WSB Radio History

One of the most famous names in radio broadcasting, Reinsch was called on by Governor Cox in 1939 to manage WSB.  He eventually became president and CEO of Cox Broadcasting Corporation.  In March 1973, Reinsch was presented the coveted Gold Medal award from the International Radio and Television Society.   In September 2003 the Library of American Broadcasting named Reinsch as one of the "First Fifty Giants of Broadcasting".   He also served as a key advisor to Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman.  In 1960, he arranged for the now historic TV debates between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. 

The famous weatherman of Atlanta - Guy began his career in the 50's at WSB Radio.  He did not stay long, moving on to TV as a weatherman, a move that brought him into our homes for years.  Everyone knew Guy and everyone loved him. 
PRIOR: WSFT Thomaston, GA
AFTER: Guy went on to Channel 5 and later Channel 11 where he spent the  bulk of his career.
DIED:  Guy passed away on September 10, 2004.  He was only 75.

Frank Steitler joined WSB in 1954 doing news, sports and music shows through 1967.  In 1959 he was named Sports Director, a job he held until 1967 when he became Senior Account Executive in the Sales Department.    Frank’s fondest memories:  able to play good music on real turntables and no hip-hop or rap; and Elmo telling everyone to "make it big – bright and beautiful!"

Bob was the legendary host of "Morning Merry-Go-Round" show on WSB.  He was truly the voice of Atlanta until he retired in 1974.  What made him an even more endearing figure in Atlanta was his role as organist at the Fox Theatre and as the narrator for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rich's for many years.
YEARS AT WSB: 1947 to 1974
PRIOR:  Scranton, PA and Raleigh, NC
AFTER: Staff organist at the Fox Theatre

Joe Patten of Atlanta, an old friend of Mr. Van Camp and a founding member of Atlanta Landmarks Inc., which owns the Fox Theatre, said, "Bob Van Camp was one of the most talented persons I ever met. As the staff organist at the Fox Theatre, he played two or three times a day on weekends for motion picture presentations, and he played for sing-alongs and small concerts."
Mr. Patten recalled working as the engineer while Mr. Van Camp played the organ and recorded "Here With the Wind" at the Fox Theatre around 1965. He said that recording has become "a collector's item." Mr. Van Camp was master of ceremonies for the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, conducted by Albert Coleman, and was the narrator for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rich's for many years. In a story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1983, Mr. Van Camp said his love of theater organs began in his childhood.
"I'd go to the movies every Saturday," he said. "I never looked at the screen. I only looked at the organist. Then one day she noticed me and said, `Little boy, would you like to come and stand beside me?' " Mr. Van Camp was a member of the board of trustees of Atlanta Landmarks Inc., the American Theater Organ Society and the American Guild of Organists.  

Jerry hosted the "Nightbeat" program in the 50's attracting national attention as the signal boomed over most of the country in the evening hours. 

PRIOR: 

AFTER:

TODAY:  Jerry has passed away.  More on his career to come check back.  

Jane is best known as one of two women who hosted the morning show when the men left WSB to serve in World War Two.  She is truly a "Rosie The Riveter of Radio."  She wrote to us in May 2004 about her unique experiences:  
Having graduated from college in June 1944, I began working at WSB-Radio that August as the second female announcer in Atlanta.  Annie Lee Stagg preceded me but left the station a year later to marry Jim Small.  Thus, I became the only woman announcer in the area.  When I began, I trailed George Hale, who was resigning.  I then had the early morning shift alone and continued until 3:00 every day.  Marcus Bartlett, Elmo Ellis, Don Heald, Walter Pascall and others were still at war, and I held forth two hours as a platter spinner on the Morning Merry-Go-Round, as announcer and poetry reader on the Chapel in the Sky, with the Suwannee River Boys, news spots, writing and producing a weekly talent show for Claude S. Bennett, Jeweler, and various other programs.  A year after I was hired, Bob Van Camp joined the staff and relieved me of the Morning Merry-Go-Round.  I then became Woman’s Program Director, writing, producing and participating in several shows, including Adventures in Music with Bob Van Camp providing the organ background music.  We continued this Saturday morning program of children’s stories for twelve years.  When WSB Television began in 1948, along with Elmo Ellis, Brad Crandell and Jone Cone, I was a writer-producer, helping to create programs daily for several hours of live television.  In July 1947, I married Frank Willingham, and in February 1949, I resigned my full time position at WSB to stay at home with our first child.  Over a period of six years, two other children followed, and I had the best of both worlds—staying at home with my children and continuing in radio and television part time, including the Saturday morning children’s stories, weekly Bible stories on television for the Baptist Radio Commission and twice writing and producing a series of plays for the Atlanta Lawyers’ Club. 

Bob was the host of the popular record program "Platter Party" that originated in 1946 on WSB Radio. Bob recalls those early days: " I ran Platter Party for six years and I interviewed many bandleaders and vocalists as they visited the city. I also persuaded a reluctant Jerry Vandeventer to go on the air with me and he later produced the very popular "Nightbeat" program.  Mike McDougald also gained some of his early experience doing the show during some of my absences.  Fond memories include the great relationships with local record distributors and  traveling song pluggers."
YEARS AT WSB: 1944 to 1953
PRIOR:  For Bob, there was no prior and in fact, WSB came "during" his years of learning.  He describes this unusual situation in a note in 2004:  "I came to the station during the closing days of WW II as a senior in high school, having worked briefly at WATL on a program they had for high school students.  Thanks to Mark Bartlett, I was permitted to work at night and attend Emory by day, graduating in 1949.  As a Journalism student, I was soon allowed to do newscasts as backup to news editor Walter Paschall.
AFTER: "I left WSB in April 1953 and was hired the next day by WQXI in Buckhead where John Fulton taught me the sales aspect of radio and I soon phased out of announcing.  In 1961, I accepted an offer from Fultion Federal S&L Association as VP of Marketing and remained there for a number of years until the S&L "debacle"  which decimated the industry.  Then SouthTrust Bank of Birmingham called and I joined their growing presence in Atlanta and the State.  I retired from SouthTrust at the close of 1999 after eight enjoyable years, at the age of 73, and have been retired since that time."
(2005) " I enjoy rich friendships with people in both the radio and the banking industries as well as schoolmates from all the years in my native Atlanta.  My wife Dot passed away in August 2003 but I have two wonderful daughters who are Journalism graduates of the University of Georgia, Beth Taylor and Amy Rhodes, both of Savannah."