A Little LIN Broadcasting History

1962 KTHS (later KAAY) radio acquired by Lin Broadcasting Corporation

1962 buys KEEL Shreveport

1967 pays US$7.5m for KILT radio Houston

1968 LIN Broadcasting buys WAVY-AM and WAVY-TV

1968 buys King Starday Records for US$5m

1971 sells James Brown music catalogue to Polydor

1971 sells King Starday to Leiber & Stoller's Tennessee Recording & Publishing

1974 buys KXAS Fort Worth from Amon Carter Publications for US$35m

1975 sells KAAY to Multimedia

1976 buys WPBS (later WUSL) radio Philadelphia

1979 buys KTVV-TV (later KXAN) from Kingstip Communications

1983 buys WOOD-TV

1986 LIN Broadcasting sells paging operations

1986 LIN Broadcasting sells six of its radio stations

1990 McCaw Cellular Communications acquires 52% interest in LIN Broadcasting

1991 LIN Broadcasting takes stake in Radio Satellite Corp with Hughes

1994 McCaw acquired by AT&T for US$11.5bn

1994 LIN broadcasting stations spun off as LIN TV

1995 AT&T acquires rest of LIN Broadcasting

1998 Lin TV acquired by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst for US$1.9bn

1999 acquires WOOD-TV Grand Rapids

1999 LIN establishes Banks Broadcasting, minority-owned tv broadcaster (KWCV-TV Wichita and KNIN-TV Boise) in which it has a 50% interest

1999 buys WAPA-TV in San Juan, Puerto Rico

2000 acquires WLFI-TV Lafayette from Block in exchange for 66% of WAND-TV (Champaign, Springfield, Decatur)

2000 buys WWLP-TV Springfield

2001 buys WJPX-TV and two satellite facilities in Puerto Rico

2001 buys WNLO-TV Buffalo (formerly WIVB) for US$25m

2002 buys WOTV-TV Battle Creek and WVBT-TV Norfolk

2002 agrees to acquire seven stations in six markets from STC Broadcasting (formerly HMTF-controlled Sunrise Television), inc WDTN-TV Dayton, WEYI-TV and WUPW-TV

2002 IPO on the New York Stock Exchange

2002 sells KRBC TV Abilene and KACB TV San Angelo to Mission Broadcasting

2005 buys WNDY-TV Indianapolis and WWHO-TV Columbus from Viacom

2005 announces agreement to purchase WALA-TV and WBPG-TV (Mobile), WTHI-TV (Terre Haute), WLUK-TV (Green Bay) and KRQE-TV (Albuquerque) from Emmis for US$260m



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this site
the web


LIN Broadcasting Corp. is part of McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc., America's leading cellular telephone group. LIN owns seven network-affiliated television stations in urban markets in Texas, Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, and Illinois. Although LIN was historically a broadcast communications company, cellular operations contributed almost 80 percent of the company's revenues by the early 1990s. The 1990s promised more change at LIN. The company's 1990 merger agreement with McCaw stipulated that, in 1995, the subsidiary's assets would be put up for sale and sold to the highest bidder. And in 1993, American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) purchased McCaw Cellular for $12.6 billion in AT&T stock.

LIN Broadcasting Corp. was founded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1961 as a radio broadcasting company. During its first decade, LIN built up a relatively small communications conglomerate dominated by broadcast radio holdings. Under the leadership of Frederick Gregg, Jr., the company purchased WTVP-TV, of Decatur, Illinois, from Metromedia Inc. for $2 million in 1965. LIN went public the following year with its first over-the-counter stock offer. That same year, the company traded $3 million in stock for a controlling interest in Medallion Pictures Corp.'s 375 feature films and cartoons. The company expanded its radio holdings with the purchase of three Houston, Texas stations, KILT-AM and FM and KOST-FM, for $15 million in 1967. LIN also purchased sister radio and television stations WAVY and WAVY-TV, of Norfolk-Portsmouth, Virginia, that year. In 1968, the company acquired the Adonis Radio Corp., an advertising media buyer, to complement its broadcast holdings.

Although most of these early acquisitions focused on broadcast media, LIN also bought into several peripheral businesses during the 1960s, including a chain of national art galleries, a telephone answering and radio paging service, several direct marketing companies, an educational concern, and the Miss Teenage America Pageant. These wide-ranging operations contributed to over $1 million in combined losses in 1967 and 1968, which culminated in dramatic administrative changes at LIN.

The company's leadership crisis began in January 1969, when Martin S. Ackerman's Saturday Evening Post Co. purchased Frederick Gregg, Jr.'s four percent interest in LIN. Some shareholders later charged that the $3.5 million price tag (which topped the stock's market value by $1.5 million) also bought LIN's presidency, chief executive office, and several seats on LIN's board of directors. Ackerman was a financier whose hostile takeover of the Curtis Publishing Co. and its subsidiary Saturday Evening Post Co. had previously sparked four lawsuits. His infamy definitely shortened his tenure at LIN; after five weeks as president and CEO, Ackerman was fired by the broadcast company's board of directors. Joel M. Thrope, a LIN vice-president, became interim president. LIN's leadership crisis had compounded the company's financial troubles; it had operated under three leaders within less than two months, and lost $6.5 million in 1969.

Donald A. Pels was called in to evaluate the situation and make recommendations. He quickly won the board's confidence and was appointed president and CEO in April, 1969. His prescription for LIN called first for the divestment of all the company's non-broadcast business except the Page Boy Inc. radio paging business in metropolitan New York City. The proceeds from the sales were used to cover operating expenses. Second, Pels instituted strict cost controls governing everything from raises to programming. Although LIN would continue to be involved in broadcast radio until the mid-1980s, Pels shifted the company's emphasis from radio to television.

Until 1973, television broadcasting accounted for only about 25 percent of LIN's total broadcast revenues. But after two years of negotiations, LIN made a pivotal acquisition in 1974. The purchase of WBAP-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth from Carter Publications Inc. for $35 million altered LIN's focus from radio to television and set it on a course for higher earnings. After LIN sold four radio stations to Multimedia Inc. for $8.7 million cash in 1975, television accounted for two-thirds of LIN's broadcast revenues. Perhaps more important than the source of revenues, however, was the increased profitability LIN enjoyed after 1975.

LIN changed WBAP-TV's call-letters to KXAS-TV. In 1975, KXAS-TV's first full year with LIN, the parent's revenues increased by half, from $20.85 million to $31.35 million, and earnings leaped 75 percent, from $2.18 million to $3.95 million. The higher profits were due, in part, to rising print ad rates that pushed many local retailers into television advertising. By the end of the decade, local spot advertising contributed about 44 percent of LIN's television revenues. The above-average prosperity of the Dallas-Fort Worth area also boosted KXAS-TV's performance.

Although radio broadcasting accounted for only one-third of LIN's business, it was also profitable in the 1970s. The highlight of this division, KILT-AM/FM, located in Texas, accounted for about 40 percent of LIN's radio revenues. When other stations in the Houston market shifted their programming, this FM outlet was left with only one primary competitor in its album-oriented rock format. The AM station had a good reputation for local news reporting, and both stations outperformed industry averages.

LIN also still held a remnant of its days as a diversified conglomerate: its two-way mobile radio-telephone services in southern Connecticut and Houston contributed almost ten percent of total revenue. Paging seemed promising, but competition from American Telephone & Telegraph Co.'s New York Telephone Co. and New Jersey Bell hurt this small division's profits. In the 1980s, however, this foothold in telecommunications would help lead LIN into the cellular industry. Net income at LIN quadrupled from 1975 to 1980, from $3.95 million to $16.01 million. The company's profits grew at an average rate of 34 percent annually from 1974 to 1979, ranking LIN highest in this category among the United States' largest broadcasters.

LIN continued to concentrate on television broadcasting in the late 1970s and early 1980s. From 1979 to 1984, the company worked to build up its media holdings to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) limits. In 1979, LIN purchased KTVV-TV of Austin, Texas, for about $6 million. The next three years saw the addition of two Milwaukee radio stations (WEMP-AM and WNUW-FM), a Michigan television outlet (WOTV-TV, Grand Rapids), and GuestInformant and Leisureguides, hardcover magazines distributed in hotels and motels. In 1984, LIN acquired two Indiana television stations (WISH-TV, Indianapolis and WANE-TV, Fort Wayne), bringing its television group to seven. Television still contributed almost 75 percent of LIN's annual revenues, and the company's complement of ten AM/FM radio stations (in Philadelphia; Houston; St. Louis; Milwaukee; and Rochester, New York) contributed another 21 percent. Although radio paging contributed about four percent of LIN's annual sales, the company had already planted the seeds of its transformation into a full-fledged communications company by mid-decade.

LIN entered the then-speculative field of cellular communication in 1982, when it applied for a license from the FCC to operate a cellular mobile radiotelephone system. Governmental regulation of this infant industry created a "duopoly": two licenses were granted for each of the United States' 733 markets. One license was routinely awarded to the local "wireline," or Bell telephone company in each market. "Nonwireline" licenses were awarded to independent entities through hearings and lotteries. The lag between the automatic awards to wireline companies and time-consuming hearings gave traditional phone companies a competitive edge over their independent competitors.

