I just ran across Drew and Russell on Facebook! Drew said we could link to his site and Russell has committed to sending me an e-mail regarding his tenure at KAAY!
https://radio.drewdurigan.com/airchecks/kaay-am-1090-little-rock-ar-russell-jones-oct-1982/
I hope to have more "Russell material" soon! We'd shared some info here before, but are always looking for more!
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
Always good to hear from Doug Virden, he gets little tidbits and such to share with us:
"Sixty years ago in September KTHS became KAAY. It started off with the air personalities reading the Little Rock phone book cover to cover with the Baby Elephant Walk playing in the background. A short time later the Cuban Missile Crisis took place and the people of Cuba relied on KAAY to get information. It has been stated that the KAAY signal was the only one Fidel Castro couldn’t jam. Tom Bigby (Buddy Carr) stated he was kicked out of the studio by a Government official so they could broadcast Voice of America.
Fast forward sixty years, earlier this year we learned the powerful signal will not return. Talked to someone currently working there and said KAAY was in very bad shape. Checked the program schedule recently and there are only 16 ministries left on the station. I don’t know how KAAY can afford to stay on the air. The other directional tower may end up being used as a cell phone tower."
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
Barry McCorkindale posted this up on the Facebook page, "KAAY-AM The Mighty 1090": "Well, it was in the KAAY '60s photo album. Anybody got any idea who this feller is?" Dale Seidenschwarz/Clyde Clifford replied: "Richard Weithan (sp?) Buddy Karr. He died in a jeep accident at summer camp. He was GOOD."
I don't think we've ever seen a good picture of him. If I remember correctly, KAAY retired the air name "Buddy Karr" after Richard died.
Thanks, Barry Mac!
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
"This is me operating the Portable Party Machine in a mail car on the Hog Train on the way to the Sugar Bowl when the Hogs played Alabama. We were the only system that could operate on a moving train car because the system used old cart machines instead of turntables. I designed the t-shirt and sold them at our shows. The rest of the car was full of drunk and high people dancing. Part of my pay was admission to the Super Dome for the game. I had sea legs so bad from standing up in that moving car all night I couldn't hardly walk."
Mark Larsen mentioned that is Terry Caldwell behind Chris.
Betcha that was a wild time! Thanks, Chris!
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
"Ray Lincoln .. great Friend & DJ .. Met him when he came to work at KLAZ .. I was working at KAAY when Ray was there."
Some great stories about Ray and Ram, both here and at A.J. Lindsey's blog, as well. Thanks, Sheilia!
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
I remember this story being posted on A. Lindsey's previous KAAY Blog and the discussions we've mentioned...and here is the newspaper clipping, courtesy of Tim Brown on the KAAY-AM The Mighty 1090 Facebook page. He dated it 7/7/65.
In April 2012, I was in Little Rock...I think it was Charlie Scarbrough who was taxi'ing me around on this particular day, showing me a bunch of stuff, and we drove past Howard Watson's son's home, where Howard was living at the time. Charlie told me that Howard was in very poor health. I stated that it would have been neat to meet him, if he were doing better, but we decided not to make a "cold call" and respect their privacy.
Howard Watson, "The Weird Beard", RIP.
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
Gleaned again from the KAAY-AM The Mighty 1090 Facebook page...they don't say where this is....
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
His comments: "Saw this on a wall at a flea market. Never have seen a beat New Mexico State poster."
And Steven Cook commented, " At $225, I'll never see one again!"
Thanks, Doug!
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
"The song @ #25 is Jesus Was a Capricorn by Kris Kristofferson. Those were the most tabulated songs of the week. Doesn't have a date on it, I'm guessing it is sometime in November."
Thanks, Doug!
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
I just didn't have the time, energy, drive, nor MONEY to throw into restoring it. A neighbor bought it for his grandson. The neighbor used to do body work and build racers. With the little 1965 283 V8 in it, I'm sure they'll have fun. That engine would 'chirp' the big, wide 60-series tires I had on the drive axle!
To be sure, I got a newer truck at a great deal. I'm much more comfy now, thanks. I may even put a KAAY bumper sticker in the window....
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
"Robert 'Bo' Marshall. He was Win Paul Rockefeller's security man."
