God don't you wish the music were playing the big 1170 again just like the old days. I know they've switched from top-40 to country back in 1981 according to an article from the San Diego edition of the LA times. How come the station did that? What were the owners of 1170 back at the time? I know Infinity Broadcasting purchased the station sometime in the early 80's before I think it was Adams Communications purchased it sometime when 1170 switched formats to oldies? Tell us what you think.
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I wish KCBQ were KCBQ again
- Thread starter dgendvil
- Start date
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bossforever
Guest
yes unfrotunetly its time to move on but KRTH is vailable and the 800 umber now works for SAN DIEGO so you can call shotgun tom and say hi 800 232 KRTH you can also win contests tooo I think they are live most of the day I do miss the Q
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bossforever
Guest
oh yea they are supposed to be increasing the power someday maybe they have ideas in the future peace out
There was an article in Time long, long ago about the San Diego market, recounting the competition between XEAK, KDEO, KCBQ, and KGB. Competition is the only driving force of capitalism and it really does produce both innovation and quality and thats what you saw then in stations like The Q. And speaking of the Q, when the Bartel group sold it and WOKY and WADO in the early '70's some misrepresentation was made to the FCC that produced one of the biggest fines in history up to that point, does anybody have any information on what that was all about? I think Lee Bartel might have even been a lawyer so its kind of hard to imagine somebody with a legal edge stumbling into such a costly violation. Any info would be of interest, thanks.
OldGringo said:
I disagree. There is no reason at all why there can be a Channel 933 playing CHR and not a KCBQ FM or a KGB FM playing CHR music.
The CHR in Boston has Heritage Calls, the CHR in LA has heritage calls... And Minneapolis... And Dallas.... And Houston...
Now if we are talking AM versus FM, that would be a different story...
Seriously. Please.
Lopaka said:
I might be able to answer that one. On the way back machine now: In the early 1970's KCBQ got busted for not running spots at the time the were supposed to be run if you had bought fixed time, or worse not running them at all if they were ROS. I handled the advertising for my employeer at that time, we advertised heavily on KCBQ, KGB and KPRI and in the San Diego Union.
One day our account exec, a great fellow named Barry Boyd, who has since passed away (also was Q dj at one time) came into the store, rather sheepishly and told us there would be an adjustment to our account and we would be getting additional spots and we could pick the times. Usually we bought fixed time. We sort of blew it off, picked the times and moved on, after all they did make restitution and we were enamored with the floor traffic KCBQ and KGB as well could generate.
If I recall correctly, this gaffe casued station manager, Hap Trout to lose his job.
We produced all our spots at KCBQ and getting to be there, in the production booth, which looked right into the active DJ studio was a blast.
Visits to KCBQ were to be looked forward to, as were lunches with Barry - I learned about two martini lunches and cooperative advertisng from those folks.
On these pages I constantly read the boohoo's about the failure of radio to do anything these days. The account exec's of those days knew how to sell, a big part of that involved teaching clients how to effectively advertise. I wonder if all that has gone out of the window.
Rickity
PS - KCBQ was on the cover of Life Magazine with the glass studios at 7th and Ash in 1957 or 1958 - and hey! the Mission Valley Bowlero (now a Masonic Lodge or something like that, or maybe even gone) was featured in Life around the same time. San Diego was a happening in those days.
Thank you for that interesting response! Fraudulent billing seems to have tripped up a few owners. I think KRLA's license went into suspension in the very early 1960's for bogus log entries, and that Star lost KISN, KOIL, and WIFE for fraudulent billing. Amazing. Amazing that an owner could be so short sighted as to risk blowing the whole license just to pick up a few extra bucks. KRLA was in suspension, held up in legal challenges for something like 20 years.
Lopaka said:
A few months ago, I found on the FCC website a section on famous legal actions of the Commission, including some of the more famous license revocations. I did not bookmark it, but you can find it from the Broadcast Bureau home page.
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doublecashkgb
Guest
If you want to see some great stories pick up a copy of David Leonard's book on San Diego Top 40 Radio
"Aircheck". You can google it or find it at California Airchex's site.
Great inside stories on KCBQ, KGB, KDEO, XEAK, etc. I didn't know about the cover story on KCBQ, does anyone know the date of the article? It's amazing how in the day KCBQ or a KGB could dominate a market, even though they both had major signal issues. KGB was stronger along the coast, while KCBQ had a stronger metro signal in the daytime, but a limited signal at night. KGB's owners were sharp, by 1972 KGB was a strong AM & FM brand. KCBQ seemed to only look at short term numbers, they waited much too long to acquire an FM property, and by the time they finally puchased KITT, the KCBQ brand was on a long decline. I know one of KCBQ's former GM's who attempted as early as 1973 to purchase an FM, only to see Bartell Corporate shoot him down.
"Aircheck". You can google it or find it at California Airchex's site.