To help speed up the process, many independents made joint applications. In 1983, for example, LIN teamed up with Metromedia Inc. and Cellular Systems Inc. to compete for the New York cellular license. These cooperative ventures helped LIN become the second-largest player in this new industry, with substantial interests in licenses for Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Houston. By 1984, LIN was the only company to have significant stakes in the two largest markets, New York and Los Angeles. By 1989, LIN had solidified its position in five important markets, giving it 18.1 million potential customers ("POPs" in cellular market jargon), and making it the seventh-largest cellular company.

Two primary bidders vied for control of LIN's cellular potential: BellSouth Corp., the largest regional wireline company, and McCaw Cellular Communications Inc., the largest non-wireline cellular company. Under its namesake leader, Craig O. McCaw, the latter company had attained the leading position in cellular communications through smart acquisitions and heavy leveraging. McCaw hoped to repeat Theodore Vail's early-twentieth-century consolidation of local telephone companies into American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) by merging the United States' 733 independent cellular licensees into a consolidated, national network known as Cellular One. Despite their time advantage, the Bell companies would not be permitted to form a national cellular network, because it would too closely echo AT&T's recently divided monopoly.

By the end of the decade, McCaw had come a long way toward accomplishing his goal: his company held 50 million POPs, 68 percent more than its next-largest competitor, Pacific Telesis Group. Craig McCaw hoped that the addition of LIN's strong positions in the nation's five most important cellular markets would be the company's most significant step toward his goal. But McCaw had to pay a high price to outbid major telephone groups like BellSouth Corp., Pacific Telesis, U.S. West, and Southwestern Bell to acquire LIN. In June, 1989, McCaw bid $120 per share, or $5.9 billion, for the 90 percent of LIN it did not already own. The bid--$275 per POP--was based more on LIN's potential value than its actual worth. In 1988, LIN's actual revenues were only $226 million, and $100 million of that income had come from its broadcast television and publishing businesses. But BellSouth came back with a plan to sell LIN's broadcasting operations and combine the two companies' cellular businesses, thereby capturing the top spot in the cellular industry from McCaw.

After months of vacillating between BellSouth and McCaw, LIN reached an agreement with the latter in December 1989. The merger called for McCaw to pay $154 per share, or $3.4 billion, for a 40 percent share of LIN that raised its stake in the company to 50.1 percent. The agreement stipulated that, in 1995, LIN's assets would be put up for sale and sold to the highest bidder. McCaw had an option to purchase an additional 23 percent of LIN's stock on the open market before the auction, or put all of its interest on the block.

The agreement gave McCaw about five years to turn a profit on its purchase, which looked like quite a feat by the time the sale was settled. McCaw paid $350 per POP in LIN's license areas; it would have had to capture eight percent of those potential customers within ten years just to justify a $200 per POP price. At the time, the cellular industry's penetration rate was just two percent, and LIN had a wireline competitor in each of its markets. To help shift the odds to its favor, McCaw sold six million of LIN's POPs to Contel Cellular for $1.3 billion, leaving it about $2.5 billion in debt. Even so, McCaw and LIN's combined operating cash flow could not cover the parent's debt service.

McCaw planned to upgrade LIN's services and capture more customers in the early 1990s. The company began to upgrade the New York and Los Angeles cellular systems from analog to digital systems, dedicating $150 million to improvements in New York alone. Digital technology promised subscribers improved call quality, increased voice privacy, more portability, better data transmission capabilities, and other advanced features. The conversion to digital also instantly tripled LIN's capacity. LIN hoped to activate digital service for all of its markets by the end of 1994. The addition of information services, like stock quotes, local weather, and traffic reports, also promised to attract more subscribers and extra income. LIN and its customers began to benefit from the corporate affiliation with McCaw by the end of 1992, when the parent's North American Cellular Network (NACN), which linked cellular coverage areas on the United States' two coasts and north to Canada into one system, grew to serve over 2.3 million customers. Craig McCaw's vision was becoming reality.

LIN's annual cellular revenues grew over 400 percent from 1988 to 1992, from $121 million to almost $609 million, completing the transition from a television broadcasting company to a cellular business. Although telecommunications clearly demanded more time, attention, and money, LIN had not abandoned its broadcasting roots. Cash flow for the company's television group increased by 13 percent from 1991 to 1992 to $70 million, as many of LIN's stations reduced their reliance on more costly outside programming to concentrate on local-interest series. By 1992, LIN's longest-held station, KXAS-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth, occupied an important position in the United States' eighth-largest television market.

Any threat that LIN's television interests could be sold to help diminish McCaw's colossal debt was eliminated when AT&T purchased McCaw. McCaw used the proceeds of the sale to pay down a significant portion of its debt. Although the upper-level merger may have been somewhat reassuring, LIN still faced the possibility of fundamental change in 1995, when the question of corporate ownership would again arise.

"My Home Town" Revisited

Sometime ago I wrote a couple of entries about the "My Home Town" jingle. Many of the Pams jingles that KAAY would have liked to have used were already taken in the market.
Here is a link to the history of the Pams jingle from their website:

http://www.pams.com/pams/myhometown.html

And here is the link to the "My Home Town" jingle that was used in Little Rock by KVLC. Anyone from Little Rock will appreciate this jingle:


http://kaay.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-05-17T14_41_47-07_00

And here is the "My Home Town" for New Orleans furnished by Jim Pitcock:

http://kaay.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-05-23T05_43_21-07_00


Does anyone have any other cities? Let me know. Email me at" ajlinds@yahoo.com

My feelings are hurt!

First let me say I worked with Billy Dixon at KDXE. We used to race each other to the bank to see who could get their paycheck cleared. I was a kid just out of high school and got to move up to the big time at KXLR. Billy stayed with country KDXE.
It was a 1000 watt daytimer. From my previous posts you can read how I left KXLR for the 50,000 watt giant and became Emperor Holiday.

Now I find an aircheck of Billy Dixon at KDXE from 1965 for sale on Ebay for $12.00.The guy selling it is from California. No one has ever offered an aircheck of me on Ebay and I can't do it because I don't have any. I didn't save anything from my time at KAAY. If you have an aircheck of Doc Holiday or Emperor Holiday, please email me at ajlinds@yahoo.com. Or put if up for sale on Ebay.

All the airchecks on this blog are free for the downloading. You might even download them, put them on a CD and sell them on ebay.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Listen to the Christmas jingles all the way through to the New Year's jingle and try to keep a dry eye. You will have to move to green bar down to the KAAY Chirstmas Jingles selection.


Click here to get your own player.

Beaker Street Comment posted on Amazon

1967 was the summer of love, and I was a naive 13 year old nerd from small town Kansas. At that time, the few FM stations that did exist played only classical music. AM radio was full of crackle and full of life. I discovered that on a clear summer night, an old tube-powered bakelite AM radio was a window to the world. Top 40 radio stations from all over the country faded in and out through the night: WLS in Chicago, KOMA in Oklahoma City, WOAI in San Antonio, and KAAY in Little Rock. I made a list of my favorite songs and the bands who sang them.

Then one Saturday night I stayed up late, past midnight, and KAAY was transformed into..... Beaker Street. Slowly, a door into a whole new world of music opened. Clyde Clifford was the DJ, but he wasn't your typical fast-talking Top 40 DJ. Clyde spoke slowly and softly over a background of eerie, spacey music that played in the background. And the music he played was definitely not Top 40, it was "Underground Music" by bands with strange names like Pink Floyd, Savoy Brown, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Clyde broke all the rules of AM radio, especially the three-minute limit. I learned that "Light my Fire" was not a 3 minute pop song, but a 7:05 guitar and organ opus. I was hooked, throughout that summer and for the rest of my adolescence I lived for Beaker Street.


My Beaker Street favorites
Pink Floyd "Astronomy Domine" The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Quicksilver Messenger Service "Pride of Man" Quicksilver Messenger Service
Savoy Brown "Hellbound Train" Hellbound Train


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My Beaker Street firsts
Big Brother and the Holding Company "Piece of My Heart" from Cheap Thrills
Black Oak Arkansas "Lord Have Mercy on my Soul" from Black Oak Arkansas
Bloodrock "D.O.A." from Bloodrock 2
Captain Beyond "Dancing Madly Backwards" from Captain Beyond
Cream "Tales Of Brave Ulysses" from Disraeli Gears
Creedence Clearwater Revival "Susie Q(unedited)" from Creedence Clearwater Revival
Deep Purple "Child in Time" from Deep Purple in Rock
The Doors "Light my Fire" from The Doors
Frijid Pink "House of the Rising Sun" from Frijid Pink
Grand Funk Railroad "Closer to Home(unedited)" from Closer to Home
Iron Butterfly "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" from In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
It's a Beautiful Day "White Bird" from It's a Beautiful Day
Jaime Brockett "Legend of the USS Titanic" (from the album "Remember the Wind and Rain" -- CD now available from Collector's Choice Music @ www.ccmusic.com)
Jefferson Airplane "Plastic Fantastic Lover" from Bless Its Pointed Little Head
Jethro Tull "Nothing Is Easy" from Stand Up
Jimi Hendrix "Third Stone From The Sun" from Are You Experienced
King Crimson "21st Century Schizoid Man" from In The Court Of The Crimson King: 30th Anniversary Edition
Led Zeppelin "Moby Dick" from Led Zeppelin II
Mason Proffit "Two Hangmen" from Come & Gone
Neil Young "Cinnamon Girl(unedited)" from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Rare Earth "Get Ready(unedited)" from 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Rare Earth
Santana "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts / Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen" from Abraxas
Spirit "Prelude - Nothin' To Hide" from Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
The Who "The Acid Queen" from Tommy (1969 Original Concept Album)
Traffic "40,000 Headmen" from Welcome to the Canteen
War "Spill the Wine(unedited)" from Eric Burdon Declares "War"



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Beaker Street Lives
Clyde Clifford is still going strong! These days, it airs every Sunday night from 7PM until midnight Central Time, on Magic 105.1FM KMJX in Central Arkansas. And it is also streamed live via the internet (using Windows Media Player), from the homepage:
http://beakerstreet.com

According to an interview posted on the web site, the original background music for the show was from the dream sequence in the movie Charade by Henry Mancini! Believe it or not!

