JJS????
WHAT HAPPENED TO JJS? A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME THAT VERY QUESTION. THEY TUNE INTO 101.7, AND HEAR K-LOVE, A PROGRESSIVE GOSPEL STATION? THERE IS NO BLACK GOSPEL AND JAMES BROWN, SO IT ISN’T JJS ANYMORE! WHEN JJS FIRST CAME ON IN 1968, IS WAS UNIQUE WITH A BLACK AND GOSPEL FORMAT, ON A NEW BAND CALLED FM. THERE WAS NOTHING ON FM HERE BUT LAWRENCE WELK AND ELEVATOR MUSIC STATIONS! THERE WAS NO NEED FOR IT TO BE THOUGHT OF AS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WAS AWAY FROM THE POPULAR AM DIAL. I BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THOUGHT OF AS A THREAT FOR COMPETITION HAD IT BEEN ON AM? FM DID SOUND GOOD/HIFI, AND NO STATIC! JJS MADE PEOPLE BUY FM RADIOS…..EVERYONE HAD TO HAVE ONE….JUST LIKE AN IPHONE IS TODAY! FM’S WERE FLYING OFF THE SHELVES AT STORES! PEOPLE WHO HAD CONSOLE HI-FI’S ALREADY HAD FM, BUT THEY HAD NEVER TURNED IT ON…..TILL NOW! DHS TEACHER MR. HARRIS HAD AN AM/FM RADIO IN HIS NEW FIREBIRD! JJS MADE A DEAL WITH A COMPANY TO SELL AND PROMOTE FM CONVERTERS, BOUGHT AND INSTALLED FREE IN YOUR CAR IF YOU BOUGHT ONE! MANAGEMENT DECIDED TO PUSH FURTHER THE FACT THAT THEY HAD THIS UNIQUE RADIO STATION BY PUTTING UP BILLBOARDS AROUND TOWN…”JJS, SERVICE TO IT’S NEGRO COMMUNITY!” ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A POPULAR RADIO STATION THAT WASN’T ON AM? SOMEONE MUST HAVE SAID “OH NO, THOSE NEGROS HAVE THEIR OWN RADIO STATION!” SOON IN 1968, SOMEONE BLEW UP THE JJS BILLBOARD LOCATED IN A SECLUDED AREA OF LYNCHBURG NEAR THE BRIDGE ON HOLLINS MILL RD! MOM WANTED ME TO QUIT THE RADIO STATION! AT THE TIME THE STATION WAS ON THE TOP FLOOR OF THE BANK BUILDING AT 8TH & MAIN, AND WELL PROTECTED! WE ALL LOOKED LIKE BANK CUSTOMERS WHEN WE LEFT THE STATION. OUR GENERAL MANAGER WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE WOULD TRY TO KNOCK DOWN THE TOWER IN MADISON HGTS! THIS HOWEVER DIDN’T HAPPEN MAYBE BECAUSE POPULAR PROGRAMS LIKE JOE PYNE AND VIEWPOINT WOULD NOT BE ON WLGM, WHICH USED THE SAME TOWER! THE BOMBER WAS NEVER CAUGHT!!

