Jack Daniel (real name Shane Atwell [1] ) is a DJ and radio professional who has worked in Charlotte, North Carolina radio since the mid-1970s.
While Shane Atwell was a student at Concord High School in Concord, North Carolina, he worked at the student radio station WCHS. As a computer science major at East Carolina University, he devoted much of his time to working at the campus radio station WECU, and he dropped out in 1975. A year later, he went to work at WPEG, a Top 40 station in Concord that switched to disco in 1977. When the disco craze ended and WPEG changed to soul music, Atwell moved to WROQ. Jim Ballard, WROQ program director, decided Atwell needed a better name since people knew him from disco, and when he heard someone order Jack Daniel's and Coke, he told Atwell his name would be Jack Daniel. After his first shift as Jack Daniel, bikers loved the name and even brought him a bottle of Jack Daniel's. [1] [2]
When WROQ was an album rock station, Daniel served as program director. Later he became a morning host at CHR WJZR "Z-100". In 1986, Daniel became midday announcer at CHR/adult contemporary WBCY. At that time, he was also host of the TV series "Let's Dance" on WPCQ. [3] Later that year, he was also WBCY program director. [4] During his time at WBCY, the station made a significant ratings improvement after finally selecting a successful morning team—Randy Cook and Spiff Dingle—and increasing its focus on CHR music. [5]
In September 1987, Daniel became program director on the station he had left in 1986, which by this time was album rock WRFX. At this time, he had been a part of Charlotte-area radio more than 12 years. [6] By 1990, Daniel was the station's general manager. [7] Daniel prevented popular morning hosts John Boy and Billy from leaving the station by making a deal that paid them well and gave them the chance to be syndicated. [8]
When WRFX owner Pyramid Broadcasting purchased struggling CHR WAQQ (which used to be WROQ) and sports talk WAQS, Daniel became general manager of those stations. [9]
WAQQ became WEDJ in 1994 and Daniel became its general manager, but by November of that year, the station's 10-month-old format was not succeeding quickly enough for Pyramid. Daniel admitted he had never tried starting a new station and it was more difficult than he thought. He left radio because of a noncompete clause. [10]
Daniel became director of sales and marketing for Paradox Films, which produced ads for WBTV, The Nashville Network and Charlotte Motor Speedway. [11] But he did not stay away from radio for long. In April 1995, he became program director [1] and afternoon host on modern rock WEND. [12] In 1996, Daniel was nominated for Program Director of the Year by the Billboard & Airplay Monitor Awards. [13]
In 1999, Daniel became operations manager of WEND and oldies WWMG "Magic 96.1", remaining program director for WEND. [14]
Daniel also plays in a band called Route 66. [15]
In 2000, Clear Channel Radio (now iHeartRadio) purchased WEND/WWMG and moved the operation to join their other Charlotte stations, WRFX, WLYT, and WKKT.
In 2011, Daniel became syndicated on iHeartRadio. He can be heard each weekday morning on "Big Classic Hits", a channel that plays the hits of the 1970s and 1980s. In addition to being available via iHeartRadio, the show is offered on terrestrial stations in over 50 markets nationwide.
After 22 years with WEND, Daniel also programmed WLKO, also an iHeartRadio station. [1]
In August 2017, Chuck "DZL" Thompson replaced Daniel at WEND, becoming that station's second program director in 22 years. Daniel also lost his WLKO job. [16]
As of 2023 Daniel was program director and midday DJ on WKQC, where he began working in 2018, and program director of W234BY. [2]
Daniel has also been heard on national and regional advertising campaigns for Arby's, AEG Concerts and in the mid 1990s, Auto Zone.
Daniel has two grown children, Adam, a teacher at Mitchell College and daughter Alexandra Lane, a social worker in Raleigh. Adam has twin boys, Arlo & Anderson and Alexandra has one son, Ezra. His wife Carla is a retired speech pathologist. In March 2018, Jack Daniel launched his new website for his voiceover business.
WCNC-TV is a television station in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, affiliated with NBC. The station is owned by Tegna Inc. WCNC-TV's studios are located in the Wood Ridge Center office complex off Billy Graham Parkway, just east of the Billy Graham Library in south Charlotte, and its transmitter is located in north-central Gaston County.
WSOC-TV is a television station in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, affiliated with ABC and Telemundo. It is owned by Cox Media Group alongside Kannapolis-licensed independent station WAXN-TV. Both stations share studios on North Tryon and West 23rd streets north of uptown Charlotte, while WSOC-TV's transmitter is located near Reedy Creek Park in the Newell section of the city.
John Isley and Billy James, known as John Boy & Billy, are American radio hosts based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their comedic morning program The John Boy & Billy Big Show broadcasts from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time in several Southern and Midwestern states via syndication through Premiere Networks, primarily airing on classic rock, active rock, and country music stations.