More Black Oak Arkansas and KAAY

Doc, it's funny how many great memories you've invoked by your blogsite! I first heard Black Oak Arkansas on KAAY back in the day and got one of their LP's ("If An Angel Came To See You...")- something that today's teens know little or nothing about! I still have that record AND a turntable, although the latter may not work very well. This memory was keyed by reading some of your entries from June '07....

Living in the past? No, just remembering great memories that otherwise brightened an ugly, drab life....and if I could have escaped, I would have travelled and transplanted in Little Rock, AR. Too bad KAAY didn't stay as it was- although, as a Christian, I'm glad they now have Christian-based content on the air, rather than some of the crud on the airwaves today. If KAAY had've stayed, then I might have persued my interest in broadcasting, as was an early, pre-teen goal of mine....

...but then, I wouldn't be where I was today, with a great wife & kids, etc.; "what if" isn't even an option any more. But, by gosh, as long as you and others keep up the archival storage of such great things as KAAY, as long as the Internet doesn't go down, we can relive it!

God bless you, Doc, for everything you do!

For HIS glory,

Bud Stacey

Jerry Sims……. AKA Sonny Martin, KAAY 1962-1967

Emperor A.J.,



A little bit of early KAAY history, and a dream that came true. My KAAY experience:



I too had the experience of opening that mike and having my voice blasted all over North America on KAAY “The Mighty 1090”. Forty years later, I am still thrilled by the memory.



I grew up in North Little Rock , Arkansas and radio always fascinated me. As a Cub Scout I built a Crystal Radio, all the way from winding the wire around the coil, to attaching the whole thing to a small board. Every night I would have the headphones on in bed listening to whatever it would pick up. Not much. Usually it was, for a young boy, a very boring “adult” radio station whose tower was a short distance away. The station was KARK 920. It did not matter though; it was radio and helped grow my fascination.



As Rock ‘n Roll began to grow in popularity around North Little Rock , my choices were two radio stations. There was KGHI (later KAJI- later KALO) and KXLR. They both were Top 40 type formats and were the choices of all the kids in town. My favorite was KXLR 1150. That’s where I knew I wanted to work. I did not know anyone in radio, but my Dad knew a “radio announcer” in our church who worked for KTHS 1090 (later KAAY). My Dad introduced me to Earl “Pappy” Davis and I began to hang out with him at the station on his late night shift. The radio station was owned by the same group that owned KTHV Television, and had their studios in the same building. KTHS usually programmed a “good music” format they called Sonorama. The exception was Earl’s late night “Razorback Roundup”. He played Country Music and even had a fan club which was based, I believe, in Iowa . I was amazed that this 50,000 watt for runner of KAAY could send a signal so far. I would take home old AP news copy and practice for the day when I would be there too. All the announcers had an engineer who would run the board for them while they sat in the announcers booth, which was later the KAAY newsroom, and “announce” when the light came on. The engineer would spin records and play commercials from the control room. One night Earl asked his engineer, Eddie Graham, later of KAAY, to record my voice reading news copy. It was the first time I had ever heard my recorded voice. As is the case with everyone, it did not sound like I thought it would. Now after all these years, and thousands of recordings, I recognize my recorded voice, but it still sounds more like an old friend rather than me, different from what I hear or imagine. (I sound much better in my head than outside it)



I tried every opportunity to get on the radio somewhere, anywhere. Everyone wanted experience, and I could not get experience if a radio station would not allow me the experience. I adopted the “persistent” approach. I caught a real break in my first year of college at Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway , Arkansas . Gary Weir, who later became a local favorite as Bozo the Clown on KATV, was working part time at KXLR (my dream job), and we became friends. He introduced me to the station Program Director (A.J. Lindsey, our KAAY Blog Master, AKA Doc Holiday) who gave me a try. As exciting as KAAY was for me, it could not have been any more exciting than being at KXLR was for me then. I remember we, at KXLR, listened as KAAY came to town with The Baby Elephant Walk and all their excitement. At KXLR we gave away a few records, an occasional transistor radio, or some stuffed animals. KAAY hit the air giving away Mink Coats and even a car (used). They had a saying, “it just sounds better on KAAY”. One thing that sounded, at least different, was the speed that they played their records. With variable speed turntables, they would run them a little faster than 45 RPM’s. We had listeners telling us that we were dragging.



KXLR sold and changed music formats and no longer had a need for teen aged disc jockeys, so we left. We also thought they would not have a need for all those Rock and Roll records. I don’t suppose they ever missed them.



The one competitor left for KAAY was KALO 1250. Gary Weir (John Scott) and I joined them. KALO had a very unusual owner/manager who had all the jocks calling themselves (whoever) Kay-Low. There was Jim Kay-Low, and Bob Kay-Low, John Kay-Low, etc. I did not want to be “Jerry Kay-Low”. Also they did not want me to be Larry London, my KXLR name, for some reason. I later won that one and was Larry London on KALO.



Then the “weird man” sold KALO, and again I was without a job. (Just a little richer in the record collection). As much fun as radio had been, I decided that I could use some stability in my life, and needed a real job. I got one, and was happy enough, until my old buddy A.J. Lindsay (same friend, same Blog Master, same A.J. Lyons, same Emperor Holiday) called. He was now Program Director at KAAY. WOW. His offer of a job back on the radio was going to be a tough decision for me. It took me about 45 seconds to throw the stable job out the window. He was suddenly talking to the new Sonny Martin (a station owned name).



So, this has been a long way in telling the story of the absolute thrill of opening the mike at KAAY and watching those 10 telephone lines start to blink with listeners calling from ”who knows where”. It might be from Mountain View , Arkansas , or it might be from Missouri , or Minnesota , or Canada , or Central America . Our listeners were having a great time, but not as much fun as we were. We were a confident bunch too. I remember one of our sales people coming to me when I was working the 8 pm to Midnight shift. He asked me if I could choose a record to come out of the Religion Block (6:30p to 8p) that was a little “soft”. I suppose he was thinking about the Beach Boys “Surfer Girl”, or something. I think I must have used my 45 second thought process again to think….”these kids all over the Mid-West who have been listening to “The World Tomorrow” and have lit up all these telephone lines just may want to hear a little Mitch Ryder”… so hear comes “Devil With The Blue Dress”. One of my favorite “un-soft” records.



Fun…Fun…Fun!!! And we even got paid to do it. Not much, as I remember, but a wonderful experience for a young boy who went to bed with his headphones on dreaming of the moment. I would not trade the time with anyone.



Jerry Sims……. AKA Sonny Martin, KAAY 1962-1967

Some more interesting Beaker Street Reflections

Here is another link to a blog with some interesting Beaker Street comments:

http://www.areavoices.com/bemidjimike/?page=comments&blog=2203

Another KAAY Beaker Street link

Thanks for an email from Bud with this link:

windsofchangekc.com

Interesting KAAY Beaker Street Link

Here is a very interesting site about Beaker Street complete with an aircheck:

http://windsofchangekc.com/index_1.html

More spaced out Beaker Street Comments

Go to this site and read the comments:

http://www.artofthemix.org/FindAMix/getcontents.asp?strMixID=106309

And I always thought Beaker Street listeners were hip

From a Black Sabbath message board
From: "Darryl

>> You brought me to mind an "underground" radio station from mid-70s: WKKY with a special program called "Baker Street". If i remember well it was located in Little Rock, Arkansas. It s rumoured that was sponsored by a millionaire who liked heavy metal, they used to put the best music at midnight & between songs you could hear terrifying sounds. It was absolutely great!!!!. One day, it simply stop broadcasting. Does anybody here remember "Baker Street"? <<

Beaker Street KAAY Clyde Clifford

Excerpt from the Ottumwa Courier (That's Iowa for you Arkies)
Published October 01, 2007 12:07 am -

Onward to Oktoberfest
Browsing Around

BY CINDY TOOPES Courier staff writerThat takes me back to high school summers in the late ‘60s. I used to listen to the radio while lying on a blanket in the back yard, hoping to get a tan. His voice will always be on file in my head.

Hearing about Dic Youngs reminded me of another radio voice from the ‘60s — Clyde Clifford on KAAY Radio, Little Rock, Ark. For most of the day, the station played a Top 40 format; but, after 11 p.m. KAAY’s signal was underground music with “Beaker Street” hosted by Clifford.

“Beaker Street” began late in 1966 and ran through 1972. It was the first underground music program broadcast regularly on a commercial AM radio station in the central United States.

