other industry observmarket. Other factors coners say things seemed to tributed to the current state change in 1998 after the of radio, including advances station was sold to an in technology that let staAtlanta-based national tions operate without live corporation. Once the persons in the studio, the stations were no longer in advent of instantly delivered local hands, Faulk said, the syndicated programming, appreciation for longtime and the growth of satellite employees waned. and internet radio. “Dedicated employees Some stations still have used to have weight,” he live announcers, primarsaid. “When a lot of reily in the mornings or on cord companies and radio “talk” or sports talk radio. stations started being But no local station is fully bought up by large corpostaffed with live on-air talThe “doctor” crooning on stage with Hank Williams, Jr. rations, dedicated employent around the clock. Local ees turned into numbers.” newsrooms, with very few favor to a friend and as a ministry, he also Faulk worked at WLWI through 1993, exceptions, have become another casualty. does voice tracking in the afternoons on then shifted to WMMK in Destin, return“Every [police] siren was an ad for our The River, a contemporary Christian music ing to Mix 103 in 1998. He came back to station,” said Stevens. “All you had to do station at 101.5. WLWI in 2006 where he stayed until June was tune in to find out what was going on. Stevens says the changes in radio really 2010 when his live morning show was “Most stations today don’t have a [total] began when the Federal Communications replaced with the syndicated “The Rick staff of six or seven people, and I had that Commission changed its regulations and and Bubba Show.” for just my morning show on WHHY,” he allowed companies to own more than one Another longtime radio personality, said. “I have great respect for those who FM and one AM station in the same radio Grundy,Va., native are working in the business, and Larry Stevens, was some do a better job than others. at WHHY-AM and But I don’t see anything compelFM for almost 25 ling people to local radio. It seems years, including time to be an issue of dollars more than as program direcanything else.” tor. He left there Back in the day, if Stevens had an in 1994 to help put idea, “I just did it. Now, anything has MIX 103 on the air. to go through six vice presidents “I left there in and four regional program direcSeptember 1996 tors.” when the company In 1974, for example, he started was in the process the first very successful Zoo Weekof being sold, and end with McDonald’s and brought in they began to let Eddie Money to put on a concert. top level executives “We had that kind of clout,” he go with no explanasaid. “Now you can’t do that anytion,” Stevens said. more because of the way corpora“They demoted tions are set up.” me and cut my Now, after the better part of a salary. That’s when year away from the local market, I took my goodies “Dr. Sam” is back on the air with and left. It was the a live, 6-9 weeknight program. The best thing that ever good old days of radio may never happened because it return, but Faulk is happy where he forced me to think is, where he says listener relationabout other things I ships are valued, and stations have wanted to do in my local contests, take requests and give life.” away tickets. Now 63 and a “All decisions are made here,” he grandfather of five, says. “We like to say we’re local folks Stevens runs a suc- Larry Stevens’ wall holds a souvenir from his radio days, a platinum album cel- helping local businesses.” ebrating an artist’s sale of one million CDs and cassettes. cessful Montgomery ad agency. As a www.primemontgomery.com | July 2011
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