The Original KLIQ

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Author: Craigadams
Saturday, March 01, 2003 - 8:31 am
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On June 10, 1948 the FCC granted a application for a new 1KW AM daytime station in Portland OR. on 1290kc. to Mercury Broadcasting Co. (Gordon E. Bambrick, President & Harold K. Krieger, Vice-President. a minority interest was held by attorney Alfred P. Kelly). Mr. Bambrick was previously Production Manager of KGW for 7 years. Mr. Krieger had also been employed at KGW as well as KOIN. Calls KBKO were assigned and stood for majority owners last names: Bambrick, Krieger & the state of Oregon. On December 28, 1948 licensee name changed to Mercury Broadcasting Co., Inc. On January 9, 1949 KBKO conducted it's first test broadcast at 10AM.

On January 10, 1949 KBKO began commercial operation at 7:30AM. Studios were located at The Carmen Building (3908 N.E. Sandy Blvd.) in The Hollywood District. The transmitter site was located at Oaks Park. (no physical address to this day, between 320 & 330 foot of S.E. Spokane St., on S.E. Oaks Park Way, access road, formally the KWJJ transmitter site until 8-48). Transmitter building: 29x32. Tower: 229 feet. KBKO broadcast sunrise to sunset daily. Mr. Bambrick became G.M. & Chief Announcer as well as President., Mr. Krieger was Chief Engineer as well as V.P., Lloyd A. Sutherland was an additional Announcer. KBKO specialized in "Sweet-type music". Slogan: The sweetest spot on the dial. By December 1950 Eddie Lehay was Sports Director. By 1951 KBKO slogan: The station of continuous musical entertainment.

On September 25, 1952 W. Gordon Allen & Thomas P. Kelly purchased 75% of Mercury Broadcasting Co., Inc. for $26,800. Gordon Bambrick remained President & General Manager. (FCC approval 1-28-53). On November 1, 1952 KBKO became KLIQ. Call slogan: cLIck radio. By December 1952 Mr. Bambrick was Program Director as well as President & General Manager. In late 1953 Thomas P. Kelly became General Manager as well as part Owner.

On April 12, 1954 KLIQ was silenced, after Agents of The Federal Bureau of Internal Revenue padlocked the door of the KLIQ studio building. The radio station had not paid withholding taxes for 1953 and had liens totaling $8,600.

On May 5, 1954 the I.R.S. held an auction of the KLIQ assets, outside the transmitter building at Oaks Park. Highest bid was Callison-Peterson Radio Associates (Glenn B. Collison, V.P. of Engineering for Trinity Broadcasting Corp., owners of KLIF Dallas & Merle B. Peterson, Chief Engineer of KOLO Reno) for $5,500. KLIQ was under a 90 day "Silent Period" granted by the FCC. This grant ran out on July 12, 1954. For unknown reasons KLIQ did not return to the air. One reason may have been the new land lease with Oaks Park. This had to be negotiated first. In December 1954 the KLIQ studios were relinquished.

Stay tuned for the KLIQ we remember most.

Author: Craigadams
Monday, December 01, 2003 - 2:59 am
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This just in from former "Radio Click" DJ Bob Adkins, who would later be known as Addie Bobkins.

When KBKO became KLIQ on November 1, 1952 The Oregonian & Oregon Journal newspapers dropped radio listings for the station. Up to now, I did know what that ment. Mr. Adkins was kind enough to E-Mail me & clear this up.

KLIQ was the first Portland station to drop block programming for music. But more important, KLIQ was the first Portland station to switch to a Popular Music format.

The Radio Click air staff included: Tom Kelly, sunrise-9 (& majority owner), Rick Thomas 9-Noon & PD, Jeryll Burris (female) Noon-1, Bob McCarl 1-4PM, Bob Adkins 4-sunset & Noon to sunset Sundays. KLIQ used a clicker sound (clicker in hand looked like a frog) when announcing the Slogan: This is KLIQ, Radio Click. (click!!)

Bob Adkins did his air show 7 days a week and sold Ad time as a KLIQ Salesman all for $29.45 a week against a 10% commission. This was his first radio job and was led to believe that "double billing" was a normal thing in radio.

When KLIQ was silenced on April 12, 1954 Mr. Adkins was owed about $1,500. which he collected most of through a court order from sponcers, accounts & trades.

Rick Thomas & Bob McCarl were hired as DJ's at KXL & converted the station to Popular Music from block programming. This was the beginning of KXL's Rock & Roll days and the two would become KXL's on air main stay's from the mid to late 1950's.

Mr. Adkins moved to Aberdeen following Tom Kelly to (KXRO?) to become Sales Manager. Mr. Adkins returned to Portland shortly and was hired by Rick Thomas at KXL to do Weekends & fill-ins for Don Porter, Mornings, Rick Thomas & Bob McCarl.

In 1957 Bob Adkins moved to KEX full time doing his "Bob's Danceland" show 7-midnight. The KEX DJ line up: Barney Keep, Bob Blackburn, Russ Conrad, Bob Adkins & Al Priddy, all night.

In Fall 1957 Mr. Adkins moved to KEED Eugene, then to KVAL (TV) to do this first show as "Addie Bobkins" 4:30 to 6:00 afternoons. In the fall of 1961 he moved his show to KPTV. Then took on KISN 10-Noon at the same time. In the Fall of 1964 he was hired by sister station KCOP (TV) to do his show in Los Angeles.


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