In 1958, the airwaves carried something that had never been heard in Huntsville, Alabama; a signal from the first black owned and operated radio station. Hundley Batts, Sr. was only in the eighth grade when WEUP-AM went on the air, but the impression it made on this young man shaped him to become an esteemed leader, not only in the broadcast industry, but in the community of his hometown, as well. The Alabama Broadcasters Association is pleased to honor Hundley Batts, Sr. with induction into the Hall of Fame.
“That’s right. I was in the eighth grade when I heard the station for the first time,” says Hundley. “I went out to the store and I got me a portable radio that had earplugs.” He was so enamored with the station, he wore his earplugs to school, which didn’t go over well with a particular teacher, but getting into a little trouble didn’t curtail his enthusiasm.
WEUP was owned and operated by Leroy and Viola Garrett, who ran the station out of a pink trailer that sat on the grounds of the Syler Tabernacle Church. They played soul, R&B and gospel, and featured community news and sermons from local churches.
“I was so impressed with what they were doing – hey, everybody in town was talking about it,” says Hundley. “And Mr. Garrett could be so comical. I fell in love with his imagination and what he did for the community, so I just kind of hung out at the radio station when I could get in there. The Garretts were very kind and showed me around.”
While in college, Hundley found ways to involve himself with the workings of the station as often as he could, for instance as a volunteer spotter for Alabama University football games. In 1965, his talents as a salesperson and his “gift of the gab” however, led him to a career in insurance and in 1972, he started his own company, Hundley Batts and Associates Insurance.
He never lost contact with the Garretts, however, and in 1987, after Mr. Garrett passed away, Mrs. Garrett sold WEUP to Hundley and his wife, Dr. Virginia Caples. Under the parent company name of Broadcast One, they eventually acquired WEUZ-FM and WHIY-AM, and launched WEUP-FM, bringing the total to five radio stations in Huntsville, Moulton and Minor Hill, Tennessee.
Hundley runs his radio operations in much the same way as his predecessors. “You don’t do things out of any kind of showmanship, but because it is the right thing to do,” says Hundley. “You can help people and it works wonders for you. That’s the most important thing we can do for the future; make changes to individuals that we come in contact with. I think we are blessed.”
ABA Chairman Stan Pylant of WHNT-TV agrees that Hundley has helped change a lot of lives, “From the very start, Hundley has always been actively involved in many civic and community projects and his stations were always front and center of many of those.” Pylant added, “His radio stations and other successful business ventures have helped make our community a much better place to live. He is so well respected in north Alabama, as well as with broadcasters across our state and beyond.”
Recognizing Hundley as a servant of the community, the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce awarded him their highest recognition, the 2010 Distinguished Service Award. His list of memberships and accomplishments over the years includes recognition as a Small Business Executive of the Year and Mentor of the Year.
Name an award or an honor that is bestowed upon a business owner and Hundley has received almost all of them, but he says being inducted into the ABA’s Hall of Fame is just about as good as it gets. “I’m excited that someone would even put my name in as a candidate,” Hundley says, “because I know the ABA does its research before they even give you a ‘hello’. So, I’m just tickled pink … and that’s an odd color for a black man!”
