WAAX
Encyclopedia
WAAX is a radio station
broadcasting a News
/Talk
format. Licensed to Gadsden, Alabama
, USA. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
(as Capstar TX) and features programming from Premiere Radio Networks
and Fox News Radio
. Overnight, the station broadcasts the syndicated Coast to Coast AM
hosted by George Noory
.
. In its early days the station operated from studio's located in the original Pioneer Life Insurance building in downtown Gadsden.
In 1955, the station was bought by Atlanta broadcaster Charles A. Smithgall, who had enjoyed great success on WSB
in that city. Smithgall changed the calls to WCAS, raised the power level to 5,000 watts in 1959 and continued to operate the station status quo
until 1960. By then the radio business in Gadsden had grown to such a level as another full time station was needed. Smithgall installed a three tower directional array
on what was a cow pasture on Rainbow Drive, just north of the Gadsden Country Clubs' golf course. In later years this would prove a great location, as the city grew south, traveling down Rainbow Drive. In the process, he also changed the call letters to WAAX the new set up proved sufficient to put the signal into Georgia
and Tennessee
.
The "new" WAAX became a CBS
affiliate, and programmed light pop music
during the day, and ran a list of CBS programs at night. In 1962, Mike McDougald of Georgia, also a WSB alum, bought into the station, and became its general manager. McDougald continued the light pop sound during the day, but hired a young Mike Morelock to become the night time top 40 jock on "BIG WAAX". In the months to come, the station gained the image as the news leader, as McDougald outfitted the station vehicle with police and fire radios, and installed one of the first "car phones" in the area, actually a two-way radio that could call any telephone number from the road.
From the late 1950s through early 1963, Robert Allen Chumley Sr. was the news reporter, air-time salesman, and later on, night-time classical music host for WAAX. At the time of this change, the music schedule was Country music in the morning and rock in the afternoon, with Classical music being added for Sunday nights. He covered various events such as shopping center openings, horse shows, etc. But the main ongoing agenda was the civil rights crisis where he covered church civil-rights meetings, KKK rallies, and protests, and interviewed such notables as Martin Luther King, Ralph Abernathy, Marlin Brando, Harry Belafonte, and others for the station. These two antagonistic groups, the segregationists and integrationists alike, respected Chumley, and by virtue WAAX, for thorough and impartial news reporting. There were also threats from extremists on both sides by phone as well as automobile. Such was the atmosphere that Bob, as people called him, operated within as he was sent by the station to Montgomery to cover such events as the gubernatorial polls with a focus on George C. Wallace (who incidentally ran on an education platform against segregationist John Patterson). Due to such assignments in Gadsden and abroad, WAAX gained recognition with national news organizations through Bob’s coverage of such national issues as well as his association with Clancy Lake of WAPI in Birmingham as well as with those of WSFA television in Montgomery. Mike McDougald was very supportive of his staff during this tumultuous period; such as, when Chumley covered the showing of the movie To Kill A Mocking Bird. Bob Chumley, by his and his wife’s own record collection, brought Gadsden a refined program of the arts through a far-sighted incorporation of high art into the general format of a top 40/news station. Such was the open mindedness of Mike McDougald, who allowed his staff to flex their own creativeness and idiosyncrasies which gave WAAX its prestige. Bob gave his news style and Classical music; Mike Morelock, his love of Rock and riding motorcycles wearing a German army helmet; and Mike McDougald, his sense of humor (as with his beebee rifle in the corner for the station's protection) as well as his concern for and support of his staff.
Another memorable voice came in 1973 when Dave Fitz came to WAAX as Executive News Director, Quickly he became the news authority for the region. Fitz remained with WAAX for 25 years. With his easily recognizable voice and no-nonsense delivery, Fitz was regarded as the radio news guy in Gadsden for over 30 years (Fitz died on August 9, 2009)
The station gained popularity and in 1967 programmed modern country
while still playing top 40 at night. With a booming signal, the station slogan became, BIG WAAX, the station you hear, everywhere. When FM became the dominant force for music on the radio, WAAX became and remains a news-talk station to this day.
In 1998, PD Bill Seckbach and GM Kathy Boggs brought the sounds of Rush Limbaugh, Paul Finebaum and J. Holland to the "Big Waax".
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting a News
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/Talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format. Licensed to Gadsden, Alabama
Gadsden, Alabama
The city of Gadsden is the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama, and it is located about 65 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 103,459. Gadsden is closely associated with the...
