Just letting y'all know, my first station KFIR am 720 outta Sweet Home, is cleared to go 10 K.

Hmmm.....

Semoochie reported on KFIR September 9th. It's the first post on "Towers & Such: It's Baack!"

So...how many years will it take to get the station upgraded?

My first station was also KFIR ... back in May of 1979. I started as afternoon announcer and became the news director, sports director, production director and morning show host. And, I also did some selling. Whew. How many others have walked through those doors?

They have 3 years from the date of the construction permit to upgrade. It probably won't take nearly that long because it's a single tower that's currently being used with no change of frequency.

Steve, you have worked at every station in Oregon!!
LOL!!
How are you old man?

KFIR was the station that got me to get my 3rd class license - but they turned me down for my first job!

In the summer of 1968, a buddy of mine and I were coming back to my folks place in Berlin (That's between Sweet Home and Lebanon) from a fishing trip to Foster Lake. We were taking the backroad, and what to my wondering eyes should appear than a brand new building and radio tower on the hill.

I stopped in to the nearly complete station and took a tour with GM Dennis Soleri (sp) and PD Ken Sturtevant. I believe they were 1370 at the time. They were very kind and suggested that if I really wanted a job with them, I needed to get a "3rd Class Radiotelephone Operator's License". I sent off to the FCC in the big city (Portland) for the study guide and spent the next 3 weeks studying. I got my dad to drive clear up to Portland so I could take the test - which turned out to be ridiculously simple.

Two weeks after that my 3rd came in the mail and I promptly drove back to the station, ready for my big break.

Ken explained to me that since we had spoken, the station had signed on the air and had one announcer fresh out of broadcast school who was a complete disaster. The orders from owner Hiram Groves (Groves Hardware, Sweet Home) were that no more beginners would be starting at KFIR.
Dejected, I went home.

On a lark I applied at KGAL in Lebanon. John King and Bill Gentry were nice enough to let me cut an audition tape while I was there.They told me that as a directional station, they required only 1st Class Licensees (The fabled "1st Ticket") and that I should scram out of there. Sadly, the 1st was out of my reach.

Two weeks later they called when they had 3 staff members quit/get fired simultaneously and asked if I'd like to fill in on the weekends. What about the 1st? "Don't worry about it, you take the meter readings every 1/2 hour and <b>I'll<b/> sign them" said King.

Much later I learned their plan was to just use me for a couple of weekends until they staffed up and then blow me out. They never got around to it.

I did finally get to work for KFIR during the summer of 1970 when I signed on the station in the morning, bucked hay for my dad midday and then played the hits on KRKT in Albany from 5-9PM signoff.

I went to OSU that Fall, despite being offered a whopping $300 a month to go full time at KFIR.(Memorable quote from the GM at that time: "Of course for that kind of money we'd have to own you!"

Still my favorite summer of all time.

Wow...great story, Tom!

Yeah Tom, great story! There's been scores of people in and out of that place for years. It either seems to be the catylist to move upword and onward, OR it's the end of the road. About 6 months ago, my buddy who works there got into some trouble, and I had to fill in for a couple days- the first time in 6 years! The studio set up is 2 cart machines that BARELY work, 3 non broadcast quality cd players, and a record player that somehow works. I really don't see how B & B Ratter can go 10 K with that kind of set up- not to mention the RF nightmare that will ensue.-- The " studio" is only two feet from the xmitter!

Geez, Tom, just how old ARE you. I was a young buck when I started at KFIR in 1979 ... after a work/study at KEX. I lived just up the hill from the station in a mobile home (trailer)
Dodger, you know I haven't worked at every station in the state. (wait, let me think) I'd probably still be working at KQEN if you hadn't turned it into a rocker (from beautiful music) Ha.

When was KQEN a rocker? I always listened to KYES when driving through the area.

>>>""Of course for that kind of money we'd have to own you!"

Surely that must have just been the expense account they were offering.