The Internet gurus in the newsroom squawk about Wikipedia, that free encyclopedia on the Web. I’m here to testify that at least a few facts are right in the article about KAAY.

The article reminded me the station was called the “Mighty 1090.” KAAY did send the signal about the latest in rock to kids in the Midwest, definitely in Ottumwa.

I’m one of those kids. I had a transistor radio and I soaked up the music from bands I didn’t hear anywhere else. They had names stranger than Beatles or Rolling Stones, such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, Pink Floyd, Savoy Brown, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, just to name a few.


I hear Clyde Clifford is still out there on the radio waves. That’s fun news for the 40th anniversary of those late ’60s years.

So, next Sunday night I’ll search for Magic 105.1 FM, KMJX, central Arkansas. My ears are ready for a flashback.

Cindy Toopes can be reached at (641) 683-5376 or via e-mail at cindy@ottumwacourier.com.

Merry Christmas

Take some time today to study The Word.

Merry Christ Mass!

The Night before a KAAY Christmas

T'was the night before Christmas
and all through the station,
All the DJ's were stirring
cause we had no automation.

All the salesmen were partying
at every turn
Hoping for a big commission check to earn.

The Big K Mobile Money Cruiser was ready to click.
With a driver that could be mistaken for St. Nick.

It was Pat Walsh doing one more follow contest on the way home
The only time he allowed his voice to be known.

Out at the transmitter there was a great noise.
Sonny Maritin and the Marines gathering toys.

Felix McDonald was there in a flash.
Not wanting the transmitter to gather any trash.

(how about some help to finish this up. Email me at: ajlinds@yahoo.com

Many thanks to the current KAAY

Many thanks to the current KAAY for their mention of this blog. It is responsible for many visitors each day.

The current KAAY link is:

http://www.1090kaay.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=59

The original KTHS KTHV Studios

This is downtown Main Street in Little Rock in the 1959s. Look closely in the upper left and you will see KTHS on a building. When KTHS was moved to Little Rock from Hot Springs, this is where it was located. When KTHS put KTHV, channel 11 on the air it was done in this building. KTHS was purchased by Lin Broadcasting and the call letters were changed to KAAY. For a complete history, put KTHS in the search box and click search this blog.

Did you work at KAAY?

Here is the link to the personnel roster that I try to make as complete as possible. If you worked at KAAY and are not on this roster, please email me with your air name, real name and the years you were there. If you notice a mistake or omission please email me also at ajlinds@yahoo.com http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/2006/09/kaay-personnel.html

KAAY, Beaker Street, Mighty 1090, what else can I say....

...to get your attention. I don't mean to complain but I guess all of you are out shopping today. Only 6 visitors to this blog and one of them was me. I am noticing a lot of the new visitors to this blog are only looking at the first page. I've been at this a couple of years. I have written a lot and don't like to repeat myself. So if you are new to the blog, look at the archives or do a search on this blog. (upper left) There are lots of airchecks and audio you can download. What I enjoy most is hearing from you about where you were and what you were doing, when you heard KAAY. If you are a previous employee I would really like to hear some comments from you. Email me at ajlinds@yahoo.com.

This link will take you to many of the audio clips that have been posted (but not all):
http://kaay.podomatic.com/

Welcome college research

Someone at Creighton University spent 5 minutes with this blog and viewed 7 pages. Hope you found something worthwhile if not email me and I will see what I can do. ajlinds@yahoo.com.

Someone looking at Corvette Stingrays found this blog. (all because I mentioned I had a 1963 Corvette stingray.)

"We will have these moments to remember"

I guess I am so intrigued with the internet because the coverage is so much like KAAY only larger. I am also fascinated by the visitors to this blog and why. The counter that I use to find out how many visitors there are to this blog (over 10,000 now) supplies all kinds of statistics. Yesterday I discovered a visitor to this blog from South Africa who was looking for prisons in Oklahoma. I'm not sure how Google made the connection but I'm sorry we didn't have much info on Oklahoma prisons.

Somehow though, surfing on a computer is just not the same as having an old tube type
bakelite radio, with the lights out, in bed under the covers, tuning the AM radio band
and landing on KAAY. Imagine for a moment being on the other end of this senerio. You
are a kid in college, working full time at possibly the greatest job of your life. You throw the mike switch, the on the air light goes on, relays click, and you are going to talk, but you have no idea who, if anyone is listening. Almost 50 years later you hear from someone who shared that moment. Thanks to all of you who have emailed. You are what keeps this blog going. For those of you who haven't written, please understand how important it is to hear from you. Email me at ajlinds@yahoo.com.

Beaker Street Theater Remembered

You know, Doc, I also remember when I was a kid, keeping that ol' Bakelite green Zenith table radio's volume 'way down, especially when that spooky creaking door opened on the Theater at 2:00AM! I'd be snuggled right at the edge of the bed, with my head as close to the radio as possible, while having the covers over my head! Of course, I knew that old tube radio generated heat, so I didn't put the cover on it! But, this was during the summer, while I was out of school and I could sleep a little late in the morning, until I got yelled at to go feed the chickens & cows! Heck, it was worth it! Lotsa spooky fun!

Oh, to have some of those recordings and airchecks of the Theater! Are any available?

Some interesting things I learn doing this blog

Someone from Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania spent 7 minutes on this blog reading about reverb. They had googled building a reverb from a garden hose.

Some KAAY Night Music

It's been a while since we had some music on this blog so here is something appropriate:

KAAY & The Fouke Monster

There were three movies made about the Fouke monster. Such a great story. Charles B. Pierce was a local film maker that jumped on the news reports of a hairy monster lerking in the swamp near Fouke AR. You can rent "Legend of Boggy Creek" and the sequel on Netflix. (Fouke is near Texarkana a far piece from Little Rock) I have been trying to remember KAAY's involvement. I must have been gone from the station when the promos were done. I vaguely remember a tee shirt and now I find documentation that KAAY offered $1090.00 for proof of a Fouke monster. Read the article at:
http://www.texasbigfoot.com/tex_gaz5.html
(If only Pat Walsh were still with us, he could tell the story with great gusto)
If you can add to the Fouke story, please email me at:ajlinds@yahoo.com.

KAAY Control Room Pictures

A recent comment asked for control room pictures....so here are some that have been previously posted.

The first picture is in the second studio location on W. 7th Street across from the state capitol. It is me as Emperor Holiday showing the North Little Rock Mayor at the time, Casey Laman how to work the board to do my program since he lost an on the air bet. Note the microphone was still an RCA 77D. The cartridge racks take up a lot of space.

This picture is from the original control room in the Channel 11 building. This is Jim Pitcock, a/k/a Ron Owens with recording artist Bobby Vee and record promoter, Stan Lewis. Note the RCA 77D as the announce mike.


The is Dale Schidenswartz a/k/a Clyde Clifford. It is photographed again at the 7th Street Studio. That is not where Beaker Street was broadcast from. The photo shows the mike has been changed to an E.V.

Ratings & KAAY

I have written often about ratings and KAAY. If you have an interest, type "ratings" in the search box in the upper left corner and click on search this blog.

When I first started in radio, Hooper was the primary rating service. When I started at KAAY, Hooper was on the decline and Pulse was the rising star in ratings.

Pat Walsh was a ratings finatic. He subscribed to statewide and national Pulse ratings. He lived to catch a DJ bragging about his ratings. Pat would reach down in a file and pull out the book and start quoting actual numbers to put the DJ in his place.

I found an interesting website that traces the history of ratings. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6266/

KAAY & Christmas

There still hasn't been enough written about the Toys for Tots program at KAAY. Unfortunately I can not pick up the phone and call Pat Walsh for a complete history of Toys for Tots. It was one of his favorite public service efforts of KAAY. It may have been the first Toys for Tots marathon broadcasts in the nation. It started as a marathon effort of the disc jockey to stay awake as long as possible at the remote location of the Toys for Tots drive. The Marines did all the work. The disc jockeys, Matt White or Bob Robbins did cut ins 24 hours a day for as long as they could stay awake. The Marines, unloaded the toys from listeners cars and put them in semi-trucks. The Marines distributed the toys. The Marines kept the disc jockey fed, watered and awake. There were plenty of civilian volunteers. All the volunteers should get the recognition for making these campaigns a huge success.

KAAY Fun Moblile

Hi AJ -



Speaking of the FunMobile (pronounced Fun Mo -beel), there were two of them during my time at KAAY. They were used extensively during the Christmas shopping season, and the FunMobile was the focal point of the US Marine’s Toys for Tots drive each year.



The first FunMobile was a rehabilitated travel trailer, painted blue, with large yellow KAAY signs on the roof. It started life at WAKY in Louisville , and was sent to Little Rock when KAAY was still part of LIN Broadcasting.



It had a large glass window in the back, and the DJ booth was built onto the rear window so that people could come up to watch the DJ through the windows on three sides. There was a small audio mixer and two turntables, one on either side of the DJ. There was also an intercom so the DJ could talk to people outside. Inside the other end of the FunMobile had a small table arranged like a diner’s booth and visitors usually sat there when the DJ was busy. The finishing touch was a set of loudspeakers mounted outside on the roof that loudly played KAAY music to anyone nearby.



