KFI Eric Chase 1978 video

[GeorgeJ.]

Uploaded to YouTube for your dining and dancing pleasure is some KFI from back in the day with El Chasero when they were Top 40. Too bad we aren't getting this kind of personality radio today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bc_MiySwHk

Full video available from California Aircheck

 

[michael hagerty]

Great video of a great jock on a great station, George!

It is misdated though....it's from '79...clues being Dire Straits and Dr. Hook...plus The Main Event promo...imdb.com shows the release date as June 22, 1979.

 

[Marv-L.A.]

Eric Chase was doing PM drive at KFRC/SF when I visted that fine city for the very first time in 1973, and he certainly remains one of the finest air personalities in the history of both SF & LA radio.

I don't remeber which timeslot he worked when he was at KFI, because C K Cooper was doing PM drive in the late seventies and was an absolute riot; I also felt that Chase would have made a great AM drive jock at KFI, but Lohman & Barkley weren't going anywhere.

IIRC, Cooper went to WFYR/Chicago to do AM drive (there was a very nice article about him in the LA Times shortly after he started there), but eventually returned to do mornings at KZLA in 1986 when Gerry House left to go to WSIX/Nashville.

 

[michael hagerty]

I don't remeber which timeslot he worked when he was at KFI, because C K Cooper was doing PM drive in the late seventies and was an absolute riot; I also felt that Chase would have made a great AM drive jock at KFI, but Lohman & Barkley weren't going anywhere.

IIRC, Cooper went to WFYR/Chicago to do AM drive...

Marv: Your timeline is a bit off...C.K. Cooper was at KFI in the early-mid 80s. He went to WFYR in '84.

Chase did PM drive at KFI, replacing Bob Shannon, from '78-'80. Jackson Armstrong replaced him.

Chase went to KJR, Seattle...Armstrong left KFI in 1982 for KFRC, San Francisco. I think Cooper replaced Armstrong.

 

[Marv-L.A.]

Thanks, Michael--I didn't realize that Jack Armstrong worked at KFI before he went over to KKHR, which flipped from CHR/Pop to 'Oldies' sometime in the mid-to-late eighties.

Cooper was also a master at using the phones when he worked at KFI--some of the bits he had with listeners still make me smile when I recall them.

Nevertheless, Chase was always one of my very favorite personalities, wherever he worked, and the same could certainly be said for Jackson Armstrong.

KIIS hit an astonishing 10.0 in the ratings in the fall of 1984, so I'm not sure when KKHR gave up on top 40, but Armstrong was flat-out phenomenal in PM drive there as well.

I've always wondered if CBS give up on trying to take a bite out of KIIS too soon with KKHR, despite a killer air-talent lineup?

 

[calguy]

Chase has been in Texas the last couple of decades under the name Paul Christy. There was someone already using the Chase name in Houston when he got there. But that's what happens when you're successful. There was even a guy at WRKO using the Eric Chase name in the mid 70's. I believe his brother Ton still uses the Chase name, but I can't remember where he is now. Eric came to LA from KFRC and was the PD at K100(KIQQ) before moving to KFI for PM Drive. For a short period in the mid 2000's(2004 I think)he did weekends at KRTH and I heard that he even pulled a few shifts on 99.7 KFRC FM as well, but I can't substantiate that.

 

[michael hagerty]

Thanks, Michael--I didn't realize that Jack Armstrong worked at KFI before he went over to KKHR, which flipped from CHR/Pop to 'Oldies' sometime in the mid-to-late eighties.

Cooper was also a master at using the phones when he worked at KFI--some of the bits he had with listeners still make me smile when I recall them.

Nevertheless, Chase was always one of my very favorite
personalities, wherever he worked, and the same could certainly be said for Jackson Armstrong.

KIIS hit an astonishing 10.0 in the ratings in the fall of 1984, so I'm not sure when KKHR gave up on top 40, but Armstrong was flat-out phenomenal in PM drive there as well.

I've always wondered if CBS give up on trying to take a bite out of KIIS too soon with KKHR, despite a killer air-talent lineup?

Marv:

Jackson came to LA in the fall of 1978, replacing The Real Don Steele at KTNQ (Steele quit when Storer announced they were going to flip the station to Country...a plan that was never implemented because they got an offer to buy the station...so they treaded water until the sale was final and it went Spanish). He continued on TenQ's FM sister KHTZ for a couple of months until it was sold and went AC. Next stop was KFI.

He went to KFRC San Francisco for about a year and a half, then came back to L.A. at KKHR.

KKHR gave itself three years against KIIS. The biggest problem was the lack of an adequate promotion budget. Rick Dees' face was on darn near every RTD bus for years and every Friday KIIS was giving away Porsche 944s with $10,000 in the glovebox.

By contrast, KKHR was giving away LPs and concert tickets...and not always that. The Slim One used to give away cans of creamed corn on her midday show that she'd buy herself just to have something going on.

In '85, they finally woke up a bit and started giving away motorcycles and Nissan 300ZXs....but it those weren't Porsches with money in them and it was too late anyway.

