RADIO HAS GONE BANANAS
Really do miss radio as it was in the 1960s. That's when we deejays were free to pick and choose from the
wide assortment of records which were available in the radio station's library. Each radio station had its own specific
format, plus there was half as many frequencies for the listener to choose. Top 40, Country, Middle-of-the-Road, Easy Listening
and Soul were the music venues. When a listener tuned in a certain frequency, they pretty much knew what was going
to emerge from their speakers. We just didn't know what we had when we had it and all of us sure had a blast.
In the 1970s, here came short playlists. Twelve to fifteen hot tunes were rotated every two to three hours.
Listeners kept telling us, You play the same songs over and over! Everything was heavily researched by us music
virtuosos.
Radio in 2005 confuses even those of us who have been in the broadcasting industry for decades. Individual
frequencies now zero in on small target demographics with names like BOB, DOUG, JACK, HANK, ELEPHANT or MOOSE. Whatever
sounds snappy at the time. Let's get back to the basics. Radio needs to play good music with talented on air performers
and the listeners will come.
JIMMY RABBITT (Grand Junction, CO) jimmyrabbitt@hotmail.com Jim, I enjoy your site and visit it often. I always enjoyed your on-the-air-work and I sure wish there was a station
for some of us "older personalities" to broadcast together again. (as apposed to the narrow-casting that is going on on radio
lately!) When is your show online and what is the URL? I know real radio would still work! Say hello to everybody for
me, keep in touch and keep on truckin'...conejo
To play music for anxious listeners was the main reason that I got into radio, plus
I really love music, too. Time sure does fly by when you're having fun.
JIMMY RABBITT (Grand Junction, CO) jimmyrabbitt@hotmail.com Jim, Good to hear from you again. They can't keep "old Radio Dogs" like us off the air for long. The way things
are changing musically...what with the "Jack" or "Dave" or "Hank" or "who-ever" formats they will be looking for real "personalities"
soon to replace the "smart *****" they are using now to just deliver the calls and liners! We should start a format called
"Gordon" and show them how people like Paxton, "Hubcap", Art, Rex and so many others used to do "Real Radio"!
Anyway, maybe I'll see you in Dallas in October when you're inducted into the TRHoF. Stay in touch...and
keep on truckin'...conejo (970.257.0218) p.s. I almost forgot, I live on the Western slopes of Colorado near the Utah border
just outside of a town called Grand Junction."Wildlife On The Highway" with Jimmy Rabbitt, ( http://kafmradio.org/ ) returns Tue. April 26th. 1-4pm MST...Call: 970.241.8801X1 for special requests.
CHUCK BLORE has been a very successful radio program director from Texas all the way to California. In
his recent web column, BLORE spoke of a radio promotion involving an amoeba attack on the city of Los Angeles in which KFWB
was involved several years ago. After reading of this, I was almost certain that I witnessed an amoeba driving erratically
down the middle of Memorial, so I wrote and asked BLORE to please remove these Texas amoebae back to the other coast, like
maybe as a BLORE Amoeba Buster.
CHUCK BLORE (Los Angeles, CA) BloreGroup@aol.com Jim ... I'm warning you, don't mess with those little creeps ... I mean even Texas sized amoebas would still be
microscopic and they'll sneak right into your soup if you don't watch 'em. Thanks for the note. chuck
CHUCK TILLER rang the phone Sunday afternoon. TILLER says he's back home from Memorial-Herman hospital.
TILLER said his wife, MARY, has been a tremendous help. TILLER told me he's doing just fine and to thank you for all the prayers. CHUCK
will soon be back behind the mic at Houston's Smooth Jazz KHJZ FM.
LEE ANDERSON [LELAND ANDERSON] (McAlester, OK) sleepylee@mcalesterradio.com Hello Jim, I was one of the first dj's (a weekend guy) on the old KBER AM, 1960-1962...worked for AV Bamford...worked
with Bob Wolfe, Jerry Wilder, Dick Jones to name a few...the station was located in a custom built trailer on the east side
of San Antonio and was a daytimer...Then Moved to KVWG in Pearsall from 1962 til 1965...Moved to KNED, McAlester, Oklahoma,
1965. Lee
BAM and KBER (K-Bear) were quite a combination. By the time I arrived in 1972 as Program Director and Morning
Drive DJ, KBER had added an FM to its operation, plus an additional larger building for the radio control room,
production, sales, BAMFORD's office and the manager's room had been constructed. The news department remained inside
the small trailer which was adjacent on the south side. TOM ORTIZ was the Chief Engineer at KBER. TOM was the main
engineer at KBUC FM-AM when I was Program Director back in 1970. EDDIE DANIELS had returned to KBER. This was like
a radio reunion.
