Tuesday, July 31, 2012

KAAY Reunion Rescheduled Per Barry Mac

Just wanted to let you know that I went to the blog and saw the posting for KAAY's 50th birthday bash, and figured I should let you know that we've changed the date to the 14th.  This was done primarily so we could have Rex Nelson as a guest speaker.  I know that as far as radio, and specifically KAAY radio, goes, this means little to nothing for most people outside of Arkansas, but Rex is a native Arkansan who has mostly been in the political arena, working in former Gov. Mike Huckabee's administration and writing columns for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.  But the main appeal of having Rex present is his superior knowledge of all things Arkansas, which extends into virtually all things broadcasting in Arkansas.  In fact, for almost three decades, one of Rex's side jobs has been announcing games for Ouachita Baptist University.  And a further fact, he wasn't going to be available on September 7th because he was going to be doing a road game for OBU on Saturday the 8th, and would have to leave the afternoon of the 7th to travel there. Also, an old radio cohort of mine named Jay Brentlinger was going to be out of the country on the 7th, but he's returning on the 12th, and should be available to attend. Jay was a very young assistant to Felix McDonald in the early '80s, and for a number of years has been working as a technical supervisor for Orban, which makes all sorts of radio broadcasting processors and equipment. Jay is also one of many who wants to preserve the old RCA transmitter.


So anyway, we've confirmed the move to the 14th, and I promise, it won't be moved again.
 
BMac
 
Folks, see the previous post for contact information on this very important reunion!  Bud S.

Monday, July 30, 2012

KAAY 50th Anniversary Reunion!

The KAAY 50th anniv. celebration has been set. It will be Fri. Sept. 7th @ The Oyster Bar on Markham Street. The festivities will start @ 6:30 with a social and start the program around 7:30.


Anyone who worked @ KAAY from 1962-85 who would like to attend please let us know. It is RSVP because there is only so much space. Planning somewhere between 25-40 people. You can contact Barry Mac @ bmccorkindale@gmail.com or me @ vdogirish@yahoo.com.  Will have details on prices at a later date once we know how many are attending. Please let us know at least one week in advance so we can turn in our final numbers. Barry and I visited with the owner of The Oyster Bar for nearly four hours last night. Also, she is a native of Barry's hometown of Harrison, Ar.

(per Doug Virden in an e-mail to Bud S.)

Sunday, July 22, 2012

40 YEARS AGO: "THE SUMMER OF '72" !

I've  had some problems lately, feeling better...but, as we all know: Life gets shorter everyday.  SO, with our 3rd Anniversary underway, I thought I'd "Flashback" 40 YEARS AGO to that truly magical KAAY: "Summer of '72" !
KAAY/LITTLE ROCK...IN THE "SUMMER OF '72" !
This is one of my favorite Airchecks !  It shows how much fun Rock & Roll "Top 40" Radio was in the 50's, 60's, and, 70's !

Summertime in Little Rock was was always a "hot one"...but, inside the "Big K" Studios, it was sometimes even hotter because of the pace, the excitement, the promotions, and, the super-neat music we played.

SO, for the next few minutes, just sit back, relax, and enjoy all of the info, pix, and, fun that we were having at "The Mighty 1090": KAAY/Little Rock !

Just click-on this Link, listen, and, enjoy !

PS: I'll be making my yearly trek to Salina, Kansas for the Big Kustom Kemps Of America 32nd Annual Leadsled Spectacular this week !  The Crusin' & Cars start piling in on Thursday, July 26...and the Event continues to Sunday July 29.

Lots of Interviews with the Rod & Custom Pioneers/Legends for my Hall Of Fame Legends Website (Now beaming into all 50 States & 124 Countries !)  If you're in the area, stop by and say "Hi" !
(For complete info, just go to: http://www.legends.thewwbc.net

My best to all !

Jonnie King



Thursday, July 19, 2012

Another Yucatan, MX DX Report!



The Yucatan Peninsula, home of so many vacationers and hits from hurricanes, was apparently receptive to more of KAAY's HUGE signals!  At least some of the clientele of this spot had the presence of mind to listen in, yes?

Again, thanks to Wayne Moss for sharing some of these letters with us!  They are a truly historical wonders!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Humor From Jim Cleveland


Jim Cleveland, friend of Charlie Scarbrough/"Charlie King", rigged this little cartoon up for your enjoyment.  Thanks, Jim!

(Maybe I'll get him to paste some REAL KAAY folks' heads on cartoon bodies?!?!?)

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Sunday, July 15, 2012

We're Three Years Young!


HOT DIGGETY DAWG!  With help from so many wonderful people, we've made it once again!  Who'd've ever thunk it?

Just about the time I think we're going to run slack of material, here comes another load of audio, a visual tidbit, or something to save our tail from languishing- all due to the unselfishness of collectors, the love of the station by former jocks and other personnel and devoted listeners...ALL who are and were important in KAAY's history!  Folks, without YOU, we would wither on the vine!

Suffice it to say, we've had an abundance of things come our way, that we've been able to schedule ahead of time, to free us up to continue to search at a less frenzied pace...but we're always on the search.  So please, don't ever think your contribution isn't important- BECAUSE IT IS!

My greatest thanks to Dave S., who has stuck by the blog with his extreme patience of my computer ignorace and who has lent that wonderful knowledge to bring you many, many KAAY audio bites and improvements to this blog...and to Greg Barman, who has lent his incredible audio expertise to rescuing otherwise dead and broken tapes and converting it all so that we can use it here on the blog.  Without these guys, this blog would be nowhere as exciting or appealing as it has been!

Being a labor of love, may we labor long....

