| People of the 1980s Q through Z |
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Russ Spooner came to WSB in a time when AM radio was trying to find a new image. Upstaged by FM, the old MOR (Middle Of the Road) music format of the 1970's was giving way to humor, news, information and some talk. Russ took over from the morning duo of John Moore and Jim Howell and with his unique "Spoonerized" humor helped WSB through a tough transition period. Russ was a legendary "top-40" disc jockey before WSB and after he left WSB would hire another legendary DJ - Skinny Bobby Harper. Eventually, the humorous DJ period for WSB would give way to an all news format in the early 90s. This article from the Atlanta Journal Constitutional in February 1985 described Spooner's dismissal: When the ratings fall, heads often roll - as WSB-AM morning man Russ Spooner found out Monday when the radio station's management gave him the ax. Spooner, who took over the 5-to-10 a.m. drive-time slot on WSB from longtime host John Moore a little less than three years ago, drew a 9.8 percent share of the total audience over the age of 12 in the fall Arbitron ratings released in January. That was down from an 11.0 share in the spring, despite a heavy TV advertising campaign promoting Spooner. "The morning show ratings just hadn't shown the growth we'd like," station program manager Walt Williams said. ``And we just thought we needed to take a little different approach." Afternoon drive-time personality Dick Hemby took over the morning show Tuesday. He will be replaced in the afternoon by Bobby Harper, currently hosting a talk show on WCNN-AM. Harper will join WSB Feb. 11 and should be on the air a few days after that, Williams said. Spooner, who still has a year and a half to go on his contract with WSB, said he'd had a feeling "for about the last two weeks that this was going to happen. They just said my ratings were bad. That's the nature of the business."
YEARS AT WSB: 1982 TO 1985
PRIOR: WKIX Raleigh, WMAK Nashville
AFTER: Russ is living in Atlanta and has re-released his comedy LP YOU'VE JUST BEEN SPOONERIZED as a CD. Details to come. |
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| Frank Steitler at the 2005 WSB Oldtimers Reunion |
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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!" |
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JUDY GAULDEN VAN CANTFORT
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| Judy was more than just a secretary. As the executive assistant to Elmo Ellis and all the GM's that followed him, Judy played a key role in running WSB on a day to day basis. Professional and universally loved by all who worked at WSB, Judy knew everything about everyone. No one ever felt uncomfortable with that as Judy was the one person everyone knew they could trust to handle any sensitive information. She was the gatekeeper to the executive suites at WSB and one of the nicest people to work at White Columns. When the old White Columns building was torn down, Judy left. She is missed to this day.
PRIOR: ?
AFTER: For Judy, leaving WSB meant leaving the work force. There would be no job after White Columns.
TODAY: Judy retired after 37 years in 1996. Her husband A.R. Van Cantfort worked for WSB-TV for 23 years. They currently reside in Florida.
YEARS AT WSB: 1959 to 1996
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Jim writes to us in May 2004: "I was hired by Elmo Ellis in 1955 and worked as an announcer handling a variety of programs and newscasts. All of my years at WSB were exciting, but I think the most exciting time for me was Elmo's introduction of "Nightbeat" in 1955. It was a great radio concept. I loved working as a reporter on the show with Jerry Vandeventer, a radio genius, and a very talented staff of reporters."
PRIOR: ?
AFTER: I left WSB in 1965 to go to Miami to manage Cox-owned WIOD, and moved to Los Angeles in 1973 to manage newly acquired KFI. I returned to Atlanta in 1981 to be executive vice president - radio. I left Cox in 1984 to go into station ownership and built up and sold three radio groups over the next twenty-five years.
TODAY: Retired and living in the Atlanta area.
YEARS AT WSB: 1955 to 1965 and 1981 to 1984
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