Robert Lusk also mentioned, "...also a former LRPD public information sergeant."
Thanks to Barry Mac, Robert Lusk and Clyde Clifford! Keep 'em comin'!
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
I had a sad notification from Doug Virden and Facebook's KAAY-Mighty 1090 page: Bob Spears, a.k.a. "Bob Robbins", one of the Greats of KAAY, has passed on. He started his radio carrier at KAAY 50 years ago....
Bob's first day at KAAY:
https://archive.org/details/KAAYBobRobbins1stDay5872Pt.1
His obituary, courtesy of Doug Virden: https://www.memorialgardenssheridan.com/obituary/bob-spears-robbins
I borrowed these five pictures from Facebook, via Doug Virden's post and that of 105.1 The Wolf.
https://www.facebook.com/1051thewolf/
This was an ad I found on the KAAY-AM, The Mighty 1090 Facvebook page...the ad says it all:
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
Friend of the blog Doug Virden shared this with me:
"AM Changes
After losing one of its three towers in 2020, Cumulus Media's Christian 1090 KAAY Little Rock is now applying to eliminate the other tower utilized only for its nighttime array. The move will drop KAAY to just 80 watts at night and dropping from a Class A to a Class D. KAAY will continue to operate with 50kw non-directional during the day."
Therefore, it will go from this nighttime pattern:
To this:
Courtesy of this 2nd photo goes to Greg Barman.
Estimations give maybe 20 miles coverage...virtually no signal in Little Rock proper. The transmitter is in Wrightsville, AR....
Many are mourning this latest development. There are many comments on the KAAY-AM, The Mighty 1090 Facebook page.
Thanks to Doug and Greg.
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
KAAY-1090 earlier this month filed with the FCC an extension of the existing STA and noted in the request, “after considerable discussion, a business decision has been made” to not rebuild the one fallen nighttime tower and instead seek a construction permit to operate ND 24/7 at a power to be determined. So, the legendary nighttime DA is dead for good. Permanent nighttime ND power to be determined.Some comments of readers, edited for some content and not necessarily in any order:
"Dale Seidenschwarz What happened? This is a terrible end to a wonderful broadcasting property. I'm deeply saddened by the loss of this Arkansas landmark. (And the place I was able to find my calling.)"
"Drew Durigan Dale Seidenschwarz I am also saddened that this big signal is now gone forever. At night in Minnesota, KAAY was one of the strongest signals on the dial. You, my friend, are personally responsible for my falling alseep in school on several occasions because I was up listening to Beaker Street the previous night!"
"Lance Sanders Felix McDonald would be ashamed of what this station has become. He took pride in that huge signal."
"Daniel F. Case When we were considering our options prior to rebuilding the DA, nighttime ND was on the table, but not for long. The 25% power rule that allows KAAY to run 12.5 kW ND at night with an STA only applies because they have that nighttime DA, and they can’t get away with it indefinitely. The FCC let us know that we needed to either fix the array or turn in the nighttime license, and after analyzing what power we could apply for as a licensed night ND, the decision was made to rebuild. I don’t recall the exact power our consultants arrived at, but it was so pitifully low that it wasn’t worth considering. It would have been the functional equivalent of a daytime-only license that would have shredded the stick value of the station. We nicknamed the rebuild of the DA the “Felix McDonald Memorial Array”. After all the work we went through to restore KAAY, reading the latest STA extension application made me feel like throwing up. I wish Cumulus had fired me before that project started instead of near the end. Given the company’s reputation, I should have quit the day Cumulus took over."
"Phillip Rains Very sad. How the mighty 1090 has fallen."
"Bob Steel Makes you want to cry."
"Doug Virden Richard Moore was this decision made by Cumulus or Vertical Bridge?
Richard Moore Doug Virden Vertical Bridge owned the tower so I would think it was them."
"Richard Moore It all boils down to maintenance."
"Drew Durigan Meanwhile, I'm listening to a gorgeous signal from Radio Enciclopedia in Havana. Just over 1,000 miles away, received on a simple portable radio from the 1970s. Communist Cuba maintains their AM stations. We do not. That speaks volumes."Notwithstanding, we are seeing a mighty Giant fall. I have nothing else to say, except, thank you, Doug Virden, for alerting me to this sad event. Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)