Great inside stories on KCBQ, KGB, KDEO, XEAK, etc. I didn't know about the cover story on KCBQ, does anyone know the date of the article? It's amazing how in the day KCBQ or a KGB could dominate a market, even though they both had major signal issues. KGB was stronger along the coast, while KCBQ had a stronger metro signal in the daytime, but a limited signal at night. KGB's owners were sharp, by 1972 KGB was a strong AM & FM brand. KCBQ seemed to only look at short term numbers, they waited much too long to acquire an FM property, and by the time they finally puchased KITT, the KCBQ brand was on a long decline. I know one of KCBQ's former GM's who attempted as early as 1973 to purchase an FM, only to see Bartell Corporate shoot him down.
B
Bob_Hudson
Guest
Lopaka said:
KGB, I would expect (or was it KPSA
)I have been running all over google looking for whatever FM it was that first went for a million$. Broadcasting even did an article on it at the time. Amazingly, it was around the same time that Time-Life spun off KOGO-FM for some astonishing price like $50,000--truly the Sale of the Century.
And I remember reading an article in a business mag way back then, speaking of KPSA, hailing the PSA business plan that incorporated an airline, hotels, and radio holdings as masterful, brilliant, etc.
I think the first big break for FM was KMPX in SF, tho KYA-FM had gone rock first, KMPX was doing hippie music and made the first notable ratings success for FM. I could sure be wrong on that! KPPC and KPRI followed shortly. Until that time, FM was as they say how you make a small fortune...out of a big one! Sole proprietors poured so much hope and money into the likes of KJLM and KITT, but few were rewarded for their foresight.
And I remember reading an article in a business mag way back then, speaking of KPSA, hailing the PSA business plan that incorporated an airline, hotels, and radio holdings as masterful, brilliant, etc.
I think the first big break for FM was KMPX in SF, tho KYA-FM had gone rock first, KMPX was doing hippie music and made the first notable ratings success for FM. I could sure be wrong on that! KPPC and KPRI followed shortly. Until that time, FM was as they say how you make a small fortune...out of a big one! Sole proprietors poured so much hope and money into the likes of KJLM and KITT, but few were rewarded for their foresight.
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doublecashkgb
Guest
No it wasn't KGB. Willett Brown owned the station from 1960 to 1998.
What is strange is the tunnel vision AM operators had back then. KDEO
always had a signal problem when matched up against KCBQ, KOGO,
KGB or KFMB. However by acquiring an FM in the early 70's for
roughly 100,000 dollars they could have become one of the dominant
players. FM became viable in San Diego early, by the early 70's you
had several easy listening stations, along with KPRI, KGB-FM, KSEA,
and KFSD with established audiences. KFMB & KGB always had
a revenue advantage with AM & FM properties. KDIG always had
a ton of potential with their studios in downtown La Jolla and that
great signal, can you imagine a real broadcaster purchasing that
in 1971.
What is strange is the tunnel vision AM operators had back then. KDEO
always had a signal problem when matched up against KCBQ, KOGO,
KGB or KFMB. However by acquiring an FM in the early 70's for
roughly 100,000 dollars they could have become one of the dominant
players. FM became viable in San Diego early, by the early 70's you
had several easy listening stations, along with KPRI, KGB-FM, KSEA,
and KFSD with established audiences. KFMB & KGB always had
a revenue advantage with AM & FM properties. KDIG always had
a ton of potential with their studios in downtown La Jolla and that
great signal, can you imagine a real broadcaster purchasing that
in 1971.
Aah yes, "Music...only for a woman!" on KFMB-FM until B-100. The show tunes on "Kapri". The daily carillon concert on KITT, and an astonishingly smooth transition to...disco! Elevator music on KBKB. All Jesus All The Time on KBBW. Stererereo on KLRO. Classical on KSDO-FM, then country on KOZN. How colorful that era was, how unpredictable, how innovative and experimental. KFMX (jazz?) I think KSEA tried rock, then Christian. I do recall seeing a KCBQ app for an FM at 107.9 but obviously nothing ever came of that.
D
doublecashkgb
Guest
KCBQ also had a tenative deal to buy KYXY in 1974. They even included
FM 96 on a poster ad that ran in Zoo Magazine. (One of those typical
70's Rock free papers)
FM 96 on a poster ad that ran in Zoo Magazine. (One of those typical
70's Rock free papers)
That's REALLY a shame, since KCBQ was the #1 top 40 station in America by 1972 or 1973 thanks to the brilliant Buzz Bennett, and personalities such as 'Shotgun' Tom Kellye and Rich 'Brother' Robbin.
I never thought anybody would have the guts to play Elton John's epic 'Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding' on an AM radio station, and even at 36 or 37 RPM, or however fast they played all of those songs as those faster-than-recorded speeds.
I never thought anybody would have the guts to play Elton John's epic 'Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding' on an AM radio station, and even at 36 or 37 RPM, or however fast they played all of those songs as those faster-than-recorded speeds.
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