FIRST OF ALL…..A RADIO STATION IS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER BUSINESS….NO MONEY INCOME AT A STORE, GAS STATION, BURGER JOINT, OUT OF BUSINESS! RADIO STATIONS ONLY DEPEND ON SELLING ADVERTISING TO SURVIVE. EACH TIME YOU HEAR A GEICO, HOME DEPOT AD, THE STATION JUST MADE ANYWHERE FROM $30.00-$300.00, DEPENDING ON THE POPULARITY OF THE STATION, AND IT’S ABILITY TO BRING CUSTOMERS INTO THERE PLACE OF BUSINESS. THERE IS NO RULE ON HOW MUCH A RADIO STATION CAN CHARGE FOR ADVERTISING, BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE MORE THAN 18 MINUTES PER HOUR! CHARGE $30.00 PER AD, THAT’S $540 PER HOUR IF YOU’RE SOLD OUT. FOR THE BIG STATIONS $5400 PER HOUR IS TYPICAL HERE! NEW YORK RADIO STATIONS MIGHT CHARGE $5400 PER MINUTE FOR AN AD! NOW FROM THAT MONEY COMING IN, CAN YOU PAY THE RENT, PAY THE LIGHT BILL, THE PHONE BILL, PAY YOUR DJ’S, PAY THE RECEPTIONIST, MAINTAIN THE EQUIPMENT, PAY FCC AND LAYWERS FEES? CAN YOU STAY IN BUSINESS WITH THIS? AS YOU SEE BY NOW, THERE IS MORE TO A RADIO BESIDES SNAPPING YOUR FINGERS TO THE LATEST FROM JAMES BROWN AND ARETHA FRANKLIN! NOW, WHICH STATION HAS THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR TO GET CUSTOMERS INTO A STORE? THAT IS THE JOB FOR THE RADIO STATIONS SALES STAFF. EACH SALES STAFF MEMBER GETS 10-15% FROM A SALE OF ADS BACK IN THE DAY. THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU SELL A CAR DEALER $1000 WORTH OF AD’S, $100 IS YOURS! YOU GO INTO A STORE AND TELL THE OWNER YOU CAN GET AN INCREASE IN TRAFFIC FOR HIS BUSINESS IF HE PUTS HIS AD ON THIS STATION. HE PAYS $800 FOR 24 ADS ON THE RADIO. HE GOES BACK AFTER THE ADS RUN…..DID IT WORK? WILL THE STORE OWNER RENEW THE AD AND RUN IT AGAIN? WILL HE PUT THE AD SALESMAN OUT TELLING HIM NEVER TO COME BACK AGAIN!? ONE CAR DEALERSHIP, THE PLYMOUTH DEALER RAN ONLY ONE SPOT ON THE RADIO PER DAY IN THE SAME SPOT FOR YEARS! 590-AM RAN A 12:30PM NEWSCAST WITH PAUL HARVEY. EVERYBODY REMEMBERS HIM, HE WOULD END HIS NEWSCAST…”THIS IS PAUL HARVEY, GOOD DAY!” MAN…. I WOULD LISTEN TO HIM DAILY! THIS DEALERSHIP WOULD RUN THEIR AD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAUL HARVEY NEWS BROADCAST! EVEN BRO. HUB COULDN’T MOVE HIM FROM THERE TO ADVERTISE ON JJS! THE DEALERSHIP OWNER ALSO USED AS AN EXCUSE NOT TO ADVERTISE ON JJS WAS THAT HE WAS LOCATED IN THE BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD ALREADY, 5TH STREET! BLACKS COULD, IF THEY WANTED A CAR, JUST WALK IN…

JJS, BACK IN THE DAY, COULD TELL TO A STORE OWNER IF HE HAS AN INCREASE IN CUSTOMERS WAS, MORE BLACKS IN THE PLACE! IF YOU WERE GOING TO BRING COUNTRY STAR JUSTIN LYNCH TO THE CIVIC CENTER, WHAT STATION WOULD YOU ADVERTISE ON? JJS, NO…STAR COUNTRY AND YYD…YES! IF YOU WERE GOING TO BRING ROY C TO THE SPORTSMAN CLUB BACK IN THE DAY, WHERE WOULD YOU ADVERTISE? IF YOU OWNED A TANNING SALON, WOULD YOU ADVERTISE WITH JJS? THE NEWSPAPER WAS THE BIGGEST COMPETITION FOR ALL RADIO STATIONS!

BACK IN THE DAY, BRO. HUB COULD TELL HIS LISTENERS TO GO TO VIRGINIAN FORD AND BUY A CAR….THERE WOULD BE A LINE AT THE DEALERSHIP! GO TO FAMOUS AND GET A SUIT….THERE WOULD BE A LINE AT THE DOOR! GO TO THE JOBBING HOUSE, ACS TRANSMISSION TO FIX YOUR CAR….IT WAS A GOLDMINE THAT THE OTHER STATIONS COULDN’T TOUCH! BRO. HUB COULD GET HIS LOYAL GOSPEL LISTENERS TO DO ANYTHING AND GO ANYWHERE! HE HAD SCHEWEL FURNITURE STORE WAITING FOR A SPACE TO OPEN UP ON BRO. HUB’S SHOW! WHEN HE SAID TELL THEN THAT BRO. HUB SENT YA….THEY DID! THERE IS A CERTAIN TALENT FOR SELLING BLACK RADIO ADVERTISEMENTS, AND BRO. HUB HAD IT!

