Fred Gault: All I Had To Do Was Dislodge Luther

Previously in this space, I revealed I accepted a job at WMOC radio (then a rock n’roll music) in the early ‘60s, with the assignment to best a long-time announcer at WDEF whose name was Luther Masingill.

I moved to Chattanooga from Paducah, Ky., when a friend at a Paducah radio station got a job in Chattanooga and lured me to come and join him. He assured me I would have success as the morning announcer as most people were listening to a gentleman who played music selections that often included music from composers such as John Phillip Sousa and songs from the ‘40s and ‘50s.

That announcer was a Chattanooga institution for seven decades, becoming the most beloved personality in Chattanooga radio history. Luther Masingill was an institution who became a legend in Tennessee radio history as well.

So my job was to somehow dislodge this legend who commanded about 70 percent of the radio audience with his marching music and lost dogs, cats, and whatever. Luther’s genius was he knew what he said when the music stopped was the important factor. I doubt that a single person exists in Chattanooga who didn’t listen to Luther when snow was in the forecast.

In a final irony, our elderly dog got lost in nearby woods and couldn’t find his way home, but a kind hunter called Luther with his description and we got our very precious friend back. In other words, I was doomed from the start.

Nevertheless, WMOC (located at the top of Hotel Patten) did its very best to build an audience of young listeners who enjoyed “the Good Guys” playlist of current music. The Hotel Patten was home base for Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa during his 1964 federal trial in Chattanooga. Evangelist Billy Graham stayed at the hotel in 1953 during his local crusade at Warner Park. News accounts claim three president stayed or spoke at the hotel before it was ultimately converted into apartments.

In addition to my announcing duties, I was tasked with signing the station on the air (turning on the transmitter) each day at 5:30 a.m. I am not a morning person. My wife and I lived in what was then called Tiftonia (now known as Lookout Valley). In order to get to the station, one had to go over Lookout Mountain and then down Broad Street. On Broad Street multiple train crossings seemed to always slow my travel, making being timely difficult.

One morning I was awakened by a loud banging on the front door. I opened it to find the chief engineer of the radio station standing there looking very unhappy. A quick look at the clock revealed that it was 8:30 a.m. This was not well received by my employer. Somehow, miraculously, I still had a job.

It wasn’t long before the owner of the radio station, C. Alfred Dick, decided the music format should be changed to country music as well as being automated without the need for live announcers or “disc jockeys”. It was time for me to go.

In the days before the Internet, the city’s newspapers had loads of job listings. I don’t remember which ad I answered, but it turned out to be WRCB-TV, Channel 3, looking for a reporter. I had just enough experience to get hired.

It was exciting to have a job, not to mention, helping report on the local news of the day. I worked with Mort Lloyd, John Gray, Don Fischer, Roy Morris, David Carlock, and Tommy Eason. These were professionals who showed a young fish out of water how to swim.

I was at the TV station for a year or so before moving to become the police reporter for the Chattanooga Times. A year or so later, Channel 3 called and wanted me to return. The offer was impossible to turn down. During my second tenure at Channel 3, the station moved from its location at 1214 McCallie Avenue across from Warner Park to its new home on Whitehall Road just off U.S. 27.

More next time.