Chattanooga Radio: Remembering Luther Masingill

Luther Masingill

Masingill's first day on the job at WDEF was as an 18-year-old on New Year's Eve in 1940. And according to timesfreepress.com, other than his time in the military working as a reporter during World War II, he had been at the station ever since. He also worked at WDEF-TV 12 since it signed on in 1954.

He is a National Marconi award winner and a member of both the National Radio Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame.

"I'd like to say he taught me about radio, but really he taught me how to be a good father, and a good husband and a good person," says Masingill's on-air partner for the last 15 years James Howard.

Known as one of the friendliest and cheeriest people around, Howard was emotional talking about his friend and colleague.

"He also taught me that the key in radio is to be real and to love my community and to answer that phone. "Don't let it ring more than twice because on the other end is somebody you can help. Radio is not about car giveaways and promos. It's about public service, but I knew that before I started here because I listened to Luther."

Tommy Jett started his broadcast career here in 1961, and it was Masingill who inducted him into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame in 2013. He says Masingill had everything it took to be on the air for so long.

"To have the fortitude to be on the air for this long you have to have a love of people and a love of country and a love of God, and you have to keep your private life to yourself and present yourseld as a caring person and Luthers was that.

Not only would Luther devote airtime to helping people find their lost pets, heoften called back a day or two later to check up.

Asked a few years ago to describe his morning routine, he said, "I kept up and touch the tips of my shoes 50 times, and then I put them on."