Carson was at KBLA as Vic Gee from 1965 to 1967. He stayed when KBLA became country KBBQ, then went to KGB in San Diego later in ‘67. That's where he became Jim Carson. Started in overnights, wound up in afternoon drive.
He moved to KFRC in August of 1970, replacing Charlie Van Dyke in mornings.
In July of 1973, when Robert W. Morgan walked out of KHJ, RKO flew Jim down to L.A. to cover mornings for a week or two. While he was there, Don Barrett (later of LARadio.com) and Rich Brother Robbin (who Jim had worked with at KCBQ), then the GM and PD at KIQQ, offered Jim a permanent slot there (the station had just flipped from country as KFOX in February).
Jim took the chance to go back to Southern California and said yes. Paul Drew had already made it clear he was going after Charlie Van Dyke (then at WLS) to replace Morgan at KHJ.
When Drake-Chenault bought the programming rights to KIQQ later that year, Carson was the only survivor. Everyone else was out of a job. Jim was also the only one of that group still there when Drake-Chenault's contract expired in '77. Jim even stayed when KIQQ changed format and became K-Lite.
It was 16 years before Jim left KIQQ, when Westwood One bought it and made it Pirate Radio (KQLZ). And soon after, Jim was hired to do mornings as the only local voice for a revival of K-Lite on Gene Autry's KEDG, which changed call letters to KLIT (not a typo). It was five years there and then on to KRTH for 12 years before retiring in 2016.
Jim's the consummate pro. Even so, that's probably the most stable resume' in radio, considering it's a span of 51 years.
