KFRC-AM

[semoochie]

Back at the beginning of this thread(most of which I didn't read), there's talk of the song, "Fire" by the Pointer Sisters and how it was changed for KFRC. In Portland, on KGW, they had to start with the word "on", to make it come out right. In fact, they probably just redid the whole line: "You turn on KGW".

 

[michael hagerty]

Back at the beginning of this thread(most of which I didn't read), there's talk of the song, "Fire" by the Pointer Sisters and how it was changed for KFRC. In Portland, on KGW, they had to start with the word "on", to make it come out right. In fact, they probably just redid the whole line: "You turn on KGW".

Semoochie: In one of the posts you didn't read, I mentioned that the entire line "you turn on (call letters)" would be re-sung. Only way to avoid timing issues with different syllable counts.

 

[Bryan Simmons]

KFRC applied for new calls when it became Magic 61, but changed its mind before the FCC said yes.

610 had the KFRC calls for 81 unbroken years...1924 to 2005.

Even though it doesn't matter much now with PPM, still the KFRC callsign rolls off the tongue. There aren't many callsigns that do that -- KOIT, KNBR, KGO, KSFO, KCBS. But for the most part, callsigns get forgotten or misremembered. KALW has been around since 1941 and yet many people simply do not know the callsign because it doesn't roll off the tongue easily and the letters don't reference anything.

Why should it matter? Well, even in these days of PPM, I think a station can still gain listeners when the slogan or callsign is stuck in their mind. Even if they're just tuning around and they hear, "Light rock, less talk, KOIT" I think they might be inclined to stay. "Oh yes, that's KOIT; they play good music..."

And as I previously mentioned, longtime classical stations, KKHI and KDFC experienced big problems with people's memories. I mentioned that opera patron and opera composer, oil scion Gordon Getty, didn't even know the callsign of his favorite classical station, which was either KKHI or KDFC; he only knew it was "around the middle of the dial". The callsigns simply weren't memorable.

As I was reading David's post, I could hear (in my head) the 70's Bobby Ocean saying "kay-eff-arr-SEEEEE." It definitely rolled off his tongue.

He also did the VO work in the 90s for Oldies, but it was "KAY-eff-arr-see."

So I guess both versions are forever stuck in my brain.

Harry Nelson's is stuck in mine.

I don't know how I'd even begin to write his out phonetically, though.

If memory serves Harry's pronunciation was "kay-eh-far-say"

Well, that's about as close as I can come phonetically.

 

[michael hagerty]

KFRC applied for new calls when it became Magic 61, but changed its mind before the FCC said yes.

610 had the KFRC calls for 81 unbroken years...1924 to 2005.

Even though it doesn't matter much now with PPM, still the KFRC callsign rolls off the tongue. There aren't many callsigns that do that -- KOIT, KNBR, KGO, KSFO, KCBS. But for the most part, callsigns get forgotten or misremembered. KALW has been around since 1941 and yet many people simply do not know the callsign because it doesn't roll off the tongue easily and the letters don't reference anything.

Why should it matter? Well, even in these days of PPM, I think a station can still gain listeners when the slogan or callsign is stuck in their mind. Even if they're just tuning around and they hear, "Light rock, less talk, KOIT" I think they might be inclined to stay. "Oh yes, that's KOIT; they play good music..."

And as I previously mentioned, longtime classical stations, KKHI and KDFC experienced big problems with people's memories. I mentioned that opera patron and opera composer, oil scion Gordon Getty, didn't even know the callsign of his favorite classical station, which was either KKHI or KDFC; he only knew it was "around the middle of the dial". The callsigns simply weren't memorable.

As I was reading David's post, I could hear (in my head) the 70's Bobby Ocean saying "kay-eff-arr-SEEEEE." It definitely rolled off his tongue.

He also did the VO work in the 90s for Oldies, but it was "KAY-eff-arr-see."

So I guess both versions are forever stuck in my brain.

Harry Nelson's is stuck in mine.

I don't know how I'd even begin to write his out phonetically, though.

If memory serves Harry's pronunciation was "kay-eh-far-say"

Well, that's about as close as I can come phonetically.

That's it...with a pause before and emphasis on "say".

 

[semoochie]

Thank you, Michael. I just wanted to be honest. Sometimes, a thread title will catch my attention but not enough to read the entire thread, usually in foreign cities.

 

[Bryan Simmons]

KFRC applied for new calls when it became Magic 61, but changed its mind before the FCC said yes.

610 had the KFRC calls for 81 unbroken years...1924 to 2005.

Even though it doesn't matter much now with PPM, still the KFRC callsign rolls off the tongue. There aren't many callsigns that do that -- KOIT, KNBR, KGO, KSFO, KCBS. But for the most part, callsigns get forgotten or misremembered. KALW has been around since 1941 and yet many people simply do not know the callsign because it doesn't roll off the tongue easily and the letters don't reference anything.

Why should it matter? Well, even in these days of PPM, I think a station can still gain listeners when the slogan or callsign is stuck in their mind. Even if they're just tuning around and they hear, "Light rock, less talk, KOIT" I think they might be inclined to stay. "Oh yes, that's KOIT; they play good music..."

And as I previously mentioned, longtime classical stations, KKHI and KDFC experienced big problems with people's memories. I mentioned that opera patron and opera composer, oil scion Gordon Getty, didn't even know the callsign of his favorite classical station, which was either KKHI or KDFC; he only knew it was "around the middle of the dial". The callsigns simply weren't memorable.

