Weather DOES Affect Radio Signals!

What with Hurricane Alex off the Mexican Gulf Coast, and a cold front in Northern Alabama, I was experiencing a "push" of signals from the southwest and the Gulf, signals that I don't normally hear.  I have mentioned before that weather fronts and major weather events can and do affect radio signals.  If you have time, monitor the AM/FM broadcast bands and maybe the public service bands today and tomorrow, and you may hear some signals you don't normally hear!  I don't know about digital TV, since I could only see two channels this morning, out of several in the Mobile area; digital TV signals are attenuated in anything but clear weather.

I don't want to get started on digital TV...NOT my favorite medium....

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Stag Beer Boycott

I'd been looking for this and just stumbled upon it...times were turbulent in the 1960's and 1970's, but I am not sure if this boycott actually occurred, nor where it was posted, or even if it came off successful.  I just thought since Stag Beer was heavily advertised on KAAY, this would be an interesting addition to the history....to be sure, this has been posted purely for its historical content and nothing is meant otherwise.

Charlie's Business Cards

Charlie Scarbrough, a.k.a. "Charlie King" while at KAAY, sent along some of his old business cards from when he started in the broadcast business...I'm sure you read his story a few posts back, so I won't rehash the details here.  The WTUP card is from that station in Tupelo, MS and KALO and KARN were from Little Rock.  I just wish my digital camera was better; I don't have a computer scanner, so the quality isn't the best.  I'll be checking into a local shop for scanning things better (hopefully, their prices won't be too bad!), so I can get better, clarer copies here.

Thanks to Charlie for these pieces of radio history!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Ear On Arkansas 33-1/3 Album!

Wow, an original, from 1967!  Still in the original sleeve, with the plastic on it, opened only to get the LP out, very little wear, from Charlie Scarbrough!  The small logo at the lower right-hand corner is the LIN broadcasting logo.

"Ear on Arkansas" was a parody of the CBS television feature, "Eye on Arkansas".  The "players" of "Ear on Arkansas" were many, most all from KAAY and, from what I understand, a couple from Channel 7 and other parts unknown...I'll have to double-check that.  Needless to say, they took a comedic poke at nearly anyone and everyone involved in Arkansas politics, no holds barred!

We'll have to reach back to A.J.'s blog and pull that audio forward for a future post.  In the meantime, if you can't pull the back cover up large enough to read, here is the text:

"EAR ON ARKANSAS, created by the staff of KAAY Radio, and broadcast first in April 1964, has been a consistantly unique form of programming since its inception.  "EAR" fills a need for something other than is found today in radio...or, for that matter...television.  In the last half of the 60's, there are a few gadflies to constantly keep alert and alive the questionings and probings of the public at large.  Especially is this so on the local level...even in a state such as Arkansas, where the business of governement is dearly cherished as the business of the people.

Government is a prime target of EAR ON ARKANSAS...government at all levels.  Without the inquisitiveness and sometimes rightousness of the free press, those holding public trusts would find little in their paths...little to keep before them the constant reminder that they are the representatives of the people.  EAR gives the individual something to think about...in many cases, something to disagree with...but certainly it's far better to disagree...than never to have been moved to thought at all....

This album is the culmination of one year of work...a single year among many so far expended in the pursuit of...perhaps...originality.  The events of 1967 passed into history rather quietly...but this album recalls them with a bit of their original sound and fury.  We at KAAY sincerely hope that you enjoy THE EAR YEAR...1967...and that you return, week after week, in the coming months...for more...whether you are a member of the public, or one of the harried politicians at the short end of the skit.  It's all for fun...for everyone."

More of EAR later!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Stag Beer

Stag beer was an advertiser on KAAY; in fact, come to think of it, I don't recall ever hearing it unless it was on some of the Beaker Street airchecks.  Did they advertise during any other air shifts?

As an aside, my current supervisor said Stag beer was...well, less than desirable!  For some reason, we got to talking on the subject of some things we haven't seen or who was out of business, and Schlitz, Falstaff and Stag came up.

Here's an ad for Stag beer for you to enjoy, courtesy of Barry Mac!

Stag Beer ad:   stream   |   download

Comments From A Reader- We Want More!

