Luther, Ted Turner & KZ-106: The Untold Story!

Thanks to being in the right place at the right time, I was the first voice on Chattanooga rock station KZ-106, on August 19, 1978.  We suddenly switched from a beautiful music station to the “wings of rock and roll.”  Those first days, we fielded complaints from angry listeners of the old station.  Gradually, word spread that we were pretty cool, so the teens found us, and KZ-106 was on its way to a long, successful run.  I was the morning guy for about five years, and had a great time.

But how did it happen?  Why are local radio legend Luther Masingill and eccentric media mogul Ted Turner in the headline of this story?  Now it can be told.

In  1976, AM radio dominated the Chattanooga airwaves, and Luther’s morning show on WDEF (AM 1370) was the ratings leader.  Since 1940, Luther had located missing dogs and played every marching song ever recorded.  Thirty-five years into his career, he was at the peak of his power.  By this time WDEF also had a powerful FM station.

Luther was so strong that his show aired on both AM and FM, doubling his already huge audience by transmitting his golden tones outside the city limits.

Meanwhile, top-40 stations like WFLI, WGOW and WDXB were locked in a battle for young listeners, and none of them were pulling away.  WFLI’s powerful AM signal was fading as listeners discovered FM, and the others had lost big names like Chickamauga Charlie who had earlier posed a challenge to WDEF.

Ted Turner, a McCallie School graduate who was running his family’s billboard business, had developed an interest in broadcasting, and had bought (and created) WGOW and its FM counterpart WYNQ a few years earlier.  He later added the Atlanta Braves to his empire, and was strapped for cash.  He met with WGOW station manager Jerry Lingerfelt.  Ted and Jerry agreed that their radio stations needed a boost, a game-changer.  They came up with a plan:  “Let’s hire Luther away from WDEF.  We’ll put him on our stations, and his listeners will follow.”  “Great,” said Ted.  “Bring him down here to Atlanta, and I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

One morning as Luther finished his show, Jerry called and said, “Luther old pal, let’s take a road trip.  There’s someone I want you to meet.”  Two hours later, they’re parking in the VIP section of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, home of the Braves. Ted Turner greeted them with a smile, saying “Let’s have lunch.”  Luther recalled that he was very flattered to meet Turner, who by this time had achieved national fame for his fortune, his freewheeling lifestyle and even his sailing ability.  He had skippered the yacht “Courageous” in a successful defense of the America’s Cup, earning the nickname “Captain Courageous,” (or as his critics called him, “Captain Outrageous”).

As the business lunch began, another guest arrived.  One of Turner’s employees, a gentleman named Henry Aaron joined the trio.

“Hammerin’ Hank,” baseball’s all-time home run king had just retired, and had rejoined the Braves organization in a front-office role.  Ted Turner was bringing out the heavy hitters, literally, in an effort to woo Luther away from his longtime employer.  And what a package it was:  in addition to the daily morning show on WGOW-AM and WYNQ-FM, Turner offered him part-ownership in both stations, profit sharing, stock in Turner Communications, a new car (every two years), life insurance for his family, and double the salary he was making at WDEF.  In Jerry’s words, “Luther would have ended up a very, very wealthy man.”  Luther shook hands with Ted and Hank, and said he would make a decision soon.  Ted surely smiled, seeing dollar signs as he awaited Luther’s inevitable “yes” reply.  People didn’t say “no” to Ted Turner in 1976.  Money talks, right?

Luther talked it over with his wife Mary, and just as he had promised, responded to Ted Turner.  “Thanks, but no thanks.  WDEF has been so loyal to me.  They hired me when I was 19.  It is the only place I’ve ever worked.  I should be loyal to them too.”  Ted’s response?  Surprise, no doubt.  And then a call to Jerry.  “I’m selling these stations.  If we don’t have Luther, I’m out.”

Jerry says Luther’s decision wasn’t terribly surprising.  “With Luther, it was never about the money,” he said.  “He considered himself a public servant, on and off the air, and public servants are not supposed to be greedy.  He was a good man who made life better for everyone he met.”  Jerry added, “If Luther had taken the offer, Ted wouldn’t have sold those stations. We, and Luther, could have sold a lot of commercials.”

Ted did indeed sell, to a broadcasting group from Illinois.  Immediately upon arrival, they overhauled WYNQ, tossing out the smooth instrumentals in favor of Foreigner, Steely Dan, Styx and Sting.  As KZ-106 was born, so was my morning radio (and later TV) career, in addition to hundreds more who followed.  Luther didn’t know it at the time, but his decision to remain loyal to WDEF resulted in the creation of a new radio station that gave us the Morning Zoo, David Earl Hughes, the Studio in the Sky, Jammer, Scott Chase, Dancing Dorothy, countless concerts, and those ever-present Window Wings.

New employees were hired, and many (including my wife) were from out of town. They fell in love, got married, stayed in the city, and raised families.  It all happened because Luther was loyal.  To no one’s surprise, he remained loyal to WDEF until the day he died, October 20, 2014.

When you enjoy the music of KZ-106, give a little thanks to Luther.  In a most roundabout way, the smooth-voiced Sinatra fan and patron saint of missing pets is also the father of FM rock in Chattanooga!

Click here for some sounds and sights from the early years of KZ-106.

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Used by permission from ChattanoogaRadioTV.com.