As I was reading David's post, I could hear (in my head) the 70's Bobby Ocean saying "kay-eff-arr-SEEEEE." It definitely rolled off his tongue.

He also did the VO work in the 90s for Oldies, but it was "KAY-eff-arr-see."

So I guess both versions are forever stuck in my brain.

Harry Nelson's is stuck in mine.

I don't know how I'd even begin to write his out phonetically, though.

If memory serves Harry's pronunciation was "kay-eh-far-say"

Well, that's about as close as I can come phonetically.

That's it...with a pause before and emphasis on "say".

I know, I wasn't sure how to put the pause in. More dashes I suppose... But yes, his was like no other.

 

[michael hagerty]

Thank you, Michael. I just wanted to be honest. Sometimes, a thread title will catch my attention but not enough to read the entire thread, usually in foreign cities.

A disclaimer like you gave is helpful. Makes getting the right information in the answer easier.

 

[bobgowa]

When I was at KFRC, we also had a customized version of "Palisades Park" by Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon.

Hmm...Funny, the odd bits of crap that remain stuck in the front of my brain! ;D

- Bob Gowa
(Just another schmo tryin' to earn some dough...)

 

[DavidKaye]

Hmm...Funny, the odd bits of crap that remain stuck in the front of my brain! ;D

- Bob Gowa

I still have Dupont Gai stuck in my head (the Sunday night public affairs show produced by Asian teenagers that ran on KFRC for years). I still hear the theme and still hear the voices...

 

[1069_KIFR]

I remember "God Squad" with Doobie Bros. "Taking It To The Street" as its theme. I never understood what the hell he was talking about!

 

[michael hagerty]

I remember "God Squad" with Doobie Bros. "Taking It To The Street" as its theme. I never understood what the hell he was talking about!

I think you may be mixing memories. Father Harry used a lot of different music in his pieces. But there was a KFRC public affairs production...man on the street type interviews about a hot topic...it was called "Takin' It To The Streets" and it used the Doobie Brothers track .

 

[DavidKaye]

I remember "God Squad" with Doobie Bros. "Taking It To The Street" as its theme. I never understood what the hell he was talking about!

He'll never tell...

 

[boiseengineer]

Scanned KFRC FCC "History" cards
ftp://ftp.fcc.gov//pub/Bureaus/MB/Databases/HistoryCards/1082.pdf

 

[DavidKaye]

Scanned KFRC FCC "History" cards
ftp://ftp.fcc.gov//pub/Bureaus/MB/Databases/HistoryCards/1082.pdf

WOW! What an incredible find! I had no idea the FCC had this stuff. I haven't looked over the entire record, but I remember hearing that KFRC's aux antenna was either at 1000 Van Ness or 415 Bush and consisted of a longwire that was held in place by a helium balloon. Does anybody know if this was ever authorized? This would have been the time when KFRC was on the KSFO tower in the late 50s to mid 60s, I believe.

 

[Nordlander]

For a while they had 450 ft. of wire and a helium balloon ready to go in their building at the KRE tower, just in case.

This was during the peak of KFRC's popularity, in the late 1960s.

There was also a 1 Kw RCA transmitter that was a last ditch standby in case all 3 of their 5 Kw rigs crapped out at once. All 4 transmitters were connected to RF switching and could be brought on-line remotely.

Phil Lerza talked about putting the kilowatt transmitter and the balloon/wire antenna into a bread truck that could be positioned next to the Mobile Sturgeon if SF and Berkeley should both happen to sink into the bay.

I doubt they'd put an emergency antenna at 415 Bush. The real reason they built the Sturgeon was no one expected that building to survive even a moderate shaker.

 

[michael hagerty]

For a while they had 450 ft. of wire and a helium balloon ready to go in their building at the KRE tower, just in case.

This was during the peak of KFRC's popularity, in the late 1960s.

There was also a 1 Kw RCA transmitter that was a last ditch standby in case all 3 of their 5 Kw rigs crapped out at once. All 4 transmitters were connected to RF switching and could be brought on-line remotely.

Phil Lerza talked about putting the kilowatt transmitter and the balloon/wire antenna into a bread truck that could be positioned next to the Mobile Sturgeon if SF and Berkeley should both happen to sink into the bay.

I doubt they'd put an emergency antenna at 415 Bush. The real reason they built the Sturgeon was no one expected that building to survive even a moderate shaker.

And so, RKO, in its infinite wisdom, sends it down to KHJ less than two years later.

There was some enormous talent at RKO, but the suits could $&@! up a one-car funeral.

 

[MarioMania]

I wished KFRC was still on AM

 

[TheBigA]

Sure, and I wish gas was still 30 cents a gallon.

 

[semoochie]

I wished KFRC was still on AM

There is one thing to be said about the days of long, telescoping antennas. In the west, you could generally listen to one Top 40 station until you could hear another. KFRC was good from Red Bluff south and KFI started to fade out at San Jose.

 

[LKellerIII]

I wished KFRC was still on AM

If it was, nobody would be listening, though it would be nice to have the Classic Hits FM back. In it's prime in the late 90s and early 00s, the station had a decently large playlist, they played "12 in a row" for awhile, and had good on-air personalities (Cammy Blackstone excepted) like Bobby Ocean, Sue Hall, JD, and a few others. IMO, it was a more entertaining station than iHeart's current Big 103.7

I was riding with a friend yesterday, and he had KCBS on. It's still jarring to hear that top-of-the-hour ID on an all news station; "KCBS AM and HD1, KFRC-FM, and HD1, San Francisco..."