Radio station WPTF was born 100 years ago in October of 1924 and has moved through a century of burgeoning growth from the first owner, Will Wynne, to Durham Life Insurance Company to the present-day owner, Curtis Media Group. Through the history-filled decades, not only did this media giant fulfill its promise to “protect the family” and serve its listening community, but it also produced giant names in on-air personalities, sales, and business leaders. The names below are of WPTF Legends who are now enshrined in our “Wall of Fame.”

After 10 years on a Moline, Il, station, Adam Jones and Bob Allen came to WPTF in 1976 as the new hosts of the “WPTF Morning Show.” They were the first dual hosts and brought a different style to the slot from 6 a.m. – 9 a.m. Given their satirical look at North Carolina and its customs, the listening audience met Adam and Bob with both strong likes and dislikes. After only one year, Adam and Bob moved to afternoon drive and swapped places with newcomer Maury O’Dell — who would stay on the “WTPF Morning Show” until 2004. Adam and Bob left WPTF in 1978, after taking a job at a station in Ohio.

Chet Atkins was one of the most famous country music stars, guitarists, and record producers in history. In his early years as a journeyman musician, he traveled from station to station in the South and Midwest — picking up a local sponsor and then moving on. In the late 1940s, he was hired by Graham Pointer as a Studio Musician at WPTF and entertained live audiences on the radio and in the big auditorium housed in the mezzanine studios on the Salisbury Street side of the Durham Life Insurance building. He roomed with another country star, Sonny James, in an apartment near N.C. State. Sonny sang and Chet played. They worked at WPTF for a couple of years and then moved on. Years later, the old-timers at WPTF still talked about watching Atkins practice for hours and then play to perfection.

Joe Bell joined WPTF in 1991 as General Manager, after the station was purchased by Curtis Media Group. Joe oversaw the operation of WPTF and several other Curtis Media properties and capitalized on WPTF’s association with Rush Limbaugh and Paul Harvey. He saw WPTF’s ratings and revenue continue to move upward. After leaving WPTF, Joe went on to successfully oversee multi-station operations in Florida and Pennsylvania.

Mike Blackman was a News Anchor and Reporter. In fact, he was considered by many as a newsman’s newsman. He came to WPTF in 1973 and covered everything from disasters to Raleigh City Hall activities to state government. Mike established contacts and sources all over the state. He even had a close working relationship with former North Carolina Governor Bob Scott, who once tried to recruit Blackman as his media spokesman. Mike had extraordinary journalistic instincts and was an exceptional writer. He taught many who came through the news department at WPTF how to be a more effective reporter and anchor. Blackman was a great example of the best in broadcast news. Mike retired in 2009 and passed away in 2023 at the age of 81.

Bob Butler joined the staff of WPTF-FM as a teenager, hosting the afternoon drive “Road Show.” Bob moved to AM as the afternoon drive host in the 1970s, before beginning a long career in sales and management. He later served as General Manager of WPTF-TV and Executive Vice President of Durham Life Broadcasting.

Tom Campbell has had a lifelong career in broadcasting. Tom comes from a family with a deep level of commitment to public service to North Carolina. His family founded Campbell University as well as WNCT-TV, the first television station in eastern North Carolina.

For more than 24 years, Tom wrote and delivered daily radio editorials for his family’s broadcast business. He then went on to become the Station Manager of WPTF-AM, as well as the Assistant Treasurer for the State of North Carolina.

Tom also created, executive produces, and moderates “NC SPIN,” a 30-minute television broadcast during which four panelists with a range of political philosophies engage in an unrehearsed discussion. Each week the panelists deal with issues that affect the people of North Carolina. The show gives Tom the opportunity to combine two of his passions, broadcasting and politics.

Silas Coley was President of Durham Life Insurance Company beginning in 1914. He was instrumental in the acquisition of Raleigh radio station WRCO in 1929. The call letters were changed to WPTF, which stood for the insurance company’s motto of “We Protect the Family”. The company’s subsidiary, Durham Life Broadcasting, achieved many firsts and flourished under Silas Coley’s tenure through the glory years of radio in the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. Durham Life Insurance Company was sold — along with its broadcast properties — in 1991.

George Denos came to WPTF in the early 1980s and served in various positions including Disc Jockey and Traffic Administrator. He was appointed as WPTF’s fourth Program Director in 1983, replacing Jimmy Dean — who had moved on to pursuits in Florida. George was also a radio historian and has maintained a private collection of air checks and station memorabilia that is unrivaled. George left broadcasting in the 1980s and has worked for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for many years.

