March 18, 2003 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E507 2003 removes discriminatory features from the On Wednesday, March 19, WIVK will cele- The measure passed, and ‘‘the next morn- Medicare mental health benefits and helps fa- brate its 50th anniversary with a gala that ing Mull was packing up his records and he cilitate access to up-to-date and affordable will include testimonials from stars like left the station,’’ Dick remembered. Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, Kenny Rogers, Rock ‘n’ roll did serious damage to country mental health services for our elderly and dis- Travis Tritt, Charlie Daniels and Ray Price. music’s popularity in the late 1950s and early abled. I encourage my colleagues to support There’ll also be stories and reminisces from 1960s. Stations across the country abandoned its passage into law. the station’s longtime personalities. the format for Top 40. Local country favorite f Few would’ve given the station much hope WNOX had already abandoned country music in 1953 when young radioman Jim Dick put when WIVK followed suit in 1961. TRIBUTE TO MR. JIM DICK AND WIVK-AM on the air with $3,000 of his sav- That was about the time a young an- WIVK ings. At the time WIVK was just a 1,000-watt nouncer named Bobby Denton was trying to station that operated from sunrise to sunset break into radio. only. ‘‘I started in radio by announcing drag HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR. Dick initially rented space on the second races from Maryville Drag Strip after school OF TENNESSEE floor of Greene’s Hardware on North Gay on WSKT,’’ said Denton, who is now offi- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Street and broadcast at 850 on the AM dial. cially retired but still serves as a consultant to current WIVK owner Citadel Communica- Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Dick didn’t think the location of the station mattered much. tions. Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ‘‘Absolutely the most important thing I Denton became acquainted with Tomlin- pay tribute to Jim Dick and WIVK, the radio did was to determine who were good people son, who then persuaded Dick to give Denton station he created in Knoxville, Tennessee. On and hired them,’’ said Dick, who is now 84. a job at WIVK. But Dick was not impressed Dick’s ‘‘good people’’ became regional with his new hire’s broadcasting skills. Wednesday, March 19, WIVK celebrates its ‘‘He said, ‘This guy is so bad we have to get 50th anniversary. icons: ‘‘Big Jim’’ Hess, Claude ‘‘The Cat’’ Tomlinson, and later, Bobby Denton, Ed him off the air!’ ’’ Denton recalled. Five decades ago, Jim Dick applied for and During the station’s three years of playing Brantley, Mike Hammond, Mickey Top 40, they found the field crowded. WNOX received a license from the Federal Commu- Dearstone, Dave Young and other personal- and WKGN dominated the Top 40 format, and nications Commission to build and operate a ities became part of Knoxville’s cultural in 1964, WIVK moved to all-country program- 1,000–watt AM radio station. At that moment, landscape. ming. In its infancy the station aired programs Dick Broadcasting Company was created. In 1965 two pivotal events took place. hosted by gospel music impresario the Rev. Jim Dick is certainly a visionary. He was WIVK was granted permission to increase its J. Bazzel Mull and millionaire grocer Cas one of the first people in the radio business to AM signal from 1,000 to 50,000 watts and an Walker, who began broadcasting musical understand the importance of broadcasting on FM sister station was established. FM’s re- shows in 1929 to promote his grocery stores. placement, because of its clearer signal, of the FM dial. He is also one of the most ad- The station also hired A. C. Wilson, one of the AM radio format was still years away, mired and respected businessmen in East the city’s first black disc jockeys in 1954. but Dick had the foresight to promote FM Tennessee. Wilson hosted ‘‘The Acey Boy Show,’’ which WIVK-AM debuted playing a wide range of heavily from the outset. featured jazz and hot rhythm and blues. ‘‘We would sign off at sunset and say, ‘If ‘‘He was a super guy,’’ recalled Dick. ‘‘If he music including gospel, country, jazz and oth- you just have half a radio, we’ll have to say hadn’t have died, he could’ve really gone ers. The station only operated during the day- goodnight until tomorrow morning. But if places.’’ time hours in the early years. WIVK has grown you have a whole radio, you can tune us in Hess and Tomlinson were the first two disc immensely since then and is now a part of the at 107.7 FM.’ ’’ Dick recalled. ‘‘Car dealer- jockeys to establish themselves at the sta- ships would tell us that people came in want- Las Vegas based Citadel Communications tion with the team ‘‘Big Jim’’ and ‘‘Little ing to buy a car with a ‘whole radio.’ ’’ By Corporation. Alf.’’ The duo’s mischief on the air was but the mid-1970s, however, FM was the domi- Jim Dick and everyone at WIVK have al- a pale shadow of the trickery they pulled off ways supported the community and have nant frequency. it. With its new, more powerful signal, WIVK- They particularly delighted in playing given so much to the citizens of their listening AM shifted into high gear. Longtime morn- jokes on Rev. Mull, whose eyesight was so area. Almost everyone in East Tennessee re- ing disc jockey Tomlinson created the char- poor he was classed as legally blind. Once lies on WIVK for great country music, timely acters ‘‘Ol’ Man Schultz’’ and simple soul Hess and Tomlinson put Mull’s car up on news and information, as well as radio broad- ‘‘Lester Longmire.’’ The characters would blocks just barely off the ground while the remain regional favorites for the next 25 casts of University of Tennessee football preacher and his wife were on the air. When years. games. the Mulls attempted to leave the station Mr. Speaker, I would like to again congratu- The station also began hosting a series of with Mrs. Mull at the wheel, the car’s tires country concerts and championing country late Jim Dick, all of the staff at WIVK, Citadel simply spun in the air. Thinking the vehicle performers. In its early days the station had Communications Corporation and all of those was somehow stuck, Mull got out and pushed had young singer Dolly Parton performing in people who have given so much of them- it, knocking it off the blocks and sending it its small downstairs auditorium on Cas selves to make this great radio station the and Mrs. Mull sailing. Walker’s program. She had also recorded best in the Country. I have also included an On another occasion the pranksters rigged early demos after hours in the station’s stu- the studio so that when Mull’s program went dios. article from the Knoxville News-Sentinel that on the air, what the preacher heard in the celebrates the 50-year anniversary of WIVK By the mid–1960s the station was beginning studio was Elvis Presley singing ‘‘All Shook to wield enough influence to have a big im- that I would like to call to the attention of my Up,’’ while the radio audience listened to the pact in the country music field. For example, fellow Members and other readers of the gospel number that was actually on the Denton has long been credited with per- RECORD. turntable. suading Jerry Lee Lewis to give country [From the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Mar. 16, One of the pair’s jokes riled Mull so badly music a shot when his rock ’n’ roll career 2003] that he promised to go to Dick and get them was at an ebb. fired. But Tomlinson, who was a master THE FROG HITS 50: WIVK CELEBRATES HALF A ‘‘We became good friends, and he would mimic and could imitate Dick perfectly, CENTURY OF BROADCASTING come to my house,’’ Denton recalled. ‘‘I slipped into the boss’ office before Mull got think I just said ‘Jerry Lee, I think if you (By Wayne Bledsoe) there. The preacher’s eyesight was so poor, would record country, people would buy it.’ ’’ Radio station WIVK is as much a part of he didn’t detect the impersonation, and Lewis replied that he was country and was East Tennessee as UT football and the rush Tomlinson promised Mull that severe pun- a far sight better country singer than some for bread and milk at the first hint of snow. ishment would be dealt to Hess and himself. of the current country stars. Shortly there- Through five decades of changing musical ‘‘The Rev. J. Bazzel Mull was very impor- after, in 1968, Lewis began a string of coun- tastes, the station has unapologetically tant to WIVK’s early success,’’ said Dick, try Top 10 hits. played country music and retained an un- who could be both amused and frustrated by Other stars have credited the station with precedented share of the listening audience. his employees’ antics. helping establish their careers. Alabama’s The station has helped launch the careers of It wasn’t the jokes, though, that finally Randy Owen has long recounted how he and country stars and even influenced the gen- drove Mull from WIVK; it was a referendum his wife stopped at the station with the first eral direction of country music. to legalize liquor in Knoxville in the early single recorded by the group, which was then ‘‘It’s hard to come up with another station 1960s. calling itself Wild Country. Owen went inside to compare them to because WIVK is such a Both Mull and Cas Walker were vehe- and asked then-program director Denton if standout in the radio community,’’ said An- mently against the measure and campaigned he would take time to listen to the record. gela King, associate country editor of Radio vigorously against it on shows. But Dick ‘‘We listened to it,’’ Denton recalled, ‘‘and & Records. ‘‘People in the industry say, ‘This read an editorial on the air supporting legal I said ‘That’s pretty good!’ ’’ is a model of how a radio station should liquor, and his comments were reprinted in Owen and his wife then drove down King- be.’ ’’ the News Sentinel. ston Pike and were on their way to the

