{"id":3061,"date":"2009-09-22T12:48:10","date_gmt":"2009-09-22T17:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.raleighpublicrecord.org\/?p=3061"},"modified":"2013-03-25T10:09:39","modified_gmt":"2013-03-25T14:09:39","slug":"wptf-the-story-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/news\/2009\/09\/22\/wptf-the-story-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"WPTF, the story – Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

CORRECTION APPENDED: WPTF’s studios are located on Highwoods Boulevard just off Capital Boulevard, not in the nearby Smoketree Towers office complex as originally reported.<\/em><\/p>\n

To mark the 85th birthday of Raleigh’s longest-running radio station, the Raleigh Public Record presents a two-part series on the history of WPTF.\u00a0 Read Part 2 here<\/a>.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"ImageHappy Birthday to WPTF 680 AM, Raleigh\u2019s oldest and (almost) first radio station. Since signing on September 22, 1924 at a mere 50 watts, the station has changed <\/span>its <\/span>call letters, frequency, air personalities and programming<\/span>, but its impact <\/span>lives on. <\/span>Learn how WPTF influenced Raleigh and was influenced <\/span>in turn as we look<\/span> back at the city\u2019s oldest radio station.<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting started \u2013 power, frequency<\/span><\/strong>,<\/span><\/strong> call letters<\/span><\/strong> and broadcast studios<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

WPTF was originally<\/span> called WFBQ when it first signed on September 22, 1924<\/span>. Broadcasting a mere 50 watts of power from dawn to dusk <\/span>from a studio located next to the Wake County Courthouse<\/span>, l<\/span>isteners tuned in<\/span>to 1190<\/span> to hear Raleigh\u2019s second radio station<\/span>. The first <\/span>was <\/span>N.C. State\u2019s short-lived <\/span>WLAC<\/span><\/span><\/span>, which stopped broadcasting after one year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Within two years, the call letters were changed to WRCO<\/span> (Wynne Radio Company<\/span> owned it<\/span>)<\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span>the studio<\/span>s<\/span> moved to the original <\/span>Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>. The <\/span>station <\/span>soon <\/span>received permission to broadcast at 250 watts 24 hours a day.<\/span><\/p>\n

The station became one of the first NBC radio affiliates in 19<\/span>29<\/span> and got more than a signal<\/span> –<\/span> NBC actually came down and helped construct the broadcast studio<\/span>. <\/span>Dick Storck, a 22-year WPTF veteran and current program director for WCPE-FM recalls<\/span> his first trip to those studios. <\/span>\u201cI first saw the station in 1958 while on a field trip from UNC. I went with another UNC student named Woody Durham. We went to the old building on Salisbury Street, which is now the Waverly F. Akins Wake County Office Building.\u00a0 We had an organ on what was then the mezzanine level.\u00a0 We used more than the organ, a lot of country acts came and played live, also local acts.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the historic studios are no longer open to the public. <\/span>When station staff gathered for a reunion after the studios had moved, Storck needed to obtain special permission to visit the space. \u201cIt\u2019s not in the common areas; they use it for IT now.\u00a0 There are no windows to this day on that northwest corner of the building.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Today, <\/span>WPTF\u2019s on-air studios are located off Capital Boulevard on Highwood Boulevard<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>, but the transmitter<\/span> still resides <\/span>along Highway 54 in an old art deco <\/span>building<\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 The building used to do more than house the transmitter, though. It was<\/span> a civil defense location<\/span>.<\/span> Former station meteorologist, Chris Thompson recalls seeing \u201crations and water and all this stuff still down there the first time I went.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