Garry Dornburg was a major On-Air Sports Personality, Staff Announcer, Newsman, Morning Show Co-Host, and Talk Show Host. He came to WPTF while a student at N.C. State University and worked primarily as an Announcer for WPTF-FM. In the early 1970s, WPTF and long-time “News and Observer” sports editor Dick Herbert launched WPTF’s “Sportsline” program, which ran for decades. Bill Jackson — and later Garry — co-hosted the show with many famous guests and caller participation. Like WPTF’s “Open Line” show, “Sportsline” was a groundbreaking show for North Carolina. Garry took over as color commentator on the Wolfpack network in 1974 and served in that position until 1997. He was also the Co-Host for decades on the “WPTF Morning Show,” along with the late North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (NCAB) Hall of Fame member Maury O’Dell. The “WPTF Morning Show” during that era was among the most popular in the country, based upon both ratings and revenue. Garry had eclectic interests. He enjoyed sports, movies, opera, and more. He became an expert on all three. Garry developed melanoma and leukemia and passed away in February of 1998.

Aubrey Eatmon is one of the longest-serving and most successful Account Executives in WPTF’s history. He came to work at WPTF in the 1980s just as WPTF’s longest serving employee, Willard Dean, was leaving after 60 years. Aubrey says that two keys to his success are always customizing commercials to each client’s wishes, and staying in contact to make sure their advertising campaign is successful. That, and many other reasons, is why Aubrey has survived at the same top station for decades.

Mike Edwards guided WPTF’s news and programming departments in the 1990s as Executive Producer. He had been a longtime anchor on the North Carolina News Network before joining WPTF. The Wilson native later headed media relations for the North Carolina Medical Society.

Wayne Ennis first came to WPTF as a Night Announcer in the late 1960s, moving to afternoon drive in 1970. After a stint as a SBI agent, Wayne returned to WPTF in the mid-70s as a News Anchor and Reporter. In 1977, he was appointed News Director. Later, Wayne spent many years as spokesman for Carolina Power & Light.

Bob Farrington came to WPTF in 1961 as the Host of the evening show “The Wonderful World of Music,” as well as of “Dial a Score” on football Saturdays. He transitioned to the role of News Director in the mid-1960s, also serving as Bill Jackson’s back up on the “WPTF Morning Show.” In addition, Bob hosted the shows “Legislative Day,” “Flying Is My Fancy,” and “Profile.” He later operated the Capitol News Bureau before becoming a professional pilot.

Bluegrass luminaries Lester Flatt and North Carolina native Earl Scruggs, along with the Foggy Mountain Boys, hit the road in the 1940s and played throughout the South, including a stint with WPTF alumni The Monroe brothers. They landed at WPTF in 1951 and stayed for about a year, while playing a couple of shows each day for local sponsors. Flatt and Scruggs performed before live audiences in the auditorium in the Durham Life Insurance building in downtown Raleigh. They also played at venues and clubs around the central and eastern part of the state. In 1952, Flatt and Scruggs left WPTF and headed to Tennessee, where they experienced superstardom.

For more than 44 years, Don Fowler served with distinction as a WPTF Copywriter and, later, an Account Executive. He could sell any show to a client and any product to the public. Don was always the top of the hill in sales, won many awards, and passed along that savvy and instinct to many of his younger colleagues. Don was quiet, but he had the biggest clients and they stuck with WPTF and him. He was at his best right up to the day he retired in the early 2000s.

While working as a page at NBC in New York, Charlie Gaddy learned about an opening for an announcer position at WPTF. After landing the WPTF announcer job and returning to his home state of North Carolina, Charlie went on to host popular WPTF programs such as “Ask Your Neighbor” and “Gabfest.” Click the “Play” button below to listen in as Charlie Gaddy shares his adventures in broadcasting with WPTF team members Mike Raley and Tony Riggsbee. 

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Long-time N.C. State Wolfpack Play-by-Play Announcer Gary Hahn never officially worked for WPTF, but he is an “adopted son.” Gary joined the network of which WPTF was then the “flagship” station in 1990, when legendary WPTF announcer Wally Ausley retired from the position. Gary moved into the lofty seat beside another WPTF legend, Wolfpack color commentator Garry Dornburg. Hahn called more than 400 Wolfpack football games and 1,000 basketball games during his tenure. Prior to coming to Raleigh, he worked for several college sports networks and the NBC Radio Network. Gary found a home in Raleigh and on WPTF for decades. He retired in the Spring of 2024.

