 | Scott Alexander | |
| On-air and Program Director at KWK from 1983-1984 | ||
| Currently Music Director and Middays on air at Star 100.7 (WZPT) in Pittsburgh. | ||
| Memories of KWK: " I followed Ed Scarborough as Program Director at KHTR when he left for Los Angeles. My tenure was short lived. That's when Bobby Hattrik called me. I met with him and Beau Raines and was hired to do mornings, later moving to afternoons when Mark Klose was hired. When Beau left I assumed the programming duties. I remained at the station through the sale from Doubleday to Robinson. I then joined Guy Zapoleon in Pittsburgh at B-94 as Music Director and midday jock, later replacing Guy as PD when he left for Phoenix. I have been in the Pittsburgh market ever since. I am currently Music Director and 6-10pm jock on Star 100.7 (WZPT)." | ||
 | Jim Atkinson | |
| On-air at KWK from 1979-1982, soon returned to the KWK office, left WKBQ in 1992 | ||
| Currently owns and programs underground radio station 3wk.com. | ||
| Memories of KWK: " KWK was a great station and a lot of fun. We took a lot of chances on new music and didn't always focus on the hits other stations were playing. We attempted to play something unfamiliar once ever quarter hour. A key to our success was programming songs that kept both men and women listening." | ||
 | "The Rock & Roll Kid" Brian Bridgman | |
| On-air at KWK from 1983 - 1986 | ||
| Currently Program Director for Z100 in Portland | ||
| Memories of KWK: " I was 17 when I started at KWK in 1983. I basically bugged anyone/ everyone to get an on-air job since I was 14. I think they gave me a job to shut me up. I was orginally hired to do weekends at then KHTR. Bobby Hattrik called me one night on the request line and asked if I wanted to do 6p-10p. I was excited but really didn't like the AOR format. Wanted to be a Top40 jock. I finally decided to take it. I was a bus boy as well during the week, but thought 'what are you doing? take the job.' Immediately everyone in school was asking if I was on the radio. I tried to downplay as I was very shy (aren't MOST dj's?) I do remember letting the job going completely to my head. It was a lot to handle at a young age but I was having the time of my life. Funny I was only there 3 years but suddendly after 2 years I was the veteran of the staff. There was a lot of turnover and the station had evolved into a Top 40. I left in 1986 to do late nights back at KHTR." | ||
 | Steve Byes (aka Stephen Edwards) | |
| On-air at KWK from 1980 - 1983 | ||
| Currently Assistant Production Director for Majic 104.9 and 100.3 The Beat in St. Louis | ||
| Memories of KWK: " Al Mac Donald and I were doing overnites, I was on KWK Rockin' AM 13.8 and Al was on FM 106. Al and I were running out of music for the nite, Hatt was in his office playing the new Atari 5200, one of the first advanced video game systems back in the day. I ran into his office and said 'Bob we're running out of music for the AM and FM'. Bob was playing the video game called Star Raiders at the time, so he tells me 'don't worry about it right now I'm in the middle of a good game so come back later'. Here's another story: Once a month the station had a feature called 'Album Side Weekends',where we would play a classic album side every hour. This time I remember playing Rush's 2112 it started to scratch. Bob said 'don't worry about it it sounds like they're listening at home'." | ||
| Jeff Cochran | ||
| On-air at KWK from 1983 - 1986 | ||
| Currently VP of Programming - Clear Channel Radio - Idaho / Montana | ||
| Memories of KWK: "My dream in High School was to go to college, learn how to be a disk jockey, return to St. Louis, grow old and die happy right there. What a GREAT city for radio. It was such a great time. Imagine my surprise when I showed up at the station, a 22 year old kid that was nervous as could be, when Young Bobby Day (whom I had listened to for years) answered the door at KWK and said, 'Hey Jeff, come on. I'll show you around the place. We're glad you took the job.' (Gulp) WHAT?" | ||
 | Carol Cole | |
| On-air during weekends at KWK | ||
 | "Radio" Rich Dalton | |
| On-air at KWK from 1981 - 1983 | ||
| Currently on K-HITS 96 in St. Louis | ||
| Memories of KWK: "Bobby Hattrik, who was the genius behind KWK's success and a pioneer in outcall research, hired me because he used to listen to me as a kid. (On KADI) He says he remembers that he used to call me a lot and that I was nice to him." | ||
 | Bobby Day | |
| On-air during afternoons at KWK from 1979 - 1983 | ||
| Currently on Oldies 95 in Kansas City | ||
