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14.70 NUMBER ONE
WDOL AM-Athens country
By SHARON THOMASON
"Number One Country,
WDOL. Athens," says the jin
gle for the only AM country
station in town. The station has
only been country since Febru
ary l, 1973. In that short time
WDOL has more than 30 per
cent of the AM audience in
Athens and has developed a
unique sound.
The man most responsible
for the format is W.J. (Bill)
Buffert. He is the program
director as well as disc jockey
Buffert started at the station
the day it went country.
“WDOL went country be
cause there was a market here
for an AM country station I
like to think we offer this
community, including 20 000
University students, an alter
native to listen to,” Buffert
says. “I want the station to
have a certain sound. I’d like
for a listener to hear two or
three songs and know he was
listening to WDOL.”
Selective is the name of the
game at WDOL. About twice a
week, Buffert reviews records
and makes his choices for
airplay. “I want to play some
country music that might not
otherwise get played. I realize
I play what I like, that I'm
subjective, biased, and preju
diced but it's what I consider
good country music," Buffert
explains.
He admits that at times
some of his decisions have
been considered too "middle-
of-the-road” and not "country”
enough by other station person
nel
What does he consider good
music? Such established favor
ites as Tom T. Hall, Willie
Nelson, Doc Watson, Merle
Haggard and Connie Smith as
well as the newer sounds of
Dick Feller, Larry Gatlin and
Don Williams. Considerable
airtime is also given to oldies
such as Loretta Lynn, Waylon
Jennings, Jim Reeves, Dottie
West and Johnny Cash.
Buffert refuses to play any
thing by such country perenni
als as Johnnv Paycheck, Por
ter Wagoner, (“If Porter did
something really good, you'd
play it wouldn't you?” I asked
“No probably not," Buffert
replied.) He also has a strong
dislike for newer singers John
ny Carver and Billy "Crash”
r d * * ■" |
BKKCHWOOD I: - - .... "S
‘Dr. Zhi
vago" held over for another
week with showings at 3 and
8 "California Split" begins
Wednesday starring Kliot
Gould and George Segal at
3, 5, 7:02 and 9:13.
BEECHWOOD II: "Walking
Tall” shows at 2:10, 4:25,
6:40 and 9:05. "The Mad
Adverlures of Rabbi Jacob"
begins Wednesday unwind
ing at 3:40 , 5:31, 7:25 and
9:26.
CLASSIC I: “Death Wish"
starring Charles Bronson
begins tomorrow at 3:45,
5:30, 7:15 and 9 "The
Memory of Us” ends tonight
showing at 2:45, 4:25, 6:05,
7:45 and 9:25.
CLASSIC II: "The Tama
rind Seed” with Julie An
drews and Omar Sharif
shows at 2:30, 4:40, 6:50 and
9 Art Carney headlines
"Harry and Tonto" at 3:15
5:15, 7:15 and 9:15.
CLASSIC III: Last night for
"The Destructors" at 3,
4:35, 6:10, 7:45 and 9:20
Double feature begins to
morrow with "Pompeii”
showing at 3, 6:05 and 9:10
and “How to Succeed with
Sex” at 4:40 and 7:45.
GEORGIA: "Together
Brother" shows at 3, 4:35,
6:10, 7:45 and 9:20 Boogie
over to “Dead of Night"
beginning tomorrow at 2:45,
4:25, 6:05, 7:45 and 9:25
PALACE I: "For Pete’s
Sake” stays with us another
week showing at 7:34 and
9:17 with Saturday and Sun
day^ matinees_aJ_2TS, 4 08
action starts at 8
“Dead of Night" and
House that Screamed "
Craddock.
Such decisions might make
the hard-core country fan turn
to another station, except for
the fact that WDOL also plays
cuts of original reocrdings by
Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter
Family and Hank Williams
Those cuts are seldom heard
on other commercial country
stations.
“I think it's important with
this audience, which may not
know much about country mu
sic, to talk about the roots of
the music and give information
about the people in it.” Buffert
may tell his audience such
tidbits as Tracy Nelson is
Willie Nelson's daughter and
that Mrs. Merle Haggard (Bon
nie Owens) was once Mrs.