Steve Hardy was a legendary North Carolina beach music Disc Jockey who brought his show, “Steve Hardy’s Original Beach Party,” to WPTF in the late 1980s. Steve show was broadcast from WPTF’s studios, as well as from live remotes on Saturday afternoons. His show continued on other stations in eastern North Carolina for decades. He capped off a 45-year career in 2019. Steve passed away in 2020 at the age of 74.

Alvin T. “Hap” Hansen served as a Staff Announcer at WPTF on two occasions. First, in the late 1960s, and – later — for a stint in the early 1970s to early 1980s. During the ‘70s, Hap was best known for the famous overnight country request show “Interstate 68” — which had a 6-year run. Hap was friend to the truckers and the insomniacs throughout Central and Eastern North Carolina, as well as down the East Coast. Hap’s stint on the show coincided with the CB radio craze of the 1970s. Hap could even take requests from “CBers” using a unit in Studio A at WPTF. Through the late 1970s, Hap also was Co-Host along with Johnnie Hood on WPTF’s hugely popular “Early Bird Hour” program. Hap left WPTF radio to become the Chief Weather Forecaster and Farm Director for WPTF-TV. He left Durham Life Broadcasting in the early 1980s and bought a radio station south of Raleigh. Hap passed away in June 1985 at the age of 59.

William “Bill” Hoke was a prominent Raleigh lawyer who always had a yearning to become a radio announcer. Bill had a golden baritone voice and got a job at national powerhouse WPTF in the 1950s on a part time basis. One of his jobs was serving as a back-up to one of the most famous announcers, Jimmy Capps, on the incomparable music program, “Our Best to You.” More than two decades later, in 1977, Bill was asked to revive the venerable show, which included poetry recitations in the “Capps” style. The program continued for several more years. Bill passed away in the 1990s.

Howard Hollar has served Durham Life Broadcasting and Curtis Media Group for several decades as Controller. He has handled accounting, business planning, taxes, financial projections, budgeting, auditing, and managing financial operations. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. Howard began his tenure with the company in 1982 and continues today in a part-time capacity.

Princeton native Johnnie Hood joined WPTF in late 1972 as Host of the “WPTF Morning Show,” replacing the legendary Bill Jackson. In 1977, Johnnie was named Farm Director. He excelled for 25 years in that position, winning numerous awards and serving as President of The National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) in 1985. Johnny is a member of the NAFB Hall Of Fame.

Bill Jackson was a consummate broadcaster who moved quickly through the ranks as an announcer in South Carolina and Wilson, North Carolina, before his arrival at WPTF in 1952. What a splash he made with listeners all over the Triangle! For decades, Bill informed and entertained. Everybody woke up in the morning with “BJ.” Jackson was a beacon of light and sound through disasters such as Hurricane Hazel and the Kennedy assassination. He was like a soft cushion and a good cup of coffee. He made us feel better. He was also one of the best sports broadcasters in the country, serving as the “Voice of the Wolfpack” with his sidekick Wally Ausley for what seemed like generations. Bill was taken from his thousands of listeners way too early in 1974 at the age of 52. If there is anyone who should be a part of WPTF’s Wall of Fame, it’s Bill Jackson.

Jimmy Johnson served as a Studio and Remote Engineer for WPTF from the 1970s into the early 1990s. He had numerous responsibilities for engineering operations, commercial production, and was a backup engineer for the Wolfpack Network. After leaving WPTF, Jimmy invested in radio properties. Today, Jimmy either owns outright or is in partnership in several broadcast operations in North Carolina.

A Goldsboro native, Tom taught for several years before joining WPTF in 1982. Tom hosted “The Tom Kearney Show” (also known as “Openline with Tom Kearney”) in the evenings from December 1988 until 2021. Tom was also part of the “WPTF Tailgate Show” for several years.

Bob Kwesell came to the WPTF studios located at 410 S. Salisbury Street in downtown Raleigh in 1985 and hosted the first hard-core, controversial topic talk show on WPTF. It was known as “Wrestle with Kwesell.” And that he did on a daily basis! Bob was quite a character, giving 100 percent to his midday show. He was intelligent, funny, loud, and he made people mad. He also made his listeners think. Very much like Rush Limbaugh, he drew big ratings and experienced a huge following. One day during a Wolfpack game, he was assigned the task of interviewing fans. In his inimitable style, Bob drove his golf cart and transmitter to one of the men’s restrooms and interviewed the unsuspecting as they strolled out. It was a hilarious stunt. Unfortunately, Bob only lasted about a year and a half before leaving to experience other opportunities at various stations around the country. Although Bob held a degree in industrial engineering, he was all about broadcasting… all the time. Bob passed away in 2009.

