There used to be a thread for this: Calls from here that are now somewhere else. Anyway, here's a new one: KTMT Ashland OR is now KGAY.

Well, thay there big fellow....

Took about 20 years for the calls to be revived from the Country station in Salem-Oregon?

do we know the format, one would presume they are bringing back a country roots thing...
it couldnt be a gay thing in Ashland could it?

All "Shakespeare Radio", all the time!

KGAY - Radio Lazer 580AM - Regional Mexican Music

Why would they switch the calls?

Because they could?

Back in the stone age (when I taught at what was then SOC) we used to joke that every year the Shakespeare Festival hired 50 actors and 5 actresses each year for the theatre company...and by the end of the first week everyone had paired off for the summer happily.


(They only hired 5 females due to the dearth of female roles in Shakespeare... due to acting being a male only profession in Shakespeare's day. All his women were written to be played by young boys (Juliet etc) or mature men (Lady McBeth etc.).

Ashland ! I miss it. Ate vegetarian, went to the "co-op " dug the seen with the other real hippies. Lived there for a year and a half in 79' and 80'. KCMX 580 ( Country ). Got out like a bomb, probably still does. S O (S) C comfortable campus, took some night classes in bio science and worked for KYJC partime and had a 40 hour job out of radio. Young and able to go 12 or more hours a day every day if you drink enough Carrot Juice and Coffee.

Good times ! The place was repleat with several Gay bars, but they were kind of a well kept secret then. I went into one on main street that looked like a typical redneck bar from the outside , just for a beer one afternoon. Some guy came flying in with a black cape and vampire teeth in tight silver Liberace pants. I vacated to the Inn along I-5 for my next beer. You learn something new every day !

And if you look at the Radio scans-Willamette Valley stations thread, you'll find a couple of items from the Salem KGAY. IIRC, in the late 60s, downtown Salem also sported a clothing store called "The Gay Blade." Ah, simpler times.

The Gay Blade was in downtown Portland, among other places and later shorted its name to just "The Blade". It must have been a case of too little too late because I haven't heard of them in years.

Why would any station in this day and age choose KGAY (Unless of course they catered to the "alternative lifestyle")?

........Gay Ole'...Gay Ole'....

.........Its a cultural thing...

>>Why would any station in this day and age choose KGAY

The calls were in use way before the homosexual community started using the term "gay". I believe the station went on the air in 1953.

KGAY went on the air as KGAE in 1952. Calls changed to KGAY in 1956-57.

There's also WGAY in Washington.

Well my suggestion above was that 'Gay' in Latino or the concept of it might be something quite different than the way us "Amer-anglos" take it to be. K-GAY...as in festive. As I understand it now, 580 KGAY Ashland is currently a Regional Mexican format?? KQ4 mentioned this , I believe. My premise might have been wrong.

My daughter, who has learned much in the way of the Latino / Spanish language and culture over the last few years, tells me that the term 'Gay' in popular Latino/Spanish culture infers the same meaning as it does in common English, homosexual.

So this is a mystery. Why would a Regional Mexican Music AM station in Ashland , Oregon change their call sign to KGAY? Gay Latino format? That seems rather unlikely. I wonder if radio lazer has a website and a 'contact us'...We could just ' "ask" I suppose.

It seems to me back in the stoneages somebody told me that at one time KGAL, KGRL , KBOY , KGAY were all owned by the same party? True or untrue? I would think that KGAY and KGAL might be considered in the same market, so that could not have been the case years ago, if Albany-Lebannon was considered to be in the same market as Salem. I am sure that Craig could answer this and also perhaps Mark Andrews. Mark worked for two of those stations, as I recall.

I think it was KGAL, KGRL, KBOY and KLAD.

I don't see a connection with all five stations, however they were all purchased in 1961 which might mean some kind of an ownership connection.

KGAL & KGAY were owned by Radio Wonderland Williametteland (Glen Stadler).

KBOY was owned by KBOY Broadcasters.

KLAD was owned by Ogden Knapp.

KGRL was owned by McAlpine Broadcasting (John H. McAlpine).

Robin Mitchell would know more about this I'm sure.

Maybe, the calls are just being parked like KKSN.

At least in 1976, KGAL and KGRL were owned by
Juniper Broadcasting

The very idea of contradicting Craig scares me,but I think KGAL,KLAD and KBOY were indeed owned by the same person who intended it to be some kind of kid-oriented chain at least part of the time. Anyway it was from what I think I know intended as some kind of ad hoc network much like the guy who owned the XL stations KXL,KXLE in Ellensburg and KXLY in Spokane

KXLF is in there too.