LEE ANDERSON (McAlester, OK) sleepylee@mcalesterradio.com Hello Jim, I am currently in McAlester, Oklahoma...I own 4 stations here and LMA another...Been here since 1965...I
was at KBER from its very beginning..That news trailer you talk about was probably the old studio office building..The station
was in a custom built trailer, built by Collins..Had an office/combo studio, control room, transmitter room, small bathroom
and that was about it...Bob Wolfe was program director and did mid days..Jerry Wilder did mornings, Dick Jones was chief engineer
and did afternoons..Myself and another guy, and i cant remember his name did weekends...There was one salesman and i cant
remember his name..I moved to Pearsall, Texas and worked on KVWG until i moved here in December of 1965..Great to hear from
you and keep in touch...Lee
The history of San Antonio's KBAT-680 has drawn quite a bit of interest. From 1970-71, I was a DJ and
co-hosted a nightly talk show at KBAT. Originally the call letters were KABC for the Alamo Broadcasting Company. Those call
letters were sold to ABC affiliate in Los Angeles on 790 kc. KENS became the new moniker to coincide with its sister station,
KENS-TV. That partnership was disolved and KENS radio became KBAT with a middle-of-the-road music format which featured artists
such as ANDY WILLIAMS, VICKI CARR and the RAY CONNIFF singers. Then, in the early 1970s, KBAT changed format to Country and
became KKYZ where it remains today. An inquiry about 680's original transmitter site in the 1930s came from BOB POWLEDGE.
BOB POWLEDGE (Austin, TX) rpowledge@austin.rr.com Subject: Early KABC San Antonio Question Jim-I read with great interest some of the early history of KABC-AM San
Antonio...wondering if you or any of your readers or contributors might be able to help me with a question regarding this
station during the 1930s.
My grandfather, Kemp Cates, was an engineer for KABC San Antonio in 1938...family address 811 E. Myrtle
in San Antonio...the site of the KABC transmission tower...family lived at the site in either a trailer or temporary building
at the time.
Here's where my confusion comes in...not only is the site at 811 E Myrtle currently a vacant lot,
but according to all the old maps I can find of the city (like the Sanborn fire Maps), it has always been a vacant lot without
any kind of structure...just northwest of the IH35 and 281 intersection, behind the now-defunct Pearl Brewery.
Does anyone know if KABC had its transmitter at this location in the 30s? If they did, what's
the story? Thanks! Bob Powledge Austin, TX
Our San Antonio correspondant in the know, HENRY GUERRERO, tries to fill in the blank spaces.
HENRY GUERRERO (San Antonio, TX) edward-guerrero@sbcglobal.net Subject: Early KABC San Antonio Question Hi Jim, Visited the location this afternoon; which is about 2 blocks from
my youngest daughter's workplace on Josephine St. The area seems to have been a commercial/industrial zoned site for a long
time. The parcel #42 has the 811 address. As for parcel 41 there is
a 2 story building, of large size, seems to have been built in the '40's probably post-war because of it's deco style design.
I looked for a place, tower and/or guy wires base pads, where an antenna could have been erected.
No evidence of this. The 2 story building is occupied by a small graphics/media type company now.
I will continue with the KABC history search and will get back with you if i find new info. Regards,
Ed G. San Antonio, Texas
The two maps which GUERRERO sent indicate that the area is now pretty congested with businesses, highways
and streets which weren't in existance in the 1930s. Appears that the San Antonio 680 kc tower array has been moved a couple
of times since then. Maybe a part of KABC-KENS-KBAT-KKYX's history has been solved. When I was at KBAT from 1970-71, the transmitter
building was in a very nice structure way out northwest on Bandera highway with a set-up similar to maybe late 1940s
or early 1950s radio, but in pristine state of affairs.
Do know that KBAT-680 sent out a strong signal. Found out just how powerful KBAT was right after I took
a couple of days off in 1971. Motored straight northeast from San Antonio on I-35 to Dallas and 35 miles east on I-20 past
Terrell to my parents' small farm in east Texas. We all sat under the trees and enjoyed the quietness and the cool breeze.
My 1970 Dodge Charger's radio was tuned in to KBAT which came in like a local radio station. PAUL KELLY was the DJ on the
air.
Slipped inside my parents' home and placed a long distance call to PAUL. KELLY put me on the air and I
said Hi to my parents who were listening in far east Texas over 300 miles away from the KBAT studios. When
I came back outside, dad and mom ROSE were truly amazed. Radio presents some of the most wonderful adventures and memories.
Jim Rose
Houston, Texas
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