When <\/span>Durham Life Broadcasting <\/span>purchased the station <\/span>in 1927<\/span>, it<\/span> changed the <\/span>call letters <\/span>WPTF<\/span>, an acronym for <\/span>\u201cWe Protect the Family<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d <\/span>the slogan used by its parent company, Durham Life Insurance. The signal was boosted to <\/span>500 watts and <\/span>the frequency changed to <\/span>720 AM. <\/span>One year later, the station received permission to move down the dial to <\/span>680 and <\/span>boost the <\/span>signal to <\/span>1,000 watts<\/span>, so long as the <\/span>station sign<\/span>ed<\/span> off at sundown. <\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>1933<\/span>, station power rose <\/span>to <\/span>5,000<\/span> watts<\/span>, but <\/span>the real power surge happened in <\/span>1940<\/span> when <\/span>the station <\/span>jumped <\/span>to where it stands today, <\/span>a sizzling <\/span>50,000 watts<\/span>. Not every AM station <\/span>broadcasts at that power <\/span>and th<\/span>e small group that do <\/span>are <\/span>known as <\/span>clear channel stations<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 Today, WPTF\u2019s daytime signal is smaller than its <\/span>directional <\/span>evening signal<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, which can be clearly heard to the <\/span>Bahamas<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

In 1984<\/span>, <\/span>Don Curtis<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> sold <\/span>WEWO and WSTS to Durham Corporation for a package of publicly traded stock and <\/span>cash.<\/span> After acquiring more stock, Curtis became one of <\/span>Durham Corporation’s <\/span>largest stockholders<\/span>. As <\/span>an officer of that company<\/span>, Curtis took the company<\/span> from a deficit of nearly $300,000 to a profit in excess of $1.7 million<\/span> in two years<\/span>.<\/span> A<\/span> difference of opinion with the company’s board of directors over the future of Durham Life Broadcasting <\/span>led <\/span>Curtis <\/span>to <\/span>return full-time <\/span>to <\/span>Curtis Radio Group.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1991, <\/span>CRG changed its <\/span>name to Curtis Media Group and purchas<\/span>ed<\/span> the radio division of Durham Life Broadcasting. The transaction was valued at $9 million and included the purchase of <\/span>WQDR<\/span><\/span><\/a>, a 100,000 watt FM in Raleigh and <\/span>WPTF<\/span><\/span><\/a>, the 50,000 watt heritage AM in Raleigh. <\/span><\/p>\n

On August 10, 2009, <\/span>Curtis Media Group <\/span>announced<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> the formation of a News Network Division that will \u201cdistribute News, Weather, Sports, and Entertainment programs to other Radio Stations. <\/span>By<\/span> merging the News rooms of NCNN with WPTF<\/span> to create <\/span>the largest Radio News staff in<\/span> North Carolina.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The public interest, convenience and necessity<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Harking back to <\/span>radio\u2019s<\/span> pre-deregulatory standards of <\/span>public airwaves policy,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> WPTF worked to serve the public \u201cinterest, convenience and necessity.\u201d As the only radio outlet serving a host of needs, the station needed to be many things to many people. It <\/span>also <\/span>needed to become part of the community it served. Like <\/span>most good <\/span>community members, the station shaped the city <\/span>it served and was shaped by<\/span> the city itself. <\/span><\/p>\n

As Bart Ritner, who worked for WPTF for 39 years describes it, \u201cIn large measure, PTF programming reflected the area that it served. This was before <\/span>ascertainment<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, but people told staff and management what they did and did not like, people on the street would call and say ‘you should not say so-and-so about such-and-such.’ We had our thumb on the pulse because people called and we listened.”<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to imagine <\/span>the impact of a radio station in a city with <\/span>one <\/span>or two newspapers<\/span> and<\/span> no television <\/span>station, but until <\/span>WPTF\u2019s arrival<\/span>, news traveled slowly in the state\u2019s capital. Bad roads and tight finances prevented newspaper delivery in many places, so free radio news and entertainment <\/span>opened the door <\/span>to a broader world for many in Raleigh and<\/span>, in later years, <\/span>downeast North Carolina. <\/span><\/p>\n

Today WPTF hosts a news-talk radio format and competes for market share with many other stations offering their own niche content. But <\/span>in the beginning, as <\/span>the only radio station in town, variety was the name of the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

As <\/span>Tom Kearney, current staff member and unofficial station archivist, <\/span>observed,<\/span> \u201cThe city itself shaped what the station put on air. Raleigh had more culture than other towns it size. Six to eight universities, so we had more artists, musicians and intelligentsia than most.\u00a0 We programmed for these folks, but we also served eastern North Carolina and served them as well with farm news and all sorts of programs that would help their daily lives. We had a farm program up until 1990.”<\/span><\/p>\n

