WKOR

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WKOR "K94.9" is country station based in Columbus, Mississippi. WKOR is owned by Cumulus Licensing LLC. WKOR serves EastCentral Mississippi and parts of West Central Alabama with an ERP of 50,000 watts at 94.9 FM. Cities in the primary coverage area are Columbus, West Point, and Starkville, Mississippi.

WKOR-AM "98 WKOR" went on the air in August of 1968. First DJs were Program Director Bill Tanner (who went on to Y-100 in Miami and KLVE in Los Angeles), Butch Luke (former Mississippi State football player and later continued as a big local personality) and Jon Robin (from WACR in Columbus). The station, known then as "The Voice Of The Golden Triangle," was Top 40. First GM was former TV newsman Lep Boyd (He later ran an airplane banner service in the Carolinas) and the sales manager was Lew Sadler. The owner was Ken Irby.

Later DJs included Giles K. Ward (Louisville, MS), Stan Ryder (Later worked for Peavey the guitar amp people), J. Mark Shands (A Starkville High student who also used the name Terry McGrew at first and went on to WJDX-WZZQ/Jackson, Y-100/Miami, WRNO/New Orleans, Power 96/Miami and DMX MUSIC/Los Angeles), Tom Collins, Grady Moates (Who was also station engineer while at WKOR and went on to be a nationally known audio and broadcast engineer) and Larry London (Who became a well known newsman in Jackson).

The station studio was located at 201 North Lampkin Street in Starkville. Sometime in the distant past, the WKOR-AM station building was a doctor's office which was next door to a funeral home. Word is that bodies were sometimes stored in the basement of the doctor's office, which is where the WKOR control room was later located! Many former WKOR-AM staffers report tales of ghosts and strange noises in the night there in the old WKOR building back in the 60's, 70's and 80's. One former program director, Dennis Hudson (Who became a well known TV newsman in the area), said he thought the ghost was the old doctor who once worked there.

Some of the first songs played on WKOR-AM... Indian Lake by The Cowsills, The Horse by Cliff Nobles, People Got To Be Free by The Rascals, Angel Of The Morning by Merilee Rush, Sunshine Of Your Love by Cream, Stoned Soul Picnic by 5th Dimension, and Here Comes The Judge by Pigmeat Markham. Early in WKOR's life the station received a gold single award for Hooked On A Feeling by BJ Thomas, which was displayed in the station lobby for many years.

In the early days of the station, WKOR had a huge mobile home it used at remote broadcasts. At one appearance, DJ Butch Luke got so many female fans into the back of the mobile home that it stood up on its end! DJ Bill Tanner was on the air live when suddenly all he could see was the sky! It was one of those "great moments in broadcasting!"

WKOR-AM had listener reports as far away as Memphis, back in 1968. It is the station that ended WSSO's radio monopoly in Starkville and was the first media in the area dedicated to the young people.

At last report WKOR AM was an automated Gospel station with offices in Columbus.