We get occasional comments and e-mails from readers who find us by other means than the blog itself.  I had left a comment on a website over a year ago and Kathi Spencer e-mailed me, looking for any audio, links and what-have-you, re: Beaker Street and Beaker Theater. Her comments are below:

"I listened to KAAY Beaker Street and Beaker Theatre in the EARLY 70's. It was about 1 or so when Beaker Theater came on, and if memory servies, they sang before the theater, many songs that could be war protest... Joan Beaz was one. I have tried to tell my kid and friends from different areas about it, but alas, they could not get it. Would love to hear an episode from any night again. It was my "parking" entertainment out on a date.... Great memories, married the guy but we are divorced."

I gave her the URL for this and A.J.'s old blog, as well as that of Jonnie King's website, for The Breakfast Serial, which more or less was born from George J. Jennings and "Sonny Martin" (Matt White) morning serial, which, if I'm not mistaken, had its beginnings in Beaker Theater...someone correct me if I'm wrong on that.  For those who haven't found Jonnie's Legends site, here's the link:

http://www.serial.thewwbc.net/

Jonnie has been a wonderful friend, to me and this blog.  He would appreciate your visits and patronage.  By the way, he syndicates these serials all over the U.S.A.!

Thank you, Kathi, and to all who e-mail and comment.  We want more!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

"Christmas In June!" Plus, Some Good News!

Dear Readers,

I have to apologize for not being more attentive to the blog...lately, work load here on the Gulf Coast and attention to family has taken quite a bit of time, so priorities must be met...

...BUT, some good things are happening!  Charlie Scarbrough, a.k.a. "Charlie King" has sent me a great package that I'm processing right now and getting things ready to post here!  Talk about "Christmas in June"!  Suffice it to say, between the audio and pictures, I hope you're pleasantly surprised.  The former may take a little bit of time for us to sort through, the latter are soon to come.

The other good news is that The Encyclopedia of Arkansas has so far accepted my proffered entry and it is now in the final editing stages!  Of course, all the legalities have to be met, papers to be signed, etc.  So far, they've been delighted with the pictures and graphs and like the entry's content.  An announcement, with weblink, will be forethcoming.  I must say, however, that it was much harder to write in an encyclopedic manner than it was for the article for Monitoring Times!

Who woulda thunk it, a poor ol' lowly listener from Alabama would have the privilege to do what I'm doing now?  So much history has been handed to me, out of the kindness of others' hearts to share- history that would otherwise have been lost, thrown in a trash can or otherwise disposed of.  One close friend is constantly amazed at what has been accomplished here...and I owe it all to you, dear reader, who contribute the memories, and to The Greats Who Were There who partake of their time to bring memorabilia to us all.  Is this work?  No, maybe a labor of love.  May I then labor at this for you, for a long time to come!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Derby Dinner Theater Ad

This sounds like an excellent place to have had dinner, what with all the performers!  I did a search, but any places by this particular name are no longer in Arkansas, that I can find.  There's an America's Best Value Inn at 2204 Central Ave. in Hot Springs now...of course, these dinner/theater businesses come and go.

Thanks again to Barry Mac:

Derby Dinner Theater ad:   stream   |   download

A Phil North Ad For The Gift Case

Here is some audio of Phil North doing a phone ad/interview for The Gift Case --- thanks again to Barry Mac!  Sounds like a neat place:

Phil North: "The Gift Case":   stream   |   download

Happy Father's Day!

To all you dads out there: keep up the good work!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

THIS WILL BLOW YOUR MIND...

To All My Big K Friends:
Just thought I'd brief you on this, as you know I'm always in the vanguard of the "hottest new items" around:

On my most recent trip to Italy, after a private meeting with the Pope, later consulting with Ferrai, Lamborghini, and Maserati, on their 2012 models, and then giving Oscar De La Renta a few tips on new cologne scents for his next Spring Showings, I met with the owners of the House of Ariete to discuss their newest Radio Device.

My friends, this will make WiFi, HD Radio, and, iPods look like Crystal Sets ! This new product truly moves Radio and our profession fully into the 21 st Century ! I give you:

THE ARIETE RADIO TOASTER !!!!!!

How could it have taken so long for someone to create this Broadcasting Phenomenon ?

JUST THINK OF IT: For 3 minutes, EVERY MORNING, you can listen to "just enough" of your favorite radio station, while your toast is toasting, to leave you wanting MORE so that you can't wait to get in your car to drive to work and listen to the rest of whatever you were hearing !

Think of the possibilities ! Not only will radio stations benefit from this fabulous device, but "cumes in cars" will go up book-after-book; bread companies will be swamped with more and more orders, their production will go up, AND, you can bet they'll take full advantage of this new "Radio Toaster" Craze and create Special new breads just for this medium. (Rock n' Roll Rye; Smooth Jazz Slices; Classical Crusts; Blues Bread; Big K Kornbread...it truly boggles the mind).