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Friday, July 13, 2012

Eric Thomas, KAAY, July 1981

Here is a mid-day shift, with Eric Thomas and the "Kay-Why Original Oldies Party".  Obviously mid-July, because of the high temperatures Eric was reporting!

"Scoped, but still nostalgic and enjoyable...Kay-Why", Kay-Double-Ay-Why" identifiers abound.  Lots of early rock-n-roll stars, too!


(or download here)

After the "Oldies Party" is over, rock of the 1981 era resumes....someone yelled "Be there!" behind Eric at about 5:41, re: the Jefferson Square Parking lot...wonder who that was?

Thanks again to Russell Wells for sharing this audio goodie and to Dave S. for sharing his computer skills, bringing this to you to enjoy!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

WAKY's 3rd Reunion

Heard from The Voice we all love and know, Tom Perryman regarding one of KAAY's former sister LIN stations, WAKY:

"WAKY had its 3rd Reunion at the Louisville Zoo in mid June and about 19 thousand showed up...you can see WAKY web at WAKY1035.com...check it out...WAKY actually turns 54 years old this year!...I started at WAKY as a newsman 52 years ago!"

Tom also mentions, "WAKY was started in 1958 by the McLendon Corp. out of Dallas.   Gordon McLendon was an extraordinary person and he and his father were the brains behind the company that started with KLIF in Dallas, and acquired KILT in Houston, and a station in San Antonio and elsewhere..LIN bought WAKY I believe in 1961 or 62..and bought KILT not long after if I recall correctly.  Don Keyes was the programming guy behind all the Top 40 stations McLendon had..and he was a great guy...In the early years, all the McLendon stations earned huge ratings in all the markets they were in.  Best regards! Tom Perryman"

You can also visit the AM website of WAKY at:

http://www.79waky.com/index.htm

and enjoy lots of neat airchecks...you may even see a few names there of deejays and newsmen who worked at both WAKY and KAAY!

If you want to hear and see more of Tom, just type "Tom Perryman" or "Tom Perry" in the upper left-hand box and do a search...Tom's voice boomed and reverberated all over KAAY's i.d.'s!

Thank you, Tom!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Eric Thomas, "KAAY, KQ94-FM", July 5, 1981

Boy, when I heard this identifier, I thought, "Were they simulcasting on this date???"  I know Dave Montgomery and Greg Fadick ("Hot Scott Fisher") told us so many months ago about an FM operation and sister station.  This had been KEZQ-FM, which became KLPQ-FM...and the rest is history...see this link:

http://mighty1090kaay.blogspot.com/2009/09/kaay-fm-sister-station.html

Unscoped, with some atmospheric fade, this is a real aircheck, "DXed from Iowa", the notes say...nostalgic, isn't it?  Seems as if there's some co-channel interference, like a hazy, high-pitched buzz there, as well...?  Thirty-one years later today, it seems and sounds like just yesterday....


(or download here)

Being DXed from Iowa, this had to be a night-time broadcast.  Remember those coverage maps?  Yeah!

Thanks to Dave S. for archiving and to Russell Wells for his superb library!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

25th Anniversary!

I know this isn't related to KAAY, et. al., but I wanted to announce that today, July 3, 2012 is my and my wife's 25th wedding anniversary!  Twenty-five years ago, some crazy things happened- NOT at the wedding, but preceding the wedding!

Seems as if I changed from my sweaty work clothes to clean, fresh clothing for the dress reheasal the eve of our wedding.  When I got up the next morning, I grabbed my tux and goods and took off, as I was late.  I got stopped a few miles from the house by an Alabama State Trooper...

"Sir, I stopped you for speeding...can you come to my passenger seat and let's take care of this, please?"

I sat in his car and he proceeded to ask me, "May I see your license, sir?"  I told him that I didn't have it, that I left it at the church.  "Church?"  I mentioned that I'd changed clothes the evening before and I'd just realized where I'd left it.  So, he asked why was I in such a hurry?  "Because I'm late for my wedding today!"

Well, he whipped out his book, got my information and mentioned that when I got back from the honeymoon, that I could take my license and the ticket down to the courthouse and have it "taken care of" with no fine.  He whipped it out in record time, forwarning me to be careful and TRY to keep my speed down...that my soon-to-be-wife needed her husband.  I thanked him and got out of the patrol car- and just before I closed the door, he yelled, "HEY!"  I thought, "Oh Lord, he's changed his mind!"  When I reopened the door, he had this big grin on his face...and he said, "Have fun!"  I almost died!

I thanked him and eased off to the church- I wasn't TOO late and everything went off without a hitch.

Not only that, but at the wedding rehearsal the evening before, as my wife pulled out of her parking spot, she turned into a power pole, crumpling her fender.  On the spot, we were loaned a Cadillac to use for our honeymoon trip!  Disaster made into a blessing, on the spot!  We got the fender fixed for a minimal fee after we got back.

WHEW!  Where did the years go?  I just want to day to my bride Salina: I want another twenty-five!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Monday, July 2, 2012

Jersey Shore, Summertime 1906

Down on the Jersey Shore, ca. 1906.

Ahh, summertime! I thought this photo was interesting on several levels. With now being officially summer, thoughts turn to family outings and "the beach". This is what it was like on one summer day in 1906, the beach at Atlantic City, NJ - people out having fun and enjoying the water and sand. And just to make this related to radio, the photo caption also points out a "DeForest Wireless" radio station. Look for the antenna mast in the haze - near the end of the pier.

Check out the swimsuits! and the variety of concessions. Also the first aid tent in the close foreground. What else can you spot?

Y'all be safe, and have fun!

photo credits: http://www.shorpy.com/

Dave Montgomery