"What AM Station do you miss the most? Think broad: It could
be a station on the air currently, but you miss its prior format, or
it could be a set of call letters long gone from the dial."

IN THE 50's DALLAS TEXAS HAD SOME OF THE GREATEST RADIO.

From 1950 to 1957, I had a 5 tube table model radio, with a long wire
antenna, 30 feet high and 100 feet long. I logged 37 states and 15
countries on that little radio. In 1957 I got a Lafayette KT-200 and
really started logging the stations.

I miss the radio shows of the 40's and 50's. Fibber McGee and Molly on
NBC, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on the Chase and Sanborn Hour,
Kate Smith, Abbot and Costello, Martin and Lewis; I was a Communist
for the FBI; Damon Runyon theater; Superman; the Green Hornet; X-1;
all these and more can be heard throughout the week WBBM-780, but it's
not the same as was when I was a boy. Also every Saturday night KMOX-
1120 plays 4 hours of 'I Like Jazz' with Don Wolfe as host, followed
by 2 hours of When Radio Was.

KRLD 1080 in Dallas, TX. Comes to mind. They had American Airlines
Music Till Dawn, where they played real music. This was from 1957 into
the early 60's. None of this Lead Blimps falling from the sky stuff.
They also had the Dallas Texans football in 1959, but dropped them for
the new upstart team, the Dallas Cowboys, in 1960.

WBAP 820 Ft. Worth, TX when they had real country and western, late
60's and into the 80's when Hal Jay and Dick Segal came onto the
station in the mornings and evenings, along with Sam from sales.

I miss KIXL 1040 in Dallas, TX. Real music, nothing but real music in
1950's. No rock 'n Roll stuff. They would have from time to time, the
big movie stars of the day, like William Holden, come on as DJ's;
their "Thought for the Day" was always something uplifting and
inspiring, though not religious. Never any nasty jokes. Just good
radio. I remember the commercials for Woosey. This was a local soft
drink company. They had the best cream soda, strawberry, grape and
root beer.

WRR 1310 in Dallas, late 50's, with Jim Lowe, (also the voice of Big
Tex) and his morning drive show with music, news and his Caravan.

How about KLIF 1190 in Dallas, TX. When Gordon McLendon owned the
station it was a top 40 station from about 1955 to 1963. But McLendon
only played the good do-wop songs, never the trash that later became
Mo-Town. In the late 50's Gordon would play the news from Radio Moscow
and then give his commentary against communists. A lot of good it did,
just look at the mess this country is in today. He was also running
for political office at that time.

From the late 40's, I miss the old WFAA radio on 570 from Dallas, TX.
I can't remember the name of the program that was on from 0600 to 0900
each morning. But it was a local breakfast club style show with live
talent and local events. My mother would always listen. One such
person who sang on the show, from time to time, was Dale Evans. This
was followed by Don McNeil's Breakfast Club from Chicago.

In the afternoons, after school, on WFAA radio, I would always listen
to "Big John and Sparkey" a great kids radio show. This was around
1951 or so. I remember in one week of episodes the two came upon a
flying saucer. This was big stuff, and a hot topic in the early 50's.

KSKY 660 Dallas, TX. I remember they were a Christian radio station
through the 50's and 60's, and they gave their call letters as "K-
SKY, 6-6-0 on your radio."

KBOX-1480 "K-BOX 1480" In the late 50's and early 60's this was KLIF's
opposite in the ratings.

There are so many calls that come to mind. In the late 50's, I
remember when WSM-650 and WLAC-1510 (both in Nashville, TN) were
nightly visitors. WSM of course, had the Grand Ole Opry every Saturday
night. And us'n and our neighbors, who lived in east Texas, would
gather at our house to listen on the car radio. Do a little danc'n in
the yard.

WLAC had Randy's Record Shop. This was the sale of the worst
recordings you would ever want to hear. But they sold. Also on WLAC, I
remember the sales of baby chicks, to be shipped to your home. I just
don't remember the name of the company.

There are so many stations that were had great radio, I couldn't
possibly write them all down. Kids today have no idea how great it
was. I didn't intend to write an essay, but I did. Thanks for your
time, and for letting me to take a trip back to the jungles of my
memoirs.

(Willis Monk, Old Fort, TN, NRC-AM via DXLD)