MY JOB ON THE OTHER HAND WAS TO PLAY THE SOUL SIDE OF MUSIC. BEING THE ONLY BLACK STATION, EVERYTHING I DID WAS RIGHT! JJS HAD NUMBERS OF PEOPLE LISTENING THAT OTHER RADIO STATIONS WOULD ENVY! RATINGS SURVEYS CAME BACK WITH JJS FAR OUT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER STATIONS IN THE AREA!

NOTICE IN THIS SURVEY ABOVE: 1978-21.9 SHARE, 1979-23.6 SHARE, IN 1980-22.2 SHARE FROM THE ARB NATIONAL RATING SURVEY! JJS WAS #1 IN TEENS, 18-34 LISTENERS, 18-49 LISTENERS! THE STATIONS LISTENERS WERE IN THE 20 SHARE RANGE A LOT!! 
JJS WAS #2 IN 25-54 PEOPLE LISTENING! AT NIGHT, THE SHARES SHOT UP TO 40’S AND 50’S! 

OTHER STATIONS HAD NO OTHER WAY TO COMPETE WITH LISTENER NUMBERS LIKE THESE, SO THEY STARTED BADMOUTHING JJS! THEY WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE YOU GET JJS FOR A REMOTE BROADCAST AT YOUR BUSINESS, IT WOULD LOOK LIKE A TARZAN MOVIE! EVERYBODY LOOKING AND NO-ONE BUYING ANYTHING! IF I HAD KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW, I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT JJS WHEN IT WAS WITHIN MY BUDGET REACH TO AFFORD. I DIDN’T THINK THAT ANY OWNER WOULD EVER BE STUPID ENOUGH TO MESS WITH THE BLACK FORMAT ON JJS!  

—-new addition: RECENTLY (2017) I WAS IN A GROCERY STORE WHEN A CUSTOMER APPROACHED ME…. “YOU MADLAD AIN’T YOU?” “YES” “YOU’RE A DAMN SELLOUT!!” RIGHT THEN I WAS EXPECTING A PUNCH SO I ASKED “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” “YOU HAD A GREAT STATION WITH JJS….EVERYTHING WE WANTED TO HEAR GOSPEL AND SOUL!” “YOU A SELLOUT! YOU SOLD THE STATION, AND NOW I CAN’T EVEN LISTEN TO THAT JUNK AND BULLS-IT THEY PLAY! PLUS THEY STILL HAVE THE NERVE TO STILL CALL IT JAMMIN’!! AIN’T SH-T JAMMIN’ ON JJS NOW!” “I SAID LOOK MAN…I NEVER OWNED JJS, I ONLY WORKED THERE! JJS WAS SOLD OUT FROM UNDER ME….I AM AS MAD ABOUT IT AS YOU ARE! I TOLD HIM HERE IS AN EXAMPLE…. “IF MANAGEMENT AT THE PLACE YOU WORK AT STARTED TO MAKE CONFEDERATE FLAGS AND FIRED YOU, WOULD PEOPLE BLAME YOU, OR MANAGEMENT??” YOU ARE BLAMING ME FOR SOMETHING I HAD NO CONTROL OVER…AND YOU ARE CALLING ME NAMES AND GETTING READY TO BEAT ME UP, AND IT’S NOT MY FAULT?” TELL WHO EVER TOLD YOU THE REAL STORY PLEASE!! HE WALKED OFF AND SAID NOTHING ELSE, AND I HAVEN’T SEEN HIM SINCE??

BACK THEN YOU HAD TO HAVE X AMOUNT OF BLACKS ON YOUR STAFF, AND ONE OWNER IN A CITY COULD ONLY OWN ONE AM AND ONE FM IN ANY LOCATION. NOW, THE FCC HAVE RELAXED THE RULES OF OWNERSHIP AND MINORITY HIRINGS WHICH PUT ME AND EVERYONE IN JEOPARDY! THIS MEANT THAT YOU COULD HAVE AN ALL BLACK STAFF, OR AN ALL WHITE STAFF AT A RADIO STATION! JJS SAID LETS HAVE AN ALL WHITE STATION AND MAKE MORE ADVERTISING MONEY! ONE RADIO COMPANY CAN NOW ALSO OWN HUNDREDS OF STATIONS, INCLUDING MULTIPLE STATIONS IN ONE PLACE!  

THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER BRO. HUB, AND HIS ABILITY TO GET STORES AND BUSINESSES TO ADVERTISE ON BLACK RADIO. WHEN HE LEFT JJS, THINGS DIDN’T FALL APART TOO BAD AT FIRST! IN THE EARLY 80’S THE LISTENERS WERE PLENTIFUL AND THE BUSINESS WAS STILL THERE! THE NEW OWNERS OF THE STATION AROUND 1986, FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAD BOUGHT THE NUMBER ONE STATION, BUT…..IS WAS A BLACK FORMAT THAT THEY DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE! FRUSTRATED AD SALESMAN WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THE EFFECT THAT BRO. HUB HAD ON PEOPLE! WE WOULD DO REMOTE BROADCAST AT THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, ALONG WITH 4-5 OTHER STATIONS AT THE SAME TIME! AFTER A FEW WEEKS, JJS WAS CANCELED? I WANTED TO KNOW WHY? WE WOULD GIVE OUT CASSETTES TO THE FIRST PERSON WITH A RED CAR TO COME ON THE LOT! THEY WOULD COME BY IN THE RED CAR, GET THE TAPE, LEAVE, AND NOT EVEN LOOK AT A TOYOTA CAR, THE PURPOSE FOR US BEING THERE! THE REASON THAT JJS IS DROPPED IS SIMPLE BUSINESS. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO SELL CARS….THE COUNTRY STATION GETS 12 PEOPLE IN, THEY MIGHT SELL 8 CARS. IF THE ROCK STATION GOT TWELVE PEOPLE IN THE DEALERSHIP, THEY MIGHT SELL 9 CARS! IF YOU PUT ADS ON JJS AND GET 12 PEOPLE IN, YOU WILL GET 7 PEOPLE WITH BAD CREDIT, 3 BANKRUPT, AND YOU MIGHT SELL ONE CAR, AND THE OTHER IS JUST LOOKING!! BEING IN THE BUSINESS TO SELL CARS, WHICH STATION WOULD YOU BE ON? THERE WAS AT ONE TIME A BLACK OWNER OF THE FORD DEALERSHIP HERE. HE MOSTLY ADVERTISED ON THE COUNTRY STATION. HE MIGHT GIVE US A FEW CRUMS OF ADVERTISING, BUT NOTHING LIKE THE BIG STATIONS! TO SELL CARS HIS MENTALITY WAS THAT A FEW GOOD PROSPECTS TO BUY CARS ON THE COUNTRY STATION WAS BETTER THAT A LOT OF TATOOS AND AFROS THAT COULDN’T AFFORD ONE!! NEXT THING YOU KNOW, 101.7 WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM US AND A NEW STATION, U-102 WAS CREATED AS A BETTER SALES STATION! TO OUR DISMAY, WE ENDED UP ON AM-1320, SURPRISINGLY STILL GETTING LARGE NUMBERS OF LISTENERS! THE ONLY BAD THING WAS JJS HAD TO CUT OFF AT SUNSET….5PM IN THE WINTER, 8:45PM IN THE SUMMER! 5 YEARS LATER, IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A MISTAKE WHEN IT WAS RUMORED THAT A BLACK FM WAS ON THE WAY SOON! THIS WAS MY RADIO PROJECT 105.9 WHEN MY INVESTORS BACKED OUT ON ME! I HAD TO SELL TO 105.9 THE LINE, MAKING IT A TALK STATION…..TO MY DISMAY, BUT IT DID PUT JJS BACK ON THE FM AT 101.7! 

