The 70th anniversary of KEDO-Longview, is coming up and they are trying to contact all former jocks, staffers, etc. If you worked at either KEDO OR KLYK-FM, have memoribilia, pictures, and/or an interest in attending a reunion, call the front office: ask for, Gurina (Greena) (360) 425-1500

Here's what I know about the KEDO history and it isn't much. The Oregon Historical Society library in Portland doesn't include microfilm for The Longview Daily News, so radio history research as been scant.

KEDO began as KWLK in May 1938. KWLK was owned by Twin City Broadcasting Corp. (C.O. Chatterton, President, formerly KGW G.M.). KWLK studios were in the National Bank of Commerce Building in Longview. KWLK broadcast on 1370kc. KWLK call meaning: Wonderful Longview Kelso.

On March 29, 1941 KWLK was one of 802 stations in the U.S. switching frequency under the NARBA Treaty. The FCC moved KWLK to 1400kc. At this time power was 250 watts. By 1946 KWLK had affiliated with the Mutual-Don Lee Broadcasting System, Mutual's Western States link.

In 1947 or 48 KWLK-FM signed on the air as one of Washington's first FM's. KWLK-FM broadcast on 104.3mc but had changed by 1950 to 103.9mc with 410 watts.

The 1953 Broadcasting Yearbook lists KWLK personnel as: C.O. Chatterton, President; Bob L. Moran, General Manager & Farm Director; Ellen P. Hammond, Program Director; Will Carlson, News Director; Gilbert Holbrook, Sports Director; Frantzel Corman, Women's Director; Ralph I. Brown, Chief Engineer; John F. Carlson, Commercial Manager.

KWLK had become KEDO by 1959 and had increased power to 1,000 watts daytime by 1968. KLYK(FM) signed on the air July 7, 1968 on 105.5MHz with 3,000 watts. By 1982 KLYK had a Top 40 format and had affiliated with the abc FM Network.

The 1982 Broadcasting Yearbook lists KEDO as owned by KEEDOH Inc. which was purchased on July 1, 1970. [KEEDOH Inc. group owner was Stirling Recreation Organization, Broadcast Division. Owners were: Trust of John Danz 20.1%; Estate of Jessie Danz 21.2%; Fredric A. Danz 17.8% & President. Group headquarters: Bellevue. Sterling owned: KXRX & KSJO(FM) San Jose; KDKO Littleton, CO; KASH & KSND(FM) Eugene-Springfield; KBFW Ferndale-Bellingham; KLYK(FM) Longview; KALE & KIOK(FM) Richland; KZOK AM-FM Seattle.]

KEDO Format: MOR. Network: abc Information. KEDO personnel listed: Ozzie Knudson, General Manager; Greg Allen, Program Director & Music Director; Nadine Ostroski, News Director; Steve Bard, Chief Engineer; Jim Wilson, Commercial Manager & Promotions Manager.

Here's Announcer, DJ - Art Kulman in 1950 on KWLK AM-FM. He would later move to KOL & KJR:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/photos/photo.asp?PhotoID=161137

If anyone else has old Broadcasting Yearbooks to add to this, I'm sure the people at KEDO would appreciate Your posting.

I know of the whereabouts of one of the people on your list, I have already emailed him the information in Craig's post and the general information from larbear's original posting.

I worked for S.R.O for 9 years and worked with/for several of those folks as they moved on to the Tri Cities eventually. I used to hear a lot of anecdotal stories revolving in and about KEDO and the Longview radio market. And listened to some airchecks as well...

More info from Broadcasting Yearbooks:

1970:
KEDO - 1kw D, 250 w N. Keedo Inc. (Acq. 8-1-60) Net: ABC Russ Hudson, pres; Holly Bishop, Gen Mgr; Randy Craig, prog dir; Gilbert Holbrook, news dir.
[I'm guessing the later July 1, 1970 acquisition date was when Sterling bought it.]

KLYK(FM) - 3,000 w, Ant minus 21ft. Stereo. Garner Investors Inc.
James E. Hammer, Pres; Dorothy L. Bayton, Gen Mgr; Jay Wesley Bratton, prog dir & coml mgr; Neil R. Burmester, prom mgr; Edward R. Hagwell, chief engr.

1973:
KEDO - KEDO Inc. (acq. 7-1-70) Net: ABC/I. Format: MOR
F.A. Danz, pres; Ted Taylor, gen mgr; Donavan Larson, sls mgr; Bo Donovan, group prog dir; Steve Nichoel, news dir; Dennis Dolan, chief engr.

KLYK - Co-owned with KEDO. Vision Corp. (acq 7-74) Stereo Net: MBS. Format: Rock/Progressive/Top 40.

1984:
KEDO – KEEDOH Inc. (acq 7-1-70) Group owner: Sterling Recreation Org., Bcst Div. Net: ABC/I. Format: MOR.
F.A. Danz, pres; Ozzie Knudson, gen mgr; Greg Allen, prog & mus dir; Jim Wilson, coml. & prom mgr; Nadine Ostroski, news dir; Steve Bard, chief engr.

KLYK - (CP: 218w; Ant 917 ft) Prog sep from AM. Net: ABC/FM. Format: Top 40.

1985: (Exactly as in 1984.)

1988:
KEDO - 1kw U. Longview Broadcasting Corp. (acq 5-85) Net: ABC/I. Format: MOR.
Derek Shannon, pres & gen mgr; Dan King, gen sls mgr; Craig Hess, prog dir; Ron Moyer, prom mgr; Steve Aagaard, news dir; Rod Etherton, chief engr.

KLYK – 315 w; 940 ft. Prog sep from AM. Format: Top 40.
Bob Hart, prog & mus dir; Kelly Waag, prom mgr; Tim Carr, chief engr.

Great stuff Randy! That's a BIG help. Anyone else have an old Yearbook lying around?

1984, 1979, and I have two more, dates coming in a minute...

1973, 1977 Radio Broadcasting Yearbook dates...

"Sterling owned: KXRX & KSJO(FM) San Jose; KDKO Littleton, CO; KASH & KSND(FM) Eugene-Springfield; KBFW Ferndale-Bellingham; KLYK(FM) Longview; KALE & KIOK(FM) Richland; KZOK AM-FM Seattle.] "

--Those were the good ol' days. A nice sized group! Room to move up within the company, but small enough to be able to manage all the stations. I'm getting all nostalgic. (The feeling, not the format)

Craig, Alan, Randy, Robert, great info. What I can remember: At KEDO, some of the jocks who come to mind from 1971-72: Mike Hudson, Greg Allen, Buzz Hill....KLYK-FM came on a couple years later, or rather, changed format to Rock radio. I think Buzz Hill was the engineer, Max Flasher, and Cliff Topp were there, Hap Schoff was the owner, we were downstairs next to George's Broiler. A Rock format on FM radio was pretty novel in those days.

Greg Allen has signed up to be on this forum. He contacted me this AM.

I had a load of FUN working for SRO ! I got away with a lot relative to what you can in today's climate, thats for sure ! OK95 and KALE..ha ha..I could write a book.

I know they are gonna love all this information about KEDO and KLYK.

The call letter change was made in November 1958 by owner William Boeing Jr. It is believed KWLK was his first station, but his company also owned KETO Seattle and KIDO Boise for a time. He only owned KEDO for a few years before selling to a local group.

There are several local people who were involved with KEDO from the 60s through the 90s, as well as some lurkers here. I'm sure the station would like to hear from you.

A quick aside: When Derek Shannon purchased KEDO and KLYK from SRO in 1985, his group was also going to buy KFBW in Ferndale, but something changed their minds.

Al, you probably "got away" with more than I knew! Of course, there were the "early" days before I arrived...I've heard those stories too!
Anyway, what a great opportunity for us all on that blowtorch we called OK95.

And Greg, welcome. What are you doing these days?

Gettin' away with a lot = PIRATE RADIO

...........We drove Kathy B. Nuts...........

Hello..... I have been very interested in the posts regarding KALE and KLYK FM... and also interested in the Broadcast Yearbooks information... which was apparently not updated often...

