Old BAM Studios Destroyed
A sad day in Montgomery broadcasting history is occurring, as the famed “Flintstone house” studios of WBAM-AM 740 on Troy Highway are being torn down. WBAM was a 50,000-watt powerhouse that reached across the Southeast during the heyday of top 40 radio in the 1950s and 1960s. Signing on in 1953, it is one of Montgomery’s oldest sets of call letters. WSFA-AM was on 1440 (later WHHY, now WLWI); WCOV-AM was on 1170 (now WACV); WMGY, still at 800; and WBAM.
While WBAM has been gone from this facility since the early 2000s, when the Brennan family sold WBAM-FM to Bluewater Broadcasting, it has remained a major part of the legend and lore of radioheads all over the southeast. Many, many stories have been told – and will continue to be told – about this famous radio station location.
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One correction to the email, I am pretty sure that where the Bluewater group is now has been those stations location since early to mid 90′s. When I worked for The Fox/Cat Country back in 1996 on Norman Bridge, I am pretty sure they had already located off of Carmichael as 96.1 The Arrow was The Fox’s chief competitor back then.
Back to the BAM building on Troy Highway. I can remember my dad talking about people trying to climb the tower. Fuzzy memories on my part of what he said but I can imagine if those walls could talk, there would have been plenty of stories. In fact, do you have a story about the old BAM building? Share it with us now by commenting on this post!
- Brian Harris
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WBAM moved to it’s current facility on Carmichael Rd in 1990/91 on the Day that it flipped formats from Oldies to Country.
it’s a shame that building is gone, as i always imaged that building could have been a Central Alabama Radio/TV museum.
We would get someone’s Mom to drive us out there to get the best tickets to the Big Bam Shows.
The signal could be picked up all the way to the Beach.
They also had a house in McGhee Estates, which was really known as the Flinstone House. It is still there, as of about a year ago.
Mike is correct. The actual “Flintstone House” was the Brennan home in McGehee Estates. They recently had an open house there with plans to sell, if it has not sold yet. I have memories of being able to drive out to the station on Troy Highway and leave dedications. As we would drive away, our dedications would be read over the air – sometimes a long list at each reading. The music was great! The “Big Bam Shows” were the best concerts headlining ALL the big name artists of the time. It was a challenge to many a teenage boy to climb the tower behind the station but not always a good experience. Ah…the memories.
Don’t kbow the year that they started broadcasting, but there was also—-WRMA 950 and WAPX 1600.
The house is still in there and it was sold recently and a lot of work was done to the house to make it livable again.
I stand corrected on the date of WBAM’s move out of the Radio Road location. Sorry.
I have some BIG BAM show posters and ads from the late 1960s … $4 was the highest ticket price to see a Garrett Coliseum packed to the gills with the best pop-rock out there.
It’s pretty weird to imagine one concert performance featuring groups like Paul Revere & The Raiders, Iron Butterfly, and The Carpenters all in one sitting. Only at a Big BAM show … Man, top 40 radio had something for everyone, didn’t it?
Back in the day, You could actually go there, park your car and enter the lobby and see the Disc Jockey on the air and write your request or dedication on a slip of paper provided there and push it through the slot beside the window to the studio and hear and see the Announcer reading your request on the air….I remember going there when Joe Cook was on the air and the whole lobby was filled with people of all ages especially teenagers wanting to get their requests and dedications on the air. I really thought that was so cool…That type of radio is lo0ng gone and will never return again…the Big Bam was a one-of-a-kind Radio
Monster!!! A truly great time in Montgomery radio history..with the great All- Americans including Paul Simpkins…Bobby Brennan…Dan Brennan…Joe Rumore…Bill J Moody( all-the Way everyday Moody)and many more…Those were the days!!!!!!!!!!
I agree!!! The Big BAM …A truly great sounding station…Everybody loved the Big BAM!!!
The “Big Bam” was unique and had a lot of listeners because of it’s 50,000 watt signal. But it was never the best top 40 station in town. 1440 WHHY was always head and shoulders better than BAM. All the good jocks were on HHY, many went on to the big time in some of the largest markets.
I lived over in auburn, but listened to the Big Bam. How tall were those towers. I remember you could see them for miles. ALso,being from out of town, I am a little lost, where is this house in McGhee Estates? Where is this subdivision? I would like to chck out the house. Thanks! bill
Jim, I wasn’t around in Montgomery until the 1970s, but I think you might be getting the decades confused…WBAM, from everything I’ve ever read, was THE station in the 1950′s and 1960′s…as evidenced by the Big Bam shows, etc…I am not even exactly sure when WHHY changed the call letters from the old WSFA-AM…everything I’ve ever read has WHHY getting big (with the jocks you are referring to who went on to become bigger stars in bigger markets) in the 1970′s, I’m assuming when Larry Stevens took over…I could be wrong but this seems to fit with all the history I’ve ever read about/heard from in a million different places…
My group ‘Yesterday;s Tomorrow’ played live on the old patio for Easter Egg Hunt, 1971 where Bill J. Moody was the MC. I have the original tape of that broadcast. I also attended 7 Big Bam shows at Garett Coliseum (1965-68). Were there any recordings?
Bo Ward
Orlando
Born and raised in Panama City, with family in Chipley Florida, we remember the legendary Big Bam. It had a listenable signal right on the beach. It was played daily in the old Mac Peel grocery store south of Chipley. Even with a great local line up of stations, folks prefered listening to the Brennan Machine. One of the reasons I love radio to this day….Greg
I hope this works. Please join us on Facebook “I went to the WVOK/WBAM Shower of Stars Shows.”
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=314771113755
Also, join us at http://wvok-memories.tripod.com the sister station in Birmingham, Alabama.
Harold
Chris,
Just read your comment. WHHY calls were around before the switch to top-40. They were big band-adult standards until approx 1963 or 64 when the switched to top-40. Joe Hagler, I believe left WAPX and helped flip WHHY. As I stated (my opinion) they had a more modern style and better jocks than BAM from the beginning. The only exception was Joe Cook who was and still is an excellent DJ. BAM did have more listeners because of the signal and they spent tons of money on the big shows. But they never sounded as good or had as good of jocks. They should have modeled BAM after their sister station in Jacksonville (WAPE the big ape) to become a superior top-40 station. To me they (BAM) was just average and never tried to improve their style. They probably made a very good profit and saw no reason to change.
As a teen growing up in south alabama in the 60′s and listening to the best of the best on WBAM was awesome. Those memories and the Big Bam Shows can never be erased from our memories. I can remember driving up to the station in the 1957 chevy. I would love to have one of those concert posters if anyone can assist.
Thanks for the memories!
TG
I publish a monthly magazine, Prime Montgomery, targeting us 50+ folks. The Nov. issue will have a story on Big BAM Shows, with an extensive interview with Dan and Cyril Brennan. I have photos of shows but could always use more. If anyone has photos from any of the shows, and you’re willing to share (for credit), please e-mail as soon as possible.
Thanks.
For those of us who were fortunate enough to have attended & experienced the BIG BAM shows, words cannot describe how great they were. Garrett Coliseum does not have any shrine, memorial, or even any organized records of those shows, according to a gentleman that I spoke to that works there. That’s a shame. I’d like to see Montgomery step up to the plate & do something about that one day soon.
I spent quite a bit of time searching and found several Big BAM Show posters and other information regarding WBAM and posted to the Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WBAM-FM
The Wikipedia entry is terrific. Thanks, G-Rick.
“Tommy Joyce and Bobby Heart” you must not have spent too much time.