I spent three weekends at 92KGAL in 1972...can't remember the ownership then, but it was before Juniper. Charlie Eads owns 920 KSHO and 1580 KGAL today...I think he bought 920 from Juniper long after we left Bend. Charlie and I both worked for Gary & Dave(?) Capps' Juniper Broadcasting at KGRL/KXIQ...My time there was 1976 through Jan. of '78. It was my first PD gig, and I learned a LOT from Gary and the whole crew.

Long before all that, I spent the last half of 1970 at KLAD after Cy & Nell Smith bought the station from Ogden Knapp. Hated the gut-bucket country format at the time, but it served me well...I learned to love country music and spent almost two-thirds of my career in Country, culminating in 8-1/2 glorious years working for Buck Owens at the Real Country Network in Tempe.

Greenway: It's REAL hazy for me, but I seem to have heard of a common tie to some of those stations you mentioned, too...Just can't put my finger on it. It would've been well before I worked there, though.

Greenway: You got me thinking about advertising, then I remembered an ad in the 1956 Broadcasting Yearbook:

"Southern Oregon's Twins"
"Your Advertising $ Goes Further on K-BOY & K-LAD"
"1,000 Watts - Clear Channel"
"Most Listeners! Most Coverage! Most Advertisers!"
"Serving The Land of Plenty"

Both "K-Lad Broadcasters" and "K-Boy Broadcasters" were owned by Clarence E. Wilson.

hey markandrews:
I was working at KPRB in Redmond in those same days and going to Redmond High School. (Ok so dad owned it and I cut the grass, pulled the weeds and occasionally got to do on air stuff, but BY GOLLY I WAS IN RADIO!!) Do you remember Jumpin Jivin Jim Malloy, Duane Francis, Happy Harry Gift, Wild Bill O'Brien from KPRB?
I remember my father and Gary Capps went at it pretty hard over sales in Central Oregon!
Yes, if I remember right, KGRL and KGAL were both run or owned by Capps.
I remember the "taped voice" as we called it on KXIQ in Bend.
What was your radio name there if you don't mind saying.

Hey, Dodger...That was YOUR lucky break...what a hoot!! Whatever it took, right? Because it was RADIO!! That's cool...

I think EVERYONE knew of Happy Harry! I do remember Jim Malloy, too...but I'm afraid I'm too hazy to remember the rest. Nonetheless, it was, and still IS, a small world.

Interesting to note that Gary Capps was adamant about sales and programming staffs being separate. I don't think any Juniper station allowed a salesperson an airshift, or a jock to sell...It was the direct opposite of what most small town stations did out of necessity.

KXIQ was using Drake-Chenault's Great American Country. When the company moved daytimer KGRL away from top 40 to an adult contemporary sound, KXIQ moved to TM's Stereo Rock. Bob Kingsley was the voice of GAC...I don't know who was TM's "voice," but for the deadpan delivery he sounded very cool. (Someone may come up with his name here...we'll see...)

I've been Mark Andrews on air my whole career, except for the time I spent early on as Bill Donovan at KPAM. Looking back, it's a real shame the "farm system" is gone...I learned a LOT about how to do radio right in those days. Now it's up to a chosen few like Bill Cooper and his KBPS associates to try and show students how it's done today... It's a daunting task that the Mighty 1450 still does well.

This is not to slight the Mt. Hood CC program; I just never took that route. Here's hoping that program is as robust as it was some years ago...

Mark: when the Q went to that Top 40/AC format, I was a junior at Redmond and I remember the student body president wrote a letter to the Bend paper "protesting" the "fake" voice on the station and supporting live radio in Central Oregon! Can you imagine a high school student doing that now?
I also remember Gary and every other GM I ever worked for separating the sales from on air. I always thought that was the way it was supposed to be? Haha!
Sales weasels on the air? Are you kidding?
Me, an AIR TALENT selling? HA!
Yep, those were interesting times.

More Capps stuff...Gary and Dave's dad, Gordon Capps hired my dad to help him put KSRV in Ontario on the air in about 1948..maybe 1949. As I remember it, our families spent time together. Years later, in 1969, I was about to go to basic training. Before I left, I drove to Bend to meet Gary...Juniper was about to buy KFLY in Corvallis..and Gary told me there would be a job waiting for me in Corvallis when I got out. But, before I got back, the FCC threatened to pull the license from the guy who owned KFLY (I forget his name). So, the deal fell through. I never did work for Juniper. But, I walked into KFLY from off the street and they gave me a job the same day. I was there for about 3 months before I was offered a job in Portland. After I left, I believe the FCC did pull the license. Strange times...but no stranger than the way things are now.

