Ned “Tack” Attayek
Ned Attayek is a Johnston County boy who became known as “Tack” on WRAL-FM, called “101” back in the ‘70s. Today, he still works at WRAL-FM but has gone high tech as the WRAL-FM Web/Computer Network Supervisor.
The name Tack was bestowed upon him by his college buddies who could not properly pronounce Attayek, so they simply called him Tack. The name stuck. Tack attended NC State in the early 1970’s and was a member of the JV swimming team specializing as a freestyle sprinter.
Tack, like many who have worked in broadcasting, first fell in love with radio as a listener. During the ‘60s and ‘70s, a time of high octane energy radio announcers, he imprinted on the super popular DJ “Charlie Brown” on WKIX. Tack found work in the biz as on-air talent at several smaller stations in eastern North Carolina before he decided to move up the radio ladder. During the summer of 1978, Tack mailed audition tapes to several radio stations including WRAL-FM. He was granted an interview with Ed Weiss. Within a few minutes after meeting Weiss, Tack recognized Weiss’s voice to be that of Charlie Brown, his radio idol. Weiss realized Tack had talent and hired him to work the afternoon shift on WRAL-FM.
There is another side to Tack as portrayed in the picture of him strumming the strings of his guitar; he is a musician. During his youth he had eight years of formal piano lessons. He didn’t limit his musical talent to the piano, he also played the guitar, including the bass guitar, and drums. During his high school days Tack played in many bands, combos, and orchestras. Where did all of this talent come from? He credits his parents. His mother was a pianist and his father once played violin for the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra.
His musical knowledge and natural talent blended with his ability to relate and connect to a radio audience to form the perfect combo on WRAL-FM. Tack found the perfect job.
To find out more about Tack, including his silly side and the time he got WRAL News anchor Debra Morgan in “hot water,” check out his recent interview on the CBC History webpage.
Thanks to Corp’s Pam Allen for this capcom story. Pam Parris Allen is a former WRAL newscast producer/director who now works as a researcher and producer on the CBC History Project.
