[BC] What happened to fun radio?

[Steve Newman]

Ahhh..Ok. I worked in Portland from 1987 to 1993. From KYTE-FM (Morning 
Drive Classical) to KKSN-FM (KISN as production director.  Bob Harlow was 
the P.D. then. Also, took care of KKSN-AM (satellite MOYL format at the 
time) I was going to take a gig at KEX but decided to dump it all and go 
south where I am now for a business venture that didn't work out so I P.D.'d 
the Classical station in Dallas (WRR-FM) and then got fed up with that and 
returned to my property in L.A....Lower Alabama and work for the local 
station here in Opp. Also freelance for WorldSpace (satellite radio for 
Europe/Middle East/Africa/Asia) and do some consulting. It keeps me going 
but it's kind of making radio fun again. A group of us are trying to buy the 
AM-FM combo here but it would seem one or two of the board members feel 
obligated to sell it to a jerk from way up north who has a reputation from 
you know where. If we do get the station I'll put my 50's/60's format in 
there and really get feelin' good again. :) I've got the format on the air 
in Milton Florida (bout an hour and a half Southwest of here) It's a 1Kw 
full-timer on 1490. (close to the Pensacola market)

Steve


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ronald J. Dot'o Sr." <ron.doto at comcast.net>
To: <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2006 4:31 PM
Subject: Fw: [BC] What happened to fun radio?



> I'm in Salem Oregon.
>
> During the '80's we had KSLM AM (MOR) with a lot of community activities
> like Saturday in the Park with all jocks doing a massive remote and free
> tethered free air balloon rides for the listeners in attendance.  Then 
> there
> was the Great Willamette River Raft Race as a fund raiser for Jerry's 
> Kids.
>
> Most of these activities were shared with our sister station KSKD FM
> (Cascade 105) which was top 40.  Both stations had a lot of remotes, and
> we'd broadcast from the State Fair for its duration every year.
>
> The combo was bought about '86 by bean counters from Fla. who traded the 
> AM
> for a mere AM CP in Portland and moved the FM to Portland for a quick sale
> at an inflated price.
>
> Both stations have had several ownership changes since then.
>
> KSLM went dark for a while and is now just a simulcast relay of KISN AM in
> Vancouver, WA.  How sad for Salem's pioneer station which went on the air 
> in
> '34.  Wish I could win the lottery and buy it and make it a radio station
> again.
>
> KGAY AM was Country.  They had a WW II carbon arc spotlight mounted on a
> flatbed truck and would do special event remotes in the evening from car
> dealerships etc. where people would drive around town to the spotlight and
> get the free hot dogs and stuff.  One jock, zany Eddie Edwards moved on to
> Memphis, Nashville and then LA and MC'd a national country music affair on
> TV.  Wonder where he is now, he was truly a nice guy!
>
> KGAY had an Information Booth at the State Fair and also broadcast from
> there for the duration.
>
> Those days are gone!
>
> In Oregon the #1 market is Portland, #2 is Eugene and everything else,
> including Salem, is just plain small market.  Most of the stations were
> independently owned but most everything has been swallowed up by CC,
> Entercom and other group owners.
>
> KGAY became KYKN (Kick'n Country) and went newstalk  in '91.  It is still 
> an
> independent.
>
> Ron D