EVERYONE HAPPY? NO….ADVERTISERS STILL WERE RELUCTANT TO ADVERTISE! WHAT HAPPENED TO MORNING GOSPEL ON WJJS? ANSWER…”RED BULL!” SOME BUSINESSES SEEK OUT ADVERTISEMENT ON A BLACK RADIO STATION FOR THEIR ADS. THE LOTTERY IS ONE, YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THAT AND SEE THE REASON…. EZ-CREDIT PLACES GOT BLACKS TO BUY FURNITURE, AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU MISSED A PAYMENT….WHICH A LOT DID! BEER COMPANYS ARE ANOTHER! “RED BULL” WAS A NEW BREW AND SEEKING RADIO ADS. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PUT AN AD ON THE RADIO? A NATIONAL SURVEY WAS TAKEN AND IT WAS FOUND OUT THAT THE MOST BLACKS LISTEN TO THE RADIO AT 6-7AM AND 5-7PM. THE BEER COMPANY WANTED THEIR ADS RAN ONLY IN THAT TIME PERIOD! BUT GOSPEL MUSIC WAS THERE?? THIS CONTRACT WAS THOUSANDS IN MONEY REVENUE FOR THE STATION…..GUESS WHAT…. GOSPEL WAS GONE!!! I THINK EVERY PREACHER IN TOWN VISITED THE STATION (THIS WAS BEFORE BRO. HUB’S STATION)! TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, A FEW PREACHERS CAME TO THE STATION DRIVING BENZ’S AND CADDY’S THAT WERE BOUGHT AT DEALERSHIPS THAT WOULDN’T EVEN MEET WITH A JJS SALESMAN TO TALK ABOUT ADVERTISING!!! I EVEN FELL VICTIM TO THIS ASPECT WHEN I GOT MY NEW SILVER BMW BACK IN 1997! I PULLED IN THE RADIO STATION PARKING LOT AND WAS CONFRONTED BY ONE OF OUR IRATE AD SALESMEN! HE SAID “I DON’T BELIEVE YOU WENT OVER THERE TO BUY A CAR, AND THEY WONT EVEN SEE ME TO TALK ABOUT ADVERTISING ON JJS!!” THE SALES STAFF HATED THAT CAR, AND WOULD STARE EVERY TIME I WAS SEEN IN IT! I HEARD THAT THERE WAS A BONUS FOR CERTAIN BUSINESSES LIKE CAR DEALERS, WHO SOLD THEM ADS ON JJS! MAN, I JUST WANTED A BMW, AND I OPENED UP A CAN OF WORMS…. THAT PUT ME ON THE SH-T LIST TO STAY! LOOKING BACK, MY MOM, WHO NEVER MISSED BRO. HUB IN THE MORNING, BOUGHT A GREEN PLYMOUTH DUSTER BACK IN 1973! I KNOW SHE DIDN’T HEAR ABOUT IT FROM PAUL HARVEY, SHE WAS TEACHING SCHOOL AT 12:30PM! 

SPEAKING OF BRO. HUB, AS WE ALL KNOW HE BOUGHT AND OWNS GOSPEL STATION WLLL! IF THE ORIGINAL OWNER KNEW THAT HIS FORMER ROCK & ROLL STATION IS NOW OWNED BY BRO. HUB AND PLAYING BLACK GOSPEL, HE WOULD TURN OVER IN HIS GRAVE!! REMEMBER NOW, THIS WAS THE SAME OWNER THAT REPORTED MY BOOTLEG STATION “WKKD,” TO THE FCC! AFTER JJS, I WENT OVER TO WLLL AND WORKED FOR BRO. HUB AT A BIG SALARY DECREASE! I DIDN’T MIND, HE ALWAYS SAID THAT I HAD A JOB ANYTIME I WANTED IT, AND WORKING AT THE STATION THAT HATED “WKKD” SO WAS BITTERSWEET! I STAYED THERE TILL 2004, SIX YEARS. CISCO AND I LEFT, AND IT WAS JUST BUSINESS? BRO. HUB IS JUST BREAKING EVEN WITH HIS STATION, AND REALLY NEEDS ADVERTISING SUPPORT! HE WAS JUST BARELY PAYING US WHEN THREE OF HIS KIDS SUDDENLY NEEDED JOBS! HE MADE A CHOICE, AND FAMILY WON OUT! MY LAST NAME WASN’T HUBARD! BRO. HUB STILL HAS A LOYAL FAN BASE, MAYBE NOT AS BIG AS BACK IN THE DAY, BUT STILL THERE NONE THE LESS! IF YOU LOVE WLLL, IT WOULDN’T HURT TO SUPPORT HIS ADVERTISERS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO TELL ADVERTISERS THAT I HEARD IT ON BRO. HUB’S STATION BECAUSE THEY MIGHT THINK THAT THEY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THEM TO COME INTO THEIR PLACE OF BUSINESS ANYWAY! ALL YOU PREACHERS OUT THERE DRIVING THESE BIG CARS, DID YOU GET THEM FROM A DEALER WHO DIDN’T WANT BRO. HUB. FOR AN AD?? IT USED TO UPSET ME TO SEE PEOPLE COMING TO WLLL WITH CHURCH NEWS, DRIVING CARS FROM “MOTOR MILES” AND OTHER DEALERS THAT IF THEY SEE BRO. HUB. COMING THEY INSTRUCT THE SECRETARY TO TELL HIM “I’M NOT IN,” AND HIDE!!