Buck Owens.
A native of Pembroke, Ga.,
and a University student, Buf
fert admitted that he never
listened to country music until
1967 when he was in Vietnam
and heard some of the armed
service country music shows.
His only previous experience
with the music was a short
stint as a disc jockey at
WNGC, Athens FM country
station.
“I have no real interest in
radio and plan to quit as soon
as I get through with school. I
don’t care about being a radio
personality and I think disc
jockeys are just about obso
lete," Buffert says, “His only
job is to play music and keep
the show sounding tight and
professional."
In the meantime, Buffert
puts his talents to good use He
will often give background
information on a record he is
about to play, such as who
wrote the song, or perhaps tell
who some of the musicians
are, and tell anecdotes about
the artisits. He often does in
II: "Jeremiah'
ends tonight. |
begins to-
!
I
and 5:51.
PALACE
Johnson"
"Terminal Man”
morrow
PARIS ADULT: The reels |
are always turning with 5
"Doctor Yes” and "Don't |
Tell Mama.”
WEIS MINI-CINEMA: ■
"Flesh Gordon" is the fea-|
lure for this week, rated X ■
ATHENS DRIVE-IN: The ■
gates open at 7 30 and the I
■ with ■
•The R
I
ORr f s oLOies
RECORD SHOP
Ort s having a Bad Mood
Sale. Come celebrate his
39th consecutive bad mood
day by buy ing something.
Records lor everyone,
even Polish Countesses
and Irate Iranians. Please
don't send us any door
knob teeth. We have a
fresh supply and don't
want to steam up the
windows,
open at I or 1:30
close at t>:30 or there
abouts.
2H5 N. Jackson
S4D-5343 (or S-UJLmi ) ^.
"FLESH GORDON is a frisky, feisty
takeoff) It's all campl It's fun I It's laughsl"
-Bob Salmaggi, WINS Radio
“The most ingenious and novel erotic
film so far. FLESH GORDON combines
satire and sex with all manner of exotic
fantasy creatures."
— Kevin Sanders, ABC-TV
fi.ESW/
SHOW TIMES
2:45 C .,c 8.00
4:30
TO Bf CONFUSED WITH TMf
OIIICINHfUSH COUPON
cueis cinemn
At P6 CfNTIH • 548 5256
depth interviews with singers
•,vho may be in town appearing
at The Last Resort or the J & J
Center. Often he will get them
to perform live over the radio.
Buffert will often play two
cuts of the same song back-to-
back performed by different
artists and make comments
comparing them. An example
is Anne Murray’s and Conway
Twitty’s versions of “He Thinks
I Still Care.”
Buffert is a real straight-
shooter with no apologies He
h
constantly precedes play of
Sonny James records with the
reminder to the audience that
Sonny seems to record the
same song every three or four
months and just re-release it.
When playing Johnny and June
Carter Cash's version of "Alle
gheny,” Buffert will say, “Here
is Johnny Cash singing and
June Carter screaming.”
WDOL is owned by Herschel
Rivers and is 1470 on the AM
radio dial.
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I STARTS FRIDAY
3:45-5:30-7:15-9:00
“A PROVOCATIVE, SHREWDLY
made shockerr
CHARLES BRONSON .
m gRMB WWW bm
“DEATH WISH” \
TVCMmCOUNT A P* amount «•»•••
[R]*<23J*
3:15-5:15-7:15-9:15
“One of the
Best Movies
of 1974:
—Q«r>* Shtllt, NBC-TY
"Harry
*Tonto"
’ III DOUBLE FEATURE!
^ n52SHSZSZnS?SlS2S«L
TECHNICOLORS
FRANKIE HOWERD
"UP POMPEII",nJM-K,,.-
PLUS AT 4:40-7:45
"HOW TO SUCCEED
WITH SEX” R
GEORGIA
IN lUNfllN 5»f J'J 7
STARTS FRIDAY
2:45-4:25-6:05-7:45-9:25
DOUBLE FEATURE
STARTS FRIDAY
OPEN 7:30-SHOW 8:00
Night
CB [Pg;
PLUS: "THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED”