KCIL 1490 in the 60's

[thebeach33445]

Hey Guys:

Could anybody tell me if KCIL 1490 was Top 40 in the 60's?

Thanks

T.J.

 

[gjroussejr]

That is a little before my time but the broadcast logs says the station was country. I do remember in the mid to late 70's to around 80-81 they went top 40 then went back to country when their sister station KCIL-FM went to an ill conceived idea of going to a easy listening format only to go to a CHR format a few months later. Simulcast KJIN/KCIL as country for a while. KJIN picked up KFXY calls and played old school R&b till it went back to it's present format and calls. But I am curious about it's early days.

 

[John Austin]

My earliest recollection of KJIN was as a top 40 station. The studios were on Belanger Street. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I think the PD at the time was Joe Spiers (might have the spelling screwed up.) KJIN was Top 40 at least in 1977 because it helped break ELO "Telephone Line" -- I remember the framed record awarded for that was hanging on the wall.

I wanted to work Top 40 but at the time I applied there were no openings, so I took a spot at sister station KCIL, which was country.

I well recall when we made the switch to "Beautiful Music" and installation of the computerized (sort of) automation setup with those lovely Otari reels. The name of the programming service is on the tip of my tongue, but I recall that it was 100% trade. James Boseman (who is back in his home state of Florida these days) was OM and explained the change in a staff meeting. I was then and still am now baffled by that change. KCIL and KJIN control rooms were switched, KJIN went country and not all of the air staff went with it. Those of us who subsequently worked the KJIN side were responsible for also keeping up with the automation. Our "dead air" alarm -- for those times when we let the reels run out -- was usually a phone call from station engineer Hugh Smith.

I hadn't thought about those days in ages. Those really were the good old days.

 

[gjroussejr]

Thank you John for confirming my recolation of KJIN/KCIL. KJIN was a bit difficult to hear in South Lafourche (still is ) because of WLOX( now WXBD) Biloxi but was still a great station to listen to back then. I still remember seeing the old billboard next to Trapp (Before MLK Blvd was there) about the format change and thinking WHY????? Infact the first time I heard All My Love by Led Zeplin was on KJIN.