WTIX-FM

Infobox Radio Station


name = WTIX
airdate = 1995
frequency = 94.3 (MHz)
city = Galliano, Louisiana
area = Galliano/New Orleans, Louisiana
format = Oldies
owner = Fleur de Lis Broadcasting
erp = 100,000 watts
haat = 299 meters
branding = "94.3 WTIX-FM"
slogan = "New Orleans' Oldies Station"
class = C1
facility_id = 8382
webcast =
website = [http://www.wtixfm.com/ www.wtixfm.com]
callsign_meaning = The WTIX calls came from the legendary Top 40 AM station in New Orleans from the 1960s and 1970s, but the FM is not related to the original station.

WTIX-FM is an oldies outlet serving the New Orleans area. The station is owned by Michael A. "Michael In The Morning" Costello (Under the name Fleur de Lis Broadcasting) and operates at 94.3 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW. Its COL is Galliano, Louisiana.

History

Costello, kid brother to the late Joseph M. Costello III (founder/former owner of WRNO-FM, where M&M, in addition to announcing many spots, hosted the Sunday night edition of "The Rock 'N'Roll Hall Of Fame" and also served as Program Director), acquired the former KLEB-FM from the Harold Callais family which was a country music outlet in 1995, flipped it to its current format, and named the station after the original WTIX, which was a very successful Top 40 outlet in New Orleans during the 1960s and 1970s. He increased the transmitted power and moved the antenna from its original location to its present location in 1998 to better serve the New Orleans metro area. Mike Costello also handles GM, OM, PD, MD and voiceovers for the station, which he describes as his personal jukebox; he even has the airchecks and jingle packages from The Mighty 690. WTIX-FM also adapts a time-honored gimmick from the old WTIX-AM: the "Chime Time", wherein a chime rang whenever jocks gave the time on the air.

Interestingly, WTIX-FM's format, Oldies, is patterned after half of WTIX-AM's late-1980s hybrid Talk/Oldies format (before the latter switched to All-Talk in 1988). Four of the WTIX-FM disc jockeys, "Hot" Rod Glenn, Bobby Reno, "King" Bob Walker and Terry Knight, also had ties to the original 'TIX on AM (even Blair on the Air, who briefly had a stint at 'TIX-FM in 2006). Knight and Walker have since left TIX-FM, though Walker (a 'TIX staple since 1965 who also hosted "The 'TIX Original Oldie Hour" on The Mighty 690 at noon between 1979 and 1984) has returned briefly in December 2005, resuming the humorous afternoon traffic routine with Sergeant T-Ben Boudreaux that was originally a staple on Oldies 106.7 from 1989-1992; this resurrection lasted through August of 2006. Mighty 690 alumnus Bobby Reno currently covers Walker's former 3:00-7:00 p.m. time slot.

Sgt. T-Ben's daily segment, "The News You Need Now!," which debuted in June 2004 and airs 3 times during the Michael In The Morning show (at 6:35, 8:05 and 9:35 a.m.), is a tongue-in-cheek mock news report concerning local politicians, national celebrities and various topical news stories, concluding with his signature catchphrase, "Nobody cares!" And "JD The DJ," J. Douglas, veteran DJ at such stations as WPTR in Albany, KIRL in St. Louis, and WIXO-FM, WNOE-AM and WRNO-FM in New Orleans, pilots the "Rock and Roll Flight to Midnight," Mondays through Fridays at WTIX-FM.

"WTIX-FM 17 Choice Oldies", an album originally released on LP by The Mighty 690 in 1967, had been reissued on compact disc in 2005. A new CD, "WTIX At The Beach", a compilation of summertime-themed oldies, is available.

Its current slogan is "New Orleans' Oldies Station, TIX-FM."

Jocks

* Michael Costello (a.k.a. "Michael In The Morning" or simply "M&M" for short): Mon. - Fri. 6:00 AM- 10:00 AM
* Ben Walsh (a.k.a. "Sgt. T-Ben Boudreaux," with "The News You Need Now!"): heard three times during the M&M show
* "Hot" Rod Glenn (also a DJ of the original WTIX-AM): Mon. - Sat. 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
* Bobby Reno (also a DJ of the original WTIX-AM): Mon. - Fri. 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM; Sat. 3:00 PM - Midnight
* J. Douglas (a.k.a. "JD The DJ"; once a DJ of WRNO-FM, WNOE-AM, and WIXO): Mon. - Fri. 7:00 PM - Midnight; Sun. 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Former Jocks

* Terry Knight - also a DJ of the original WTIX-AM
* Bob Walker - "The Oldie King," also a DJ of the original WTIX-AM; retired on April 9, 2003.
* Blair on the Air - another DJ of the original WTIX-AM (1975–1985)
* Weerd Wayne - once a DJ on WRNO-FM and WNOE-AM.

External links

* [http://www.wtixfm.com WTIX's website]
*
*FML|WTIX
*FMARB|WTIX
* [http://www.jdthedj.com/ JD the DJ] - J. Douglas' official site
* [http://www.walkerpub.com/wtklfm.html Bob Walker's Original New Orleans Radio Shrine]
* [http://www.bennythejokeman.com/ Benny The Jokeman - Home Page] - Sgt. T-Ben Boudreaux's official site
* [http://www.blairontheair.com/ Official Website of Blair on the Air]
* [http://www.rocknoldies.com/ Weerd Wayne's internet Oldies Radio Station]