Chuck Dunaway
Encyclopedia
Chuck Dunaway is a retired radio personality and owner best known for his work at a variety of popular radio stations in Texas
, Ohio
, Oklahoma
and New York City
. Dunaway would hold down the afternoon drive slot at every radio station he worked during his entire 35 year career including radio giants KILT-AM
Houston, KLIF-AM Dallas, WKY
Oklahoma City
, WABC (AM)
New York City
, and WIXY
Cleveland. He finished his career as Owner/Operator of six FM
and two AM
radio stations in Joplin, Missouri
.
. His first “on air” job came while Dunaway was still in his senior year at Stephen F. Austin High School where he was heard every Saturday mornings along with the Morales Sisters on KLVL
in Houston. It was the station's only English speaking hour on the all-Spanish formatted outlet owned by the Morales family. In 1952 after graduating from high school Dunaway landed his first full time on air radio job at KBST
in Big Spring, Texas
at the rate of just 65 cents and hour where he remained for one year before joining KPRC Houston as a staff announcer in 1953.
, Texas
Chuck Dunaway returned to Houston and his hometown favorite station KNUZ as a DJ. But as his strengths as on air personality began to flourish, it wasn't long before he was offered the highly coveted afternoon drive slot on WKY
in Oklahoma City
. It was while working in OKC that Dunaway became a featured character on the popular kiddie's show known as "Foreman Scotty’s Circle 4 Ranch" which aired on WKY-TV
channel 4. But it was Dunaway's afternoon radio show with its 72.9 share of ther market a rating high never achieved in the market previously that brought Program Director Mike Joseph to Oklahoma City to offer Church Dunaway the afternoon drive shift at New York City's number one station, WABC (AM)
. But Dunaway eventually became disillusioned with the station's broad play list and after just a year and a half decided to return briefly to his old time slot in at WKY
in Oklahoma City.
at KLIF-AM doing afternoon drive. In 1964, McLendon transferred Dunaway to Houston for the afternoon drive shift at KILT-AM
Following KILT, Dunaway joined WKYC
, NBC
owned and operated power house in Cleveland, Ohio
for afternoon drive. In early 1969, when NBC decided to flip the “top 40” rocker to a softer music format, Dunaway bolted to WKYC
's number one rival, WIXY
Cleveland where he served as both program director and afternoon drive personality, After a few brief stops in Austin at KHFI and KLBJ, Dunaway landed his first job as a radio station manager.
market. With the advent of consolidation the Dunaways sold their stations in 1998 and returned to Houston.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Dunaway would hold down the afternoon drive slot at every radio station he worked during his entire 35 year career including radio giants KILT-AM
KILT (AM)
KILT is a Sports/Talk formatted radio station in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by CBS Radio. KILT shares its call letters with sister station 100.3 FM, a country music station....
Houston, KLIF-AM Dallas, WKY
WKY
WKY is a radio station located in Oklahoma City and is under ownership of Cumulus Media.WKY is the oldest radio station in Oklahoma, the 28th-oldest in the nation and the third-oldest west of the Mississippi River...
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, WABC (AM)
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and WIXY
WWMK
WWMK — branded Radio Disney AM 1260 — is the Cleveland, Ohio affiliate of Radio Disney. Owned by ABC Radio, the station's studios are located at 175 Ken Mar Industrial Parkway in Broadview Heights, and its five-tower transmitter is located about 2.2 miles away on Snowville Road in front of I-77...
Cleveland. He finished his career as Owner/Operator of six FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
and two AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
radio stations in Joplin, Missouri
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
.
Beginnings
While growing up in Houston, Dunaway's interest in radio was peaked while listening to the very popular DJ Paul Berlin on his favorite pop music radio station KNUZKQUE
KQUE is a radio station in Houston, Texas. The station brand is "Radio Ranchito". The radio station began in 1948 when KTHT vacated this frequency for a stronger signal at 790 kHz....
. His first “on air” job came while Dunaway was still in his senior year at Stephen F. Austin High School where he was heard every Saturday mornings along with the Morales Sisters on KLVL
KLVL
KLVL is an AM radio station serving the Greater Houston, Texas area with a Spanish Christian format. It operates on AM frequency 1480 kHz and is under ownership of Siga Broadcasting.-History:...
in Houston. It was the station's only English speaking hour on the all-Spanish formatted outlet owned by the Morales family. In 1952 after graduating from high school Dunaway landed his first full time on air radio job at KBST
KBST (AM)
KBST is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Big Spring, Texas, USA, the station serves the Big Spring-Snyder area. The station is currently owned by Rhattigan Broadcasting , LP, and includes programming from Fox Sports Radio and Premiere Radio Networks.KBST...
in Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. With a population of 25,233 at the 2000 census, it is the largest city between Midland to the west, Abilene to the east, Lubbock to the north, and San Angelo...
at the rate of just 65 cents and hour where he remained for one year before joining KPRC Houston as a staff announcer in 1953.
