The Chattanooga Old Time Radio Club began as a germ of  an idea in the summer of 1993.

Enterprises (now RJR Memories)  attended the Friends Of Old Time Radio Convention in Cincinnati together. During their return trip, Bob Axley and Jim Adams began discussing the possibility of forming  a club for southern old time radioenthusiasts and collectors.

Once the pair returned home, Jim contacted Rusty Wolfe and  asked him for access to his business’ mailing list. Both Jim and Bob thought the best way to  Chattanooga Airwaves” to RJR’s clientele that lived in Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. The newsletter features stories relating to old radio shows, stars and other entertainers of the era and eventually, Cassette and CD library rental listings.

The fourth or fifth issue of “Chattanooga Airwaves” also listed a date for the first meeting of anyone interested.  Ten people showed up and thirteen years later, the club is still thriving.  At the meetings, club members bring in their newest memorabilia finds, talk about the newest old time radio shows that have surfaced,  radio shows that have been discovered.Sometimes we even have guest speakers. One was long time Chattanooga radio personality, Johnny Owens who worked underneath the name J. Michael Scott.  Another guest wasDr. Peter Pringle, a recently retired communications professor who once wrote news copy for the BBC.

After the guest speaker finishes, there’s always a Q&A, and then we take a journey back to the past and enjoy an old time radio show from the clubs vast library.  Then we adjourn for refreshments and more talk of old radio and all the new additions to our always growing collections.

According to Jim,  The Chattanooga Old Time  Radio Club sends out between 30 to 50 copies of
“Chattanooga  Airwaves” each mailing and has around 25 regular members.  

Club Membership
For first time local members dues are $15.00, out of towners, $13.00.

Members receive a subscription to “Chattanooga Airwaves” and a catalogue listing  cassettes and CD’s