Johnny Borders was the voice of TM "Stereo Rock."

KSRV "The Voice of The Snake River Valley" signed in the air November 23, 1946 on 1450kc with studio & transmitter, a half mile north of Ontario, on Old Oregon Trail Hwy. (U.S. 30). KSRV was owned by Inland Radio, Inc.

THAT'S the guy! Thanks, Randy!

Cool link, too...

Craig...like I said, I wasn't sure of the year. I do remember that Gordon Capps was a real gentleman and an outstanding broadcaster. My dad held him in extremely high regard. Thanks for the correction.

Craig: I wasn't correcting you. Just thought you'd like the extra information I had on the beginning of KSRV.

Up to now I thought your father came to Oregon in 1957 to buy KPLK. I had no idea he was here 10 years earlier. What part of the building of KSRV was your father involve in? Did Gordon Capps hire your dad from Iowa radio? Were there other Oregon stations your dad was involved with before KPLK?

Sorry for being a little nosey here but I'm in the middle of proof reading chapters for Ron Kramer's book on The History of Oregon Radio and there might be something you could relate that would be of interest for the book since your father is part of KPLK/KROW history.

Craig,
My dad started at KMMJ in Grand Island, NE. He moved the family to Ontario when he started with KSRV. I think they had a remote studio in Weiser, ID...maybe it was Payette. But, he also worked out of the station in Ontario. In fact, I visited KSRV this past summer and there is still a photo of him working a remote in the lobby of the station. In about 1950, he moved us back to the midwest to put KMAN on the air in Manhattan, KA. He was into sales by that time and was the sales manager and perhaps the GM as well. Then, in about 1953 or so, he moved us back to Grand Island to start KRGI. He was SM and, eventually, GM of that station. Then, in 1957, he and his partner bought KPLK and we moved to the northwest. If you are curious about anything in particular, just let me know.
cw

This is great! Since you said your dad was still at KSRV in 1950. I found him listed in the 1950 Broadcasting Yearbook as KSRV's Promotions Manager. From your first post, I was under the impression he was there just to put KSRV on the air and then move on as an engineer or something.

No..he started out on-air, then moved to sales and management. He loved the business so much, I think he would have done anything to be in radio. It would seem he passed the gene along.

Craig, I had an opportunity to spend a little time with your Dad, and work with him on the crowning of the Oregon Dairy Princes. What a showman.

We no longer have people with his experience and talent running the broadcast industry and that's what's wrong with it.

Craig Walker:

How'd you like living in Ontario? My first newspaper job out of college was a year as a reporter at the Daily Argus-Observer there in 1977-78. GREAT folks in that town, and it was excellent experience for a young newspaper guy. But I must admit to feeling a little culture shock (it was my first time out of Seattle, having grown up there) waking up every morning smelling the Ore-Ida potato plant and the beef stockyards.

Incidentally, one of my very good friends there in Ontario that year was a fellow from my church there named Keith Snodgrass, who was GM of KSRV. Keith died a few years ago.

My next newspaper job took me up to Anacortes, Wash. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven...

Deane,
Thanks for the kind words about Dad. He absolutely loved working in front of an audience and he did it very well. When he walked into a room of strangers, he acted like he knew everyone! He was a great guy.
Johnf,
I only spent a summer in Ontario..it was 1965. I worked at the aforementioned Ore-Ida plant trying to make enough money to pay my college tuition. I spent my free time going to car races at the fairgrounds in Ontario and the 1/2 mile track in Meridian, ID. I also seem to remember some Paul Revere and the Raiders concerts during the summer at the fairgrounds. I revisited Ontario this past summer...it doesn't seem to have changed much. And, KSRV and Ore-Ida are still there!

I was just listening to KGAY. I am amazed that this 1000 watt station can get that strong a signal into the Hillsboro area. It easily dominates the frequency!

When I was part-timing it at KFLY, the owner at the time had a deal pending with Gary Capps and Juniper to sell the station to him, as Craig said. His station manager and right hand from Bend came over during the weekend when I was there and was given the run of the station account files. He got to see who was buying ads, what the billing was and everything. Several months after the pending FCC action caused the deal to fall through, same guy was in Lebanon running Juniper's newest property and one of our major radio competitors, KGAL! Talk about market research!

One of our contract engineers who had been around local radio for many years said KGAL, KGAY and others were all started by a guy named Gordon Allen or something similar and he wanted his initials in all of the stations he owned.

KGAY was a country station that distinguished itself with outstanding local news coverage of the Salem and Marion-Polk County area during the late sixties and early 70's.