Visitors to the FunMobile could watch the DJ work, making announcements and talking on the air, selecting the next record. Lucky visitors could make requests on the spot and hear their favorite record played on the air.



The blue FunMobile trailer was retired in the mid-‘70’s and replaced with a more modern motor home / studio. This one was painted bright yellow and had the KAAY “Sunshine” logos. It was equipped with a UHF link that transmitted signals from the remote location back to the studio, and could be seen all over Arkansas at a variety of events. We drove it to Greer’s Ferry Lake and parked on a mountain top while the DJ’s broadcast from a party boat that roamed the lake. It went to the Arkansas Prison Rodeo. It broadcast from all corners of Central Arkansas , and its bright yellow color made it visible from miles away.



Both FunMobiles, the blue one and the newer yellow one, were fixtures at Toy Hill ( War Memorial Park in Little Rock ) at Christmas, collecting toys with the Marines. The FunMobile was as much a part of the personality of KAAY in the ‘70’s as were the radio personalities themselves. Every DJ at KAAY ended up at some point spending time in the FunMobile. It could be blazing hot in the summer and ice cold in the winter, but it was broadcasting in its most public sense. A listener could walk right up and talk to the DJ, get an autograph or prize or bumper sticker, and go home listening to his new friend on the radio.



After I left KAAY in search of my career, I heard that the bright yellow FunMobile was enroute to a remote broadcast one day, had an engine fire, and burned to the ground.



People loved the FunMobile. DJ’s would make all sorts of contests on the spot to draw a crowd. Usually the DJ would take some T-shirts and a stack of albums to the remote site. Then he would announce something like this:



- The first car with a KAAY bumper sticker on the outside will win two KAAY T-shirts

or

- The first 2 girls in a bikini will win two albums of their choice

or

- The first 2 girls driving a convertible will win two movie tickets

or

- The first person to show up - - - well you get the picture



The FunMobile was a great place to meet girls! Guys would cruise by or just hang out just to check out the girls that would show up. Little did they know that the girls were really there to meet the DJ and get some free loot! An on the spot romance was possible but rare.





Regards, merry Christmas



Dave Montgomery

Snapshot of a few of our visitors

Cuba Habana, Ciego de Avila
12
United States Hattiesburg, Mississippi
13
Cuba Habana, Ciego de Avila
14
United States Martin, Tennessee
15
United States Tanner, Alabama
16
United States San Antonio, Texas
17
United States Huntsville, Alabama
18
United States Van Buren, Arkansas
19
United States Memphis, Tennessee
20
United States Sulphur Rock, Arkansas

"Spin it and win it"

Hazel Dillehay has left a new comment on your post "From the "Timeless Tracks" KAAY 40th Anna. Pgm":

I listen to Tony on "Timeless Tracks" every Sunday night before leaving work and in the car coming home from work. It's my treat for working every weekend to end with the best music ever. I remember in the early 60's listen to KAAY and playing the "We spin it...You win it." I picked up lots of 45's during that time. Of course living in Jacksonville at the time I had to ride the bus to Little Rock to pick up my 45 record. It was worth every minute to get the record from KAAY. I still have some of my collection from the 60's but not as many as I used to have. Tell Tony Warner to keep up the good work. It makes me feel as if I was living my teenage years all over again. I love "Timeless Tracks".

Christmas & KAAY

This comment from Bud:

Hello again, Doc! This time of year (Christmas) reminds me of KAAY even more....I always will remember the Toys For Tots going on in Little Rock. One of my plans was to take as much vacation as possible, drive up and stay in Little Rock during Christmas. Alas, due to my family (I was the oldest, holding things together, in a broken family) and my work ethic, I hardly ever took time off, so this dream never took place....

Nonetheless, just listening to KAAY during the Christmas season bolstered my spirits and fueled my imagination! Thanks for the memories!

And this previously from Dave Montgomery:

Also, remember the "Funmobile"? The big blue remote broadcast trailer? We did hundreds of remote broadcasts from all over central Arkansas, including the annual Toys for Tots broadcast from Toy Hill at War Memorial Stadium. Sonny Martin (Matt White) did this for years, and was taken over by Bob Robbins (Bob Spears) after Sonny moved on.
If you are interested in any of these stories, let me know, and I will pass them along. Best regards, and am enjoying seeing the stories and history lessons.
Dave Montgomery

KAAY, Elvis, and me

I live in Alma, AR a bedroom community for Fort Smith AR. Elvis was inducted into the Army at Fort Chaffee, AR just outside of Fort Smith. Just the other day my Grandson visited the barber shop where Elvis got his first G.I. haircut. See the visit on my Grandson's blog at: http://www.davisjim.blogspot.com/

Oh yea the KAAY connection. I played Elvis records at KAAY.

My oldest Daughter, Holly's first concert was Elvis in Pine Bluff, AR.

Writer's strike continues

I have asked for former KAAY staffers to write their Christmas memories. I am still waiting at ajlinds@yahoo.com. Soooooooooo while I wait here is a recycled post from last year:

My Best Christmas Memory

It was Christmas Day and my wife and I had only been married a few months. I was doing the Emperor Holiday stick on KAAY. We decided to put on the Emperor robe and crown and my wife wore the Daphnie get up. (short cheerleading skirt and white go-go boots). We spent Christmas morning at the Arkansas Children's Hospital. Understand that every child who could possibly be sent home, was gone. The remaining children were very, very sick. They gave us so much more than we could ever give them. Through all their pain, they was excitement and joy on their faces. To this day, its one of my best Christmas memories.

Beaker Street Comment

Bud, Thanks for your Beaker Street comment. This is exactly what we are looking for. your memories triggers our own great trips to the past. Here is Bud's comment:

A. J., I just found your blog today! I previously asked about recordings...looks like there are some on your site? I'll investigate more!

I listened to Beaker Street when I was a youngster...in fact, I listened to KAAY probably more than I did to local radio stations here in Mobile, AL! Radio became my hobby when I was nine, 40 years ago this year...and I found KAAY shortly after and still have a radio log on notebook paper, where I DXed AM radio stations. Later, when I was old enough to drive, I outfitted my '66 Dodge Coronet 440 with an extra-long antenna and a bullet antenna amplifier...KAAY came in louder and with better fidelity than most local FM stations!

I would almost always drive 'way out of my way going home from work, just to listen...radio after midnight around the house was a strict no-no! Of course, on weekends, I almost couldn't wait until sundown...KAAY would almost always come into the clear about 30 minutes before dark, they were so strong.

Needless to say, KAAY was a large part of my radio life....

"Safety-Courtesy-Responsiveness-Accuracy-Efficiency"...Service Is Our Passion!

For HIS glory,

Bud Stacey, Parts Advisor
Cummins Mid-South LLC

Bud,
To hear the Beaker Street airchecks and previous Beaker Street material, just go to the top of the blog and type in "Beaker Street" in the search box and then click on search this blog.

Raccoon Story just won't end!

Before you read this scroll down and read the story about the raccoon and the nail gun. Then read the new story:


* Huntsville teacher kills raccoon with nail gun in parking lot
* Humane Society questions 'educational' raccoon killing

HUNTSVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Authorities in Madison County are working to find out who killed and skinned a large dog, then draped it over the gate of a Huntsville High School teacher.

Madison County Sheriff Phillip Morgan says the person who left the dead dog apparently believed the teacher had reported another teacher to the Humane Society for killing a raccoon with a nail gun prior to a class demonstration on how to skin an animal.

The dog was placed on the gate on Thanksgiving Day or on Friday.

Morgan says the culprit could at least face a harassment charge. He says the investigation is continuing.

Prosecutors say no charges will be brought against Jerick Hutchinson. The agriculture teacher killed the raccoon at school -- but out of view of students -- earlier this month. The principal has told Hutchinson not to kill any more animals on school grounds.



©2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,

Still waiting fro some former KAAY staff reflections on Christmas

Let me remind you the writer strike is still on. I am depending on former KAAY employees to send me their memories of Christmas at KAAy. The email address is :
ajlinds@yahoo.com.

Meanwhile, I hope you find the list of locations of visitors to this web site as interesting as I do.

If you are new to this site, don't miss the archives that contain hours of airchecks, jingles, music etc.

2
United States Washington, District of Columbia
3
United States Huntsville, Alabama
4
United States Tulsa, Oklahoma
5
France Paris, Ile-de-France
6
United States Suwanee, Georgia
7
United States Suwanee, Georgia
8
United States Little Rock, Arkansas
9
United States Carthage, Missouri
10
United States Van Buren, Arkansas
11
United States Fort Lauderdale, Florida
12
United States Martin, Tennessee
13
Canada Richmond Hill, Ontario
14
United States Hopkins, Minnesota
15
United States Loganville, Georgia
16
United States Bosque Farms, New Mexico
17
United States Saint Louis, Missouri
18
United States Ellabell, Georgia
19
United States Billings, Montana

A snapshot of the last few visitors to this blog

United States Mountain Home, Arkansas
6
United States Rockford, Illinois
7
Turkey Izmir
8
United States Martin, Tennessee
9
United States Rochester, Minnesota
10
United States Cabot, Arkansas
11
United States Two Harbors, Minnesota
12
United States Omaha, Nebraska
13
United States Bedford, Texas
14
United States Saint Louis, Missouri
15
United States Hopkins, Minnesota
16
United States Owens Cross Roads, Alabama
17
United States Martin, Tennessee
18
United States Bedford, Texas
19
United States Roswell, Georgia
20
Australia Brisbane, Queensland

Anyone Interested

I have an aircheck from KBOX and KLIF in the Kennedy assassination. Before I go to the work to encode it, I would like to know if anyone has an interest in these airchecks. Email me at ajlinds@yahoo.com.

