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Hammond receives Hall of Fame nod
- Thu, Dec, 10, 2009
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| Mike Hammond, right, stands with country music recording artist Taylor Swift, center, and Scott Borchetta, of Swift’s record label. WIVK was the first radio station Taylor visited on her radio tour at age 16, which included a stop at Farragut High Sc- Photo submitted |
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Mike Hammond, District 5 County Commissioner and WIVK 107.7 FM program director, will be inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in a ceremony in February.
Hammond will join only one other Knoxville radio personality in the Hall of Fame: Lowell Blanchard, host of the “Mid-day Merry Go Round” on WNOX, inducted in 1977.
“When they called and told me … I really was speechless,” the 57-year-old Hammond said.
“I said, ‘Are you sure?’” he added with a laugh.
A selection committee decides on Hall of Fame inductees.
Hammond’s selection was unanimous.
“That was very humbling. … It’s kind of like, ‘Wow. What did I do to deserve this?’” he said.
Hammond, a native of Church Hill, began his career in radio at age 15. He joined WIVK in 1973, after attending The University of Tennessee.
He’s kept alma mater ties: Hammond has been the public address announcer for the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball for 16 years.
Hammond said one particular moment stood out over his career.
“While I was news director, the very first major event I covered was a series of tornadoes that struck East Tennessee,” Hammond said.
He traveled to Etowah, which had been “leveled” by the storms.
“I’ll never forget going into a church down there … I remember going into that church basement, and everyone was huddled around a radio.
“That showed me that what I did was important, as far as being on the air and providing people information,” he added.
That mind for news led Hammond to be named The Associated Press Broadcaster of the year in 1980. He also won the Edward R. Murrow award for news reporting in 1996.
WIVK was named best news operation in Tennessee by the AP 10 times while Hammond was news director.
Hammond also said he enjoys meeting many of the performers whose records he’s played, or who have made WIVK a stop on radio tours, among them Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, Randy Owen and Dolly Parton.
“You talk about 36 years at WIVK, but I’ll always remember my first interview, when I was 15 years old. It was Tex Ritter, and he was running for Congress at that time,” Hammond said.
“There are so many of those kinds of things with different artists,” he added.
Of his induction with fellow Knoxvillian Blanchard, Hammond called attention to the fact Blanchard served on Knoxville City Council.
“Well, not only do Lowell and I have the distinction of being in radio together, we were also politicians together,” he said.
Hammond has served as a County Commissioner since 2004.
He also has served as board chairman for the Bijou Theater and the American Red Cross, marketing chair of United Way, board member of Second Harvest, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Tennessee Theatre, and currently is co-chair of Dogwood Arts Festival.
He also has spearheaded fundraisers for Variety the Children’s Charity, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Dream Connection.
While Hammond has been program director, WIVK has received numerous accolades, including being named Station of the Year by the Country Music Association seven times.
The Hall of Fame ceremonies will be held at Nashville Convention Center Feb. 23.
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