I got to work for KALE - 3 times... in 11 years... I was there when they bought KLYK from Hap Schoff... fought the automation that Buzz Hill and Dennis Dolan pieced together...and if I remember correctly,over the course of several years... the KLYK automation was 2 IGM's wired together, using two seperate RAMs. One for commercials... and one for music... and when it tried to switch to the other memory, it froze up and refused to play until someone came along and kicked the machine into gear. We would transmit spurious emission for 20 to 30 minutes at a time... being "off the air"... four and 5 times a day.

I got to work with some interesting folks... including Paul Oscar Anderson... Ozzie Knudsen (my best boss ever... I worked for him twice). From Aberdeen and KGHO was Doyle Wenzell... who changed his name to Doyle Anderson because a program director thought that it would be better with all the Norweigans in Longview/Kelso.

Also Terry Gangstadt, (who never changed his name and I think has my Beatles Special) Mark Pope, Jonathan Ward, Ed Hawkins,Donavon Larsen,Russ Hudson,Gil "Squeak" Holbrook, Don Weathermen Judy Lane Hawkins, Nadine Ostroski,Paul Cowley,Jim Wilson, Norm Garr (Jefferies), Buzz Hill, Steve Baird , Jeff Hockstrasser, a newsman I thought I would never forget, but all I can remember right now is Dennis..he also ended up in Tri Cities for a short time. Also Mike Hudson... both at KEDO and KLOG... he married my 1st wife.. but that's another story.
There are too many names to mention here....

My tenure at KEDO was June to December 1971 for a summer time job... (Moved out of Forks, thank goodness) Then to KLOG for a short time... then
up to Tacoma for a few months... then back to KEDO in 1972...Ted Taylor and Bo Donavon fired me in 1973... a week later Ted Taylor was fired and I was rehired...The paperwork never reached SRO... so it never showed on my records.... so I worked 10 years straight through.

I was reading the Broadcast Yearbook noted in this thread...It says that Ozzie was Manager in 84.... However, Ozzie was transfered in '81 to Tri Cities, I transfered to Tri Cities in 82... Also, shortly after I left I learned there was another jock working at KEDO also with the name Greg Allen...I don't know who he was or if he was every Program Director... but my in-laws told me about him... Perhaps that's the Greg Allen of 84-85????

I have so many stories about the Gentle 14...Channel 14...and 1400 KEDO... all id's used on the air at one time or another. I remember we were the "Have a Happy Day" station for a while...
I remember news blocks from 5am - 10am.... Paul Harvey being the most recognized announcer "on the staff"... and a lot more...

Perhaps I'll think of more later...

My Question..... when is the reunion...and can I provide a voicer or two? I'm working in Seattle now... and a trip down to Longview would be easy to do... tell me more...

By the way, to the jock that worked KLYK at the George's Broiler location... were you there when they brought in Wolfman Jack??? To launch the new location... that was a wild night...

Thanks for the memories.. I'm sure there are a few more. Don't get me started on 13 years at OK 95 - KALE...

also excuse the typos and mis-spells... I wrote this in a hurry...

Thanks,
Greg Allen

Sorry to post again so soon... But the Newsman I couldn't remember was Dennis Harmon.... he was the anchor for our Mt. St Helen's coverage... Mark Pope, Jonathan Ward, and I drove up as close to the mountain as official's would let us... and hung out with the military... caling reports back to Dennis at the studio...

I also forget Chris Kelly... the fastest automation programmer in Longview - Kelso...

Greg Allen

Greg, the reunion is May 9th, hope you can make it. You and I worked together briefly at Klog. A little later, I moved over to KEDO, before moving to Oregon and taking Tom Parker's place at KRKT when he moved up to Kgw. A year later I came back to KLOG, with Mike Tinder (Bob Taylor) and Dan Martin. I then worked at KLYK, before I moved back to Oregon, KRKT, KATR, KICE, and the legendary KFAT. Last time I saw you was over breakfast at the pancake house in Longview.

I did the morning show on KYLK from 86 to 95. I'm in touch with a handful of former KLYK/KEDO jocks. This could be fun!
I worked with the "other" Greg Allen. He did evenings on KYLK and probably did a little bit on KEDO. We all did here and there since they were in the same building.

Guys, you finally hit on one I actually worked for. I was at KLYK in 1974, my first radio job. Hap hired me. 6-midnite 6 days a week. We were "progressive rock", at least for Longview. I used to bring my own records in. I had never been to the town in my life til then. Drove up everyday from Portland. This was in the last days of the station before Sterling automated (sort of, as shown above). Highlights were putting on long song, running over to George's and cranking up the remote booth so we could broadcast "live" there. Yeah, the bands were, well, not so good. I used to come on after John Windus, he was a cool kid. All in all, a pretty fun start to my pretty short radio career. Hap played some Duke Ellington as the last live shift as we went sailing off into automation land.

I do miss doing the live reads for Bob's Merchandise though...

ScottC, the Greg Allen we worked with didn't arrive until 1986 or '87 I think, so maybe three Greg Allens worked there. Anyway, I know ours later worked at OK95 too, using the nom de plume Max Mann I think, so you Gregs may have worked together at one time!

Of course, I'm old and could be confused...

For many years, Craig Martin and I were charged with keeping the old automation running on KEDO, as most of the focus had shifted to the live KLYK.

Greg, thanks for mentioning Mike Hudson! I worked with him a couple of times and had a blast whenever I was around him.

And Warner, Bob's is mostly just sporting goods and work clothes now, and still going strong.

I can confirm that Greg Allen and Greg Allen (Max Mann) worked together at OK95/KALE. Max (Greg) is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet! Heck, both of 'em are nice.

Paul... Good to see you in print. I now remember that Max Mann was a Greg Allen... because we made him change his name for Tri Cities... But I had forgotten the KEDO connection. If there were three Greg Allen's.. that almost smacks of the old station name idea... But I SURE THAT'S NOT THE CASE....

I think I detected Larry the LoveBear (Bob Magee?) on line... If I'm right do you remember the Ice Cream Shop commercials....? Breakfast at the pancake house,huh!... Also Mike (Bob Taylor) and I got together in Tri Cites in 82... and he conned me into being "Joe Mama... with the weather"... That was a four and a half year run of insanity... and I was in the sales department during that time...

To Rongallagher.. was that automation the SMC DP2 with three Cart carousel? That was our upgrade for the IGM p.o.s...

Paulwalker and I were together at OK 95... and I'LL ADMIT he is a nice guy....

I must say this has been fun... I will make every effort to attend in May...

Hope to see more of you in print....

Thanks for letting me play!!!

Greg, yes the KEDO automation was an SMC DP2. We used it well into the 90's. It didn't have a monitor, tape backup or UPS, so whenever the power went out for more that 2 seconds, it would dump the entire program!

The brains of the old IGM system hung out at the transmitter building for many years.

Greg (Max Mann) Allen IS a great guy! He's in Cottage Grove now.

Last night I received an E-Mail from fellow Radio Historian, Phil Roger. He's filled in more dates on the KWLK/KEDO history and doing a great job in researching. He's even found an earlier frequency! Here's Phil's E-Mail:
________________________________________________________________
Hey Craig:

A big thanks to you, Randy and all the others for your digging. I started three weeks ago in earnest in my research into Longview Radio history. I began in the Longview Library going through microfilms. A week later I was going through actual old Daily News archives.

The first day for KWLK was May 10, 1938. It began as a daytimer on 780 with 250 watts and moved up to 1370 on April 18, 1940 and became full time with an evening line up of programs from Mutual. The Daily News printed radio logs along with brief daily radio program updates. KOIN and KGW were listed daily also. Given the nature the way people probably listened in the 30s and 40s, frequent mentions of KGO, KPO, KNX, KJR and KOMO were not unusual. On March 29, 1941 of course was the big switch with KWLK moving to 1400.

Last night I found out that Bill Boeing Jr did indeed own KWLK and changed the calls to KEDO on November 10, 1958. Something I've long suspected. I called Ron Gallagher and passed along the latest. Being a former Seattle boy, I believed there was some reason for the similarity between KEDO and Seattle's KETO. He also moved the station into a newly constructed building at 1114 Washington Way.

Anyway Craig, I appreciate your input. Your posts always have something to contribute. I'm a senior AE at Bicoastal Longview. Did on-air, production and news and now can add radio historian.

Thanks again,

Phil Roger
________________________________________________________________
Wonderful information there, Thanks again Phil.