| Memories of KWK: "In October of 1975, I joined the staff of KSLQ where I did 6-10PM for a few months, then middays 10 AM-2 PM for about a year and then afternoons 2 till 6. While at KSLQ, I worked with Jerry Hattrick (later known as Bobby Hattrik) who was the weekend jock at that time and we became good friends. When Bobby Hattrik left KSLQ to start up KWK 13.8 on AM in the fall of '78, I was offered a job at KWK. I told Hattrik call me when you get the FM station on the air because if you were going to have a winning music station, it must be on FM. After several conversations with Hattrik in the following months, I accepted the midday slot 12 - 3 P.M. on WWWK FM 106.5 and AM 13.8 (simulcast) in June of 1979. KWK/WWWK was then owned by Doubleday and they were a great company to be a associated with because, among many reasons, they wanted to be the best. I left KWK in March of 1983. Ed Scarborough at KHTR offered me a weekends and summer fill-in position on the air with a full time air shift in the fall. I left KHTR in March of 1984, after receiving a job offer from KBEQ-Kansas City (my hometown) and it was the station I left as Program Director in 1975 to come to St. Louis. Talk about full circle, there it is. Let me just say that working at all 3 stations in St. Louis was unbelievably fun and although each station was different, it was a great experience. And yes, we were successful. While at KSLQ, we were rated number 2, while at KWK/WWWK we were rated number 2 and while at KHTR we were also rated number 2 for the high point in our Arbitron results. Credit should be given to KMOX-AM, because no matter what station or format came after them, they were always number 1 when I was in St. Louis. After I left KWK, Hattrik continued to run my voice doing station liners on KWK. I remember driving home after my airshift on KHTR, punching up KWK-FM and hearing me doing all the breaks after midnight. Bobby Hattrik had a sense of humor and a love for radio and he was having some fun and he knew I would hear it. I think I might have even called him up asking if he would like me to 'freshen up' some of the liners I recorded. Right now, I'm on the air from 9 AM-2 PM at Oldies 95 in Kansas City and as of this writing, it has been 20 years since I left St. Louis. Great memories. Three fabulous stations: KSLQ, KWK and KHTR. Hosting shows on KMOX-TV, including 'D.B.'s Delight' from September of 1977 until March of 1984 and going to almost every St. Louis Blues game in the winter and checking out the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. I'll never forget it. At KWK we really were 'The Rockin' Best.' The station was smokin' 24 hours a day and the success can be directly credited to Program Director Bobby Hattrik who handpicked the music, unless he overslept, then I would get the music file box and program the station until Hattrik called to add some songs to the playlist. We really listened to what our audience wanted to hear and gave them what they wanted. A winning formula in any business. Also, as you probably know, we had a great airstaff of jocks who were passionate about the music. We loved it as much as you did. All The Rockin' Best. -Bobby" | ||
 | John Hutchinson | |
| On-air at KWK from 1981 - 1984 | ||
| Currently on David Lee Roth's syndicated morning show | ||
| Memories of KWK: "I have never worked with such an incredible bunch of people since. Most of us went on to other thing in other towns which is the nature of the beast. I'll never forget two or three of us 'mooning' Ken Suitter during his first week on the air, just as he opened the mike, from the studio next door through the glass partition. The day a temporary tooth dropped out in the middle of a break, and the following couple of hours all my "s's" sounded like "f's". We would regularly have visitors come to the back door... for various reasons. Much partying. Many late nights. Hattrik's vitamins. The Steak and Shake on Hampton Ave, visits from Ozzy, Sammy Hagar, Charlie Daniels, Bryan Adams, Heart ( I fell in love with Nancy Wilson that day), Dave Edmunds, Ronnie James Dio and Geezer Butler and many many more. Listening to Rich Dalton for hours. Live broadcasts from Kiel Auditorium and the Checkerdome for the Stones and the Who. And... the day they changed the locks on the doors and called us all in one by one after the new owners took over, to either fire us or make us new offers." | ||
| Dick Hughes | ||
| Original KWK Morning Man and later afternoons at KWK from 1978 - 1980 | ||
| Currently (as Dick Ervasti) doing many popular voice overs, including Fox Sports | ||
 | Al MacDonald | |
| On-air overnights at KWK from 1978 - 1986 | ||
| Currently at Gospel 1600 KATZ in St. Louis | ||
| Memories of KWK: "Memories of Bobby Hattrik. I thought he was nuts and he thought that I was nuts. The years that I worked with him we never had a disagreement about anything. Not that we agreed. When we first got started we always had fill music. Two of my favorite pieces to fill with was the Emotions 'Best of My love' and K. C. and the Sunshine Band's 'Get Down Tonight.' So one night while I was on the Hat Hotlines me. He says, "Hey Al, why are you playing this song?" I said "I'm using it to fill." Hat says, "Don't use this song any more. It's a stiff." I said "What about 'Get Down Tonight'? He says "That's a stiff also." So the following night I'm filling again. This time I'm thinking to myself "Self I'm gonna play another fill song." This time I fill with 'Lady' from Styx. Hotline, the Hat. "Hey Al, why are you playing this song?" I said Hat, you said I couldn't use 'The Best of My Love' or 'Get Down Tonight' so I played 'Lady' by Styx." Hey says, "Yeah you're right. Don't play this one either." And he hangs up. That's the story and I'm sticking to it. Peace and Richest Blessings, Al MacDonald" | ||
 | John McCrae | |
| On-air at KWK from 1979 - 1983 | ||
| Currently (as John Hunerlach) doing freelance voiceover work in New York City and Assistant Program Director of The Howard Stern Channels at Sirius-XM | ||
