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Past WTMA On-Air People: Where Are They Now?

WTMA Today

Keith Nichols 1950-2008 Former WTMA DJ Keith Nichols

About this Site and WTMA

WTMA is Charleston, South Carolina's second-oldest AM radio station (WCSC was the first) and the only one that still has its original call letters. WTMA signed on June 15, 1939. During radio's "golden age" WTMA was an NBC affiliate and thus carried much of NBC's slate of network programming. Since 1989, WTMA has been Charleston's leading news/talk station. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, WTMA was THE Top 40 station in Charleston. In those Top 40 "glory days" WTMA had higher cumulative ratings (per capita) than any radio station in the southeast - including Atlanta. Example: 40 shares in middays in 1974. (Is there any radio station in a large or medium market in America that could come close to that today?) A 1974 promotional announcement said: Every day, from 6am till midnight, more people listen to WTMA than the next four radio stations combined. Subject to limitations of source, ARB, April May, 1974. On this site you'll find photos of WTMA air personalities and music surveys. You may also download MP3 files of old WTMA jingles, on-air production elements, airchecks, and interviews with past on-air personalities. We're looking for additional audio recordings of WTMA as well as photos and promotion material. If you have some you'd like to share, please contact the curator of this Website, John Quincy. We appreciate all who've contributed thus far. We hope you'll become a regular visitor as we continue to add more content to this site as it's made available to us.   If you'd like to support our efforts in keeping the memories of WTMA alive, please consider making a donation via PayPal below. Thank you!

About the Curator

John Quincy started his professional radio career in 1972 at the tender age of 16 in Paris, Kentucky. He worked at several stations in the Lexington, Kentucky area until December of 1979 when he decided he'd had enough snowy winters and moved to Savannah, Georgia. There he continued his vocation at WKBX and then later at WZAT. In 1981 John came up the coast to Charleston, South Carolina where he lives to this day. He's slaved over hot microphones at Low Country radio outlets such as WSSX, WXTC, WBUB, WXLY, WSUY...and yes, even WTMA as a program director in 2002 and 2003. He's currently the APD, technical director, morning show producer and imaging guy at WTMA. After hearing WTMA's 60th Anniversary Reunion in 1999 and being disappointed that a station with the same call letters for 60 years had so little in the way of archived audio and memorabilia, John set out on a mission to locate and preserve as much of WTMA's rich history as he could, and then share it with the rest of the world. This labor-of-love Website is a result of that quest. Thanks to all who've contributed their "WTMA Memories."

Do you have any recordings of WTMA? We'll be happy to transfer them to CD at no charge.

WTMA Fast Facts

1. WTMA signed on June 15, 1939 with its first broadcast originating from the Dock Street Theater. It was Charleston's second radio station (WCSC-AM was the first, signing on in 1930). 2. WTMA initially signed on at 1210 on the dial with a power of 250 watts. It moved to its current 1250 position a few months later when its power was increased to 1000 watts. (WCSC-AM was moved from 1360 to 1390 about that time.) Today it broadcasts with 5000 watts non-directional day, 1000 watts directional night. 3. WTMA was Charleston's NBC Radio affiliate. (WCSC-AM carried the CBS Network shows.) 4. WTMA is the only AM radio station in Charleston to have its original call letters. The call letters WTMA don't officially stand for anything...they were just assigned at random by the Federal Communications Commission. (One former employee joked that it meant "We'll Try 'Most Anything." John Burwell has informed us that former PD/GM John Trenton said "TMA" stood for The Most Audience.) 5. WTMA's first studios, offices, and transmitter were in Wagener Terrace. A short time later they moved the studios and offices to the second floor of a drug store at the corner of King and Calhoun streets (across the street from the Francis Marion Hotel where WCSC's studios were located). WTMA moved to the Dock Street Theater in the mid 1940s. The transmitter was relocated to its current Orange Grove road site. 6. WTMA moved its studios and offices from the Dock Street Theater to the Orange Grove Road site (also known as "One Radio Park") in 1969. 7. WTMA moved its studios and offices to its current Faber Place Drive location in October of 2001. 8. WTMA's first owners were Y. Wilcox Scarborough and Jesse W. Orvin. They owned it only a few months, selling it in late 1939 to the News & Courier and Evening Post (Charleston's newspapers). Interviews with the sons of the original owners can be found on the Audio Page. 9. In the 1950s, The newspaper sold WTMA to Charles (Chuck) Smith who owned it until around 1980 except for two years in the 1970s when the station was owned by Turner Communications (Ted Turner). Other owners have included Sconnix, Faircom, Jett Communications (Hugh Jett and Bill Dudley) Wicks, and Citadel. 10. WTMA adopted a Top 40 format in the late 1950s and was largely successful with that format until around 1980, when the station became Adult Contemporary. In the mid-80s it went oldies as "Classic Rock, Roll and Soul". On January 1, 1987 it went country with largely satellite-fed programming. On June 1, 1989 it adopted its current News/Talk format. 11. Nicknames for the station over the years have included "Radio Charleston" "The Mighty TMA" "Tiger Radio" "Music Radio" "Talk Radio" and "News Talk". 12. Notable past personalities include Jack Gale, John Trenton, Booby Nash and Dan Moon. WCSC-TV's Bill Sharpe began his Charleston news career at WTMA. 13. WTMA was a Mutual affiliate from the 1960s until the mid 1980s. Since then it has used network news feeds from NBC Radio, CBS Radio, and today, ABC Radio.