One date I didn't include in my original post was KWLK's construction permit date from the FCC, which was announced in the "Behind The Mike" column of The Oregonian. This happened on September 14, 1937 and appeared the next day in print. Listed at the time were some of the people behind Twin Cities Broadcasting Corp., they were:

A.C. Campbell, President, who was formerly with KUJ in Longview. Others were: A.L. Raught Jr., J.M. McClellan, A.W. Talbot & J. Elroy McCaw. One of the reasons I didn't post this, in early building of stations, stockholders will pull out and others will fill the space. I don't know if all these people were still on board when KWLK debuted 8 months later.

Phil Roger is the professor emeritus of the college of radio knowledge. Craig would be dean. Or vise versa.

I could have passed more of this on, but I didn't want to steal Phil's thunder...

Of the names listed by Craig, McCaw should be familiar. McClellan was the publisher of the Daily News.

I saw Doyle Wenzel's name mentioned by Greg Allen. I hired Doyle for his first radio job when I was programming KGHO in the late 60s and early 70s. Anybody know where Doyle is today?

I've unearthed some backgrounds on some of the first owners of KWLK.

A.L. Raught Jr. was Manager of the Weyerhaeuser Mill in Longview in 1937.

J. Elroy McCaw was General Manager of KELA Centralia in 1937.

J.M McClellan was misspelled in "The Oregonian". His corrected name was John M. McClelland and he was Manager of the "Longview Daily News" in 1937, as was stated above by Ron.

Stan_the_man...

Last time I saw Doyle was as he was leaving Longivew... around 73-74... I thought he was headed back to the Harbor. I haven't heard from him since...

BTW, I did long weekends for you at KGHO...Saturday 6am - 6pm... and Sunday 6am - 12Noon until I burned out... shortly after I left KBKW.

One of my most vivid memories of the harbor was helping take tickets for a Merrilee Rush Dance you put on at the Harborina...

But to answer your question... I haven't any idea where Doyle ended up...

Greg said: BTW, I did long weekends for you at KGHO...Saturday 6am - 6pm... and Sunday 6am - 12Noon
_________________________________________________
Yeah, and you were asking for more airtime too!!
You couldn't get enough. What a jock!! Merillee is alive and well living in the Seattle area...still doing oldies tours when she feels up to it.. What a girl!!

I remember Doyle Wenzel at KGHO. I do remember I liked his delivery real well. I cant remember now if he was the News person/director , or if he was a jock or both? I wasnt in radio at that time, but listened closely.

Maybe one of you could elaborate.

Oh and BTW : 2 listings in Washington state for a Doyle Wenzel on Switchboard.com

Doyle Wenzel : 1704 west 7th, Aberdeen ph 532-7470

Doyle Wenzel :146 East Canyon St., Longview
577-8065

Hey Greg, wow! I had almost forgotten that I was "Bob MaGee" back then. (Like many of us, I used so many names over the years it's hard to keep track) If you can, drop me a line on my e-mail address in the profile section. And Stan_the_man, weren't you also in record promotions?

Kennewickman: Doyle Wenzel was primarly a news director when he worked for me. I did find him listed on Google and got an Aberdeen phone number. I will call him.
_________________________________________________
Larbear: I worked in radio from 1960 to 1975, starting out playing the hits 6 to Midnight on a Butte, Montana station (KOPR) and ended my radio days at KGHO Aberdeen/Hoquiam as a part- owner/GM. Capitol Records offered me a dream job...working with radio guys, many of whom I knew, and working with the biggest acts in the world...like McCartney, Tina, Duran, Seger, etc. And they paid me a ton of money and gave me a unlimited expense account which I exceeded many times, mostly spent on all you NW radio guys. I retired in Dec. of '98, just in time as it has turned out to watch both my beloved radio and record industries become a mere shadow of their former selves. But I was there for the Golden Era of radio and records and for that I am forever grateful.

Stan_the_man...

You said: Yeah, and you were asking for more airtime too!! You couldn't get enough.

Well truth was I would have paid you to be on the air... but I discovered I couldn't make the rent doing it that way.... I think I did about three months of the long weeks when Doyle called me and offered me a chance to return to KEDO...He was, of all things, Operations Director and News Director... and I took the full time work.

An interesting story(?).... Doyle put together an elaborate two way system for his car and the studio.... and called in reports frequently... Squeak Holbrook also used it for high school ball games...

Any way, Doyle was covering a police situation on commerce ave...I believe a possible robbery in progress... Reporting on location... when the cops came over and told him to shut it down... Doyle argued freedom of the press, etc... but the cops still insisted that he shut it down... because his broadcast were being picked by up the police car's loud speakers... and the suspects knew every move the police were making...

I guess you could hear the broadcasts from one end of Commerce to the other. This took place between the old Columbia Theater.. and The Bon...

We would really need Doyle to tell the story... but it's a good one even if I have all the facts wrong...
______________________________________________
Larbear...

My lasting memory about Bob Magee was the ice cream commercials that featured a girl named Sara... taking her first lick of ice cream on a hot Longview summer evening... Something about those commercial....

Phil has found more information from microfilm & Polk Directories and is refining the info. I've collected. He's doing a great job filling in my potholes. Here's his E-Mail:
________________________________________________________________________
Craig:

KWLK was located at 215 First National Bank Bldg according to a Polk Directory. The street address was 1262 14th Avenue(SE corner of 14th and Hudson Street). I figure the station was on the 2nd floor. Later I believe became the National Bank of Commerce that you mentioned. I've seen pictures of the original building. It had four Roman pillars in front (It faced 14th Av). The original classic style bank building is gone, replaced in the early 70s. Today it houses the Longview Police Dept. The radio station phone number was 1500, later the prefix of (Hamilton-5)425 was added and it remains the current office number today.

KUJ by the way was located on the 2nd floor in the Washington Gas and Electric Building on the SE corner of 14th and Broadway, just one block north. Also another classic bank building. This one built by General Mortgage, but it still stands. A front page story in the Daily News, March 4, 1930 announces a power increase from 10 to 100 watts granted by the Federal Radio Commission. Station owners were Al Stenso and F.S. Powers. It operated on 1500. Later, of course it would move to Walla Walla. It’s interesting that KUJ now has applied to move from Walla Walla to the Tri-Cities.

The station reunion just amazes me with all the postings and persons expressing a desire to show up in May. Larbear who started the thread obviously knows one of our office workers. After a weekend of research, I'd come into the station Monday morning with "guess what I found out.." It just took off from there.

My next task is to uncover undeniable evidence of KWLK-FM, but it's a couple of week off.

Thanks again Craig.

Phil

Craig_adams

Re Phil....

The stories I heard during my 10 years was that KWLK, were the original calls...as well... I also heard about Bill Boeing's ownership..so I think you are on the right track.

I also think Russ Hudson and Holly Bishop had money in the station at one time...

I remember hearing a story about how Russ or Holly was an Ampex Tape Recorder salesman, got tired of being on the road and bought into the station. I have no proof that that is the truth... but the story was floating around in 71 - 73... After SRO bought the station Russ stayed on as GM for a very short time.

When I arrived the station was on Washington Ave, in a former Dry Cleaners... it was a long skinny building next to the 2 Clowns Drive-in (now Bruno's Pizza I think)... on the edge of the Triangle Shopping Center. The building on the other side on Washington was an Ice Cream Deli of some kind... I think it's a Mexican Rest. now...

When Derek Shannon bought it, it moved to Broadcast Center on 14th? I believe...

The transmitter was just off of Ocean Beach Highway, where it still is... and we were 1000W days and 250 Nights...

IN fact, that location was one of the few areas that still had power (because of the substation just across the street) on May 25th during Mt. St. Helen's second eruption, that dropped the ash on Longview-Kelso. In fact, with battery powered board, and mic we, almost literally, alligator clip directly into the transmitter, and broadcast for 2 hours while the rest of town waited for power. We were the only local station on the air

Phil's research has been educational and informative, and down right fun to read.

I also had a very short stint as LMA General Manager for KUJ and KNLT in Walla Walla...The station had a LMA with Triathalon Broadcasting... Is Tom Hodgeson (sp?). still the owner now? I was the GM when Tom was buying it... I used to drive to meet Tom, to personally pick up checks and deposit his down payments...