As Dick Storck describes it, the two-way influence wasn\u2019t <\/span>j<\/span>ust good radio, it was matter of survival. \u201cI think WPTF is a reflection of the community. If we were not a reflection, we would not have had any ratings!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Community Connections<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Storck <\/span>said the station earned those ratings by being \u201c<\/span>a community bulletin board of news and entertainment, too. We covered hurricanes, city government and state government. When PTF went on the air, Raleigh was a smaller city than Durham, though it was the state capital.\u00a0 Having a radio station was a source of pride for the city.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mel Fry, long-time local piano professional<\/span> concurs.\u00a0 He<\/span> knows WPTF studios boasted <\/span>pianos for visiting musical acts <\/span>because <\/span>he had the privilege of rebuilding one after its sale to the wife of station engineer. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Chet <\/span>Atkins appeared there live so he must\u2019ve played it.\u201d <\/span>In addition to music, <\/span>he <\/span>said <\/span>WPTF <\/span>w<\/span>as \u201c<\/span>the station you listened to for the local news,\u201d but he fondly recalls the long-running program <\/span>Ask <\/span>Your Neighbor.<\/span> \u201cIt was more down to the daily living level. It gave you a break from the music and news. They sold everything, lots of stuff from the home. It was like a yard sale only on the radio.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Former l<\/span>ong-time morning man Maury O\u2019Dell explained <\/span>the shows origins<\/span>. \u201cAsk Your Neighbor was started way back by a detergent company in the Midwest. They created the idea and went around and bought time on stations. After they stopped sponsoring the show, most stations dropped it, but WPTF just continued the program.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

O\u2019Dell recalls it was \u201cbasically a swap shop and part of it was asking for answers \u2013 how to remove stains from leather, how to make a banana pudding<\/span>. <\/span>I put out four cookbooks from that show and they were good sellers. <\/span>The recipes came from the listeners.\u201d But as Maury recalls, the show did more than solve problems, it brought Raleigh residents, old and new, together. \u201cI\u2019ve had folks (who just moved her<\/span>e) from<\/span> northern states and even California call in and say \u2018You <\/span>made me feel at home because of that program.\u201d Maury recalls they started each show telling listeners, \u201c<\/span>This<\/span> is a service we\u2019re providing for you, so if you have a problem with a stain, can\u2019t find a certain recipe, maybe you are from out of town and need an ethnic recipe, we will find the answer for you.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Storck<\/span> described <\/span>Ask Your Neighbor<\/span> as a group conversation. <\/span>\u201cWhen we talked, it was not so much a show, but a conversation that we had with our guests that folks got to hear. If they called in, they become part of conversation. It is easier to serve the public when it is both live and local. That was PTF at its best, we got involved in the community<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As O\u2019Dell sees it, WPTF was committed to its audience.\u00a0 \u201cIn the strictest sense, broadcasting served the <\/span>community;<\/span> they<\/span> (the owners) almost put that ahead of profit. Durham Life was very attuned to doing stuff in the community and took \u2018giving back\u2019 very <\/span>seriously;<\/span> we<\/span> did a lot more public service than just public service announcements. I worked a lot of Lazy Days. The station encouraged us to be active and contribute to our community. I can\u2019t count the number of charity golf tournaments I\u2019ve played in – Duke, Rex, others, even small ones no one knew about, just to promote the station and help with a charitable enterprise.\u00a0 I recall on 9-11, we raised about three to four hundred thousand in one day! We were out on Capital Boulevard just letting folks drive through and the response was just unbelievable. That goes back to how PTF influenced the city, they were thanking us back for the things the station did for Raleigh.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>2001 fundraiser built <\/span>on long-standing WPTF practice. <\/span>Former <\/span>sportscaster<\/span> Tony Rigsbee noted the station definitely \u201cinfluenced people on encouraging civic activity. So many programs featured community folks involved in community activities and fostered a volunteer spirit, especially in 40s and 50s.<\/span> During W<\/span>orld War II they <\/span>organized drives for rationed items that were broadcast live at collection points. Stuff for the war effort and troops overseas. Anything <\/span>with rubber in it was highly prized.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“Shut up and let the newsmaker do<\/span> the talking<\/span>“<\/strong><\/p>\n