Too bad, because I actually preferred KKHR to KIIS. More energy, more fun and better music to my ear.

No disrespect to Lou Simon, but a big-name morning show to compete with Dees wouldn't have hurt, either.

 

[michael hagerty]

Chase has been in Texas the last couple of decades under the name Paul Christy. There was someone already using the Chase name in Houston when he got there. But that's what happens when you're successful. There was even a guy at WRKO using the Eric Chase name in the mid 70's. I believe his brother Ton still uses the Chase name, but I can't remember where he is now. Eric came to LA from KFRC and was the PD at K100(KIQQ) before moving to KFI for PM Drive. For a short period in the mid 2000's(2004 I think)he did weekends at KRTH and I heard that he even pulled a few shifts on 99.7 KFRC FM as well, but I can't substantiate that.
[/quote

I believe Eric was born Paul Christy.

He'd been Harry Mitchell at KYNO and KGB and went with Eric Chase at KFRC. If Bill Drake gave him that name, that would explain its use at WRKO.

You're right about the recent appearances on KRTH and KFRC.]

 

[Bryan Simmons]

Chase has been in Texas the last couple of decades under the name Paul Christy. There was someone already using the Chase name in Houston when he got there. But that's what happens when you're successful. There was even a guy at WRKO using the Eric Chase name in the mid 70's. I believe his brother Ton still uses the Chase name, but I can't remember where he is now. Eric came to LA from KFRC and was the PD at K100(KIQQ) before moving to KFI for PM Drive. For a short period in the mid 2000's(2004 I think)he did weekends at KRTH and I heard that he even pulled a few shifts on 99.7 KFRC FM as well, but I can't substantiate that.
[/quote

I believe Eric was born Paul Christy.

He'd been Harry Mitchell at KYNO and KGB and went with Eric Chase at KFRC. If Bill Drake gave him that name, that would explain its use at WRKO.

You're right about the recent appearances on KRTH and KFRC.]

Hi Michael,

I worked with Eric's brother Tom Chase at KROY in 1977 & 78. They're real last name isn't Christy, but since it wouldn't be fair to say what it is without permission I won't go there out of respect for family privacy.

Tom is currently the Program Director and middays at KSNE/Sunny 106.5 in Las Vegas.

Paul has been known to refer to Eric Chase is his West Coast air name. As of last year he was on the air at KLDE Houston and on the syndicated TKO Classic Top 40 network as Eric Chase.

 

[LKellerIII]

A year or more ago, I heard Eric Chase pull a couple of weekend shows on the late unlamented 106.9 KFRC. It seemed like he was just visiting the Bay Area, and did it for old times sake.

The Bay Area also had a popular drive-time DJ named Rick Chase in the 80s and 90s on 106.1/KMEL.

 

[Bryan Simmons]

Chase has been in Texas the last couple of decades under the name Paul Christy. There was someone already using the Chase name in Houston when he got there. But that's what happens when you're successful. There was even a guy at WRKO using the Eric Chase name in the mid 70's. I believe his brother Ton still uses the Chase name, but I can't remember where he is now. Eric came to LA from KFRC and was the PD at K100(KIQQ) before moving to KFI for PM Drive. For a short period in the mid 2000's(2004 I think)he did weekends at KRTH and I heard that he even pulled a few shifts on 99.7 KFRC FM as well, but I can't substantiate that.
[/quote

I believe Eric was born Paul Christy.

He'd been Harry Mitchell at KYNO and KGB and went with Eric Chase at KFRC. If Bill Drake gave him that name, that would explain its use at WRKO.

You're right about the recent appearances on KRTH and KFRC.]

Hi Michael,

I worked with Eric's brother Tom Chase at KROY in 1977 & 78. They're real last name isn't Christy, but since it wouldn't be fair to say what it is without permission I won't go there out of respect for family privacy.

Tom is currently the Program Director and middays at KSNE/Sunny 106.5 in Las Vegas.

Paul has been known to refer to Eric Chase is his West Coast air name. As of last year he was on the air at KLDE Houston and on the syndicated TKO Classic Top 40 network as Eric Chase.

My apologies, I misspelled "their" as "they're". This is what happens when you're on painkillers for a minor surgery.

 

[michael hagerty]

Hey, feel better, Bryan.

 

[Stormychuck]

Jack Armstrong by far was one of theee best, past away in 2008 after a fall at his house he was 62 and a good friend.

Eric Chase, is in fact in Texas @ Eric Chase Creative Services......His own production company...

 

[Stormychuck]

And yes Eric Chase was my boss @ KIQQ in 1975 and yea he was a nice guy...

 

[Bryan Simmons]

Hey, feel better, Bryan.

Thanks Micheal, I went back to work today and am doing better.

Eric Chase, is in fact in Texas @ Eric Chase Creative Services......His own production company...

Um, check out the photo on the home page, that's not the same Eric Chase we're talking about here. He's a fine talent too, but not the same guy.

 

[Stormychuck]

Thanks Bryan. Hope your feeling better...