It is a small world...

Refresh my memory on the Mt. St. Helen's 2nd eruption, Longview power problem. Did the Cowlitz River, which is fed from the Toutle River, wash out some of the power poles?

Greg, the station was at the Washington Way location until 1986 (May, I think). I saw the new facility as they were remodeling it, but I wasn't hired until June, and they were already in it.

Derek did the new building up great, but it really would have been nice if they could have built from scratch, like they did with KITI in Centralia (another top-notch facility even after almost thirty years). Broadcast Center had been state offices and a carpet store before I think, so it didn't have many windows. The KEDO control room didn't have one and that drove me nuts!

The old studio location next to Dos Bozos is now the parking lot for the Mexican restaurant. It was in a really great location, but once they staffed KLYK, the place got very crowded very fast. And I was told that you could hear every semi that passed by when the mic was on.

Also, the KEDO transmitter building looks as if it had on-air studios at one time. A coworker told me that years ago her uncle did a cowboy music show from there.

Re: Mt. St. Helens, I would love to hear some old tape of the radio coverage. KLOG was rockin back then, and I don't know how much news they did. I'm guessing it was mostly KEDO and KBAM, the EBS station. Sadly during my 12 years at KEDO, we never found any tapes of eruption coverage. Even sadder, when Entercom bought KBAM, they allowed the whole KBAM tape archive to be destroyed, and Phil could tell you, they had held onto much of their station history, bulletins, jingles etc. Very sad...

Wow.....

May 18th....8:32am.. Mt St Helens blows up, the ash avoids Longview/Kelso, and heads for eastern Washington By afternoon the Cowlitz River is filled with logs... that you can walk across without getting wet... By that evening flooding starts and goes as far as the Castle Rock Fairgrounds... Lexington's creek backs up and homes are threathened... That whole area is asked to be ready to evacuate... Fishers Corner (down by the Grade School) residents are told if the water comes over the levy (sp?) get out of the area.... May 18th is the most beatuiful day of the year... Blue skies, Sunshine, and a light breeze... By Monday the 19th...Sheriff Les Nelson, and Kelso Police Chief Tony Stout(?) are in major meetings together in the "Hall Of Justice"... Trying to determine the best way to get people out of town (Kelso) if they need to.... The "earthen dam" on the Toutle could give way at any time...

Things begin to calm down by the end of the week....President Carter arrives on Thursday...

May 25th... 8:34am... Mt St Helens blows up again... this time the ash comes to Longview and Kelso... it's raining and the ash and rain mixture blows out transformers and substations. The PUD can't keep up... plus it's Sunday... All 4 radio stations are off the air....

For KEDO.... I suggested that the substation across from the TOWER might still on, and that just the studio was without power. Mark Pope suggested that with the battery powered equipment at Longview Community Church, we used for their worship broadcast, might be able to get us back on the air from the Xmitter site...

We drove to the church, broke in.... stole back our equipment and headed to Ocean Beach Highway... When we arrived the transmitter was on... we hooked up our gear (alligator clips)... and left Jonathan Ward and me talking for about two hours... Then suddenly the studio started talking back to us... they had "borrowed" some car batteries from Ernst Hardware... and had us on the air.... 24 volts and all.....

The second eruption caused no additional flooding that I am aware of... did cause power outages... and some respitory problems... but the threat of flooding had been started on May 18th... the second eurption was more of a nusiance...

KEDO has a hugh story to tell about Mt St Helens...but in most cases the Big stations got the accolades... we just knew we had done a good job of serving our community and that was enough...

There was an incident on that Sunday...where I got a negative press review...Late in the afternoon KBAM got back on the air... and began with a NASCAR race... or INDIE race...I'm not sure which... and I made the remark on the air... "We're on the air to keep you informed and safe...not to entertain you with a car race like KBAM..."

The Longview Daily News got a hold of that and quoted me...and Arnie Peterson was on the phone that afternoon... giving me the third degree... Oh well...

The good thing for listeners was that if they didn't want to listen to us... I gave a free plug to KBAM and their race covereage...

You know, you only asked about the second eruption... and I just completed a puff piece for KEDO... go figure.

I better stop now... I could go on for 10 more pages....

Thanx,
Greg

To Rongallagher


I did an audio puff piece, approx. 30 mins worth that contained audio from Harry Truman... Dixie Lee Ray... President Carter... Mark Pope... Dennis Harmon... Jonathan Ward...Sheriff Les Nelson...and me, I think, which I have been tearing our house apart to find...

I tried to get ABC - and CBS to air part of it.... BUT because I manufactured the sound of the eruption (not NAT sound ya know)... they wouldn't touch it... So I re-wrote it to make KEDO look better than those ole Portland stations...

If I find it perhap I can send to KEDO's current staff to use as a frisbee...

I'll keep looking....

I have been asked to remind all of us old KEDO-KLYK Alumni to please send any photos, stories, etc. from the time we were at the stations, and a current picture (scary thought) to:
grodman@bicoastalmedia.com
I was at the KLOG 50th reunion a few years back, probably see some of the same faces at the KEDO-KLYK get-together. Hope so.

Ron: Most stations, if not all, had to have a transmitter studio. I believe it was an FCC requirement. Stations had to originate a certain amount of programming time from their transmitter studio.

Greg: Great post! I think most of us outside of Longview/Kelso mostly heard or saw stories of towns closer to Mount St. Helens. (Cougar, Toutle, Yale, etc.)

I thought the requirement to broadcast from the transmitter was like the situation with KISN, where they had to run from either their city of license or transmitter a certain amount of hours. I didn't think it was necessary if there was a main studio in the city of license. Wasn't KISN's problem that they were actually on a remote from downtown, the same as if they set up equipment at the state fair for a few days? There have long been FMs on mountaintops. Did they have to maintain studios up there?

I just visited the KXL transmitter site in October and Mike Everhart showed me the room KXL broadcast from. KPOJ AM-FM transmitter site on Mt. Scott had a broadcast set up as did KWJJ at Oaks Park. KGW had one and I believe also KEX.

KISN's license city was Vancouver, Washington. They had not presence in the city and the KISN corner was a remote location. Therefore, they had to broadcast from the transmitter site as their primary studio. There was a percentage of time they had to originate from there but I forget now how much that was. To get the hours up, they did their news from there and all weekends and overnites.

There was not a requirement to have studios at the transmitter, most just did for backup. KGW had no studios when they moved from the Oregonian building and did most all their programming from the transmitter building next to EXPO. That is where they also kept the record library. They had a small studio at 13th and Burnside/Stark where Konnie Worth did her daily show but that was about it. That is also where there business office was. When CH8 started up in the old Jewish building, KGW radio moved in with them.

KPOJ did some of their weekend stuff from Mt. Scott. Maybe they couldn't get into the Odd Fellows building on weekends. KEX had a studio control room at their transmitter in the early 60's but it was not used at that time. KWJJ had a control room at their transmitter on Marine Drive that they used in the mid-60's for their overnite DJ. He was on a work release thing from the County. He would occasionally tape the first couple hours and play it back when his wife came to visit him in the wee hours. When KVAN was at Jantzen Beach where Toys R Us is now, they did all their origination from there also, in the mid 60's. KXL studios and transmitter were combined on Sunnyside about where Macy's is now until they moved the transmitter out to Damascus and the studios to about 14th and Ankeny. I believe KKEY did most of their broadcasting from their transmitter building, also. Most of the time, driving by their Burnside Studio, you wouldn't see anybody in there when they were on. Semoochie would know for sure. KGON studios and transmitter were together on Johnson road and even when they were on McLoughlin.
For most stations, it was cheaper to have one location to take care of. The bigger ones kept the studios at the transmitter for backup purposes. Transmitters were manned back then and you had to pay more salaries if you kept separate facilities. KOIN had live-in quarters at their transmitter. Until they got the tv station, their live studios were on the Mezzanine level at the Heathman Hotel. As a kid in those days, it was "fun" to go rummaging through the KOIN studio shortly after they left and pick up old logs and stuff. Same with going through the old radio studios in the Oregonian building after they left those studios. When they vacated, they did not clean up very quickly.