Getting the news on air required flexibility, creativity and a lot of hard work<\/span>, but the staff knew l<\/span>isteners often had no other source<\/span>.<\/span> Former broadcaster <\/span>Bart Ritner recalls, <\/span>\u201cOften folks did not get the paper, so before TV, radio was the sole source.<\/span>” And as Mike Blackman<\/span>, who still works for the station<\/span> attest<\/span>s<\/span> with a true broadcaster\u2019s <\/span>pride,<\/span> \u201dRadio is usually the first to cover something, too.<\/span> That is the service that PTF did for the community, we would go out and get the news.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nWorking in the WPTF studio circa 1980. All images courtesy WPTF.<\/p>\n

And get the news they did. \u201cIn <\/span>1924<\/span>,\u201d former news director Charles Stegall recalls, \u201c<\/span>we sent a fellow to the transmitter out on Highway 54 because that is where the news network feed came in. I don\u2019t recall the network name, <\/span>AP<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> maybe, but I do recall it arrived in Morse code. So we\u2019d send a guy out there who would get the feed, translate it and then we would broadcast the news. In 1929 we became of the NBC\u2019s first radio affiliates.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The association, notes <\/span>Tom Kearney, <\/span>made a tremendous<\/span> impact. <\/span>The national outlet \u201c<\/span>really gave a window to the world in the days when roads were bad. We brought music, culture and news to the people.\u201d NBC actually did more than supply content, <\/span>he noted. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>T<\/span>hey came down and actually designed the studios<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The staff made up for its size with effort.\u00a0 As Rigsbee recalls, Jim Reid and Phil Ellis covered news in the 40s and 50s. Reid later became <\/span>mayor of Raleigh<\/span><\/span><\/span>. <\/span>In the 1960s, <\/span>Bob Farrington <\/span>was in charge. <\/span>The general assembly coverage was comprehensive. A full 15 minutes every night when they were in session. It was called \u201cThe Legislative Day<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d <\/span>Carl Goerch<\/span><\/span><\/span>, who went on to found Our State magazine also covered the <\/span>in a show called<\/span> “Doings of the Legislature.”\u00a0 As Tony Rigsbee, former longtime PTF sportscaster recalls,<\/span> \u201c<\/span><\/span>At that time,<\/span> WPTF and the <\/span>N<\/span>ews & Observer <\/span>were<\/span> the <\/span>Capital Press Corps<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Local folks got their say as well, recalls <\/span>Stegall. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>We <\/span>had the news and a show sponsored by Streetmans Biscuit Company in the 40s and 50s where the news of the days was commented on by man in the <\/span>street.<\/span>\u201d As the station was located right by the Wake County Court House, this led to \u201csome high profile citizens and just average joes.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

One high profile citizen was not shy about telling the station how he felt. And like any other listener, WPTF put him on the air. Blackman recalls the day<\/span>: \u201dI\u2019m on the air and someone from the legislature, I think, was saying something he <\/span>(Governor Bob Scott) <\/span>doesn\u2019t like. Well he calls up during a commercial break and said he wanted to go on the air <\/span>because <\/span>he had something to say. And that\u2019s exactly what we did<\/span>!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But Scott was just one of many reacting to WPTF. <\/span>Given more information, Raleigh citizens became more vocal.<\/span> Blackman <\/span>notes<\/span>, <\/span>\u201cThe station used to influence city government a great deal. When <\/span>I<\/span> first got here, WPTF had full-time city hall and general assembly reporters. <\/span> Folks in Raleigh need<\/span>ed <\/span>to know what city government does and an informed population is a powerful tool for change. Because they were more informed, the people were more liable to take action.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

