Retired broadcaster Earl Freudenberg was the guest speaker at the November meeting of the Chattanooga Area Historical Association.
Hey Earl, as he is known, shared a collection of his short radio shows, including Earl Winger who co-founded WDOD in 1925. Mr. Winger said the first radio show on WDOD was broadcast on WDOD since the historic First Presbyterian Church on April 13. 1925. Mr. Winger and Norman Thomas had a small studio located in a house near the church.
The speaker said Mr. Winger said he ran a long microphone cable from the house to the pulpit in the church at 554 McCallie Avenue.
Mr. Freudenberg also shared interviews with Bill Hall of the former Town and Country restaurant and a conversation between Luther Masingill and Cindy Messenger of the Mount Vernon restaurant.
Mr. Freudenberg started in radio in 1962 and retired in 2016, although he volunteers for WDYN.
Those in attendance included Ben Cagle, retired broadcast executive with WDEF Radio and Television, Johnny Eagle, WFLI Radio and City Court Judge Russell Bean, a longtime fan of Chattanooga Radio.
The Chattanooga Area Historical Association now meets in the chapel of the First Presbyterian Church. Their next meeting is January 10 with Judge Neil Thomas as guest speaker. Its subject is Ed Johnson and Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan, the great dissenter.
For more information on the organization, visit www.chattahistoricalassoc.org.