Gary Liebisch was the Chief Engineer at WPTF for 13 years, from the 1980s well into the 1990s. Gary had many years of hands-on broadcast experience before he came to Raleigh and helped usher WPTF and WQDR into 21st century technology. Garry started in the 1970s at a radio station in his native New York, demonstrating skills that would help him move up that ladder to bigger and bigger operations. He left WPTF after a 30-year career as a Chief Engineer in Raleigh and Cincinnati. He moved on and has worked for some of the major electronic companies in the country. Few radio engineers have achieved more. Gary is semi-retired, living in Ohio and acts as a consultant.

We are all unique in some way, but WPTF broadcaster Donna Mason accentuated the term. She came to WPTF in 1987 and hosted one of the most successful and innovative talk shows in the history of the station. Donna’s mid-morning show put us in touch with physicians, divorce lawyers, astrologers, politicians, famous or not, and she even landed an interview with T.V. and movie superstar Tom Selleck… in the WTPF studio, no less. Donna made us laugh, entertained us, and was never afraid to ask the hard questions. She left WPTF in the 1990s to pursue other interests and then returned in 2001 to team up with N.C. Hall of Fame “WPTF Morning Show” host Maury O’Dell. What a pair they were — discussing the everyday and the controversial. Maury retired in the early 2000s and Donna moved on too. But, “tall Donna” as she was known, left WPTF listeners with a career full of memories. Sadly, Donna passed away in 2023.

Bryan McIntyre came to WPTF as Program Director, later becoming General Manager. This followed a long career in Ohio radio. Bryan supervised the station’s move from downtown Raleigh to Highwoods in 1987.

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The iconic bluegrass group, The Monroe Brothers, were a part of the WPTF scene for two or three years in the late 1930s. In fact, Bill and Charlie broke up and went their separate ways after their last show at WPTF. They, like Chet Atkins and Flatt and Scruggs (who played with The Blue Grass Boys) performed in the state-of-the-art auditorium studio in the Durham Life Insurance building in downtown Raleigh. They also put on shows throughout the region. Bill Monroe, “the father of bluegrass,” lived in a house on Filmore Street in Raleigh. Bill and Charlie went their separate ways in 1938.

Lew Parrish built radio stations from the ground up and served as Chief Engineer for WPTF in the 1960s and 1970s. He saw the growth of WPTF, as well as the transformation of WPTF-FM into WQDR-FM. He also acted as a consultant for radio stations during his career.

Harriet Pressly was a Staff Announcer at WPTF from 1943 – 1960. She hosted several shows over the years. She was renowned for her interviewing skills. She interviewed celebrities such as former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Frank Lloyd Wright to actors such as Eddie Albert and everyday citizens of Raleigh. She was among those who paved the wave for more women to break into broadcasting in the United States.

Tony Riggsbee has anchored more WPTF newscasts than anyone in the station’s history. He first came to WPTF-FM in 1972 as a Part-Time Announcer. After a stint as an anchorman at WRDU-TV, Tony returned to WPTF in 1978 as a News and Sports Reporter, becoming Sports Director in 1998. Sports radio beckoned for a few years before Tony came back home to WPTF in 2014. Tony is also the PA Announcer for the Durham Bulls and the Spring training voice of the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals.

Bart Ritner is one of the most famous personalities to ever grace the airwaves at WPTF. He was hired at WPTF in 1966 and soon became a trailblazer in talk radio with the creation of “Open Line,” one of the nation’s pioneer call-in and interview radio programs. He also took over the reins of the legendary show “Ask Your Neighbor” from Charlie Gaddy, when Charlie moved on to TV. Bart interviewed scores of famous people from President Lyndon Johnson to governors, senators, and entertainers like Andy Griffith. However, the mainstay of all of Bart’s shows were the callers, their opinions, and their helpful hints. He was able to perform at the highest level no matter what job he was tasked with doing. Bart retired after 39 years as a star at WPTF. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 76.