And, of course, you know Steve Jobs will have to get into the fray ! A year from now I expect he'll be unveiling the "iToast" (power cord available at additional cost).

SO, I wanted you all to be the first to know that I'm set to become the sole USA Distributor for this superb, and, soon-to-be, BIGGEST Fad since the Hula Hoop and the Edsel. The wheels are in motion, and as soon as the check clears on my initial "good faith" payment of $15.42 things will begin popping-up...just like toast !!

My name is Jonnie King, and, yes: I want to be a Millionaire !

Oh, and yes, this REALLY exists !
http://www.ariete.net/catalogo_06/catalogo3_en.asp?prod_id=201

The Year Of The Rat, From The Little Barn!

Barry Mac has sent along another ad for The Little Barn, with the two Georges...listen, and you'll know what I mean!

Little Barn Ad: "Year of the Rat":   stream   |   download

REST IN PEACE: JIMMY DEAN

Jimmy Dean was a true All-American, as well as an entertainer.

In 1970 he was launching his sausage line, and he and his brother, Don, were in Little Rock for the kick-off. Why Little Rock ? Well, what most never knew, or have forgotten in the interveneing years is that Little Rock's HOLLAND-ROTHMAN Advertising Agency handled the Jimmy Dean Account WORLDWIDE in those days.

I was at KAAY at the time as Air Personality & MD, and got a call one afternoon from Alan Rothman asking me if I'd come to a special "Breakfast With Jimmy Dean" that they were hosting. I said of course I'd love to be there, and on the morning of May 21st, 1970, myself and a few other select Invitees showed up.

It was a small, hand-picked group and we not only had "Breakfast" with Jimmy...but he cooked it himself ! In addition, he was the most affable, intelligent, humorous, and nice individual that you'd ever want to meet. I knew that he had a couple of TV Interviews to do, but I asked him if he could come by KAAY that afternoon so that I could do one with him. He couldn't have agreed faster ! Jumped at the chance because he remembered how much airplay KAAY had always given his records. That afternoon Alan Rothman brought him by, we went into a Production Room, and Jimmy Dean & I spent about an hour together.

He was just fantastic ! And, when I say he was a true All-American I mean it: Again, this was 1970, the Vietnam War was still raging on, our brave soldiers were in-the-fight everyday, and the casualty lists were mounting daily. Well, somehow, something was said that triggered his thoughts of Vietnam, the war, etc, and Dean gave me, in no uncertain terms his feelings about "hippies", "flag burners", "draft card burners", "the protest movement", "Draft Dodgers/AWOL's" moving to Canada, and anything else he considered TOTALLY UN-AMERICAN ! (In fact, in those days, and being 50,000 Watts and a part of LIN Broadcasting, there were a few choice words/phrases we had to edit out before I ran it. However, times have changed, and you will probably hear most of those words/phrases on almost ANY TV Show tonight.)

He was also impressed when I told him, small "bad-word-for-1961" or not, I always used his ORIGINAL version of "Big Bad John", and not the re-cut. Again, this WAS 1970, and he laughed and said that the re-cut version had been in the Pop Domain for so long that many had forgotten - or, even HEARD- his original. Again, my musicology background had come to the fore, and it struck a very responsive chord with him. Said that "it made his day !". (Have YOU ever heard the un-cut version ? )

Dean was also excited about his role in up-and-coming James Bond Film "Diamonds Are Forever"...he knew the strength of the Bond Films and what "cult classics" they'd become. In addition, it was the return - for one more Official Bond Film - of Sean Connery. Connery had agreed to do one last film if the producers would donate his salary to his Scottish charity.

Jimmy came to town a number of times after that to work with the Agency on various spots & promotions. And all of those who worked with him had a very high regard for his commitment to the Agency, the Product, and, his customers. (Sadly, a few years later, he severed relations with his brother, Don, who was the Vice President of the JD Meat Company. Don, was mishandling the funds and had to be let go.) Being the Ultimate "Saver-Of-All-Stuff-That-Crosses-My-Path" I still have Don Dean's Business Card that he gave me that day: May 21, 1970.

Again, R.I.P. Jimmy Dean...A True All-American.

JK

PS: If you're reading this in the St. Louis Area and the name Alan Rothman seems familiar to you it should. Alan was also from St. Louis, and his Dad & Uncle founded the Rothman Furniture Company a long-running, still in business today company, many, many years ago.

Phil North Aircheck, July 1971!