The Early Years
After a few brief stints in Galveston and FreeportFreeport, Texas
Freeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area and is situated in Southeast Texas. As of the 2000 U.S...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Chuck Dunaway returned to Houston and his hometown favorite station KNUZ as a DJ. But as his strengths as on air personality began to flourish, it wasn't long before he was offered the highly coveted afternoon drive slot on WKY
WKY
WKY is a radio station located in Oklahoma City and is under ownership of Cumulus Media.WKY is the oldest radio station in Oklahoma, the 28th-oldest in the nation and the third-oldest west of the Mississippi River...
in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. It was while working in OKC that Dunaway became a featured character on the popular kiddie's show known as "Foreman Scotty’s Circle 4 Ranch" which aired on WKY-TV
KFOR-TV
KFOR-TV, virtual channel 4 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. KFOR-TV is owned by Local TV, a subsidiary of the private equity group Oak Hill Capital Partners, in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate KAUT-TV ; its studios are located at 444 East Britton Road in...
channel 4. But it was Dunaway's afternoon radio show with its 72.9 share of ther market a rating high never achieved in the market previously that brought Program Director Mike Joseph to Oklahoma City to offer Church Dunaway the afternoon drive shift at New York City's number one station, WABC (AM)
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
. But Dunaway eventually became disillusioned with the station's broad play list and after just a year and a half decided to return briefly to his old time slot in at WKY
WKY
WKY is a radio station located in Oklahoma City and is under ownership of Cumulus Media.WKY is the oldest radio station in Oklahoma, the 28th-oldest in the nation and the third-oldest west of the Mississippi River...
in Oklahoma City.
Station Wars
In the early sixites Dunaway was offered to take over the programming duties at KBOX (AM) in Dallas but soon after the station's number one competitor KLIF-AM enticed the talented drive time DJ to switch teams and go to work for the legendary Gordon McLendonGordon McLendon
Gordon Barton McLendon was a radio pioneer and pirate radio broadcaster. He has been coined the Maverick of Radio. McLendon is widely credited for perfecting, with great commercial success, the Top 40 radio format during the 1950s and 1960s which was first invented by Todd Storz and for developing...
at KLIF-AM doing afternoon drive. In 1964, McLendon transferred Dunaway to Houston for the afternoon drive shift at KILT-AM
KILT (AM)
KILT is a Sports/Talk formatted radio station in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by CBS Radio. KILT shares its call letters with sister station 100.3 FM, a country music station....
Following KILT, Dunaway joined WKYC
WTAM
WTAM — branded Newsradio WTAM 1100 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts primarily a news/talk format...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
owned and operated power house in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
for afternoon drive. In early 1969, when NBC decided to flip the “top 40” rocker to a softer music format, Dunaway bolted to WKYC
WTAM
WTAM — branded Newsradio WTAM 1100 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts primarily a news/talk format...
's number one rival, WIXY
WWMK
WWMK — branded Radio Disney AM 1260 — is the Cleveland, Ohio affiliate of Radio Disney. Owned by ABC Radio, the station's studios are located at 175 Ken Mar Industrial Parkway in Broadview Heights, and its five-tower transmitter is located about 2.2 miles away on Snowville Road in front of I-77...
Cleveland where he served as both program director and afternoon drive personality, After a few brief stops in Austin at KHFI and KLBJ, Dunaway landed his first job as a radio station manager.
Post on Air
In 1982 Dunaway married his third wife, Kendall, who became his partner in rebuilding several failing radio stations which they bought for a percentage of the appreciated value. This process is termed a “Turnaround” and the Dunaways managed to turn five loser into successful operations which enabled them to save enough of the profits to become the owners. While Chuck ran the sales and programming departments, Kendall managed traffic, billing and the office staff. With other investors, the first property purchased was a Class C FM with a 5,000 watt AM. The company was named Big Mack Broadcasting . After only three years, enough success was achieved to buy two main competitors and Big Mack then owned a cluster of six radio stations in the Joplin, MissouriJoplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
market. With the advent of consolidation the Dunaways sold their stations in 1998 and returned to Houston.