  
AS YOU READ THIS ARTICLE IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE STATION, BRO. HUB’S OR COUNTRY, THIS IS HOW YOU SUPPORT THEM…..IT’S SIMPLE….”IF YOU HEAR AN AD ON THE STATION ONLY GO THERE, AND IF YOU DON’T HEAR AN AD ON THE STATION, DON’T GO THERE!!!” A RADIO STATION CAN’T TELL ANYONE WHERE “NOT” TO GO, BUT I CAN TELL THE TRUTH HERE! FACING REALITY, NO-ONE LIVES FOREVER….SOMEONE SHOULD BE READY TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND GET READY TO KEEP WLLL GOING! I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THERE ARE RADIO PEOPLE OUT THERE WAITING TO TURN IT INTO SPORTS, NEWS/TALK, OR SOMETHING BESIDE BLACK GOSPEL SHOULD “GOD FORBID” SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HIM!

I TRIED TO MAKE V-103 WORK, A 50,000 WATT STATION IN 1992….CAME BACK TO JJS ….DIDN’T WORK…OK….WHAT TO DO NOW? GO OUT OF BUSINESS OR CHANGE FORMAT! AM1320 WAS SITTING AROUND DOING NOTHING IN 1997, AND I SUGGESTED TO MANAGEMENT TO MAKE THE FORMAT BLACK OLDIES….REMEMBER HEART AND SOUL? AFTER A YEAR OF LOSING MONEY, AN ALL SPORTS FORMAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE MONEY, AND IT IS STILL THAT! ANOTHER MORE RECENT FORMAT CHANGE BECAUSE THE STATION WASN’T SUPPORTED WAS HOT 103.9. GREAT STATION, NOT SO HOT THOUGH….THE ONLY ADVERTISERS WERE NAIL SHOPS AND FUNERAL HOMES! YOU CAN’T SURVIVE ON THAT, AND IS WHY IT IS NOW BEATLES, THE KINKS, BILL HALEY AND THE DAVE CLARK FIVE! THIS IS A FORMAT THAT THE AD STAFF BELIEVES THEY CAN SELL AND MAKE MONEY WITH!  

WHY DID I SAY HOT, WASN’T SO HOT? RAP MUSIC WAS ALWAYS TABOO WITH MANAGEMENT AT JJS. IT WAS THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE THAT LIKE “SIR MIX-A-LOT, DJ KOOL, AND COOLIO,” WOULDN’T BE A GOOD CAR CUSTOMER! SO THAT KIND OF MUSIC WAS NOT TO BE PLAYED! EVEN TODAY, THE HOTTEST THING THAT HOT103.9 PLAYED WAS 25 YEAR OLD RAP THAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE BY NOW ACCEPTED BY THE GENERAL POPULATION! I’LL BET THAT IT IS THOUGHT THAT DJ’S PLAY WHAT THEY WANT TO PLAY?? NOT TRUE! MANAGEMENT WAS TO GOING TO “WHITEN” UP THE MUSIC ON JJS TO GET A BROADER AUDIENCE FOR BUSINESSES TO ADVERTISE ON! I WOULD HAVE EVERY SONG IN MY SHOW LISTED AND CHECKED OFF AS I PLAYED THEM, EXACTLY! I WOULD RUN ACROSS SHERYL CROW, RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS, AND SUCH IN MY SHOW I WAS FORCED TO PLAY! I WOULD PUT THE STATION PHONE OFF THE HOOK WHEN I PLAYED THEM SO I WOULDN’T HEAR FROM A CALLER “MAN, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING??” THE TOP BLACK SONG AT THE TIME WAS “GANGSTERS PARADISE!” THOUGH HEAVYLY REQUESTED, I COULDN’T PLAY IT! IT COULD PLAYED IN THE EVENING, BUT NOT IN THE MORNING FOR SOME REASON EVEN I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND! WHEN C-CHANNELL BOUGHT THE STATION, WE ALL BECAME NUMBERS IN A CHAIN OF CORPORATE B-S! MANAGEMENT EVEN FIXED CONTESTS ON THE STATION SO THAT IT WOULD BE PERCEIVED TO HAVE WHITE LISTENERS! WHEN A WHITE PERSON WAS PUBLISIZED TO HAVE WON A CONTEST ON JJS, IT COULD BE SAID “LOOK A WHITE PERSON WON A TRIP TO ARUBA…LOOK! THIS IS HOW IT WORKED….IF YOU CALLED AND SAID “YO,YO, DID I WIN, WHAT CALLER AM I YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING?” YOU WERE BLACK SOUNDING AND WERE CALLER 11. IF YOU SAY “WOW, WHAT CALLER AM I, MY GOODNESS, DID I WIN?” AND SOUNDED LIKE CARLTON ON THE FRESH PRINCE, YOU MIGHT WIN? ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT JJS DID FOR ME WAS MEETING MY WIFE. EVERYONE WANTED TO KNOW HOW I MET ZEE? SHE WON A CONTEST ON JJS! I GUESS THAT AN ASIAN ACCENT “LOVE YOU LONG TIME,” SOUNDED BETTER THAT “YO, YO, YO, DID I WIN?” I WILL NEVER FORGET ONE TIME WHEN A BLACK GIRL WON A MAJOR CONTEST ON THE STATION…..SHE SOUNDED LIKE ELLIE MAE ON THE BEVERLY HILLBILLYS, AND UNKNOWINGLY FOOLED EVERYBODY!!  

