Growing up in Natchez, I remember WMIS and WTYJ being the local sound of the Black community. It brings back so many memories of my childhood. I can remember the voices of the DJ’s flowing through the speakers of my Parents car as we drove through town. I also remember sitting in our living room making mixed tapes off their jams. In this addition of Miss-Lou Life & Style we wanted to share the story of how WMIS and WTYJ came to be, how they sustained themselves and where they are now.
I wanted to get a little history on the stations, so I talked with Diane Ewing-Nutter whose family owned WMIS. Diane was so helpful in giving me some backstory for you, the readers. WMIS was initially an AM radio station owned by Nutter’s Father and Brother PK Ewing and PK Ewing Jr. After her father’s sudden death Nutter stepped up to run the station continuing her family’s legacy.
I asked Nutter about some of the on-air personalities from back then, she went on to tell me about DJ Walter Squalls. Squalls was not only the first Black DJ, but he was also the first Black Police officer in Natchez. I knew this had to be a challenging time with race relations back in those days. Nutter went on to explain that “It was dangerous, but my husband and I thought it to be necessary, there was a need and we felt obligated to fill it.” I also talked to Walter Squalls’s daughter Angela, who told me about how proud she was that her dad played such a big role in Natchez’s Black history. She also confirms the dangers that were at play. She remembers her dad being threatened by the Klan, her dad however was able to persevere.
WMIS was the station Blacks could turn on their radios and hear a voice that sounded like ours. The Black community was able to be aware because there was self-representation on the radio. I wanted readers to know that it was not easy for WMIS and DJs of color to bring us the sounds we grew to love. Mrs. Nutter recalled having to put bullet proof glass on the windows where Squalls was on the air, due to threats by the Klan. Nutter said her children still remember the threating calls her family received during that time. Despite the terrorism WMIS progressed.
I wanted to know how they end up owning WTYJ, Nutter went on to tell me that they purchased it in 1986 after it had been off the air for some time then. Nutter’s husband Jim passed away in 2015. Nutter knew she wanted to sell the station because she felt it was time. Because of the deep history and its involvement in the Black community Nutter wanted the station to be Black owned. That dream came true in 2021 when the station was sold to New Vision Broadcasting LLC, owned by Malcolm Inniss and his wife Tamika Hoskins-Inness who is a native Natchezian herself.
I was enlightened on the struggle and plight that Blacks and those who assisted them had to face, just to bring something self- relatable to our town. This article isn’t to make anyone angry about the past, its to understand the hardships that were endured to bring us music and programing. If anything should be taken away from this story, it should be how listen at your heart and following you purpose pays of eventually. There is still work to be done, Nutter stated there are still certain areas of radio that Black stations are still excluded from.
You can tune in to 1240 AM WMIS and 97.7 FM The Beat (formally WTYJ) for music and community events.