Please come home for Christmas

About this time of the year I was always scrambling (regardless of what station I was working for) to find Tommy Riggs a/k/a Rock Robbins version of "Please Come Home For Christmas." (do a search in the upper left corner for "Tommy Riggs" and then click search this blog. Lots of Tommy material.) If any one has Tommy's version please email me. While I continue my search enjoy this:

Your Comments keep me going

Thanks for the ananomous comment on the "How long has it been since you heard a cigarette commercial" post.
Ananomous said: A Great 58 minutes!!
That encourages me to keep looking for great stuff.
I still need lots of comments on Beaker Street. (see post below)

Writer's strike goes on

Remembering what yesterday was, go to the top of the blog and type JFK into the search box and click on search this blog.

Beaker Street

A good friend of this blog is doing research on Beaker Street. I think it might be useful to him to maybe hear some personal stories of what Beaker Street meant to you.
We all are aware of the nationwide coverage, but it is very helpful to hear your personal story of where you were when you heard Beaker Street. Did it cause you to go into the radio business? (or stay out of the radio business) How much time did you spend listening to Beaker Street? Was Beaker Street common among your friends? Why was Beaker Street different from what you could hear locally? Did you call in to Beaker Street and how did that conversation go? Do you have any recordings or other Beaker Street material? Please don't just read this blog and click on. Take a few minutes to email me you comments at ajlinds@yahoo.com.

Clyde Clifford maintains a Beaker Street website at:

http://beakerstreet.com/

How long has it been since you heard a cigarette commercial?

Well you can today. This is a great montage of commercials. (not necessarily from KAAY)
Remember the Studibaker Lark? Enjoy a great glempse of history with this:

http://kaay.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-11-21T11_24_41-08_00

Raccoons Rule

Has the raccoon story made it to Little Rock TV? For those of you outside the state, which is by far the largest segment of readership to this blog, Little Rock is in the center of the state, the State Capitol, and some would believe the center of media. Northwest Arkansas is a completely different critter. For example, if you live in Fort Smith, you will probably be inclined to go to Tulsa to shop or be amused, rather than Little Rock. Part of this is the attitude toward NW Ar, by the Little Rock media and state government. Northwest AR has plenty of local media and the torrential signal from Little Rock doesn't reach there. All this to give you a local TV station's coverage of the raccoon story and to dispel the image of hicks in this part of the state.

Watch the video at: http://www.4029tv.com/news/14585917/detail.html

Urgent Request

Comments have been slow lately. Maybe it's the writer's strike. I have an urgent request of all former KAAY staffers. Please send me you memories of KAAY at Christmas time. My email address is ajlinds@yahoo.com.

Still on strike

The writers remain on strike so it in necessary to recycle old material.

It is really warm here in Alma, AR and Christmas seems far away, however, this picture seems appropriate.

This picture is from a Christmas in August promotion we ran at KAAY. The Santa in the dark sun glasses is Jim Pitcock with no fat padding. We thought this was such a great gag and had him ride around in a convertible with the top down. People were to put signs in their yard for Santa to see as he drove around. Prizes were awarded for the best signs. I forgot what the prizes were, but it was a great successful contest.

Not to early to be thinking about Christmas

I thought I had posted this earlier but as I found the audio, I heard some phasing and generally bad quality. Now I can't put my hands on the master tape. Still it will put any KAAY employees in the Christmas mood. (click on the link).

http://kaay.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-11-19T12_10_34-08_00

More Thanksgiving

Enjoy:

http://www.grizzlypoint.com/tg/2006tdm1.html

Thanksgiving & KAAY

The holiday season was always great at KAAY. There were always plenty of contests and promotions with a Thanksgiving theme. Most WKRP fans identify the "flying turkeys episode" as their favorite. As most remember the last line of the show is from "The Big Guy" who says "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly". I have mentioned in previous posts that season one of WKRP is available from Netflix. If you rent it or purchase the DVD be sure and listen to the comments from Hugh Wilson, Herb & Gennifer. They only comment on a couple of episodes but it is well worth listening to. They briefly explain why some of the songs have been changed. How stupid it is on the artists part to demand such high royalties. After all only a brief section of the music was used and no one would purchase the DVD because of the music. In fact, if they were smart, an artist would pay them to have it included to renue interest in their song and maybe stimulate some music sales. Call me old fashioned, but artists still need exposure now more then ever with all the competition out there. The quality of the DVD is a little disappointing. After all it was shot on video tape instead of film as most of the MTM sitcoms were. The transfer to DVD should have been sharper than it is. But, hey, I guess we are lucky to get what we got. I noticed from the comments on the extra features part of the DVD, that the cast seemed to have developed the same comradity as a radio station. They mentioned that radio people were always coming up to them and saying we had someone just like Herb, or the big guy, or Les. Few said they had a Gennifer. Without getting too personal, I would say we had a least two maybe three Gennifers at KAAY. But that's another story, one I may never tell.

Russell W. wrote:
When writing, I often use the old-school abbreviations (Ark., Ala., Miss., et al) just because I like how it looks instead of the sterile AR, AL, MS.

BUT, since I like my outgoing mail to get to point B without delay, I put the two-letter kind on the envelope. Anything to help, I suppose.

My .02,
Russell in Savannah, GA/Ga. (where after dark the raccoons come out en masse outside the station)

The raccoon story is getting picked up all over now. I noticed AP has several versions of the story and often use the term he "dispatched" the raccoon with a nail gun.
Interesting use of a word that I usually attribute to a wire service. At least they avoided the obvious "he nailed the raccoon". Neal Boortz was the first national figure to take up the put down of Arkansas. Being from Georgia, where plenty of kooky things take place, he has a lot of room to talk. Wait, there is a writer strip on and I have written too much.

Welcome

International visitors:
Argentina Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal
Greece Thessalonki, Thessaloniki

The raccoons just won't go away

Well at least Arkansas may be off the hook. Today, Friday at 4 PM central time, ABC Radio News reported the nail gun-raccoon story. (Scroll down to read the whole story). Not only were they several days late but they credited the event to Huntsville ALABAMA. Thanks ABC for taking the spotlight off Arkansas. I doubt if the good citizens of Huntsville Alabama will appreciate this story attributed to them. Notice in the original AP story Arkansas is abbreviated "Ark" the old 3 letter abbreviation. Now I am wondering whose right AP or ABC? I know some of my readers are research inclined, so do me a favor. Since I am observing the writer's strike, do some research and email me the real story: ajlinds@yahoo.com.

President Clinton 2000 comment on Coon Supper

And I thank-when Marion Berry ran for Congress after doing a stint in our administration in the Agriculture Department, Dale and David and I really felt that he was entitled to be in Congress, almost as a conciliation prize for having hosted us at the coon supper in Gillette all those years. Anybody who could get us to eat coon for 10 or 15 years in a row should be given a seat in Congress, just as a matter, of course. But I thank them so much.

Writer's Strike but not at KAAY

We never had any unions so never had that DJ can't touch the records that must be played by union engineers.

Maybe I will join the writer's union so I can have some time off.

Continuing the coon thread. Read below stories and comments.

Raccoons have always played a roll in Arkansas politics. Most notable is the Gillette Coon Supper. In an election year this event draws politicians from across the state to mingle and I'm not sure how they are killed but the cooking takes a couple of days.

Arkansas is full of festivals. KAAY always tried to participate in any way possible.
We entered a turtle in the Gould turtle derby, but totally missed the idea of the event. (locals wagering on the critters).

Here is a current list of some of the events in Arkansas:

Altus, Wiederkehr Weinfest
Bismark, Eagles Et Cetera Weekend Festival
Clarksville, Johnson County Peach Festival
Dermott, Crawfish Festival
Des Arc, Steamboat Festival
Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival
Gillette, Gillette Coon Supper
Gould, Turtle Derby Festival
Hazen, Prairie County Rice Festival
Heber Springs, Greers Ferry Lake Water Festival
Hope, Watermelon Festival
Lincoln, Arkansas Apple Festival
Malvern, Brickfest
Mount Ida, Quartz Crystal Festival
Murfreesboro, John Huddleston Day Diamond Festival
Paris, Arkansas Championship Grape Stomp and Cowie Wine Fest
Parkin, Riverboat Festival
Sheridan, Timberfest
Smackover, Oil Town Festival
Stuttgart, Wings Over the Prairie Festival
Tontitown, Grape Festival
Trumann: Trumann Wild Duck Festival
War Eagle, War Eagle Mill and Crafts Festival
Warren, Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival
Washington, Jonquil Festival
Weiner, Arkansas Rice Festival
Yellville, Turkey Trot Festival

There is even a website established to oppose the Coon Supper. Here is a segment from that website: (whoever did the site made many misspellings including the name of the town. Most have been corrected)

Every year The high School in Gillette, ARK plays host the annual Coon supper. Let's put a stop to this event! Each year 600-800 pounds of Raccoon meat are served at this event. This is considered a political event, every politician in Arkansas must attend this event and eat Raccoon meat.