| Memories of KWK: "Syncing up with Bobby Day to rejoin the simulcast for afternoons * Getting used to songs fading to black after years of "hot segues" * The juice of competing against KSHE, we were never more than 1 share point apart for over 2 years * Broadcasting live from inside the venue during the show when the Rolling Stones played Checkerdome * Go Blues!" | ||
| Larry Moffit | ||
| On-air at KWK from 1978 - 1981 | ||
| Currently (as Larry Moffitt) on 99.7 KYYS in Kansas City | ||
 | Beau Raines | |
| On-air during Morning Drive & later Program Director at KWK from 1979 - 1984 | ||
| Currently Program Director 100.7 WZLX - Boston's Classic Rock | ||
| Memories of KWK: "I Believe it was '80 or '81 when the summer in St. Louis was really hot...15 days in a row with temps hitting 100... I threw it to Rob for the news one morning and he started by saying... 'If you read the obits in the paper today, you'd think a 747 plowed into a nursing home!' (we got lots of calls on that one). Rob always seemed to be in a feud with Hattrik! I remember hearing that he had 'relieved himself' into the gas tank of Hattrik's brand new Saab. Wasn't sure when I heard that whether or not it was true or just another Rob story... but I can tell you for the following 3 years that I was there...the Saab never moved!!" | ||
 | Chuck Roberts | |
| Previously on-air in the mornings at KLOU in St. Louis | ||
 | Bob Stevens | |
| On-air/ Sales at KWK from 1978 - 1983 | ||
| Currently the District Sales Manager for Merchant Processing for a St. Louis bank | ||
| Memories of KWK: "I was working in Springfield, Illinois at WDBR in 1978 when I responded to an employment ad in Radio & Records for this new station in St. Louis. After submitting an aircheck to Bobby Hattrik, he called and we met. The next thing I knew I was packing up a U-Haul and driving south to St. Louis. I was at KWK from day one, the fall of 1978 until approximately 1983, starting as the weekend guy and moved into the 6-10PM shift on AM 13.8 when the FCC mandated that KWK not be allowed to simulcast 24/7. After realizing the money was in sales, I moved into sales in 1982." | ||
 | Ken Sutter | |
| On-air at KWK from 1982 - 1983 | ||
| Currently (as Ken Suitter) runs A Sound Investment, a Professional DJ Service Entertainment Company in St. Louis | ||
| Memories of KWK: "My most vivid memory is when I first started working at KWK. As I was opening up the mike at the start of my show I looked into the studio in front of me and John Hutchinson and several of his hooligans had bared their butts for me to see (I guess they were proud of what they possessed). To this day I can not get this picture out of my mind. It has caused me severe emotional distress. I've sought professional help but they just laughing at me. [JH adds "What he failed to mention was his comment after staring at our bare butts through the window of the adjacent studio, with mike open, he said 'Uuhh....now lets take a look at this here' and then proceeded to execute his backsell and break as best he could without cracking up. Such a pro.".] Seriously, other than that, my most vivid memory is the day I got hired at KWK. I was leaving the station and made an illegal left turn onto Chippawah from Hampton. Before I knew it I was pulled over and greeted by several of our law enforcement representatives with guns drawn and pointed in the direction of my head! I was quickly handcuffed and placed in a squad car. After about 15 minutes I noticed someone being escorted up to me being asked to identify me, which they could not. I was then asked where I was coming from. I eagerly replied I had just left radio station KWK where I just got hired on as an on-air personality and I would be looking into their actions. If my memory serves I was on my way in about 2 minutes :-) " | ||
 | Bruce Vidal | |
| Afternoon drive at KWK from 1978 - 1980 | ||
| Passed away in December, 2002 | ||
| After KWK, Bruce spent a short time at K101 in San Francisco before a lengthy and popular 15 year stay at KIIS in Los Angeles. | ||
| Rob Williams | ||
| Morning News at KWK from 1978 - 1980 | ||
| Currently (as Rob Milford) Morning Reporter at KTRH - Houston | ||
| Memories of KWK: "I was one of the first people that Bobby hired, and that would have been in September. I got to St. Louis in October of '78... and mine was the first voice on when they started their transmitter tests. I remember cutting the cart like it was yesterday. We had the best engineers, including Andy Butler, Ed...oh, Ed's last name...eh... hmm, and Andy's assistant Jim Jackson. We forced KSLQ out, KADI down, KSD to tone down their music, KSHE to step up their promotion, because we really became a top-40 Album Rock station, presenting AOR material in a straight ahead manner, and Bobby Hattrik really gets all the credit for that. We were part of the sea change across the country... and the Hattrik-programmed, Doubleday stations in Minneapolis, Denver, Detroit and New York all kicked ass as a result. [Specific Memories:] I did newscasts in rhyme for april 18th a'la 'midnight ride of Paul Revere' and I did one newscast outdoors one morning... nice warm spring morning, birds chirping, snow had melted... the air was fresh." | ||