Friday, July 29, 2016

Airchecks from contributor Joe Martin -- Sonny Martin on July 29 1974

We love hearing from people who have discovered old KAAY tapes that have been sitting in boxes for 40 years or more.  Joe Martin of Wichita Falls TX let us know on a Facebook group recently about a tape he had with airchecks of 7 KAAY jocks, all recorded on Monday July 29, 1974 -- 42 years ago today (whew!).

Joe is an ex-radio guy who has worked numerous stations in TX and who almost came to work at KAAY.  Here is his story:

"I spent a number of hours recording this in 1974 in hotel room in Hot Springs on my Akai reel to reel.  I think I got every jock that worked the 24 hour period recorded.  

Here's my story.  In 1973, I was working at top 40 KTRN in Wichita Falls TX.  I blindly sent out a number of airchecks to about 20 stations looking for a new gig.  Many of the stations I had never heard before.  KAAY was one I had never heard.  I had been in Wichita Falls 18 months and was ready to move.  A short time later, I received a phone call from KAAY program director Wayne Moss informing me the all night show was coming open for a program called Beaker Street.  I knew KAAY was a top 40 operation with a strong signal, but I knew nothing of Beaker Street.

I told Wayne I would drive to Little Rock (420 miles away) to visit with him and see the station.  When I got to town on a Sunday, I checked into a motel and met with Wayne the following day.  After a tour of the downtown operation and meeting Sonny Martin, Wayne took me to lunch.  He suggested I visit the transmitter site that night to sit in on Beaker Street.   I do not remember who the jock was, but I am pretty sure Clyde Clifford had already left and I would be replacing his replacement that was moving on.  I could go into detail about my good impressions of what I saw at the transmitter site, but to keep things as short as possible, I contacted Wayne and said I would accept the job offer.  After I slept a while, I woke up and decided I was homesick for my girlfriend and called Wayne back and thanked him for the offer, but I felt I needed to return to Texas and KTRN.  

The recording you have here was recorded the following summer when I took my vacation with my girlfriend to listen to KAAY one more time.  I never heard it again.  I married the girlfriend and was divorced within 4 years.  Where am I now at age 65?  I'm still in Wichita Falls TX where I have lived for the last 44 years.  Remind me someday to share my KOMA story with you (lol)."

We will post these telescoped airchecks one by one, starting with Sonny Martin on that morning of July 29, 1974, from 6:36-7:40am.   Thank you Joe for your aircheck contribution and for your story!

(or download here)

Greg Barman

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