Woo-hoo!  Another aircheck from Phil!  He got this from an old radio friend and sent this along for us to enjoy.  Mitch Michaels is the newsman on this aircheck, as well.

Many thanks to Phil and his friend Jay for this great audio piece of KAAY history...now, on to the aircheck!

Phil North, KAAY, July 1971:   stream   |   download

Arkansas Floods

My heart goes out to those who have suffered personal loss during the floods on southwest Arkansas.  We here along the Gulf Coast have suffered tragedy from an oil spill; however, nothing can be as devastating as the loss of human life, in either case.

May God bless those families affected and give them grace for the days to come, and may His grace abound over all of Arkansas and our Gulf.

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Wolfman Jack

Sometimes I go off on a tangent and do some odd research.  We'd mentioned Wolfman Jack and his relationship to KAAY a couple of times on this blog and, for some reason, he got on my mind again.  I like to listen to his airchecks from KERB 1090 as well, from time to time.

Well, I found a video site that had a nice tribute:

http://www.vidchili.com/video/s5GqYK7m2Ab/Wolfman_Jack_Tribute/

You can also search out other Wolfman videos (and others on many subjects) on http://www.vidchili.com/  All of the ones of him I came upon here were pictures with some of his airchecks dropped on them, but it was still fun to listen.

Everyone have a nice weekend!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

"Charlie King" Revisited

Charlie Scarbrough, a.k.a. "Charlie King", called me last night and mentioned that I had a couple of errors in my original post.  For those who've read it already, I have made the necessary revisions.  I must have misread my shorthand as I posted!  Needless to say, we here at Mighty 1090 KAAY blogspot want to make SURE the correct information gets posted, so that proper credit and history are both set straight!  It's all about honesty and integrity....

This was another great conversation with Charlie; he is a wonderful, patient gentleman, taking time with me, a lowly listener and avid KAAY fan.  We look forward to his visits, memorabilia, stories and insights yet to come!

Thank you, Charlie!

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

Worthen Bank Mini Tellers!

I guess this was the early "all-time" or "24-hour" ATM...an amazing thing to have at the time, now something we take for granted nowadays.  In fact, we gripe when they don't work, even when there's one on every corner!

Thanks to the Barry Mac Audio Library!

Worthen Bank Mini Tellers:   stream   |   download

Old and New Technologies Merge....And The Grand Ole Opry

I'm still an analog guy and I'm being dragged, kicking and screaming into the digital world.  But sometimes, there is a glimmer of interesting stuff that makes it through all the dust I kick up....

Like last night: my daughter was at the Grand Ole Opry last night with a friend of hers who just graduated (and this is her graduation trip).  I told her that I have listened to the show on AM radio at night and she seemed very interested.  "Daddy, will you hear us when we go there?", she asked, before the trip.  I told her that with WSM's signal, it should be almost as good as a local station.  That's the old technology....

...enter the new technology: she texted (sp?) my wife/her mom to tell me to be sure and listen!  Yes, that was what I was about to do, as we worked out in the yard.  You see, I don't have a cell phone...don't want one, don't need one, have no desire to get one.  Ham radio has all I need.  The only time I carry a cell phone is for when I'm on duty for work, every third week...but that's a rabbit trail of no worth....

Needless to say, we sat and listened to AM 650, WSM; the signal was climbing up at 8:10 PM Central, just before dusk (kind of like what KAAY did!) and gave full bars on my DX-440 in just a few more minutes.  We listened to Little Jimmy Dickens, Tricia Yearwood and finally, Carrie Underwood.  All the while, the girls were texting my wife and she texted our comments back.  I told her to tell them that I could hear them screaming over the air and they believed I could!  They and we had a great time and texts were flying back and forth as we listened to AM radio from Nashville, TN.

Old and new technologies....they mix and merge and compliment each other.  Yet, not quite an "old fart", I still resist some things, in lieu of the nostalgic.

Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)

(By the way, a demonstration was held on The Tonight Show awhile back, where it was demonstrated that Morse Code beat texting, hands-down [pun intended!]...there are several other references to it on the web, as well. bs)

My First Radio, by Dave S.

The recent posts about radios set me to thinking about the radios I used as a kid.  (We are going back to the late 1950s here.)   My folks owned a monstrous, massive, walnut "entertainment center" in which was embedded a poor-quality record changer (built for 78s but would also turn at 33) and a surprisingly sensitive AM receiver whose signal was amplified by a tube amp.  The amp's output was sent to a 12" combined tweeter-woofer (which I fried one day some years later by routing a Gibson Les Paul Jr. into the amp's imputs and overdriving the tubes --- but that's another story).