VerDate Jan 31 2003 06:08 Mar 19, 2003 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18MR8.081 E18PT1 E508 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks March 18, 2003 band’s Myrtle Beach base when Denton put Jim Dick is no longer involved with either women will perform admirably and we all hope the single on the air. station. Dick Broadcasting sold WIVK and 11 they will achieve their objectives quickly and ‘‘Randy said he just pulled the car over and other stations to Las Vegas-based Citadel with minimal loss of life, but my reservations started hugging his wife and crying because Communications for $300 million in 2000. about this approaching war remain as strong that was the first time he had ever heard his However, Dick does visit the station and has song on the radio,’’ Denton recalled. warm feelings for the people still involved today as they have ever been. Kenny Rogers’ first appearance as a coun- with the project he began 50 years ago. Although I agree with the President that we try performer was at one of the station’s ‘‘I’m very proud of them,’’ says Dick. must eliminate the threat posed by Saddam concerts in 1975. ‘‘Very proud.’’ Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction, ‘‘He was scared to death,’’ remembered f I still believe it is at the least premature, and Denton. ‘‘He didn’t know how the crowd more likely contrary to our national interest, to would respond to him.’’ PAYING TRIBUTE TO U.S. ARMY launch a military attack against Iraq now. I East Tennessee natives Con Hunley and current superstar Kenny Chesney were also SPECIALIST LUCAS V. TRIPP firmly believe that we could better achieve our championed early on the station. objectives in Iraq by building a strong inter- Ed Brantley, now WIVK’s vice-president HON. SCOTT McINNIS national coalition capable of not only winning and general manager, started at the station the war, but also capable of winning the OF COLORADO in 1973 as a part-time announcer and hosted peace. the station’s first call-in talk show, ‘‘Sound IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES When thinking about whether or not we Off.’’ Tuesday, March 18, 2003 should go to war against Iraq, I find myself re- ‘‘That was when country definitely wasn’t turning repeatedly to one basic question. Will the cool format,’’ said Brantley, ‘‘but the Mr. MCINNIS. Mr. Speaker, it is with a people who did like it were a solid base.’’ heavy heart that I stand before you today to American-led military action against Iraq im- The ‘‘solid base’’ became even more solid honor a young man tragically taken from this prove the security of the American people as the decade went on with the station draw- earth while in the service of his country. U.S. against the threat of terrorism and weapons of ing an almost unheard of 20-plus market Army Specialist Lucas V. Tripp of Aurora, Col- mass destruction? I believe the answer is no. share. Much of that had to do with the sta- orado was one of ten soldiers killed in the un- I remain concerned that an immediate at- tion establishing a solid news department fortunate Black Hawk helicopter accident near tack on Iraq would significantly rise the chance and broadcasting regular weather reports of terrorism here at home, while overseas I Fort Drum, New York last Tuesday. Those and school closings. In 1978 the station began fear that a cornered Saddam Hussein would who seek the true meaning of duty, honor, broadcasting UT football games, which fur- release his arsenal of chemical, biological, and ther solidified its audience base. and sacrifice will find it in dedicated servants possible nuclear weapons on American sol- Some of the WIVK’s success was due to its like Luke Tripp and his fellow soldiers. I am diers or on his neighbors in the region, includ- programmers knowing the tastes of the audi- truly humbled to honor them before this body ing Israel. He could also pass them on to ter- ence. Brantley said the station took chances of Congress and this nation. with several artists who dipped their toes rorists and speed their arrival to American Luke joined the Army four years ago and, into country. When the Pointer Sisters re- shores. But it is not fear of danger to America like so many young men and women before leased the song ‘‘Fairytale,’’ WIVK was one that gives us pause. Americans are brave him, he saw it as an opportunity to serve our of the first to add it to the regular rotation. enough to face danger if necessary. However, great nation. After enlisting, Luke graduated The station was also an early supporter of there is no evidence I have seen either in Olivia Newton-John’s music. from boot camp at the top of his class and ‘‘We played a lot of crossover,’’ said classified or public briefings that convinces me quickly rose through the ranks, eventually be- that this war is necessary now. Brantley, ‘‘and then with ‘Urban Cowboy’ it coming a Black Hawk crew chief and certified just broke loose.’’ Furthermore, even if we prosecute a suc- At that time the station was receiving rat- flight instructor. Luke could rappel out of a cessful war, which I have no doubt our brave ings for its AM and FM stations as one num- hovering helicopter into a hostile area and re- men and women in uniform would, I have ber, sometimes giving it better than a 30– pair damaged aircraft, an action that requires questions about our ability to win the post-war point market share. Typical successful sta- stunning bravery. The accident last week oc- peace. A war and subsequent American occu- tions in other similar-sized markets were curred as the 13 crew members returned from pation of Iraq would likely send a destabilizing happy when they hit a 10 share. a training exercise in upstate New York, where shockwave throughout the Middle East and ig- Through the years a few local stations they had been preparing for a possible deploy- have challenged WIVK by going with a coun- nite violent anti-Americansim, giving rise to fu- try format, but none have succeeded. ment in the case of war. Luke’s best friend ture threats to our national security. While I ‘‘Our research showed that it would take a was the first to reach the crash site and re- have no doubt that we would successfully de- direct competitor five years and $5 million ported that he found Luke heroically shielding pose Saddam Hussein, I am concerned that dollars in advertising and promotions to one of the two survivors. the act of extinguishing Saddam would in- even compete with us,’’ Denton said. Mr. Speaker, I cannot fully express my deep flame, rather than diminish, the terrorist threat The only time that WIVK–FM seemed vul- sense of gratitude for the sacrifice of these nerable was when Claude Tomlinson became to the United States. The ensuring anti-Amer- ill in 1990. During his illness, the station young soldiers and their families. Throughout ican sentiment could reinvigorate the terrorists’ would let Tomlinson broadcast from his our history, men and women in uniform have pursuit of the loose nuclear weapons in the home and sometimes his hospital bed. fought our battles with distinction and courage. former Soviet Union—a greater threat than Tomlinson died in 1991 and was replaced by At the dawn of this new century, the United Iraq, I might add, one that America has largely the team Darren Wilhite and Tim Wall. The States military has once again been called to neglected. duo remained with the station for six years defend our freedom and ideals against a new We can and should take the lead in elimi- until they were replaced by Andy (Jerry and emerging threat. Soldiers like Luke and nating the threat posed by Saddam Hussein, Chistopher Ritchie) and Alison (West) in 1997. his crew embody America’s determination to but this Administration has not made a con- Ritchie said that his and West’s goal in lead the world in confronting that threat and I vincing case to the world that war is nec- coming to such a hugely successful station know that their awesome sacrifice will not be essary. Instead, it has used aggressive rhet- was to ‘‘just not screw it up.’’ They were sur- in vain. They have done all Americans proud oric to wage a diplomatic war on our allies that prised by the career longevity they encoun- and I know they have the respect and admira- is straining our international relationships and tered. tion of all of my colleagues here today. alienating America from the world. While I do ‘‘It’s pleasantly unusual to find anybody not believe that we need the permission of our who’s been at the same station for five years, f allies to take action, I do believe that we need much less 35,’’ said Ritchie. ‘‘It’s exciting to IRAQ find some stability.’’ their partnership to be successful in the long In fact, the station’s personalities have run. nearly all been with WIVK for more than five HON. RUSH D. HOLT In order to be successful, we must lead the years and have become part of the culture as OF NEW JERSEY world community. But leadership is not simply their predecessors did. Andy and Alison, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES about acting boldly—it means bringing along Gunner, Colleen Addair, Hoss and Jack Ryan others to act boldly with you. We need to dis- are all part of the fabric of East Tennessee. Tuesday, March 18, 2003 arm and dismantle Saddam’s arsenal, but we After the FM station became the dominant vehicle for WIVK, the AM station in 1987 Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise before the should do so with the support of the world. moved to 990–AM, the former frequency of House today to question the merits of the mis- This Administration, however, has failed to WNOX. In 1992 it shifted to all-talk and news sion this Administration will soon ask the earn the support of our allies. And so, in place format and became the region’s most popular brave men and women of our armed forces to of leadership, we have questions and ulti- station in that format. undertake. I am sure that our servicemen and mately instability.

VerDate Jan 31 2003 06:08 Mar 19, 2003 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A18MR8.085 E18PT1