I have great recollections of both Howard Watson and Herbie Byrd. First of all Herbie: Yes, a very true professional newsman. I came to know this even better after I left KAAY to go to KTHV (Television). I worked for a while as a news reporter on TV and would run into Herbie and the other reporters (Newspaper) regularly. This was mostly a time when Winthrop Rockefeller was Governor of Arkansas. I remember many times when the reporters would grill the Governor at press conferences. Herbie took no back seat to any of the old newspaper guys who could get W.R. in a sweat on a regular basis. Herbie was good. As a side note: I thought many times that the Governor should get up and walk out on them. I even considered, at one time when he gave me an exclusive interview, telling him...."Why don't you tell them until you guys start treating me with the respect that this job can demand, I'll just go back in my office" W.R. was just too nice to them. He would sit there with sweat pouring off his face, smoking one Picaune(?) after another, and allow them to whip him entirely too long. Herbie though, was always good to me. If I was in total confusion (as a young D.J. turned reporter) to what had just happened, he would take time to explain to me if I asked. He was a seasoned reporter and I was a kid who wanted to be on TV. We both got our wish, I suppose.
My take on the Howard Watson story is a little different too. As I remember it, Howard knew he could not take the Ken Knight name across town. He did it for the publicity. He knew KAAY would sue, but there would be lots of coverage on it too, and his audience would know of the change and follow him to KMYO if they wanted. Also on the name change....."Len" was the first name of the KAAY General Manager (Len Carl) and Knight is the opposite of Day. I believe it was all done in a fun sort of way. I doubt if anyone at either station was really upset over it. I worked, up until a short while back with Howard's son Jeff (doing TV production) and was able to keep up with his dad a little. I gave him some old Silver Doller Surveys to frame for his dad. Howard, still Len Day, was on the radio everyday in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas until some health matters arose. I understand he now lives in North Little Rock. I hope that he will be able to return to the radio some day, and I hope we can hear from him sometime in the future on this blog. Great voice.
One more detail on the KLRA/KAAY newsroom guys: Walt Sadler worked with Mr. Byrd at KLRA before coming to the KAAY newsteam as Ron Owens. Walt, who died a few years back, in my opinion, had the best pure radio voice of anyone who ever worked there.
Tom Perryman doesn't count. He wasn't an employee. Although you know, when God was handing out voices, Perryman broke in line and got to be number one.
Jerry Sims Sonny Martin KAAY a while back
In my original comment about Herbie Byrd, I neglected to mention an incident whcih reflects on his courage as a newsman. In the early 1960s, the Congressman from the Little Rock area was Dale Alford. He had a brother named Boyce Alford. Herbie had broadcast some news reports about Dale Alford that Boyce Alford took offense at, so he lay in wait outside Herbie's studio one evening and when he walked outside, attacked him, and roughed him up pretty good. That did not intimidate Herbie. He continued to report as always, and charges were brought against Boyce Alford, although I do not remember the ultimate disposition of the case. Incidentally, Herbie was a little guy. Boyce Alford was much bigger than he was.
ReplyDeleteI also must comment About Jerry's statements about Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. In my opinion, he was the consumate gentleman.
Always polite even to people who were attacking him. He also was the governor who brought Arkansas out of the darkness of segregation and discrimination into the era of equal rights for all. I appreciate Jerry's analysis of how patient he was You know, he had all the money in the world before he came to Arkansas, and he did a lot more for the state than the state ever did for him.
Jim Clark
Rogers, AR
Was Walt Sadler the newsman who did the news during the Brother Hal shows on KLRA? Didn't he use an air name of Jerry something? And what kind of station is KLRA today?
ReplyDeleteJim Clark
Rogers, AR