Well we weren't a "rocker" but we were top 40 in the late 80's at KQEN.
Steve is referring to that period. I was brought in as pd of a beautiful music station and told to take it top 40, we did that and it was literally like the WKRP show. Played something like Dean Martin at 5:50 am and "Jump" by Van Halen at 6 one morning. I had death threats from 70 year olds! haha It was fun and we were nominated by Gavin Report as Small Market Station of the year in 1988 so we did pretty good.
Steve was a huge part of that as he did carry over from the old format to the new.
Many of those folks are in great places now.
Kevin Welch worked for me as a teenager to early 20's and of course he is now at KINK.
I brought Cyd Micheal in from Idaho and now he is the man at KZEL.
Chris Sargent was wallowing in The Dalles, I brought him in and now he is a big wig with CC in Albany/Corvallis.
We had a pretty strong team and did so well the owner went from one am station to owning pretty much everything in douglas county.
The sad thing is, all this talent I brought in and none of them will talk to me. I was a hardass but we were winners and I guess now that I am older I have learned that winning at whatever expense cost me friends.
I wish nothing but the best for Kevin, Cyd, Chris and Steve but you know boys, an occasional hello or thrown bone would be nice!
Kevin, I remember you calling my wife and I when you were in Arkansas, you were practically in tears dying at that crappy job, begging me to help you get out. Hmm, now that you are a big shot I don't hear from you. Oh well, I am very glad you are so successful though.
Steve, you are one of the best newsmen in Oregon and if it weren't for all idiots running the PDX stations you would be morning news every day somewhere.
By the way, to all the old Q124 staff, I recently heard from our little girl Tanis, she is doing fine!

Top 40 WAS a rocker in the parlance of the times. I'm sorry I never heard the station then.

There were several different ways to go with top 40 then, we were a more dance oriented top 40. Heavy on Madonna, New Kids, Bobby Brown etc.
So, your statement is not true for all top 40's of the late 80's.

Dodger, I stopped by your Salem station a few weeks ago and left my card. Wanted to say "hi."
By the way, I'm in a great spot right now and most of the people I know running PDX stations are wonderful ... great broadcasters.
You're right. Kevin, Cyd-man and Chris did pretty well for themselves. I'm glad Tanis is doing well ... didn't we do a morning show together in the late 80s?? I'm getting old and the memory is the second thing to go ... really!! Whatever happened to Paige Turner?
Dont be hard on the industry. Most of the problems we have are usually because of ourselves. I know I made some pretty big mistakes on the way.
Wait, I played Madonna and New Kids? Oh, my gosh, I did? I'm so, so sorry. I'm also sorry for my on-air name of Sgt. Rock!! Bill made me.

My statement was correct but I had the wrong time frame. Top 40 stations were referred to as "rockers" back to probably the 50s, indicating not relying on Frank Sinatra songs. I tend to think of "Rock" as anything in the "Rock Era" including the entire playlist of most CHR/Pop stations and almost anything on the radio dial that wasn't popular with adults before the late 1960s.

Someone should post some old airchecks of Roseburg's Q124. What a great station that was! Top 40/CHR radio in Roseburg continued as the format moved over to 103.1 KRSB "B103" in 1991. In early 1992, KRSB changed to "Country 103"...and Roseburg has been without a real CHR station ever since.

While we're talking about Roseburg radio, I gotta give props to the current team at "Classic 1490" KRNR. The station is sounding very good!

I would be very interested in airchecks of the old Q124. I have one very short one on an old cassette. As far as I know its the only one around, it is my morning show in 1988 and Kevin Welch was middays, I am being "arrested" by the American Cancer Society for smoking and Kevin is "taking over" the morning show. The tape is only about 2 minutes and is really poor quality. So, if one of you other guys or girls out there have airchecks of the Q from its heyday 1987-1990 please post them.
Now Steve:
Did you stop by the right place? If you stopped by the Keizer location I am not there anymore. We have new studios.
As for Paige, haven't heard from her in years. And YOU never played those artists. You were the news guy. You would never have had to stoop so low. Yes of course remember you and me before Mr. Bain and then again after when we tried the 3 person team with Tanis? That was a great show!

Tom, I remember you at KRKT. You sounded so "62 KAYE GEE DOUBLE-YOU".In fact, you were just about to go to work for them....At KRKT, Ken Paul was the P.D. Harry Gift was the G.M. Pete Ryan owned KRKT in those days. Out on 28th street, in summer, it got so hot in the control room that the cart machines would stop working. BTW what ever happened KEN Paul, aka Pete Mcneil, etc, etc..

I never kept up with Ken after I left KRKT. In my last conversation with him he was attempting to convince me what a bad career move going to KGW would be. Dang!

hey, happy harry gift gave me my first job. my dad stole him away from bob estes and brought him to redmond at kprb. harry never met a drink he didn't like but he was a good radio guy.