Bob Royal spent 60 years at WPTF, from 1942 to 2002 as a Studio and Remote Engineer. He saw it all during that time and dealt with many of the WPTF greats from Jim Reid to Maury O’Dell. Bob was a part of many extraordinary events. He watched the likes of Chet Atkins practice his guitar before he performed on WPTF before a live audience in the state-of-the-art studios on the mezzanine level of the Durham Life Insurance building on Salisbury St. in Raleigh. Bob also interacted with other legends such as country singer Sonny James, Flatt and Scruggs, The Monroe Brothers, Andy Griffith, Kay Keyser, and Andy Williams. In addition, Bob served as the Remote Engineer for decades of N.C. State Wolfpack broadcasts. Bob passed away in 2006.

Ann Seltman Smart was a true pioneer in the radio industry. She was one of the first female radio personalities in Raleigh during the 1950s. Her commercials, call-in shows, and “woman-on-the-street” interviews were the talk of the town between the mid-1940’s and 1961.

Ann Seltman grew up in Raleigh on Halifax Street where the Legislative Building now stands. By the age of six, she was destined for Raleigh’s version of stardom when “Smilin’ Ed” McConnell singled her out to perform on WPTF.

In 1944, she became Phil Ellis’s co-star and conducted both live and taped “woman-on-the-street” weekly inter¬views in front of the courthouse in downtown Raleigh. As the “Zesta Girl” (named for the show’s sponsor), Ann and Phil entertained Raleigh and gave away boxes and boxes of crackers. Off-air, Ann was secretary to Graham Poyner, who was then Vice President and General Manager of WPTF.

By 1949, Ann was a WPTF Music Librarian, Traffic Manager, and the voice of many of the station’s in-house com¬mercials. In 1954, she became the host of the widely popular “Party Line” program, where she fielded thousands of questions ranging from finding a lost sister (which she accomplished) to getting rust out of sheets (use lemon juice and salt). By 1955, she was one of Raleigh’s top radio personalities, and one of the first woman broadcasters in North Carolina to find a wide audience.

In addition to her work on WPTF, Ann voiced tracks for N.C. State’s Extension Division, judged forensic competitions across the state, and immersed herself in every local venue for her talented voice. Ann also appeared in, managed, or helped direct more than 40 stage productions at Raleigh Little Theatre during a period of 30 years. In 1958, Raleigh Little Theatre awarded her their Best Supporting Actress “Oscar” for the play “Witness for the Prosecution,” an award she would win again in 1966 for her role in “Summer and Smoke.”

Lowell Shumaker joined WPTF in the mid-1980s after working at WBT in Charlotte and WTRL in Bradenton, Florida. While at WPTF, Lowell hosted “In Touch” in the late mornings and a news block during afternoon drive. After retiring from the media, he worked in activities at a healthcare facility in Lakeland, Florida.

Kingham Scott was a mega-popular Studio Organist for WPTF beginning in the 1930s. He played concerts on a 2/6 Moller pipe organ and others for the radio and studio auditorium audience in the Durham Life Insurance building in downtown Raleigh for many years. He played solo and quite often teamed up with Staff Announcer and vocalist Warren Barfield. Kingham continued to play various organs on the air on WPTF into the 1950s.

Martin Seligson was an Account Executive and later a General Manager at WPTF. His tenure was in the late 1980s into the mid-1990s.

Charles Stegall came to WPTF in 1959. He held various jobs for the company until 1972, when he took over for the station’s first and longest tenured Program Director — Graham Pointer. Charles believed that being precise is “a must” for a quality Announcer. Only the best on-air talent was hired at WPTF, and he made sure those individuals were informed and maintained the decorum for which WPTF was famous. He was a classical music aficionado and dealt with the production for WPTF-FM, one of the state’s first automation systems that featured classical music, a classical music show on Sunday nights, and the Metropolitan Opera which aired on WPTF for decades. Charles also had a tremendous interest in weather and the statewide alert system. Public service was not just a concept to Charles, but a contract between the station and listeners. Charles retired in 1991 and passed away in 2023 at the age of 91.

Dick Storck came to WPTF in 1976 and served as the Production Manager for 22 years. He was WPTF’s own Adrian Cronauer, the Announcer who inspired the 1987 movie “Good Morning Vietnam” starring Robin Williams. Likewise, Dick served in the Air Force in Vietnam as a disc jockey for the Armed Forces Radio Network. He knew his craft well and taught many how to properly edit and produce commercials. He handled some nighttime newscasts early in his time at WPTF. Dick also hosted the “WPTF Record Vault” for many years and served as the late morning Saturday Announcer. In addition, he filled in on the various talk shows when called upon. Dick left WPTF in 1998, but is still active in the industry.