Hi, I'm Phil Blair, current News Director, PSA person, and morning show host on KEDO. Been here just over three years. Still in broadcast center on 14th, and KEDO studio is still without windows! It's smallest and hottest (temp-wise) studio in building. I'm especially looking forward to meeting everyone from 'ol days, and am planning "on-air reunion/talk show" morning of May 9th. Anyone who wants to show up 6am can be on and contribute to show, and will have folks drop-in 'til at least 10am, perhaps longer. Dr. Phil Roger (professor emeritus historius KEDOius) and Gurina are working out other details. We especially are interested in any old airchecks, news clips, promos, liners and jingles. Please email proger or me, pblair@bicoastalmedia.com. Your excitement and past recollections of KEDO/KLYK have been fun to read. Phil Blair

Don Burden et-al. seemed to have a knack for pissing off the FCC with KISN. In Portland one of the biggest deals was the legal Station Identification they used, at that time required twice an hour.

they got into real hot water over this ie :

"KISN PORTLAND VANCOUVER WEATHER"...at 20/20 news time, which was the legal ID time for them, then ...boy did they want to "BE" a Portland Radio station or what?

KKEY ran completely from the transmitter site except the talk show hosts who were at the downtown office. There was a dedicated phone line to send them back to the tranny and another one going the other way that carried all the programming before delay and the engineer's voice so we could talk back and forth. The phone lines were all in Vancouver, the calls answered and sent on to the hosts just like any other programming. At some point, the phone lines were moved to Portland and became the responsibility of the hosts to answer. There was also a period where a separate screener who was also in the downtown building was used. Sometimes these people would deliver the weather or otherwise banter with the host. Still later, the entire operation, including the hosts, moved to the transmitter site.

Phil has done more great research. This time on the FM's, KWLK-FM & KLYK. From what he's uncovered on KWLK-FM date wise, there's a good possibility it was the State of Washington's first FM Radio Station!
________________________________________________________________________________

Hi Craig:

Uncovering the mystery that is KWLK-FM is a challenge. I’ve searched page after page to find one news story on the launch of the station with no success. However, the first time it’s mentioned on the radio page of the Daily News is July 24, 1947 and then it’s only one line. "KWLK-FM 104.3 Mgc. on the air from 12 to 3 pm. and 6 to 9 pm." That’s it. All following issues, the same one line. With no program details, I assume it’s 100% simulcast of the AM.

I took your advice to heart and backed up one week to find the big story. Nothing. I continued back to the 1st of July, 1947. Still nothing. Then I moved ahead to find the frequency change to 103.9. It shows up Nov. 14, 1947. Still only as a one line mention. "KWLK-FM 103.9 Mgc. on the air from 12 to 3 pm. and 6 to 9 pm."

Other than that, there was one display ad on Nov, 6, 1947 promoting a program called Hear Your Neighbor EDDIE HERREN, 8 p.m. on KWLK 1400 kc. and KWLK-FM. Oddly, nothing is said on the FM dial position. I wonder if it’s in anticipation of the frequency move and purposely left out. Without the back-up of other articles, that’s as firm of dates that I can find.

Obviously, there are dry spells in research. Some facts you so desperately want to uncover, you can’t.

In my quest to find out the beginnings of KLYK, I started in July of 1968. Also checked June. The one big find was a full-page display ad announcing a new station on Sat. July 13, 1968 in the Daily News Western Weekend Section (a weekly lifestyle magazine).

________________________________________________________________________________

The Golden Sound of Longview Kelso

We invite you to turn to 105.5 on your FM dial and listen to our Golden Sound of Stereo. Our music policy is familiar music – expressed in radio terms as middle of the road music. We sincerely invite your comments about our programming and the reception and the separation in your area. Address your card or letter to KLYK, Stereo 105, P.O. Box 614, Longview, Washington, 98632.

Ad featured photos of the following:

General Manager: Dottie Bayton, formerly of KOL

Sales/announcer: Jay Bratton, formerly of KLFM Long Beach CA and KRDO Colorado Springs, CO.

Scott Bayton, announcer, formerly of KONP Port Angeles, student at W.S.U.

Ed Hagwell, engineer, long time resident of Longview Kelso

Longview-Kelso’s first and only FM, Full Stereo radio station

Owned and operated by Garner Investors 105.5 megacycles FM full stereo

3,000 watts effective radiated power

________________________________________________________________________________

I was impressed they came on in stereo in ’68. Even with display ad, I’m sticking with the date: July 7, 1968 as the first official broadcast day.

Also in the same section I found an FM station list, stations carried by Cowlitz Cableview, the local cable system at the time. I’ll send it along to you next time

That’s all I know for now.

Phil

Jay Bratten taught speech at Lower Columbia College in the 60's before joining the KLYK staff. Later, after Bratten moved on, the station became a training ground for students of L.C.C.'s broadcasting class until L.C.C. started-up KLVR-FM.

Larbear: Did this reunion thang happen yet? I only worked at KLYK for a year and half when Joe E King talked me back into radio. I just left him a voice message about it in case he didn't know.

I was just reading over some of these posts again. The reason you couldn't see anyone at the KKEY studios was because the hosts were up on the mezzanine. Further up the stairs, on the second floor, was the office. There was nothing but odds and ends on the main floor until it was decided to move the whole operation to the downtown studios. The whole idea eventually fell apart after Ralph Weagant passed away.

Been reading these posts and I thought, heck I may as well chime in. In the summer of '72-as I recall-KEDO went to a 'KEDO AFTER DARK' format similar to KINK FM in Portland. The evening Jock was Mark Robbins and he had the liberty to spin whatever music he chose from 7pm to midnight. He invited me in to do weekly album previews and, within a few months, he was gone, for Portland, if I recall correctly.. I was called in by Larry Blair and asked if I wanted to get my feet wet with the weekend edition of that show. I was green as hell and had to scramble to get my third class Broadcasting endorsement, but had a great time playing everything from Rory Gallager to early Elton John to Santana with even a bit of Firesign Theater thrown in. I was an inconsequential entity in the scheme of things, just as long as everything was in order come Monday Morning. I have many memories of my times there from Terry Allen, Mark, Doyle and Buzz but the most memorable had to be the first night I was on the air. It was 6pm and Larry Blair was the only one on hand to make sure I could handle the board and its responsibilities. So what does he do? As I started to read the 6pm news LB took out his lighter and set my copy on fire before I could even make it through the lead story! Welcome to the airwaves....boy!!! Mike Navalinski aka Michael Dean

Ahhh...baptism by fire!

Man I used to hate when ALL the reel to reels would run out on KEDO when I was doing nights on KLYK. Never failed I would be changing all of them during the Hot 10 at 10. Hey ScottCunningham remember when you interviewed Ace Frehley that was cool. Do you still have "one night in winlock?"

Yeah ScottC, I'd love a copy of "One Night In Winlock"!. That was a co production from before you arrived at KLYK, right? I remember you also had an unusual cover version of Oasis' "Wonderwall", that was a cross between lounge lizard and Benny Hill musical number circa 1968. I'd love to find that too; still can't get the stupid thing out of my head.

Ron...I'll try to find my copy of "One Night In Winlock" and get a dub to you. call or email me.

Attention all KEDO-KLYK ALMINI...
Gurina wanted to remind everybody that the reunion is May 9-10, 2008. So contact, Gurina Rodman at the station with questions, etc. She would also like old photos, etc. And it's only a rumor that we be doing "slammers" on the house.

I have some great pictures from the early 90's and even a video of the River Raft Regatta from the local cable channel. Ill send some copies up to 14th Ave.

The KEDO Reunion Show is Friday May 9th at the KEDO studios, 1130 14th Avenue Longview. While Gurina at front desk (360-425-1500) has more details on reunion itself, I am planning special "KEDO in the Morning" show 6-10am that day. All former KEDO morning show hosts, news directors, news readers, jocks are welcome to participate. Am planning interviews, special "vintage" songs, and those former personalities that are interested, are welcome to step-in to read that day's prepared news copy, sports, or do a weather forecast for our loyal listeners. It will be a fun, laid-back show with interviews, story-sharing, reflections, and music. Contact Gurina to arrange for signing-in upon arrival early that morning, for those interested. Those that must sleep-in can come in later in morning for walk-ons. Phil Blair, News Director KEDO. pblair@bicoastalmedia.com.

