WTIX “The Mighty 690” on AM radio was one of the Top-10 Most Influential radio stations in the United States from the 50’s until the mid-1980’s. The weekly WTIX music lists were sought by numerous other stations nationwide for guidance on new releases. Our contests, promotions, DJ styles and fun sound were copied all over the country by stations who wanted to sound like WTIX-690.
WTIX-690 am was a leader. Some of the key personalities who laid the foundation of “The Giant Blowtorch Of The Gulf South” were Program Directors Skip Wilkerson, Don McGregor, Buzz Bennett and Robert Mitchell. The two General Managers who had the absolute faith in our home-grown talents and allowed us to create the station it became were Fred Berthelson and Bill Engel. Those of us who were fortunate and blessed to work under the guidance of these legends and others from 1957 thru 1984 were able to leave our footprints in that foundation, for others to follow.
In order to create a station like Yat Radio, the ideal creator would have had to be born and raised in New Orleans, and then also be first-hand on the microphone, and playing the songs day after day for many years when they were new, as he grew along with his music and his audience. With that knowledge acquired first-hand through the years, the perfect blend of Timeless Hits thru the decades was born in the form of Yat Radio.
This is my work of a lifetime, and the station I have always wanted to create and share with you … the perfect music blend of the decades from my 40+ years behind the microphone.
Enjoy the memories.
– Bob Walker