WPTF is known for staying with a story when situations warrant.\u00a0 One <\/span>vivid <\/span>example that <\/span>stays with <\/span>Stegall \u201cwas our coverage of the Raleigh-Wake County school merger. The hearing started that morning and lasted until late at night. We began live coverage at noon with a live anchor and just stayed with it. It was one of the biggest things to happen and our listeners got all the news as it happened.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As the signal changed, so did the programming. With the jump to <\/span>500 <\/span>watts<\/span> \u201cn<\/span>ews became more region<\/span>al, <\/span>but so did the audience<\/span>,\u201d said Storck<\/span>. <\/span>Stegall concurred. \u201dWe really did not cover any city but Raleigh. There were others that got our signal, but this is where we concentrated. Of course, once we had the 800 number, our callers rang in from all areas and cities. <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

At the time, a<\/span>griculture was so pervasive <\/span>it was both a city and rural issue.<\/span> Stegall recalls, \u201cWe used to do two full farm hours, one at 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and then again from noon to 1 p.m.<\/span>\u201d As the city changed,\u00a0 so did the station. \u201c<\/span>We don\u2019t air the farm news now like that, it was cut in the 80s, I believe, but PTF did not stop it entirely. They start<\/span>ed<\/span> a netw<\/span>ork <\/span>called <\/span>Southern Farm <\/span><\/span><\/span>N<\/span><\/span><\/span>etwork<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> that is still thriving today.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The practice of staying with a story was not reserved for local news. The Kennedy assassination led to what Stegall refers to as one of his proudest WPTF moments. \u201cIt was Friday and death was declared around 1 to1:30 p.m. NBC gave us continuous coverage from 2 p.m. through midnight Friday, and on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, from 6 a.m. until 12 midnight. After that we played classical. I made it a point to make sure we only played somber music when the news was not on, out of respect for the moment and the listeners. Our program director, Poyner, was to air a football game that Friday evening, but yanked it. We got some complaints, but we stayed with the Kennedy coverage all that time. I\u2019m really proud of that decision to this day.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The news staff grew and by the 1960s, Blackman recalls, \u201cWe had such a large staff, we did a half-hour documentary ever single month. You don\u2019t see that anymore. Longevity counted for us.\u00a0 The longer a reporter stayed the better his or her contacts and knowledge. \u201c <\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, the struggle to get the news led to unexpected outcomes. <\/span>Blackman<\/span> recalls the time the first <\/span>President Bush was coming to town to do some campaigning in the Clinton race. He had no time for me once he arrived, but they said they could patch me into Air Force One and we could chat <\/span>live<\/span> on the air. Amazing sound quality. I had no major focus, but this being an election year, and Clinton saying the economy was bad, I asked him about that. I said, \u2018Mr. President, some are saying that the economy is going to <\/span>Hades<\/span> in a <\/span>hand basket<\/span>.’ This was radio and no way was I going to use the word <\/span>\u2018<\/span>hell,<\/span>\u2019<\/span> but the president came right back and said, ‘The economy is <\/span>not<\/span> going to hell in a <\/span>hand basket<\/span>‘ and went on in that vein for quite some time.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, despite <\/span>airing<\/span> conservative talk shows, WPTF news remains independent. As Blackman describes, \u201c<\/span>PTF news is neither conservative <\/span>n<\/span>or liberal, we just report what is going on. Aft<\/span>e<\/span>r Obama won, we did a lot of coverage, naturally, and we were accused o<\/span>f<\/span> not doing that for Bush, which of course we did. People have short memories. We air all kinds of programs, but the news is standalone. I tell reporters <\/span>\u2018N<\/span>o one is interested in your op<\/span>i<\/span>nion. You shut up and let the newsmaker do<\/span> the talking.'”<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Happy Birthday to WPTF 680 AM, Raleigh\u2019s oldest and (almost) first radio station. Since signing on September 22, 1924 at a mere 50 watts, the station has changed its call letters, frequency, air personalities and programming, but its impact lives on. Learn how WPTF influenced Raleigh and was influenced in turn as we look back at the city\u2019s oldest radio station.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15,23],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3061"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24019"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3061\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}