I'm sticking this info on this thread since it's up in Your neck of the woods. This from All Access:

CALVARY CHAPEL OF TWIN FALLS, INC. is selling K268BN/EUFAULA, WA to WASHINGTON INTERSTATE BROADCSTING, INC. for $30,000.

I've got "One night in Winlock"

Shoot me an email if you want a copy.

Gee, will KEDO-alum Kirc Roland be there?

This WHOLE THREAD is what is missing from radio today, and it doesn't have to..........

Dberichon.....
I'll take a copy of "One Night in Winlock" phil pblair@bicoastalmedia.com

HAH! I haven't been reading this thread for a while. Yes One night in Winlock was a song I created while working at KITI, but it still worked when I worked at KLYK. Then when I went back to work at KITI-FM (Live 95) I could STILL play the song! I got a lot of mileage out of that stupid thing. You can download it from the Live 95 website.
Hey Cheddardog, I have some photo's of you from that era with your rockin' mullet!
And I have some of Mr. Ron Gallager too! I would love to attend this reunion but that means taking time off work! They should have it on a weekend day!

Hi....

I stopped by KEDO-KLYK last weekend and dropped off a "puff" piece we produced about Mt. St. Helens on the 1st anniversary...of the eruption...

It was a thirty minute tribute to ourselves (KEDO)...how great we were... but it also has some rare audio from Harry Truman, Dixie Lee Ray, President Carter...and local voices including Sherrif Les Nelson, and others...

It also features staff voices from Dennis Harmon, Mark Pope,Johnathan Ward,and me and one voice I can't identify... It is driving me nutz, because he did the bulk of the narriation... I have the first name Jim in my mind... but I can't come up with a last name...

If you were part of the project called "One Station's Coverage: Mt. St. Helens"... that ran on May 18th, 1981.. I would like to identify the forgotten narrator.

I'm hoping to be present on May 9th... Hope to see some folks I know.

Also I saw Mark Robbins name... I remember when it was "KEDO After 10"... Then "KEDO After 9"... and finally "KEDO After Dark"... The program was Mark's baby... but Paul Oscar Anderson had something to do with it too, since he was the Program Director.

One day POA went out to lunch and never came back... A day or so later Mark got a call from POA to let the movers into his apartment for the furniture... I never saw POA after he went to lunch... obviously it was a real long lunch.

The KISN Corner was a "remote" broadcast site. Initially, KISN originated practically all of their broadcasts from there, except overnights.
This was the "transmitter maintenance" period, and having personnel to "tweak" the xmitter was a Burden priority.

After discovering they were in violation, KISN's goal was to originate over 1/2...at least 51% of their weekly broadcast hours from the transmitter
(a non-remote) site each week.

KISN's transmitter was located in Oregon at Smith Lake. Perhaps the FCC would not have had a problem with the remotes if they had originated from the city of license...Vancouver.

When Burden first bought KVAN 910 and converted it to KISN, the studio site was over a furniture store in Vancouver. Burden's head of engineering had his hands full.

1) Maintaining the transmitter at Smith Lake.
2) Building out the KISN Corner and installing
new equipment in prep for launch.
3) Maintaining studios over the Vancouver store.

When KISN launched, they were playing jingles off ET at the transmitter site. When they accepted delivery of the first cart machines in Oregon, Steve Brown cracked open the cases and put them into service at the furniture store site before the KISN Corner was up and running.

The timeline, jock schedules, even ET audio can be found at:
http://www.rma1.com/Chrono/1959-61/index.html

one night in winlock is STILL being requested and played on KITI (live 95). that is an awesome song

I get at least one request for "One Night in Winlock" a week.

One time I played the original "One Night in Bangkok" and someone called in asking, "Is that song based on the winlock song?"

Hey Scottcunningham, sorry to hear you won't be attending. I plan to be there, and I'm looking forward to see all that plan to attend.

And to think I trusted you when you said you'd burn those pictures!

Hi, Larry and all. KLYK was my very first radio job when Hap Shoff was the manager and Larry was PD. Pat Donohue of Donohue Furniture was also an investor if I remember right. My dad's garden store, Windus Feed, was at 14th & Hemlock, very near the current KEDO studio. I had early dismissal senior year at Mark Morris in 1974 so I could do afternoons. Will aim to be at any Saturday shindig.

"Windus Feed"....what do a WIndus eat - Windus Feed...

John: Glad to hear you are going to make it. I wish I could, but I'm on a plan from PDX to YVR that day, so will be flying over ya'll and missing the event. I'll pull out my KLYK jacket and put it on this evening for memories. Enjoy man!

Hey JOhn, good to see you on here. Ok, Man, I remember the KLOG reunion. If we should hit some bar after the KEDO-KLYK reunion, I hope it's not a karaoke joint You put on a classic performance that night. (and successfully cleared out the cowboy hats in about 2 minutes and thirty-some seconds) Hope to see you there.

Hi John, good to see you here also. Like you, KLYK was my first radio job, and I followed you doing evenings. I knew you'd make it even way back then. Glad you'll be able to represent us latter day KLYK folks.

Larry was witness to my first and last karaoke performance. It was "Love Will Keep Us Together." Larry signed me up when I went to the bathroom. I haven't gone since.

Sedaka hItS back.

Hey Tim T here.. Dont think I can make the reunion but have a good time for those of you attending.

KLYK/KEDO was my second gig and had some great times there!
Just ask Ron Gallagher! (call me soon Ron!)
Congrats to KEDO on 70 years.

Greg Allen was trying to remember the narrator of the "puff piece" on the one-year anniversary of the St Helens eruption. I would bet anything that it was Jim Wilson. Jim had worked at the UW student station KCMU and ended up in Longview at KEDO as the production guy while I came back to Longview to work at KLOG.

Some of us showed up in time to get on "KEDO In The Morning" this morning to talk about the old days. Previous station owners Holly Bishop and Vern Eaton, along with former long-time personalities Greg Allen (the original), Craig Martin and myself chatted with host Phil Blair. Six decades were represented in that room. Holly first worked at KWLK in 1943, Vern was involved in the late 50's into the 60's. Greg was at KEDO in the 70's and early 80's and Craig and I represented the 80's and 90's.

A nice spread was served too, the real reason I showed up! Let's all recite the KEEDOH CREDO: If it's FREE...it's for ME!

To all KEDO folks...
Had a great time this morning... with the guys...relived a lot of Memories... and plan on being at the remote... hope to get to see some more alumni...

To Jwindus...After listening to the Mt. St. Helens piece... and talking with PHil this morning... I agree it was Jim Wilson... In fact I remembered he cut it just before leaving for KIRO (?)... Being back in the environment brought a lot of suppressed memories...

I don't know if that's good or bad...

All in All I think we had a great time...

Greg

Hi Greg. Glad to hear you made it to your reunion.

I doubt whether we will live long enough to see a KALE/KIOK reunion...and perhaps it might not be a trail we could actually find anyhow !

Kennewickman...

It would be difficult to do a KIOK reunion since the station lost it's heritage when it became Thunder Country...

KALE went on the air April 1st, 1950... and while it retains it's call letters... all the current identifiers have hidden the KALE legacy...

It's sad really, two great stations...that are now only found in our long term memory...

However, with the internet perhaps a virtual reunion could work. This forum is dedicated to Portland Radio.... but perhaps a OK 95 FM topic would create some interest...

You and I spent a lot of great years... with those stations...especially on the KALE side... where it was a handful of announcers against a world of FM radio, and we held our own.

In fact, I found out yesterday that Phil Blair, Morning Host at KEDO... was the producer at KEPR that produced our famous lip sync spot for KALE... the one that features you, me, and Lon Martin,as women at the very end of the commercial...

What makes matters worse... Phil still has a copy of that commercial....I guess the blackmail will start any moment now...

I heading down to Longview in a couple of minutes to try and catch up with the remote...