WBT is a commercial AM radio station serving the Charlotte metropolitan area, including parts of North Carolina and South Carolina. The station airs a news/talk radio format simulcast on Chester, South Carolina-licensed WBT-FM (99.3) and the HD2 digital subchannel of co-owned WLNK. First licensed on March 18, 1922, it is one of America's first radio stations.
WLKO is a classic hits-leaning adult hits radio station serving the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Although licensed to Hickory, the main studios are located at 801 Woodridge Center Drive, just off the Billy Graham Parkway near Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, while its transmitter is located north of Stanley. The station is owned and operated by iHeartMedia. The station recently began playing continuous Christmas music again for the first time since 2011, which was a staple of the station until that point.
WKQC is a commercial radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group and airs a gold-based, 1980s-centric adult contemporary radio format. For most of November and December, it switches to all-Christmas music. WKQC's studios are located on South Boulevard in Charlotte.
WLNK is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Charlotte, North Carolina. The station is owned by Urban One. WLNK broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format. Studios are located at One Julian Price Place on West Morehead Street, just west of Uptown Charlotte, and the station shares a broadcast tower with former television partner WBTV located near Dallas at. WLNK broadcasts using HD Radio.
WSOC-FM is a commercial radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group and airs a country music radio format, calling itself "Country 103.7". Its primary country competitor is iHeartMedia's WKKT. WSOC-FM's studios are located on South Boulevard in Charlotte's South End and the transmitter is located in East Charlotte near Reedy Creek Park.
WBAV-FM is an urban adult contemporary radio station serving the Charlotte metropolitan area (Metrolina). Owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, WBAV's studios and offices are on South Boulevard in Charlotte's South End. In morning drive time, it carries the syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show.
WNKS is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Charlotte, North Carolina. The station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group through licensee Beasley Media Group, LLC and broadcasts a top 40 (CHR) format. Studios are located on South Boulevard in Charlotte's South End and the station's broadcast tower is located near Dallas, North Carolina at.
WPEG is a mainstream urban radio station serving the Charlotte, North Carolina market. It is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group. The station's studios are located on South Boulevard in the city's South End, and a transmitter tower is located north of Dallas, North Carolina.
WEND – branded 106.5 The End – is a commercial alternative rock radio station licensed to Salisbury, North Carolina, serving primarily the Charlotte metropolitan area, as well as parts of the Piedmont Triad. Owned by iHeartMedia, WEND is the local affiliate for Skratch 'N Sniff and the home of radio personalities, the Woody & Wilcox Show, Chris Rozak, and Divakar. The WEND studios are located in Charlotte, while the station transmitter resides in China Grove. Besides a standard analog transmission, WEND broadcasts in HD Radio, and is available online via iHeartRadio.
WFNZ, known on air as "102.5 The Block", is a commercial radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. Owned by Urban One, the station airs an urban contemporary radio format. The studios and offices are at 1 Julian Price Place.
WXRC is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Hickory, North Carolina, and targeting the Charlotte market. The station is owned by David Lingafelt and his Pacific Broadcasting Group and broadcasts a classic hits format. Its studios are located in Newton and its broadcast tower is located east of Lincolnton, North Carolina.
WKKT is a country music radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The station is licensed to the northern suburb of Statesville, North Carolina Owned by iHeartMedia, its transmitter is located in Mooresville, North Carolina, and its studios are located in the Wood Ridge Center complex off Billy Graham Parkway in South Charlotte.
WRFX is a commercial radio station licensed to Kannapolis, North Carolina and serving the Charlotte metropolitan area. Owned by iHeartMedia, it airs a classic rock radio format, and calls itself "99.7 The Fox." The radio studios and offices are on Woodridge Center Drive in South Charlotte. WRFX is the flagship station for the John Boy and Billy Big Show, a nationally syndicated morning show heard around the country.
WCGC is a radio station licensed to Belmont, North Carolina, and serving the Charlotte/Gastonia area. The station is owned by Carolina Catholic Radio Network and broadcasts a Catholic radio format.
William Everett Dollar was a radio host for 16 years on country music station WSOC-FM in Charlotte, North Carolina, a weather reporter on WSOC-TV, and the host of the syndicated program NASCAR Country, carried by over 300 stations at the time of his death. Bill Dollar was the number one DJ in Charlotte for seven years, according to Arbitron. Bill Dollar was involved in several drunk driving collisions, twice injuring two different women in two separate accidents who were hospitalized. He did not seek help for his alcoholism and injured his wife in a collision in which he was intoxicated. It is believed that his fatal crash involved no substances.
W254AZ is an FM translator station licensed to serve Belmont, North Carolina.
WGIV was a commercial AM radio station, licensed to Charlotte, North Carolina, and serving the Charlotte metropolitan area. It was the first station in the Charlotte radio market to target the African-American audience full time.