It was pronounced “K-U-K-I.” Any other pronunciation was seriously frowned upon.
There was a “trading post”-type show in the station’s early days called the “KUKI Sale” (pronounced “cookie”), so some locals held onto that.
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Canadian Sunset (Signoff Instrumental)
- Thread starter RF101
- Start date
There was a “trading post”-type show in the station’s early days called the “KUKI Sale” (pronounced “cookie”), so some locals held onto that.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Look at the COL.
Judging from Mike's description, it was never called anything than its call letters, although I would not have been surprised at "K-Ukiah".
I'd also be predisposed to "cookie" rather than "kooky".
EDIT: Mike posted as I was writing this, and confirms both of my presumptions!
The station went on the air in 1950 and I didn't get there until 1976. They may have called it ALL those things at some point.
And, in fairness to Kevtronics, there is one area in which newcomers and locals who've never listened to the station have to deal with pronunciation:
The two roads leading from State Street (the main drag and former U.S. 101 before the freeway bypass) to the station are KUKI Lane and KUKI Road.
KUKI lane is a very busy intersection...the first stoplight after getting off southbound 101 at the State Street exit. It's also the light you use to turn left if you're headed for In-N-Out Burger. So, yeah---people do have to pronounce it, and I'm betting only local listeners spell it out as "K-U-K-I Lane".
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
I hereby petition the City Council to rename it "In-N-Out Lane".
I guarantee you it would pass. In-N-Out is infinitely more popular (and attractive) than what's left of KUKI.
WAQY Springfield, MA, in its CHR days, was "Wacky 102," but once it flipped to AOR (and then classic rock), "Wacky" was banned and it was either W-A-Q-Y or "Rock 102."
A "WERK stoppage," eh?
When did the KUKI Sale crumble?
You never DXed southern daytimers in the late 50's and 60's. There was a 50/50 chance that you would hear "Dixie" at signoff. In fact, I commented on that when sending a reception report to WVOK in Birmingham; they told me they bought a special version that came on ETs and they sent me one that was "worn out".
About a year and a half later, they upgraded the FM and absolutely smashed WEAM, a very directional station on 1390.
Sometime before I got there in 1976.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
That'd be it!
Ha! I've literally been driving through that intersection for over 20 years and never made that connection!
I remember before In-N-Out there were the abandoned remains of a restaurant called Fjords. Some locals I've met have said it was decent and they miss it. It was probably open when you were here in '76. Did you ever eat out there?
c
Sure. It was going strong in those days, and it was really convenient---just across State Street.
Pay one price (higher by the time I was there, but not by a lot) and then help yourself to the buffet bars with salads, main courses, sides and desserts.
There may have been a limit on the number of each type or on the number of times you could fill your plate---it wasn't "all you can eat".
According to this postcard, there were 13 of them at one time, 11 in California, one in Oregon and one in Guam(!). I'd love to find the whole story, but while people mention them in other places, there's no "what happened to" other than Ukiah.
I think the one in Ukiah may have been the last of the chain, and the others may have faded away pre-internet.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Mapquest thinks it's still there!
www.mapquest.com
Fjord's Smorg-Ette, 1351 N State St, Ukiah, CA 95482, US - MapQuest
Get more information for Fjord's Smorg-Ette in Ukiah, CA. See reviews, map, get the address, and find directions.
www.mapquest.com
Mapquest thinks it's still there!
Fjord's Smorg-Ette, 1351 N State St, Ukiah, CA 95482, US - MapQuest
Get more information for Fjord's Smorg-Ette in Ukiah, CA. See reviews, map, get the address, and find directions.
They need an update. Fjords closed in 1998, and In-N-Out opened EIGHT and a half years ago:
Fans line up for opening of In-N-Out Burger in Ukiah
Ukiah resident Brady Marcum was determined to be the first in line when the In-N-Out Burger opened its doors Wednesday morning.“I pitched a tent outside,” said Marcum, explaining that…
www.ukiahdailyjournal.com
But then, maps are funny things. When writing about KUKI Lane and KUKI Road on Friday, I noticed Google Maps had KUKI AM/FM labelled as KLLC AM/FM.
There is no KLLC-AM and KLLC-FM is 97.3 in San Francisco, owned by Audacy.
I submitted an edit. Fixed now.
One more that might be a mind-blower now...
The Days Inn was actually the nicest motel in town---The Manor Inn.
And what is now Miss Saigon Vietnamese restaurant was the Manor Inn's bar and restaurant.
It, along with The House of Garner (now Mountain Mike's Pizza at State and Talmage) were the two fanciest restaurants in town. Great food. Those were the two places for business lunches, while Masonite workers and other folks were at Fjord's.
The House of Garner's original owners, the Greggs, sold it in 1984 and by 1986, the new owner had tanked it and closed down. Here's a menu from the early 60s, which shows that the House of Garner did the smorgasbord thing like Fjords, but fancier and at a higher price, as well as full dinners and a pretty healthy wine list for the time:
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Typo. Fjords closed in 1988. Apparently someone opened a bagel joint in the building in the early 90s, but it didn't last long.
A water line connecting the building to the central pipe running under State Street burst and the owners didn't have the money to repair it. It sat vacant until In-N-Out came along 25 years later.
What's remarkable is the state of the interior when the demolition crews arrived:
That was built like a bank vault.
Some additional background: The Fjord's chain went under in 1986---Ukiah was independently owned and survived for two more years.
Also, digging some more---the Fjord's in Capitola still stands, but is now an iHop. All the others I could find addresses for and check on Google Street View have been demolished:
And getting us back to radio, this from the Ukiah Daily Journal, 1950:
And 1954:
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They're just pining for the Fjords!Mapquest thinks it's still there!
Fjord's Smorg-Ette, 1351 N State St, Ukiah, CA 95482, US - MapQuest
Get more information for Fjord's Smorg-Ette in Ukiah, CA. See reviews, map, get the address, and find directions.