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1981
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2004
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1981
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2004
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I was never a stranger in Roanoke. Growing up 60 miles south of Roanoke in Eden NC, I was very familiar with Roanoke through Channels 7 & 10. I spent many a morning watching Irving Sharp 10-2-and 4'ing that Hammond organ with a big old bottle of Dr. Pepper, rooting for Haystack Calhoun and all the other heros of the wrestling world on Wrestling from Roanoke, and watching some great movies in the afternoon. That's where I first saw King Kong. Also morning workouts with Artie Levin. Every summer my friend Frankie Thacker would spend at least a month in Roanoke and come back with tales of the famous bands he'd seen while up there and a great radio station they had, WROV, spoken with great reverence Years later after I decided to make radio my career, a new station came on in Eden, WCBX, staffed by some of the best top 40 jocks (a lot of them former WROV jocks) which in turn caused the old line AM station to go Top 40 hiring jocks (one of them yours truly). Several years later a Saturday morning visit with a friend/competitor Rich Randall over at WCBX in my hometown led to my first application for employment at the Rock of Roanoke On Rich's suggestion I sent a tape to Bart Prater. Bart was kind enough to send a nice letter and I was very impressed that he even took the time to respond. I thought "now this guy has got class!"
Fast Forward 3 years. At this time I am returning from Conneticut and passing through Roanoke. "Maybe I'll see if I can hear WROV." I heard it alright! I was in compression heaven and I vowed that someday I would have to work at that station.
Several years pass and Rich Randall again enters my life, this time due to his incredible success as part of the Rich and Al morning show on WLVA Lynchburg. (a station Programmed by another WROV alumnus Chuck Holloway). They were so good, they had to be destroyed!! I was brought in to do the deed on WLLL. They were too good and never had anything to worry about from the likes of me, at the time going by the name of JJ Steele. However new management soon ousted Mr Randall. Stupid move! And since there was no longer any Rich and Al to worry about WLLL, who had admired me, no longer needed me. I was fired and immediately hired to do middays at WLVA and given the name Chris Stevens. Within 6 months I got a call from my friend Barry Michaels telling me that Bart Prater had driven through Lynchburg and heard me, had an opening 7-12 and would I be interested. "Barry, you had me at 'hello'!"
WROV was the most incredible station I have worked for. Burt Levine was a wonderful person. Bart was very easy to work for and an inspiration as an air talent. Anybody remember Maynard Fleckman? Battlestar Gashog? My petition to George Lucas to be in a Star Wars movie? (I got a nice letter back from the VP at Lucas films for that little stunt). How about The Great Undefeated Friday Night Champion Wrestling Chris Stevens vs. any woman foolhardy enough to take me on with Mr. Prater's first class play by play of the action?? The entire WROV staff was incredible. Oh we had our share of shenannigans, but it was a magical time when radio was truly exciting and of course changing. I was very lucky to be there when I was, as the face of radio was about to make a drastic change thanks to K92. I have worked at some great radio stations over the years all over the country: Texas, Florida, Iowa, South Carolina. But only one WROV!! So nowadays I work for the Clear Channel affiliate here in Davenport, Iowa and record radio and TV commercials from my home studio (www.Shropsounds.com). You may even hear my voice on the TV from time to time doing Duncan Motorplex, the Real Estate show or some other tv commercials for Fox21/27 there in Roanoke. So in some ways I'm like 1240 WROV -- gone physically but never far away.
Thanks Pat for keeping me in the loop. Thanks Rich for helping guide me there. Thanks to all the the WROV jocks who are still an inspiration to me and the wonderful people of Roanoke who loved it as much as we did and still do!
Thank you Burt and Bart, wherever you guys are!!
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Dave (as "Chris Stevens")
November, 1979 (5.3M) |