I really liked that console radio --- when powered up, the radio static would fade in, like the tides, and the dial would glow all golden-like, just like the tubes, which I could see through the ventilation holes in the back of the unit.  Also, the radio warmed up the room (good ole tubes!), so listening to it was the perfect winter pastime. 

I was too young to be allowed to use the radio on my own, and I guess I was too young to listen to rock-and-roll anyway, so when my parents bought their first television and a mounted an antenna on the roof, I got distracted by the Lone Ranger and Davy Crocket.   I liked Diz and Pee Wee on the weekends, too.

One day, when I was 7, my father brought home something in his pocket.  "Listen to this!" he exclaimed as he pulled out what looked like a fat notepad --- he turned a switch and this hissy fizzy squawky sound came out of the world's tiniest speaker.  But there was no denying that the hissy voice was the DJ at the local AM station, KXXX.    "It's a transistor radio --- it doesn't need to warm up!" he exclaimed.    I couldn't get over how small it was.

The radio my father brought home was a "six transistor" Zephyr model.   Somehow, transistors were like tubes and the more you had, the better it was.   That's all I knew, then.

The radio was my father's and although I could listen to it, I couldn't play with it.  So, I wanted one of my own for Christmas that year.    The little radio my father bought cost five dollars, and in 1960, five dollars was a lot of money to spend on a kid's Christmas present, but to my great delight, I got an exact copy of my father's radio as my Christmas present that year:

This was a cool deal to a seven-year-old: The radio had a case, so that I could practice taking the radio in and out of the case and A-B-ing the sound quality with-and-without case.  Also, I could see and use the tiny tuning dial better outside the case.  So, I developed this ritual when using the radio: I would take the radio out of its case, tune it to where I wanted to go, and careeeefullly slide the radio back in the case without messing up the tuning.  Lots of fun!

But the best part was popping the radio's back lid and looking at the parts:

That's where I learned about capacitors, resistors, and the secret code (the color bands) on them.  I can't recall how many times I counted the six transistors --- I guess I always wanted to make certain that one didn't fall out, I guess!

I didn't like the earphone that came with the radio, even though the earphone had its own cool little case --- the radio's sound was small enough as it was without pushing it through an earpiece.

My little Zephyr ZR-620 was used a lot.  I listened to everything I could with it.  (I kind of remember listening to WLS at night.  But there was no KAAY in 1960-61.)  But transistor radios got smaller and smaller and cheaper and cheaper, and transistor-inflation meant that six transistors just weren't good enough any more.  Somewhere along the way, my little Zephyr radio was abandoned (or it died), and I bought another radio with my pop-bottle money.  (Did you ever collect pop bottles for spare cash?  That was my "summer job".)

Last night, I checked Ebay, and it seems I can buy the same exact model of my five-dollar Zephyr  radio, in working condition, for $94.50 !
( http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-TRANSISTOR-RADIO-WORKING-ZEPHYR-ZR-620-W-CASE-/140200871280?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20a49f8570 )
I guess inflation has set in.

I also found at "Sarah's Transistor Radio Page"
( http://www.transistor.org/collection/collection.html )
this cool comment:

Zephyr ZR-620
Several radios appeared under the "Zephyr" name that were quite stylish.
This is perhaps the most famous. A stylish logo and rounded corners make this one special.

Well, it was "special" to me, anyway....

--- Dave Schmidt

P.S.  I never listened to KAAY on the Zephyr ZR-620.   But believe it or not, my parents retained the massive, monstrous 1950's console tube radio and moved it several times until it found its final home in the basement of our house in Kansas in the mid 1960s.  I used that console radio with its tube amp and that 12" speaker to listen to KAAY,  The World Tomorrow, The Soul Record Club (it used to come on at midnight in 1968), and Clyde.  Believe me, as spooky as Beaker Street used to get at 1 or 2am, it was even spookier when Clyde and Cannibas Sativa faded in and out in rhythm with those pulsating valves.  When I heard that etherial whoosh-whoosh, I thought I was pulling in a signal from outer space, because no earthly station could ever sound like that....

These days, the console radio is gone (my cousins talked my mom out of it --- they wanted that walnut cabinet), but my friend down the street built me a KT-88-tube-fired, 50-watt power amp that I use to listen to LPs and heat my house in the winter.  Tubes are great...watching those electrons splatter on the plates and generate that glow makes me realize that music occupies both time and space....