, USA. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
(as Capstar TX) and features programming from Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
and Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
. Overnight, the station broadcasts the syndicated Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
hosted by George Noory
George Noory
George Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
.
History
The station began operation in 1947 as WGWD, also at 570 on the dial, but with a power of 1,000 watts, daytime only. WGWD was owned by the Covington family of Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. In its early days the station operated from studio's located in the original Pioneer Life Insurance building in downtown Gadsden.
In 1955, the station was bought by Atlanta broadcaster Charles A. Smithgall, who had enjoyed great success on WSB
WSB (AM)
WSB — branded AM 750 and 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB — is a commercial radio station licensed to Atlanta, Georgia broadcasting a news/talk format. The station transmits with 50,000 watts of nondirectional power day and night, enjoying clear-channel status on its broadcast frequency according to the U.S...
in that city. Smithgall changed the calls to WCAS, raised the power level to 5,000 watts in 1959 and continued to operate the station status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
until 1960. By then the radio business in Gadsden had grown to such a level as another full time station was needed. Smithgall installed a three tower directional array
Directional array
In broadcast engineering, directional array refers to an antenna array arranged such that the superposition of the electromagnetic waves produce a predictable electromagnetic field...
on what was a cow pasture on Rainbow Drive, just north of the Gadsden Country Clubs' golf course. In later years this would prove a great location, as the city grew south, traveling down Rainbow Drive. In the process, he also changed the call letters to WAAX the new set up proved sufficient to put the signal into Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
The "new" WAAX became a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate, and programmed light pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
during the day, and ran a list of CBS programs at night. In 1962, Mike McDougald of Georgia, also a WSB alum, bought into the station, and became its general manager. McDougald continued the light pop sound during the day, but hired a young Mike Morelock to become the night time top 40 jock on "BIG WAAX". In the months to come, the station gained the image as the news leader, as McDougald outfitted the station vehicle with police and fire radios, and installed one of the first "car phones" in the area, actually a two-way radio that could call any telephone number from the road.
From the late 1950s through early 1963, Robert Allen Chumley Sr. was the news reporter, air-time salesman, and later on, night-time classical music host for WAAX. At the time of this change, the music schedule was Country music in the morning and rock in the afternoon, with Classical music being added for Sunday nights. He covered various events such as shopping center openings, horse shows, etc. But the main ongoing agenda was the civil rights crisis where he covered church civil-rights meetings, KKK rallies, and protests, and interviewed such notables as Martin Luther King, Ralph Abernathy, Marlin Brando, Harry Belafonte, and others for the station. These two antagonistic groups, the segregationists and integrationists alike, respected Chumley, and by virtue WAAX, for thorough and impartial news reporting. There were also threats from extremists on both sides by phone as well as automobile. Such was the atmosphere that Bob, as people called him, operated within as he was sent by the station to Montgomery to cover such events as the gubernatorial polls with a focus on George C. Wallace (who incidentally ran on an education platform against segregationist John Patterson). Due to such assignments in Gadsden and abroad, WAAX gained recognition with national news organizations through Bob’s coverage of such national issues as well as his association with Clancy Lake of WAPI in Birmingham as well as with those of WSFA television in Montgomery. Mike McDougald was very supportive of his staff during this tumultuous period; such as, when Chumley covered the showing of the movie To Kill A Mocking Bird. Bob Chumley, by his and his wife’s own record collection, brought Gadsden a refined program of the arts through a far-sighted incorporation of high art into the general format of a top 40/news station. Such was the open mindedness of Mike McDougald, who allowed his staff to flex their own creativeness and idiosyncrasies which gave WAAX its prestige. Bob gave his news style and Classical music; Mike Morelock, his love of Rock and riding motorcycles wearing a German army helmet; and Mike McDougald, his sense of humor (as with his beebee rifle in the corner for the station's protection) as well as his concern for and support of his staff.
Another memorable voice came in 1973 when Dave Fitz came to WAAX as Executive News Director, Quickly he became the news authority for the region. Fitz remained with WAAX for 25 years. With his easily recognizable voice and no-nonsense delivery, Fitz was regarded as the radio news guy in Gadsden for over 30 years (Fitz died on August 9, 2009)
The station gained popularity and in 1967 programmed modern country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
while still playing top 40 at night. With a booming signal, the station slogan became, BIG WAAX, the station you hear, everywhere. When FM became the dominant force for music on the radio, WAAX became and remains a news-talk station to this day.
In 1998, PD Bill Seckbach and GM Kathy Boggs brought the sounds of Rush Limbaugh, Paul Finebaum and J. Holland to the "Big Waax".