Greg

Was a pleasure to spend time around all the KEDO alum Friday and Saturday. Was honored and humbled around all that KEDO legacy/history. When I do dig up that 'ol KALE TV spot, I will post here...got to dig up an old 3/4" SP machine first. My thanks to all who participated in the morning show Friday, and to all who showed up and chatted Saturday at remote. Your memories and past work at KEDO, are the station's successes now and in the future. - Phil Blair

I'd love to reach Greg Allen or anyone else I worked with at KEDO in Longview and KALE in the Tri-Cities. I look back with great fondness with the people and events that shaped my broadcast experience. I think it's safe to say Ozzie Knudsen was by far and away the most incredible General Manager I EVER worked for. And with the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in May of 1980, as well and the WPPSS scandal, I was handed two of the biggest stories in NW history. If it weren't for Greg, Mark, Ozzie and Dan Smith I don't know how I'd have survived the weeks on end of little or no sleep during and after the volcano's eruption.

Dennis...

Got your email...and will respond separately. I'm glad you posted... the reunion was fun and I got to see many friends and co-workers I hadn't seen in a long time...

We also told war stories which included stories about you... most of them true... I recounted the hours and hours you put in during Mt. St. Helens... and my favorite story about putting Nolan Ryan on the air thinking he was a woman from the State transportation department... Your intro was..."Oh! Nolan is that you? oh well... what's going on at the Hall of justice?"

And my interruption ... You were giving a report on drinking water conditions and boiling water etc.... I interrupted to announce some missing people had been found... and threw it back to you by saying... "Ok Dennis... continue your tips on drinking..." (We could have used a drink by that time..)

Sorry you missed the reunion... but the posts on this website bring back lots of found memories...

Dennis I'll write more later...

By the way do know where Mark Pope or Jonathan Ward ended up?

Yours,
Greg

Just stumbled across the KEDO reunion thread today. Wish I had seen it sooner but doubt that I could have made it to Longview for the celebration. Was in town last year for the 50th reunion of the R.A. Long class of 1957. My first job in radio was at KWLK. I began hanging around the station in 1952 when Bob Moran was GM and Don Edwards was sales manager. Ralph Brown was the chief engineer. Ralph also pulled an announcing shift. Other announcers during that era were Ed Lyon (who moved on to New Mexico), Roy Cooper (later an engineer at KATU-TV in Portland) and Bill Fanning, who came over from KELS (KLOG) and later moved to Seattle. After doing several shows on a pro bono basis beginning in 1955 (Yost's Time, High School Highlights, Broadway Showcase), I went on staff in 1957. By then Marvin E. "Rusty" Johnston, who had been chief engineer from 1946 to 1949 had been brought back as GM. Others on the staff included Doyle Seely, Don Veith, Betty Trineer and Grant Terry (sales). Al Weeks and Vern Eaton later came on the sales staff. My fellow announcers during the 1957-59 period included Don Veith, Merle Lingle, Fred Beisse, and Ed Sharman. Big changes came in 1958. Bill Boeing Jr. bought the station from Twin City Broadcasting Corporation and changed the call to KEDO. We switched network affiliation from Mutual to ABC. A year later we moved from our old studios on the second floor of the National Bank of Commerce to new facilities on Washington Way. My recollection is that it was a brand new building but elsewhere in this thread someone indicated that the building had once housed a dry cleaner's. That might very well be the case. In any event, the move was done in two stages. First, we shut down the old studio and moved operations to the transmitter site near Mt. Solo. That little building was where most of the station's operations were conducted for many years even though there were studios downtown. The main studios during that period were used mainly for production and for newscasts. Everything else happened at the transmitter site. Along about 1954 or so a remote control link was installed and all operations moved back to the main studio. I had the dubious distinction of pulling the last shift at the old studio. My evening began normally enough at 6 p.m. but by the time sign-off rolled around I was down to the control console, a microphone, and one turntable. Everything else, including tape decks, had been pulled from the racks and moved over the course of the evening. Mac Davis was then the chief engineer and he managed to make the last connection at the transmitter site about 30 seconds before sign-on the next morning. We stayed at the transmitter for about six months, enjoying a pastoral existence which we shared with the local livestock contingent (it was not unusual for a horse to stick his head in the window right behind the operator's chair.) When the new studios were completed, Don Veith (who was then GM) signed on at 3 p.m. the first afternoon with the overture from "Gypsy." My two-year stint at KWLK/KEDO ended when I transferred from LCJC to the University of Washington, but I was able to book a return engagement during the summer of 1960. They were fun days. I saw the station transition from riding network most of the day to MOR, then to Top 30, and back to MOR when the rock format didn't pan out. Listenership went up but billings went down. Since those days I've had a 25-year career in the Air Force and worked in markets in excess of 1,000,000 but my fondest memories remain those of that very first job in the biz at KWLK, "serving the Lower Columbia Empire for 18 years", as we used to say in my day.

Terrence Mayer

I've been waiting for someone to mention R. A. Long High School for about 40 years. I went to a basketball game there once. We all boarded a pep bus in a snow storm and drove to Longview. As memory serves, this was the time that the ball got stuck on top of the basket. The home team finally won after five overtimes!

Terrence: Great detail! When you were hangin' around KWLK in 1952 did you notice if they were still broadcasting KWLK-FM?

You mentioned the transmitter site near Mt. Solo. Did you mean Mt. Solo Road? If not, what road was the site on? or can you give me any land marks near?

Is this the current transmitter site? If not when did the site move?

Craig: As I recall, KWLK-FM continued broadcasting up until about 1951 or 1952. The FM transmitter (basically a table-top affair) was still on the premises in 1952 on a rack or shelf above the RCA BTA-250L AM transmitter. It was explained to me that the control board (an eight-mixer G.E. model) was specially purchased to accommodate the FM service. It had two output channels that allowed the announcer to sign the FM on and off without interfering with the AM program. In between, all programming was simulcast. It was this G.E. board that was moved to the downtown studio when the transmitter remote control was installed in about 1954. It replaced a late 30s or early 40s RCA console which then went into the production studio. Our studio, by the way, was large enough to accommodate a baby grand piano. Not many of those still around radio stations in the 50s! Yes, the existing KEDO transmitter site was the one that served KWLK from, I believe, its inception. The actual name of the road that passed in front of the site was, in those days, Olive Way. It branched off Ocean Beach Highway just west of the Columbia and Cowlitz railroad tracks, proceeded westward toward Mt. Solo, then made a sharp left at the KWLK transmitter site. Names of some additional air staff from "my era" at KWLK came to mind today: Paul Schuette; Johnny Walsh; Ed Davies and Harry Hale, who both had day jobs as junior high school teachers; and Art Anderson. Art joined us after several years at KLOG. He subsequently purchased Raymond's Record Shop in Kelso, renaming it Anderson's Record Whirl. Speaking of teachers, KWLK seemed to be a popular place for people with connections to the academic community. The late Bob Cox, an R.A. Long high school history teacher and advisor to the P.A. crew, put in time at the station during the Second World War. And Frantzel Corman, former KWLK Women's Director, later joined the language arts faculty at R.A. Long. Frantzel had a daily program on KWLK in the early 50s: "Coffee With Deedee."

Was Buck Rogers at KEDO or KLOG (1971-1972)?

Terrence: Did you go by Terrence Mayer on the air? I'm guessing from your post that the KWLK-FM antenna was mounted on the AM tower.

I took a look at the transmitter site on a satellite photo from recnet.com and you can plainly see the building and tower shadow. Was Memorial Park Drive a road in 1952? That would be the cross street to Olive Way where you can see a gravel road running to the transmitter building which doesn't look that big.

The RCA BTA-250L is from 1947 and must have been purchased with the FM transmitter. That still leaves open what came before the RCA transmitter. I've found the manual that goes with it below:

http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/lit/bta250L/index.html

Craig: I think I was "Terry" on the air in those days. And I believe you're correct, the FM antenna was mounted on the AM tower which, as best I can recall, was 241 feet in height. At any rate, it was a quarter-wave antenna. I'm not sure if Memorial Park Drive was a road in the 50s. There was no intersection near the station on Olive Way, the road merely curved to the left some 90 degrees and continued south before turning west again toward J.D. Tennant's Rutherglen mansion on the slopes of Mt. Solo. After several years as a nursing facility, that property is now an upscale bed and breakfast that serves a fine brunch on Sundays. I had a chance to sample it on my trip to Longview last year (the first time I ever set foot on the property, incidentally, even though I lived in Longview from 1947 to 1959.) I've no idea what transmitting equipment KWLK had in service before the RCA unit. You can see a photo of the G.E. board I mentioned at this URL: http://www.oldradio.com/archives/hardware/ge-sdo.htm It's the unit at the upper left of the page.