KQEN must have changed format after KYES went dark (or changed hands, whatever). I was out of state and don't know when that happened.

Wannabe...Ken Paul was last seen in Louisiana after leaving Oregon (Tom..talk about career moves!). He was there until the mid eighties at least. KRKT was close to 28th, it was actually on Marion Street. The station was moved in 1974 to 9th street, then back to the original building in 1997. Dodger...the move of Harry to Redmond was somewhat of an arrangement between your Dad and Bob Esty. Harry's issues with the bottle had worn out his welcome in the valley. Regardless, Harry was a great guy with a great voice. The ghost of Tom Parker continued to haunt KRKT as the liner voice after the station changed to country.

Tom, thanks for the note. and Graydog I say to you, "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" And, thanks for the info. on the infamous Ken Paul. Rock on.

hey graydog, thanks for that clearing up, I was quite young at the time so my memories of happy harry were all "in awe" of what I thought was a great dj. I knew he was a bit of a drinker, his nose looked like wc fields, but didn't really know it might have been a problem. When he worked for my dad everything seemed right there as far as I know, but maybe more went on then I was privvy to.
You aren't by chance the famous former krkt, kprb dj who gave a 16 year old his first beer while fishing the deschutes are you?
Or are you the jumpin jivin type?

Harry Gift.

May we all just pause and think about that as a radio name and the image it conjures up? Not what you were looking for under the Christmas tree?

Harry had one of the quickest comebacks/coverups I've ever heard on the radio.

Harry was doing a live remote at Stoddard Chevrolet in Albany. While he's talking a small child wandered up and Harry goes for the cute interview...(sfx: Glissading Harp)

Harry: "Hi, how are you?"
Toddler: " F - - K"
Harry: Oh, Chevy TRUCKS!! Yes, they're all here at Stoddard Chevrolet!!"

Awesome pipes, nice fellow, always asleep on the couch after a few at the station parties.

Not Wild Bill O'Brian however now I know a source for more dirt on the Dodger! I do think Wannabe has me pegged.

ooooo graydog, now you really have me going!!!
This is fun. Good call on the Blitz giver. Actually you have the dirt on Wild Bill for distribution to a minor! LOL

are we talking about HDA? ( harry)

I remember KRKT'S Wild Bill O'Brien and another guy in a cowboy hat doing a remote at Bird Chevrolet in Lebanon in 1979. That was the wildest thing I've ever seen. Bill and the other guy were drunk on their asses, so was the entire car sales staff. The dj with the hat took a brand new Camaro SS and lit it up across the parking lot, while Bill held the microphone near the rear tires, then the cowboy jock turned the Camaro onto the highway and, with a wild look in his eyes, floor boarded it as some terrified car salesman sat gripping the dashboard soiling his leisure suit. But, if I recall correctly, they sold that Camaro and a lot of other cars during the remote. Oh my, so politically incorrect.

Wild Bill was wild no doubt. He taught me a lot. Some I still do, some I don't
Happy Harry Gift, a sweet, kind gentleman who did hit the bottle a bit, but man he was good on the air. I just loved being in the booth listening to him. So, gray are you "Jumpin Jivin Jim"?

I wonder if anyone was rolling tape on Harry's remote, Tom. Funny stuff and a great comeback (or coverup lol.)

The only reason the lady bought the camero was the fine driving job of the cowboy...she wanted something HOT!!

No Tim,
Harry Gift and I are not the same person. I never met the man, he left KRKT just before I started.

There is also a slight problem with that tim in that the dear old Happy Harry is deceased.
Don't think he is posting from the beyond.

I saw those krkt djs in the Lebanon parade one time,years ago, driving that old green "cricket" converted mail truck. I think it was Wild Bill O'Brien, Charlie Daniels, HDA, and some part timers...they were all shit faced. And openly drove in the parade and around town with complete immunity. Those guys were bullet-proof. That's when radio look really fun.

Wannabe...We had a ball back then. Bill O'Brien, and Charlie were two of the best.

HDA

thanx for the clear up, H..

good to be remembered..and remember when radio was "fun", Harry Gift was indeed one of the best...along with jumpin jivin jim malloy...HDA....so many more...i think you might get the impression wild bill O'Brian (me) had a tendency to tip a few
during remotes...only if the owner did first..it's remote etiquette
bill o'.