… Augusta shelves stripped of canned tuna! …
This aircheck is presented in The Steve Farrington Collection by Paul Allen. It is one of many classic Atlanta recordings made by Paul in the early ’60’s. Paul Allen passed away after a sixteen-year battle with multiple sclerosis on December 5, 2011.
By April, 1963, Bartell had sold WAKE to Basic Communications.
The new owners left things pretty much as they had been (at least, for a while.)
The playlist included the usual heavy dose of R&B, which had always been a big
part of the southern “hit parade”. Time tones, news bugs, reverb on demand, various
promos and public service announcements are all included. It Happened at
the World’s Fair and How the West was Won were the big movies on this Easter
weekend.
While Bob Boo Boo Baker was quipping and tripping his way through this
Saturday afternoon megashift (Noon to 6), the local Top 40 radio wars were
underway in earnest. WAKE was still a showcase of talent, and WPLO had
put together its own impressive air staff. In fact, Baker moved to WPLO in 1964.
But it wouldn’t be long until both stations pulled the plug on Top 40. WAKE
left the format in 1964, WPLO in 1965, and WQXI had nothing but smooth
sailing ahead.