"In most places, a politician has to kiss babies in order to succeed. Arkansas politicians have to eat raccoon.

The small east Arkansas town of Gillette doubles its population on the second weekend of every year as candidates and political junkies gather for its annual Coon Supper.

More than 60 years old, the event has become a required stop for anyone seeking or holding political office in Arkansas. Originally started as a fundraiser for high school athletics, it's now the ultimate meet-and-greet for the state's politicians"

And I found this positive comment:

I've been to the Coon Supper and its actually pretty tasty! Its a wonderful custom for a good cause...all of the top politicians in the state attend and a good time is had by all (except the raccoons of course). If you're against eating any and all animals, then I can understand why one might oppose this event. However, I think its difficult to argue that its okay to eat pigs, cows, chickens, turkeys, etc., yet not raccoons. What exactly about the event upsets you? People in Arkansas and other parts of the country have eaten raccoons for centuries. Just because its not so common in urban areas anymore is no reason to oppose the Gillette Coon Supper.

Comment

Comment of the raccoon story below:

He nail-gunned a raccoon to death as part of a school class???!!! What the F@#$ is wrong with people like this??? People who think that killing animals is fun or just no big deal are obviously missing a key component of humanity:empathy for other beings. No,I am not a crazy PETA type. I simply believe that people who have no feeling about killing animals fit the profile of a killer. Interesting how psycho-killers always start out killing animals...are these people so different?

A union writer would have pointed out:

A union writer would have pointed out the late Orval Faubus was from Huntsville, AR.
See story below.......

Writer's Strike Continues

SO, I am turning to the Associated Press for thoughtful writing:

HUNTSVILLE, Ark. (AP) - A Huntsville High School teacher killed a raccoon with a nail gun Friday after discovering the planned subject of a skinning demonstration was alive.

Superintendent Alvin Lievsay says a student's parent promised to bring in a raccoon for the exercise, but surprised agriculture teacher Jerick Hutchinson by bringing the animal in a live trap. Lievsay says Hutchinson took the animal outside to the back of his truck and shot it with the nail gun. Lievsay says no students witnessed the raccoon's death.

Hutchinson used the dead raccoon to demonstrate how to skin the animal and to examine the contents of its stomach. Lievsay says only one student asked not to attend the skinning.

Lievsay says school officials later talked with Hutchinson and told him animals would not be killed on school grounds. The superintendent says Hutchinson also would provide more detailed lesson plans in the future.

The superintendent added that Hutchinson does a good job, and that the students enjoy his classes.

Writer's Strike Affects KAAY Blog

Today instead of writing a new post, I felt it was appropriate to respect the writer's strike. So, today you get a re-run.

Actually, I was looking over the ever changing list of locations where people are viewing this blog from. It caused me to remember this may be the first time you have visited this site and you make not take the effort to catch up.

Today I would like to feature an old post that has an aircheck that is very special to me. It is a George J. Jennings newscast from 1965. It is significant because it features the old format created by Jim Hankins a/k/a Mike McCormick. In those days the five minute news was at :45 and the headlines at :15. Mike's theory was that we would be ahead of the competition that had newscasts at :55. Also, the term "Comex News" baffled listeners for years. Most thought we were saying "comics" news. Comex News was short for Communications Exchange. A big name for the news closet in the Channel 11 building.
George has passed on. The news was moved to the top of the hour, and Comex News was one of the first things I changed when I became program director.

I can still see George gesturing to the jock as the hotline rang during this newscast. I morn the loss of George, radio news with big voices, authority and NEWS.

Listen once again to the aircheck in this link:

http://kaay1090.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2006-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&updated-max=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=50

1965 on KAAY One of my favorites

Stax Records did a great job of carrying on the Memphis sound legacy. One of my favorites was Rufus Thomas and "Walkin The Dog". It led to a dance. This video is from a British TV show. I'm not sure of the name of the show, but it was a live recording. Unusual because most of the US TV dance parties, just lip synced the songs.

Welcome

United Arab Emirates Dubai, Dubayy
and a few US sites:
Flossmoor, Illinois
Billings, Montana
Bald Knob, Arkansas

New old songs on the player on the right

There are 45 new old songs on the player on the right. I take requests. Let me know of a song or artist you haven't heard lately and I'll try and find it and play it for you.

Email me at ajlinds@yahoo.com

Radio Innovation?

Lee Abrams' blog introduces the all Led Zeppelin
channel: LED ZEPPELIN: we have launched a dedicated Led Zeppelin Channel. Not easy to put that one together as there are 3 managers, 1 lawyer, and a record company. I had to work phones overtime to get this one closed…and lost sleep along the way.
Despite all that—It’s done and will be very cool. On channel 59.

Do you remember the all girl radio stations, the all Elvis stations, the all Beatles station?

This is the time of the year when all Christmas music station's turn up. XM has four.

Not to be outdone I am introducing a Christmas music blog. You will be able to request songs or artists and I will find them and add them to the 45 songs already to listen to .
Here is the link:
http://christmasmusicfromhome.blogspot.com/

Welcome

Cote D'Ivoire

Welcome

Korea, Republic of Seoul, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi
and El Dorado Arkansas....For those of you who don't know it's pronounced EL-Doe-Raid-Oh.

I'll always remember when Federal Express first came to El Dorado. They bought radio commercials produced obviously by their ad agency telling the good folks how happy they were to be in "El Do Rod Oh". The home folk were not impressed.

Razorback Comment

G Hammons left this comment:

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ABOUT HOG SPIRIT. OF COURSE RAZORBACKS ARE STILL KING IN ARKANSAS, BUT I SEE LESS PASSION ALSO IN THIS NEW ERA. --- I REMEMBER THE STICKERS, SIGNS, PEP RALLIES AND THE LIKE OF THE 1960S ALSO.

I THINK THE PROLIFERATION OF TV GAMES HAS LED SO MANY TO HAVE FAVORITE "NATIONAL (NONREGIONAL) TEAMS" AND ARE A BIT LESS PASSIONATE WITH THEIR HOME/LOCAL TEAMS. WITNESS HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS GOING OUT OF STATE OR ACROSS COUNTRY. "BACK IN THE DAY" NEVER WOULD YOU SEE THE POOR OR EVEN AVERAGE TEAMS ON TV, BUT YOU WOULD EVEN HAVE TO WAIT TIL SUNDAY TO GET ALOT OF SCORES (AND NEVER SEE HIGHLIGHTS). NOW I CAN WATCH THE LESS THAN STELLAR TEAMS (INDIANA, IOWA STATE, VANDERBILT, WASHINGTON STATE, SYRACUSE, ETC.) PLAY AT LEAST 3 TIMES IF NOT MORE. IN 1969 I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY HAD FOOTBALL TEAMS (UNSEEN , UNHEARD AND UNPUBLICIZED IN PLACES LIKE ARKANSAS. AND LESS FOLKS LISTEN TO RADIO GAMES, NO DOUBT.

UNFORTUNATE AND IRONIC RESULT OF ALL THE MEDIA (ESPN, CABLE, SATELLITE) AND MORE

Your right G. At the time, of course, I lived in Little Rock. Arkansas State had a following and for those of you new to this blog, do a little search in the upper left box about the time KAAY delayed the Razorbacks to broadcast an A.State game and why.
Now I live in Alma. A stones throw from the home of the Razorbacks. I am not sure anyone here has even heard of Arkansas State. Even this close, there is not the excitement of a Razorback game day as in the 60s.

New KAAY Songs

New old songs. 45 in all, have been added to the player on the far right. Click on the little arrow to play. Email me you comments at ajlinds@yahoo.com.

WKRP Fans Note:

The first season of WKRP is available in three DVD discs on Netflix.
Because of music rights clearance difficulties, some of the music has been changed.

The second Mama Carlson Dead at 87

'WKRP's' 'Mama Carlson' dead at 87
Carol Bruce played Mama Carlson on "WKRP in Cincinnati"

Bruce was nominated for Tony in mid-'60s

Actress appeared in dozens of TV shows over the years

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Actress Carol Bruce, perhaps best known for her role as Mama Carlson on television's "WKRP in Cincinnati," has died. She was 87.


Carol Bruce appears in an undated photo provided by her family.

Bruce died October 9 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in suburban Woodland Hills, spokeswoman Jaime Larkin said in a news release.

Bruce began her entertainment career as a Montreal nightclub singer and went on to captivate Broadway audiences with her sultry voice in the 1940 musical comedy "Louisiana Purchase."

She appeared in the films "This Woman Is Mine," "Keep 'em Flying" and "Behind the Eight Ball" between 1941 and 1942, then returned to the stage, where she was praised for her Broadway performances in the 1946 revival of "Showboat."

She was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the Broadway show "Do I Hear a Waltz?" in 1965.

In 1979, she took over the role that Sylvia Sidney had originated on "WKRP in Cincinnati" a year earlier as Mama Carlson, the tough-talking owner of a radio station managed by her son Arthur, played by Gordon Jump. Bruce kept the recurring role until the series ended in 1982.

The actress, born Shirley Levy, had guest spots in dozens of other TV shows, including "Doogie Howser, M.D.," "Diff'rent Strokes" and "Knots Landing."

