These pictures are a before and after KAAY.On the top, I was in high school and working at KBBA, Benton AR, my first radio job when this picture was taken with a wonderful RCA BX-44 that could make even a teenager sound good. The left picture was taken a few years ago with an RCA 77D. The best mike ever. I still use it to this day.
KAAY used RCAs extensively. Mainly because they were there from KTHS. We also had a lot of Ampexes. A few from KTHS but we got several in a bonus deal from Jimmy Fidler.
Remember "Jimmy Fidler in Hollywood reporting for KAAY". When you signed a contract with him, you got a free Ampex. More on Jimmy later and an air check for those who don"t remember.
All this was prompted by an email from David:
Majesty,
I was told some years back that Jerry Sims was a Sonny
Martin. I do not know this for sure, but I seem to
remember the voice appearing under that name. This
would have been prior to the time when the RCA 77DX
ribbon mic in the control room was replaced by the
Electro-Voice 667 (or perhaps the short-lived 666
model).
I always wondered why the voices on KAAY sounded so
large, even the higher-pitched ones. It was that RCA
ribbon mic!
David
1 comment:
Ah yes... KBBA. My first radio job. I believe that RCA ribbon mike in your picture was the one I used to see collecting dust in the transmitter room. The control room was using a Shure mic by the time I worked there in the late 1970's.
regards,
A KBBA alumni
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