Corrections or additions? E-mail the curator.

Here's an article about WTMA that appeared in print in the Charleston News & Courier on Friday, June 16, 1939: RADIO PLANS TOLD BY SCARBOROUGH Exchangeites Hear Fellow Member, Proprietor of Station WTMA The letters identifying Charleston’s newest radio station, WTMA, were assigned by the Federal Communications Commission and have no local meaning so far as the commission is concerned, but it is possible that station officials may advertise Charleston by employing the slogan "Where Tourists Meet Always or Again," Y. Wilcox Scarborough, one of the proprietors, said in an address at the weekly meeting of the Exchange club yesterday afternoon. Mr. Scarborough, who with Jesse W. Orvin is owner and operator, outlined the two-year effort to bring a second station here. He explained that the most modern broadcasting equipment obtainable has been purchased and installed in a new building in Wagener Terrace, where both studio and transmitting facilities are located.
The station officially was opened last night when the first program was broadcast from the stage of the Dock Street theater by remote control. Starting at 7 o’clock this morning, it will be on the air seventeen hours daily. Fourteen persons are employed in the various departments, with each department having its own head, he said.
From Billboard Magazine - September 2, 1967 WTMA, the hot 100 format station in Charleston, SC, has revamped its programming to feature more music, says operations manager Dave Lloyd. He went on, "I listened to the so-called 'boss sound' in other markets, and what I didn't like was the chastity belt around the mouths of the DJs. I've got a good bunch of guys here and I didn't want to clamp down on them."

What can you use a cart machine for in the 21st Century?

Thanks to former PD Lee Richards for sending us some great-quality WTMA airchecks from August and September of 1976. Check out fresh on-air audio goodies from Lee, John Burwell, Gery London, Dan Vallie and Bob James here.

We also added an audio interview with Kirk Varner (WTMA part-time DJ 1973-1975) here.

May 5, 2008

From the WTMAMemories.com Instant Gratification Department: We've added an embedded Media Player from Yahoo to most of our pages with audio (like Airchecks, Jingles and Audio Interviews) so you can listen to WTMA golden goodies without having to download them first. Look for the little arrows next to the audio links. (Just ignore the "Buy" button on the player; all of our online audio remains free.)

April 17, 2008

Lee Richards was WTMA's morning man and Program Director from late 1973 through August 1977. Download our brand spankin' new audio interview with Lee here.

February 3, 2008

The WTMA Morning Buzz aircheck tribute to Keith Nichols has been posted here.

We've reorganized the Picture Pages so all the images are arranged in a more chronological fashion, plus did some site-wide graphics tweaks.

Nice to hear from early '60s TMA jock Bob Townsend, who sent us a TMA publicity shot (on Picture Page 2) and updated his info on our DJs Page.

January 28, 2008

A dedicated Keith Nichols page has been created with links to his WTMA airchecks, audio features and more.

January 12, 2008

We've launched a tribute site to Charleston's first radio station, WCSC. Check it out!

