That was the question posed to the “I Love AM Radio” Facebook group yesterday. A lively discussion ensued, eliciting over 100 responses before the end of the day. Many seem to feel that AM radio is doomed. Headed towards the ash heap of history, alongside spark gap transmitters and teletype machines. Others feel AM radio… Read More »
Dan Donovan passed away over Labor Day weekend. I grew up listening to Dan in the Twin Cities: first on KS95 (KSTP-FM 94.5) and then on KOOL 108 (KQQL-FM 107.9.) He was one of the best. Known as “The Geezer” or simply “The Geez” during his tenure on KOOL, Dan always performed a very energetic… Read More »
Another independent hometown radio station bites the dust. WHEO-AM 1270 in Stuart, Virginia will be signing off permanently the end of this month. Patrick County will be losing it’s only radio station. Reason? You guessed it: ad revenue has declined to the point where it is no longer feasible for the station to operate. WHEO… Read More »
I am heartbroken. One of my biggest radio idols has passed away. Casey Kasem died earlier today. He was 82. When I was 9 years old, I discovered American Top 40 while visiting my grandparents in North Dakota. I was riding my bike, tuning the dial on my red and white Arvin Bike Radio when… Read More »
On the third Friday in August, 1986, I arrived in Fort Dodge, Iowa. After checking into Super 8 for the night, I woke up early the next morning to begin my new adventure. This was back in the days when it was inexpensive and easy to find a place to live. You didn’t need to… Read More »
Two days ago, I celebrated my 50th birthday. It’s true, kids: your author is as old as the Ford Mustang! By the way, I’ve been thinking it would be great to commemorate this occasion by purchasing a new 2014 Mustang GT. If you’d like to contribute to the fund for my indulgence, please let me… Read More »
It’s been a few weeks since I wrote the latest chapter in my continuing radio saga. I should make this into a book and title it “I was a Roaming Radio Gypsy” or “Fifteen Years as a Radio Drifter.” I’m only up to station number 3 and there are about 20 left to go! I… Read More »
Usually, when a radio station “goes dark”, all the equipment is removed from the location. The building is either sold to a new business. If it’s in extremely bad condition, the site is bulldozed to make way for new construction. Sometimes, however, the facility is simply abandoned. Years later, it still exists as it was… Read More »
So, I dial up the streaming link on North Florida’s “WOW-FM” this afternoon and who do I hear? JoJo Kincaid! No, not a shameless imitator. I’m talking about THE JoJo Kincaid, CHR Jock Extraordinaire! In 1989, I was doing afternoons on Q94 in Bend, Oregon. JoJo Cookin’ Kincaid was doing afternoons at Q106 in San… Read More »
Sad news out of South Dakota: Dave Diamond has passed away. Dave was one of the nine original “Boss Jocks” in the 1960s and early 1970s. His resume reads like a “who’s who” of AM Top 40 radio in California: KHJ/Los Angeles, KBLA/Los Angeles, KFWB/Los Angeles, KFI/Los Angeles, KRLA/Los Angeles, KDAY/Los Angeles, KIIS/Los Angeles, KCBS-FM/Los… Read More »
One afternoon while on-the-air at KCHK, I received a phone call from Lee Barr. Lee was the Program Director of KWKR-FM 99.9 in Garden City, Kansas. This was one of the stations I had sent an audition tape and resume to. Lee made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, so I packed up my ’77… Read More »
My old Placement Director at Brown College has finally retired! After over four decades of helping students become broadcasters, Mike Kronforst sent this message earlier today on his Facebook page: “After working at Brown Institute, Brown College and Sanford Brown College for 41.5 years, I retired officially on May 6th.” There will be an informal… Read More »
Big news out of the Upper Midwest: Three Eagles Communications has sold all 48 of their Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota radio stations to Digity Companies. Headquartered in south Florida, Digity was founded by CEO Dean Goodman and Garrison Investment Group, through the merger of Palm Beach Broadcasting and GoodRadio.TV. After completion of 4… Read More »
When I left KNAB, I thought getting another radio job would be easy. I’d just move back to Minnesota, snap my fingers, make a few calls, and presto: I’d be working at one of the big Twin Cities stations. After all, I now had “experience”, right? Wrong. It was at this time that I learned… Read More »
I graduated from Brown Institute of Broadcasting in June, 1983. To say that I was anxious to begin working in radio “for real” was an understatement. Our Placement Director at Brown was a man by the name of Mike Kronforst. Shortly before graduation, Mike advised our class on how best to land our first position.… Read More »
When I was 10 years old, I determined that I needed an AM transmitter. But there was a slight problem: a 10-year-old kid can’t just walk into a store and buy a radio transmitter. You have to build it, either from scratch or from a kit. At my school library, there were books on how… Read More »
As I mentioned in the previous chapter, the thing I most wanted as a kid was to be on the radio. No other desire even came close. When I was 7 years old (1971), I was given a pair of inexpensive walkie-talkies for my birthday. 99.99% of the population used these to talk to another… Read More »
For years, friends and family have been telling me “You’ve gotta write down all your radio stories! People would love reading about them!” I’ve always been skeptical of this. For one thing, I don’t think folks would believe me! For another, I’m far from certain that anyone cares to hear the assorted ramblings of a… Read More »
Sadly, the earlier rumors have come true: Radio Shack will be closing as many as 1,100 stores in the coming months. This represents approximately 20% of the total and will leave the company with slightly more than 4,000 remaining locations. For this geeky kid of the 1970s & 80s who loved radio and electronics, Radio… Read More »
Did you happen to catch Radio Shack’s commercial during the Big Game this past weekend? It was a great flashback to Radio Shack stores of the 1980s. The spot began with a Radio Shack employee talking on the phone. When the call was finished, he tells his co-worker “The 80s called. They want their store… Read More »