I DID EVERY MEDIOCRE TASK THAT WAS ASKED OF ME AT JJS! I FILLED UP THE STATION VAN, I GOT EVERYONE TO THE STATION IN THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WHEN IT SNOWED EVEN OVERNIGHT! I WAS THE ONLY HOLD BACK TO THE OLD JJS, SO I HAD TO GO TO COMPLETE THE “WHITENING!” IN 1998 I LEFT THE STATION! I NEVER THOUGHT THAT THE STATION THAT I GAVE THE IDEA TO START WOULD ONE DAY NO LONGER NEED ME!  

THE WAR AFTER I LEFT: 
THE BATTLE LINES WERE DRAWN BETWEEN THE LARGE RADIO OWNERS IN THE ROANOKE AND LYNCHBURG MARKET. IN 1986, BOTH CITIES WERE COMBINED AND LOOKED AT AS ONE AREA. THIS TO ME WAS VERY UNFAIR IN THE FACT THAT SMALLER RADIO STATIONS THAT DIDN’T REACH ROANOKE AND THE ONES FROM ROANOKE, THAT COULDN’T REACH LYNCHBURG, CAME BACK IN THE SURVEY AUTOMATICALLY WITH LOWER NUMBERS! RADIO STATIONS THAT COULD REACH BOTH CITIES EQUALLY WITH A SINGLE POWERFUL SIGNAL, OR TWO STATIONS BROADCASTING THE SAME THING, ONE IN EACH CITY, HAD THE ADVANTAGE! JJS NOW HAS A 50,000 WATT STATION IN LYNCHBURG AND A 50,000 WATT STATION IN ROANOKE AND NOW GETS LOWER NUMBERS IN THE SURVEY THAN I HAD WITH JJS BACK IN THE DAY WITH 3000 WATTS ONLY IN LYNCHBURG!! THIS IS FUNNY TO ME! MAN….I COULD DO WONDERS IF I COULD BE IN CHARGE OF PROGRAMING ON JJS NOW!! BY THE WAY, THIS COMBINATION WAS DONE SO THAT OUR AREA COUND BE IN THE TOP 100 CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES! TOP ADVERTISERS SITTING SOMEWHERE IN NEW YORK ONLY ADVERTISE MOSTLY IN THE TOP 100 CITIES! THE MCDONALDS, HOME DEPOTS, GEICO ECT. WOULDN’T LOOK AT ROANOKE AND LYNCHBURG SEPARATELY! THIS SO CALLED BRIGHT IDEA ISN’T WORKING ANYMORE BECAUSE OVER THE YEARS OTHER CITIES HAVE GROWN IN POPULATION MORE THAN HERE. ROANOKE AND LYNCHBURG COMBINED COMES IN AT 115 PLACE IN THE USA! BACK TO THE SAME OLD ADVERTISING PROBLEM FOR EVERY STATION!  