77dx, your memories of KWLK are a joy to read! I worked at KEDO for almost 13 years and I don't have that kind of recall.

That old board looks very familiar. It may have been sitting at the transmitter building. I'm not sure when it went away.

The quarter-wave antenna really boosts the signal of KEDO's 1kw at 1400kHz. Changing the tower lights was interesting because the climber would have to crawl through a hole into what looked like a tipped-up squirrel cage in order to get to the top lamp.

http://feedback.pdxradio.com/show.cgi?tpc=5&post=237865#POST237865

Thirteen years is a pretty good run in this line of work. When did you serve your time? LOL

The old board you saw at the transmitter was probably the RCA board that was originally in the control room downtown but later moved to the studio when the G.E. board came in from the transmitter in 1954. We used that old RCA board during the six months we were at the transmitter site before occupying the new studios in 1959. The control room in the Washington Way studio was originally equipped with a Gates Yard.

I used to live within site of the KWLK tower and I remember, at the age of 12 or so, feeling very important whenever I called the board op on duty to let him know the flasher on the top beacon was stuck (usually in the "on" position).

77dx, I was there from July 1986 to April 1999.

Shipwreck, I know Buck Rogers was at KLOG in '71. If memory serves me, he worked the midnight to 6a shift and had a "head" shop, as they were called in those days, called the Crystal Zillenium, near the Columbia Theatre in downtown Longview.

Hi Larbear
I think the Zillenium also sold records. I recall he had evenings in 1972, I distinctly remember visiting the station when the Doors compilation "Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine" came in and he was getting ready to play it.
Do you recall the "Hippodrome"? I painted some of the signs for it.

Craig, you are quite correct in your message http://feedback.pdxradio.com/show.cgi?tpc=5&post=216939#POST216939 that the original KWLK studio was in a bank building at 14th and Hudson. At the time I worked there in the 1950s the building was owned by the National Bank of Commerce of Seattle. A photo of the building, which faced 14th Avenue, can be viewed at: http://cgi.ebay.com/LONGVIEW-WA-NATIONAL-BANK-pre-1920_W0QQitemZ140176144505QQih Z004QQcategoryZ20241QQtrksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting The entrance to KWLK was via a long staircase with an intermediate landing accessed through the small doorway at the right. There used to be a green neon KWLK sign above the door. At the time I worked there, the space occupied by the building to the right was a parking lot.
77dx

Interesting. It's always nice to see what you've written about. Thanks!

During KEDO's 50th anniversary in 1988, a man brought us a beautiful old neon clock. Above the 12 was "KWLK", at the 9 and 3 was "Dial" and "1400", and below the 6 was "Shanghai Cafe". Black face with white lettering, surrounded by green neon, if I remember it correctly. It still worked when he brought it in. It hangs on a wall at the station to this day.

Shipwreck, you are absolutely correct. The Crystal Zillinennium did sell records. (my memory from those days is a little clouded) And yes, I do remember the old Hippodrome. I remember a really cool light show and concert around 1970. The building is still there. By the way on Klog the 71' line-up, from June on, was: Ken Paul, Mike Confer (Mark Rivers), P.J. Stevens, Myself, and Buck Rogers on the all nighter. A rather colorful group.

I remember that KWLK clock. I think there were several in restaurants or bars around town. If I'm not confusing it with the Lotus Cafe, I believe the Shanghai cafe was a little more than a block away from KWLK around the corner from Hudson on the west side of 15th Avenue.

77dx...(my favorite mic as a matter of fact)... It was good to learn more about KWLK and KEDO... I was there 1972-1982...served my sentence...

However, based on current radio conditions and corporate radio... I long to go back to the days when radio was simple and not so afraid to ever make a mistake....When radio still had the guts to do something that was right for it's individual market/communities... before ownership discovered the beauty of cookie cutter radio...

Anyway you brought up a name I hadn't heard in a long time... Art Anderson. I met Art at KLOG...probably in 1971...(I was only at KLOG September 71- to - April 72)... But Art was doing some part time announcing and ran a Charter Fishing boat out of Ilwaco.

I don't what ever happened to him after that...

Also to Shipwreck and Larbear... I had totally forgotten about Buck Rogers... and Crystal Zillinennium.....

On another subject could some one refresh my memory... He worked at KLOG weekdays... and KGW weekends and owned a bike shop in Longview... I can picture him but the name has totally escaped me...

Anyway.... it was good for my soul to hear more of the "old days".

Greg

Art Anderson? Was he the guy who did a Scandinavian show around the Northwest?

Greg

I did some time at KLOG as well. Worked a short summer relief stint there in 1961 after graduating from UofW and before taking the job that fall as producer at KBPS in Portland. Another name I forgot to list in earlier musings...one of the nicest guys I ever worked with at KEDO was Gary Burns who came over from KBAM in 1960. Last I knew he was PR spokesman for the Port of Longview (that would have been around 1997). Speaking of KBAM, I noticed the name of Arne Petersen popping up on one of the posts. I attended R.A. Long with his daughter. I think he came on as GM at KBAM when the station went on the air in 1955. He must have been there FOREVER!!! An early KBAM chief engineer was a high school friend of mine...Byron Swanson. He later went to KISN where he was known on the air as Johnny Dark. Last I heard he was an engineering bigwig for Clear Channel Communications operations in Portland. I also knew Squeak Holbrook as a Monticello Jr. Hi teacher (never took a class from him). I knew he was active in the KWLK/KEDO sports department over the years but didn't realize he was listed as sports director in the late 40s/early 50s. Walt Blomberg was a name I remember as KWLK sports director in about 1953-55.

Shipwreck

To the best of my knowledge Art never did a Scandinavian show. Actually, he was part Indian and very proud of his heritage. He was a relatively short fellow whose facial appearance reminded me of a cross between Robert Mitchum and Johnny Carson. I worked with him for about a year at KWLK after he left KLOG. Before that I think he worked in radio somewhere down on the Oregon Coast, perhaps Astoria.

Greg. "Dan Martin" is the name you are looking to find. Good guy, Great jock. Did mornings at KLOG, owned a bike shop. And I'm sure he smoked at least 4 packs a day. I followed him on the air and could barely talk my first hour due to that smoke-filled, stuffy little KLOG control room with the green shag carpeting on the walls. He knew it pissed me off, so he would close the control room door and smoke about 4 fags just before I came on the air at 10am. Then leave for his bike shop laughing as I gasped for oxygen.

77DX,
Byron Swanson retired from CC a few years ago.

What a great thread. Thanks, 77DX for reminding me of the old imaging: the voice of the lower Columbia Empire. KEDO had some jingles with that slogan that continued to run through the early 60s...Holly Bishop days of KEDO. "This is the voice of the Lower Columbia Empiiiiiiire!"

Jwindus, didn't I read somewhere in here that your dad owned the feed and seed store? I remember when he was on the school board. Wasn't his name Maurice?

Semoochie

You mentioned Ralph Weagant in your April 3 post in connection with KKEY. I can't recall whether he was Ralph's younger brother or his son, but Warren Weagant was one of my students when I was producer at KBPS in 1961-62. Nice kid. I think he wound up operating a broadcast-related enterprise in the San Francisco area.

Warren is Ralph's brother, who he finished raising after their father, Charles died. He was at KGO for years and he and his wife , Kit have/had their own production company. He was the image voice on KKEY at least from the 70s on.

Additional on Warren Weagant: He was KPAM-KPFM Program Director in 1966 and did morning drive as John Edwards.

Larbear..

Thanks for reminding me about Dan Martin...

I remember being impressed that a KGW announcer stayed in Longview/Kelso on purpose...I so wanted to make the big time... Never did... but for over 40 years I've had a pretty good life doing radio. (and all the part time jobs I had to have to supplement by Career choice).

Ah... the Big time... as Columbia School promised... big money, glamour, presitge in the community... and chicks. (I think that was their slogan)

Greg, good point, let us not diminish the value of "chicks" when we were in our early 20's. As the old saying went (I think) "Times of plentiful chicks will get you through times of no food, better than times of plentiful food will get you through times of no chicks." Of course, now all of that is is reversed.