Saturdays were a sum of a week of Razorback promotions on KAAY

(That's my grandson, Davis. Visit his blog at: www.davisjim.blogspot.com
I have often written about Razorback fever on KAAY. Somehow, I don't see the excitement that existed in the 60s. Perhaps the increase in TV coverage and the increase in seating at Reynolds Razorback whatever the names is stadium. The Razorback program was built on a statewide radio network that every station in town could carry the game for a very low fee. Later, Frank discovered the media gravy train. I don't know of any station that did more for the promotion of the Razorbacks. Bumper stickers, store signs,pep rallies, records, jingles, contests, and the jocks 24 hour cheerleading. Sonny and George long running Arkansas vs Texas sthick was almost overplayed. George would tell you privately, his Texas feelings were only there because it made good radio. When I was there, a large group from the station would party to Fayetteville, party at Maxine's Tap Room, party at the stadium and all the way home. Pat Walsh was the head hog party provider. He could never get into a stadium today prepared the way he was in those days. He had a portable bar, portable TV, cushions, drop clothes (to cover a couple of rows of seats in case of rain). Going with Pat to a game was an experience even if we lost.

Welcome

Sleepy Eye, Minnesota

Some notes on Sleepy Eye:

Many watchers of the "Little House on the Prairie" TV series will also recognize Sleepy Eye as an important trade post for the citizens of Walnut Grove. In fact, the first telephone line to reach Walnut Grove from Minneapolis was called the "Sleepy Eye Line" in one episode.
Every August the residents of Sleepy Eye host the annual "Corn Days" event, where free buttered corn is provided, as well as live music, a flea market, and various other events.
Ralph John Fritz, a longtime Twin Cities sportscaster, is from Sleepy Eye.
Residents of Sleepy Eye made headlines in the early 1990's by trying to ban MTV in the town.

Welcome Visitors

Australia Perth, Western Australia

How would you like to have the #1 record the week JFK was shot?

Note: Dale died last month.

Dale Houston

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Learn more about citing Wikipedia •

Dale Houston (April 23, 1940 – September 27, 2007) was an American singer who, along with his performing partner, Grace Broussard, rocketed to the top of the Billboard chart with two rock and roll hits - gold records with more than 1 million copies sold - I'm Leaving It Up to You (No. 1) and Stop and Think It Over (No. 8) in 1963 and 1964, respectively. In his later years, Houston was reunited on stage with Broussard.

Early years

Houston was born to Claude Houston and the former Essie Walters in Seminary, a small town in Covington County in southern Mississippi. He was delivered by a midwife on the family's kitchen table. The Houstons thereafter moved to nearby Collins, the seat of Covington County, where the senior Houston surrendered to the Christian ministry. Young Dale began piano lessons when he was a sixth grader, but the family stopped his training after three months because of financial difficulties. Thereafter, Dale was self-taught: his musical skills were enhanced by playing and singing in church.

At the age of eighteen, Houston recorded "Lonely Man," which reached No. 75 nationally. In 1960, while he was performing in Baton Rouge, record executive Sam Montel caught Houston's act in a local bar. Montel declared Houston "a pretty good writer" and signed him to compose exclusively for his label. Houston then wrote and recorded "Lonely Room," "Bird With A Broken Wing," and "That's What I Like About Us," none of which was particularly successful.

Partnership with Grace Broussard

In 1963, Houston was working in a bar in Ferriday, a well-known small town in Concordia Parish, Louisiana along the Mississippi River. Montel approached Houston about teaming up with a female singer, Grace Broussard (born 1939) of Prairieville in Ascension Parish near Baton Rouge. The two met and practiced on Montel's home piano for four hours. When Houston began to play an old Don and Dewey song from the mid-1950s, "I'm Leaving It Up To You," Montel was awakened and declared that it would be "a hit!" Montel was vindicated when in November 1963, I'm Leaving It Up To You reached No. 1, where it remained for two weeks.^[1]

In the autumn of 1963, Houston and Broussard toured with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars. He appeared on Clark's American Bandstand program. The Clark caravan, which also included Brian Hyland and Bobby Vee, was standing on a street corner in Dallas waving at Kennedy on that fateful November 22. The limousine was two blocks away from the caravan when the president was killed, and Texas Governor John B. Connally was seriously wounded. ("I'm Leaving It Up To You" was also No. 1 when Kennedy was assassinated.) Six days later, Houston spent Thanksgiving Day at Clark's home.

Dale and Grace then produced Stop And Think It Over, which went to No. 8 in 1964. However, the popularity of The Beatles, combined with personal problems between the two performers, caused the duo to separate in 1965.

Not from KAAY, but one of my favorites

Jim Stagg passed away on Tuesday, one of the guys I came
rushing home 
from high school to listen to on KYW, Cleveland back in the
mid 
sixties. Cleveland's in the groove again, on the Stagg
line. 
Cleveland's on the move again, on the Stagg line. And
here's your 
million dollar music man to start the show.....
Obituaries |Jimmy Pearson Staggs: 1935 - 2007

Longtime Chicago radio deejay

By Trevor Jensen | Tribune staff reporter
November 8, 2007

Jimmy Pearson Staggs was known as Jim Stagg to teenagers
tuned in to 
WCFL-AM during afternoons in the 1960s and 1970s. A disc
jockey who 
toured with the Beatles in the mid-1960s, bringing
listeners hourly 
updates on the Fab Four, Mr. Staggs signed off in 1975 as
AM rock 
radio was dying out and started a chain of record stores in
the 
northern suburbs.

Mr. Staggs, 72, died Tuesday, Nov. 6, at his Lake Forest
home of 
complications from esophageal cancer, said his daughter
Kara Drumke.

At WCFL, Chicago's longtime "Voice of Labor," later known
as "Super 
CFL" during its battles with WLS for teen listeners, Mr.
Staggs held 
down afternoons with the "Stagg Line" and "Stagg Starbeat."

WCFL program director Ken Draper recruited Mr. Staggs and
several 
other disc jockeys from KYW in Cleveland to Chicago in the
mid-1960s, 
said Jerry G. Bishop, who was also among Draper's hires. At
both 
stations, Mr. Staggs was often the one who lined up the
play list, 
Bishop said.

"He was the music guy. He picked the music," Bishop said.
"He was 
pretty connected to the record guys."

Bishop and Mr. Staggs were among about a dozen reporters
who traveled 
on the Beatles' private plane during the band's 1964 U.S.
tour. The 
reporters had tags connecting them to the tour and
sometimes found 
themselves running through screaming hordes of teenage
girls right 
along with the beloved Liverpudlians, Bishop said.

"There was amazing hysteria," Bishop said. "[But] I had no
idea it 
was history, and he didn't either."

During the Beatles' 1965 tour, Mr. Staggs broadcast hourly
updates to 
a rapt WCFL audience. This tour was much more heavily
covered, and 
Mr. Staggs and other media were relegated to a second
plane, his 
daughter said.

Mr. Staggs had a rich voice and a relatively straight
delivery for 
the era, Bishop said. "Jim was more of a workmanlike guy,
not a 
performer," Bishop said.

After leaving radio in 1975, Mr. Staggs opened a record
store called 
"Record City," which eventually became a chain with
locations in Lake 
Zurich, Skokie, Glenview and Northbrook, with another
outlet in 
Orlando, Fla. The last Record City closed two years ago,
Drumke said.

Mr. Staggs also got into real estate, working with Keller
Williams 
Realty in Libertyville, and started a business that
chronicled 
people's lives through video montages and interviews.

A graduate of the University of Alabama, Mr. Staggs worked
in radio 
in Birmingham, Ala., Philadelphia, San Francisco and
Milwaukee before 
landing at KYW.

Mr. Staggs is also survived by his wife, Valene; a son,
Patrick; two 
more daughters, Lisa Henderson and Dina Jaske; a sister,
JoAnn Terry; 
and five grandchildren.

Visitation is set for 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, and 3 to 5 p.m.
Saturday, 
at N.H. Scott & Hanekamp Funeral Home, 1240 Waukegan Rd.,
Glenview. A 
5 p.m. service will follow the visitation on Saturday.

_______________________________________________

Welcome International Visitor:

Italy

Appiano, Trentino-Alto Adige

El Salvador

San Salvador

New Feature Added

Over on the right is an "On the Air" box. Click on the arrow for some music. I will be changing the playlist from time to time. Enjoy!

KAAY & Jingles

I've talked several times about jingles. I listen to jingles as often as I do music. I love jingles. Radio station jingles, commercial jingles, any jingle. I have included many of the KAAY jingles on this blog. My favorite jingles came from Pams. I hope to someday to try and put together all the KAAY jingles. I also especially liked the beer and soft drink jingles. Jingles must be out of favor today. I don't hear them as much for radio station IDs or even commercials. Where are those great beer and soft drink jingles? I do notice XM radio uses jingles well. They have taken some of the best from the past and had them resung with XM Radio in the place of call letters. The 60s channel on Friday afternoon features a great top 40 station from the past and their jingles. Here is a link to a PAMS page. Pick out a decade and enjoy. http://www.pams.com/pams/sampler.html
It was a great feeling to be out in the public and have folks sing the logo (KAAY, Tune ten ninety) back at you.