OH YEA….BACK TO THE WAR…TWO STATION OWNERS, ONE WITH K92, STAR COUNTRY, FIR, Q99. THE OTHER OWNER WITH  JJS, 963-ROV, 108YYD, STEVEFM, WENT AT IT! ONE BEAUTIFUL TACTIC WAS CREATING VIBE 100 FROM A K92 REBROADCASTOR,  TO COUNTER ACT JJS IN THE NOW CALLED “URBAN” FORMAT. “URBAN,” I GUESS, WAS A BETTER SOUNDING NAME THAN “BLACK?” THIS NEW STATION WAS TO LOWER JJS’S NUMBERS TO PROTECT K92! IT WORKED….TOO GOOD….VIBE ENDED UP IN THE TOP FIVE STATIONS! IF YOU NOTICED, VIBE IS SCARED OF RAP TOO! THE WHOLE STATION SOUNDS LIKE A QUIET STORM FORMAT ALL THE TIME! IN OTHER MARKETS LIKE 102JAMZ IN GREENSBORO, AND 106THE BEAT IN RICHMOND, ARE NOT SCARED OF RAP, AND PLACE IN THE TOP THREE IN THEIR AREAS! EVEN THOUGH ME PERSONALLY AM NOT FOND OF RAP, I KNOW IT IS AN AUDIENCE GETTER FOR BOTH BLACK AND WHITE LISTENERS! NOWADAYS, TO THE AVERAGE WHITE TEENAGER, T.I, JAYZ, AND LTL WAYNE ARE HOUSEHOLD WORDS TO THE DISMAY OF THE AVERAGE PARENT! THESE BIG RADIO OWNERS SHOULD REALIZE THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE BUYING CARS SOON?? HOW SOON…TRY NOW!! I REGRET TO SAY THAT BIG WALT WAS FOUND NOT TO BE NEEDED ANYMORE AT VIBE, AND WAS RECENTLY LIKE ME, LET GO! HE SPENT OVER TEN YEARS MAKING VIBE A TOP RADIO STATION, JUST LIKE I SPENT MORE THAT 25 YEARS DOING THE SAME THING AT JJS! CONTRARY TO BELIEFS, I NEVER OWNED ANY PART OF JJS!! IF YOU DON’T OWN IT, YOU CAN BE FIRED JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE! LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT IT A LONG TIME AGO! WOULD I HAVE GOT THE SUPPORT? I DON’T KNOW PROBABLY NOT, AND I WOULD HAVE GONE BANKRUPT?? THE ONLY REASON THAT VIBE-100 IN SO HIGH IN THE RATINGS IS BECAUSE OF SHEER SIGNAL POWER! IF THEY ADDED A FEW TI’S, SCHOOLBOYQ, AND DRAKE, THE VIBE WOULD OWN THE MARKET, AND MAYBE BE #1 !

*****2018 ADDITION! IF YOU LISTENED LATELY TO VIBE AND JJS, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT A LOT MORE RAP AND HIP-HOP HAS BEEN ADDED TO THEIR PROGRAMMING!? WOW…..DID THEY ALL OF A SUDDEN GET SMART? BOTH STATIONS NOW SOUND LIKE THE TV SHOW “EMPIRE’S” SOUNDTRACK?THIS HAS SURPRISED ME!  

WHERE ARE ALL THE DJ’S THAT YOU USED TO LISTEN TO NOW? IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY! MY FORMER DJ TEAM MEMBERS ARE WORKING OTHER PLACES BESIDES RADIO? CISCO-G.L.T.C, JODY CROSS-NURSING HOME, P.AUGUSTA D.-RETIRED, J.J. MAXX-CONVENIENCE STORE, SLY COLLINS-DOG TRAINER, COUNT JAY-FEDX IN HARTFORD CT, !  

SOME ARE STILL IN RADIO…..LEE CAMARON-WDVA/WKBY IN DANVILLE, ROADRUNNER(BRETT LEWIS-INTERNET RADIO, MORE AS I FIND THEM! 

ALWAYS REMEMBER THE ONES WHO HAVE PASSED ON….NIGHTBIRD(ARTHUR YOUNG), DONNIE DEE, RON LEE, SOUL DADDY TEE(TOM LYNCH), VAN JOHNSON, JOHN MILLER(LONG JOHN), PRINCE IKE, DANNY JAY(WENDELL PARKER), AND A FEW MORE! 

PLEASE E-MAIL ME WITH A COMMENT ON THIS PAGE ABOUT LOCAL RADIO! I’LL BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY…HUH?