November 23, 2007

Thanks to Ed Welch for the aircheck of former WTMA DJ Jerry Smith on North Charleston's WKTM in October of 1974. Find it here.

June 10, 2007

Our May 2007 audio interview with WTMA 1960s DJ Bob Scott has been added here.

May 11, 2007

We've added a 1953 promotional piece featuring Jay Mullen to Picture Page 1.

March 28, 2007

Look what Booby Nash found in his attic recently: an aircheck of him on the Mighty TMA from September 26, 1970. The songs are scoped, but the commercials are intact. Download it here.

March 1, 2007

Check out the great sounding Bob Scott 1964 and Steve Canyon 1966 WTMA airchecks we added today, complete with promos and commercials intact. Thanks to Bob Scott for these historic recordings.

February 15, 2007

WTMA '60s-era DJ Bob Scott checks in!  Read his story on the DJs Page.

December 18, 2006

A 3-minute Bob Riley tribute video, produced by the students at WAWL, has been added to the site.

November 29, 2006

Our condolences to the family and friends of former WTMA DJ Bob Riley, who passed away on November 28, 2006. Bob was at WTMA between '68 and '73.

November 28, 2006

We've partnered up with RadioLogoLand to offer t-shirts and other goodies with the WTMA logo on them. Proceeds from all purchases (whether it's a WTMA item or from another classic Top 40 station) go towards the upkeep of this Website and its associated expenses. There's one catch though. In order for us to get credit, you need to get to their site through the links on ours.

November 5, 2006

By request a WTMA Coverage Map has been added.

August 1, 2006

We've posted a 1980 aircheck of part-timer David Michaels.

July 9, 2006

Thanks to Wayne Warrick for providing excellent-sounding 1977 airchecks of Mad Dog Morgan, Bob James and Mark Shipman. (It's amazing what you can find on eBay!)

June 21, 2006

Download scoped airchecks of the May 26, 2006 XM Radio WTMA Tribute here.

April 1, 2006

Former WTMA PD Lee Richards found us! See what he's been up to the last 30 years on the DJs Page.

December 29, 2005

New comments from Terry Allen and additional DJ info have been added to the Where Are They Now page.

September 5, 2005

After a few months of butt dragging, we've finally posted the audio interview we did with legendary WTMA DJ Booby Nash, recorded this past Spring in the WTMA studios.

June 20, 2005

Thanks to Big Mack for all of the cool early '80s WTMA pictures which we've placed on Picture Page 15.

June 20, 2005

Download WTMA's "Sexy Sign-Off" (circa 1965) here.

June 13, 2005

Check out the 1980s section of our Aircheck Page for a 1983 aircheck of Big Mack burning up the Charleston nighttime on the Mighty TMA.

June 5, 2005

Thanks to Jim Diamond for the "Then & Now" photos of WTMA Air Personalities. We also posted a great-quality aircheck of a Jack Wilson newscast from 1975, complete with commercials.

June 3, 2005

Check out the 2005 picture of 1970s Mighty TMA jocks Billy Smith and Ted Bell on Picture Page 19.

May 31, 2005

If you missed hearing the WTMA DJ Reunion Talk Show hosted by Bill Sharpe, you can download it here.

Pictures from the WTMA 2005 Music Radio Reunion have been added here -- and there are photos from the WTMA DJ Reunion Sock Hop here.

February 27, 2005

Thanks to Terry Allen for contributing some cool 'KTM photos to our WKTM Remembered Page.

February 26, 2005

Ed Welch happened to be home taping WTMA one Saturday in 1973 -- and because of that, we have our first Robert Wayne Anderson aircheck on the Audio page. Also, mid-60s 'TMA DJ Danny Knox just discovered this site. Find out what he's been doing the last 40 years on the Where Are They Now? page.

February 1, 2005

Bob Graham sent us two airchecks of him recorded during WTMA's latter days as a music station in the mid-80s. One is from 1985 and showcases Bob doing middays in the AC format, while the other puts Bob in morning drive during 1986's "Classic Rock, Roll & Soul" days. Both feature News Director Warren Ashmore. Download them from the 1980s Airchecks section of the Audio Page.

We met with Al Kamhi, Gery London and Booby Nash last week to plan this year's WTMA Music Radio Reunion. See a picture on the Reunion Page.

More news from the Curator

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