Starr Stevens


1976	2005

Air staff, 1975-1977

I'd like to start by saying that out of all the radio stations I ever worked for in my 25 year radio career, 1240 AM WROV was the absolute BEST radio experience of my life! I'll explain why I feel that way as you read further.

I came to WROV after departing WRVQ, Q-94 in Richmond. WRVQ was a major player at that time in the radio field, being one of the first successful FM stereo stations to play Top 40 music with a live airstaff 24/7. WRVQ was a 200,000 watt powerhouse, the maximum output for an FM signal, and could be heard in 3 states. We were what the industry called a "flamethrower", killing the competition, building new audience every day, and raking in huge sales revenue.

I joined WROV in April or May (not quite sure) of 1975. After Burt Levine hired me, I wanted an airname different from the one I had used in Richmond (Steve Hendrix) so before I started the job, I drove around Roanoke looking for ideas. Star Motors, Star Drugstore, Star Cleaners, the Mill Mt.Star, the Star City... It was obvious. I came up with Starr Stevens. Burt liked it, so I went with it.

I was a city kid from Richmond. The picture of the WROV airstaff in the "Rock of Roanoke" part 2 of this website shows me to the far right of the picture. I really stand out from the rest of the guys. They're all jeans and the typical "mountain/valley" look, while I'm wearing plaid pants, a sweater shirt and sandals, fresh from Richmond. It didn't take me long to realize I would have to grow my hair long and start wearing jeans if I wanted to be a part of this elete group.

The first thing I noticed listening to WROV was the PERSONALITY of the station. EVERY one of the guys on the air was different and funny in their own way. This was a complete flip-flop from what I had just left at WRVQ. Q-94 was programmed as a "Drake" format, meaning NO individual personality was allowed....everybody sounded the same. Under a Drake format, the MUSIC was the star, and the DJ just hyped the music.

But at WROV, the ANNOUNCER was the star! I came to realize that Burt Levine hired, and wanted, TALENT on his station. And he ENCOURAGED jocks to be talented, and he expected great things from them. After a while, I learned the history of this little AM station in the Roanoke Valley, and the UNBELIEVABLE talent that had gone before me. And listening every day, I was AWESTRUCK by the talent that was currently there! So as a young jock trying to fit in and sound like a real personality, I began to learn, from listening.

What I learned was how to be ME. Instead of being what a "format" dictated, I could be the me that was influenced by what I heard. I could be EVERY jock I every grew up listening to and wanted to emulate. I could be Jackson Armstrong, Larry Lujack, Wolfman Jack, Terry Jordan, Shane, Harvey Hudson, and The Greaseman. And I could be jocks I had previously worked with, like Dick Mountjoy, Marty Shayne, Dick Bartley, Joe Van Riper, Bill Garcia, and another former WROV guy I knew at one of our WRVQ competitors, Terry Young! I could finally take all that I had heard, and emulate it, express it, become it, and be it. I took the BEST I had learned from my past, as the foundation of what I would become, Starr Stevens!

And I could be just like the WROV guys I listened to and learned from every day too. Rob, Rich, Bart, Bill, and Larry on weekends influenced me greatly. For the first time in what was then only 5 years in radio, I became a PERSONALITY. Some of the best airchecks (recordings of me on the air) I have are of WROV. Excited, Funny, Relatable, Raw, Clear, Concise, Flexible, Energetic, Creative, Imaginitive, Innovative, and loving every minute of it! WROV was the highlight of my radio career!

Now heres the kicker.....WROV was a mere 250 watts AM at night when I was on the air from 7-12mid, compaired to the 200,000 watts FM stereo of WRVQ. Was the audience I broadcasted to as big as WRVQ's? Actually it was nowhere near it. But I came to learn that a large audience and strength of signal are not important, if you LOVE what you are doing and LEARNING from the station you are working for. WROV will forever be THE radio station that I loved, and learned what it is to be a professional radio announcer!

In retrospect, I know that I was never more happier, or allowed more freedom of expression of being myself, than was given to me by Burt Levine. He gave me the opportunity to REALLY open up and showcase my talent. I have since regretted giving notice to WROV in October of 1976 to join an FM station in West Virginia that let me go for budget reasons right before Christmas of that same year. I remember calling Burt, but he didn't have an opening at that time. I eventually moved thru numerous stations over the years, before leaving the radio business for good in 1995.

I have since been in the Customer Service field beginning in 1996 with APAC Teleservices, outsourcer for United Parcel Service. Then later, serving active duty and retired military members with TRICARE, the military's medical and behavorial healthcare program from 1998 thru 2004.

I am currently employed by Riverside Healthcare System in Hampton Virgina in their billing and accounting department. I am happy and thankful that my radio experience has helped me move forward in employment fields that require clear and concise communication skills.

According to science, the radio transmissions from 1240 AM WROV are still traversing space. Those transmissions will live forever. The voices heard on WROV will never be silenced.

And maybe my little 250 watt broadcast has reached another solar system by now. I hope whoever hears it adds me to THEIR list of announcers to emulate and learn from....

Hear Starr!

	Bill Jordan & Starr Stevens September, 1975 (5.2M)
	Starr Stevens July, 1976 (1.4M)