where I've been doing mid-days for 21 years (no ambition at all) and futzing with our three local stations' web sites. It's okay...but I regret never getting "The Rock of Roanoke" on my resume'. I believe our sister station (WSBA) was Central PA's version of WROV in the 60s and 70s, with a likewise list of real personalities back when that kind of thing really mattered.
Well, I've rattled on to long. Thought I'd share my memories of "working around 1240 but never actually working there" with you...you don't have to put those on the web site (unless you really, really want to...it's pretty rambling). Again, great job and I'll check back for new additions.
Larry Dillon aka Larry K. Scott Lancaster, PA
November 21, 2004
To start off, whoever made your sight, needs to have bigger print. Hello, the people who would actually care, are not that young, and need at least regular size print. This is the most hard to read sight, I have ever seen.
Were is the audio of the old jocks, that Roanoke.com talks about? You can not read your links, they are way to small. My mother, use to date Fred Frelantz, and wanted to hear the old voices again. I am trying to help her, but your sight is set up really badly.
thank you
D
November 17, 2004
Super website! I never had the chance to work at ROV, I received the call to do so the day after I went on active duty in 1968. My first job in radio was at WHYE when I was 16. I can still remember the day that "Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison arrived in the mail. After the first play I knew it was going to be a hit! At the time Jan Wilkins was working there. Johnny Holiday sold the station to Homer Quan and he changed the format to country. I remember doing "record hops" in high school and junior high gyms in the early sixties. Coke paid us a fee of $25 per dance and we would have to split that two ways. I worked with Dick Brooks (WHYE), Bill Sparr (WDBJ) and Fanny Boone (City of Roanoke). After getting out of the Navy where I worked for AFTS in Naples, Italy (Armed Forces Radio & Television Service).
I went to work for WPXI. The day "Pixie Radio" signed on the air, Buford Epperson sent Burt Levine a funeral wreath. I understand that Burt had the wreath put in storage and when "Pixie" went under; he returned it back to Epperson. While at "Pixie" I worked with Bob "Boom Boom" Branigan (formally of WROV), Johnny Angel, Bob Dale and Perry Woods (later went to ROV) (did you know that Perry named his daughter Holly?). Boomer had signed a non-compete contract, but he was under 21 at the time and the contract did not hold up in court. Bob was killed in a motorcycle accident within two blocks of the station.
Upon leaving the service, I joined Bob Dale and Johnny Angel (stabbed and died in North Carolina) at WKYE in Bristol. From there I worked for WSLS radio when it was owned by Shenandoah Life Insurance Company. Other Staff included Bo Wiley (died of a heart attack) King Edward IV (deceased), Jim Clark and Sonny Widner. Back in the day larger market stations would hire an entire staff when they would change formats. The KYE staff went to WIST in Charlotte, NC.
Next stop was WKBX in Winston-Salem. I lived in the same apartment complex with Rick Dees (he worked at rival WTOB with another Roanoke native Bob Dale (Bob Lackey). Rick is the only jock that I knew that really hit the big time. Another Jock's wife worked for Piedmont Airlines and she would get free tickets for us and we would leave in the evening and fly to New York and spend the night listening and visiting the big stations. What a trip! We would return before morning and back to work.
After leaving radio (due to low wages and probably a lack of talent) I came back to Roanoke. I worked for Q-99 FM part-time for almost nine years doing the Sunday Night Classics. Today I'm a vocational instructor for the Department of Correctional Education and operate a mobile DJ business. I still work with Jack Fisher providing music and sound reinforcement for high school reunions and events. We are working on the up coming William Fleming Class Reunion in August of 2005.
Steve Nelson
Roanoke, VA
November 12, 2004
I scanned over some of the stuff on your site and I have not found anything mentioned about the 10-or-12 tickets given away by WROV to see the Beatles in Washington DC Stadium in the summer of 1966. Does anyone remember that? I believe there were two buses that left Roanoke with a stop or two in places like Bedford or Lynchburg to pick up a few more people on the way to DC. I think there was a reporter from The Roanoke Times/World News who went along trying to pose as a teen, to report on the concert and the trip. I went on the Beatles trip. I was one of the lucky winners. I think I remember Fred going, but I thought Jack went too. I do remember the reporter as I thought she was asking too many questions. I talked her into massaging my neck. The article mentions a girl from Lynchburg who caught everyone's eye. I think I remember her too. I think she was a bit short with a dark complexion, dark eyes, and dark hair. She was a cutie alright! One thing I do remember is that the sound system was terrible, but that was 38 years ago.
John Gibson, Sr.
Roanoke, VA
