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9/17/2009
The History of WBT
1920
Fred
Laxton, Earle Gluck, and Fred Bunker met in an amateur radio supply
store in Charlotte, and decided to pool their equipment and set up a
station in the Laxton home.
In December, an amateur radio station began broadcasting at the home of
Fred Laxton, Senior (corner of Mecklenburg and Belvedere Avenues-2632
Mecklenburg Avenue...adjoining the Charlotte Country Club.) The
telephone-microphone and amplifier was on the dining room table and the
transmitter was in another room. The radio receiver was in what had
been a chicken house in the Laxton backyard.
1921
In March, an "experimental" license was acquired from ...
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9/17/2009
The History of WBT
1930
Approximately 400 radios in Mecklenburg County. Grady Cole joined staff full-time in April 1930.
1931
One out of every seven families in North Carolina has a radio. In South Carolina, one out of every nine families had a radio.
1933
Power
increased to 50,000 watts. Charles H. Crutchfield, from Hope, Arkansas,
joined staff. "The Crazy Water Crystals Show" was popular. WBT also
produced the "Dixie Mammoth Minstrels Show", with Clair Shadwell as
script writer and interlocutor. Show was fed to the Dixie Network.
Lansing Hatfield, from Hickory, made debut over WBT. He later became a
Metropolitan Opera Star. "The ...
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9/17/2009
The History of WBT
1940
The Johnson Family debuted on WBT. They were called "Radio's Sweetest Singing Family". Larry Walker was a singer and pianist.
1941
The
Carter Family joined WBT. They included A.P., Sara, Maybelle and June,
(now June Carter Cash). The FCC made WBT a "Key Station," the
communications center for about 25 other stations in case of a national
emergency. This later became the Conelrad system. Andy Griffith applied
for a job. Mr. Crutchfield turned him down because he wanted $75
dollars a week.
1942
The Southland Jubilee Singers started on WBT.
1943
Arthur Smith and his Crackerjacks joined WBT. Famous ...
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9/17/2009
The History of WBT
1950
Phil Agestra and Bob Bean joined the WBT staff.
1951
Jean Alexander and Gil Stamper joined WBT.
1952
Doug
Mayes and Lou Martin joined WBT. "Colliers" Magazine dubbed Grady Cole
"Mr. Dixie." The magazine had record sales with an article on Grady
that month. After a few years of spending money…and making no profit.
The company turned in its license for WBT-FM. The equipment, valued at
$85,000 dollars was donated to the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill where it was used to establish WUNC-FM.
1954
Alan Newcomb and Bob Raiford joined staff.
1955
WBT
and WBTV moved ...
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9/17/2009
The History of WBT
1960
Bill
Curry joined staff. Pat Lee did the first-ever live broadcast from a
jet plane flying over Charlotte. The "Tempo" format was started,
showcasing recorded music interspersed with fast-paced information and
entertainment by deejays.
1961
Grady Cole stepped down as the announcer-after 31 years-of early morning radio. Ty Boyd joined WBT, to host the morning show.
1962
WBT-FM
signed-on again, in stereo. It was still Charlotte's first FM station.
"Radio Moscow" was broadcast over 26 stations coast-to-coast. WBT began
daily editorials, and won a Freedoms Foundation Award.
1963
Mr.
Charles Crutchfield was elected President of the Jefferson-Pilot
Broadcasting Company, ...
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9/17/2009
The History of WBT
1970
WBT and WBTV's "Write Hanoi" campaign produced 380,000 letters urging the release of POWs.
1971
WBT
switched from a middle-of-the-road format to a Top 40/Adult
Contemporary format. H.A. Thompson joined WBT. Mike Ivers started WBT's
"the Original Sunday Night Hall of Fame." It spotlighted classic rock
n' roll of the 1950's and 1960's.
1972
Bob Lacey joined WBT and began hosting a popular night-time talk show, "Lacey Listens".
1973
"Rockin' Ray" Gooding began hosting "The Original Sunday Night Hall of Fame."
1975
"Jeff
Pilot" (short for Jefferson-Pilot) began airborne traffic reports on
WBT. "American Top 40" began a run ...
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9/17/2009
The History of WBT
1981
WBT
presented a music and fireworks salute to the returning American
hostages from Iran entitled, "A Celebration of Freedom." Spike O'Dell
joined WBT.
1982
WBT became the first AM station in the Carolinas to broadcast in stereo. Pete Sullivan joined WBT.
1983
Mike
Collins joined WBT as a weekend part-timer soon to be hired full-time
to host the morning show (1985) and become Program Director. The
Broadcast Pioneers presented WBT with "The Golden Microphone Award" in
honor of the station's 60th Anniversary. Many of the staff traveled to
New York City for the ceremony.
1986
WBT's Mike Collins and ...
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9/17/2009
The History of WBT
1990
John
Hancock joined WBT to host a midday talk-show. WBTV personalities Mike
and Barbara McKay hosted an early afternoon talkshow on WBT.
1991
WBT
News won the Ohio State University Award for a 7-hour special about
drugs in Charlotte in 1990. Moira Quinn joined WBT from WBTV to co-host
the morning show with Don Russell. "The Rush Limbaugh Show" began on
WBT.
1992
Moira
Quinn hosted an afternoon talk show. Jon Robinson was hired to host a
new morning news-based program called "Charlotte's Morning News". News
Director John Stokes, Sharon Schoffelman and Sports Director Jim Szoke
anchored the ...
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9/17/2009
The History of WBT
2000
Danny Fontana joined Charlotte's Morning News with Al Gardner in December.
2001
John Hancock returns to WBT to host an evening talkshow from 8pm-12midnight in September.
September 11, 8:50am: WBT joins the nation's media in full coverage of the terrorist attacks in New York and in Washington.
2002
March
22, WBT launches the all-new WBT.com... taking it's reputation for
news, weather, traffic and sports to the internet. WBT.com has
up-to-the-minute local, national, world and financial news, college and
professional sports news, scores and standings, customized traffic
reports for your commute, weather forecasts for anywhere in the country
and ...
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