KJ Radio 910 Country - was this an AZ station?

[Lisa_Wheeler]

I recently found an LP for my Web site, KJ Radio 910 - 24 of the Greatest Country and Western Hits. I can't seem to find any reference as to WHERE this station is out of. The gatefold shows pictures of several DJ and news staffers - including Myron Drake. Wasn't he a radio news pioneer in Arizona?

The disc jockeys pictured are: CeCe White, Tommy Wright, Mike Mitchell, Larry Barwick, Don Ewing, Cliff Hoehns, and Fred Hamilton - as well as other news folks, Lou Kemper and Bob Cook.

Any help would be appreciated!

(I found it - KJJJ in Phoenix - thank you!)

 

[jonbruce]

Yes, it is now KGME. It has gone thru a lot of call letter and format changes in it's history. Phoenix was home to a ton of Country stations on the am dial, especially in the 1960's. I recall 1190, 1280, 1480 and 1580 were all country at one time. I worked with Tommy Wright 45 years ago. He was in Las Vegas until a couple of years ago before he retired and moved to I think South Carolina. By the way, where do you get all of those radio station greatest hits L.P.'s ? In Los Angeles I used to see them in thrift stores and yard sales, but only from stations in the market itself.

 

[buster2]

KJJJ 910 AM was originally KPHO radio and both the radio side and KPHO TV broadcast out of studios at 631 N. First Av. in Pheonix. KJ was a significant player in the ratings for a while until KNIX FM started to take prominence.

By 1985, KJJJ 910 (Big Country) was dead, the victim of listener migration to FM. They did have a sister station at 92.3 FM, but both country signals left the air in 1985 when the combo was purchased by The Broadcast Group, Inc.

The FM became a hybrid music station (kind of like today's "Jack" FM concept, except with live jocks). That lasted a short while until they eventually became Top 40, then Hip Hop and now, under completely different ownership, KTAR News Talk.

The AM became KFYI, and remained that way for more than 15 years before KFYI was moved to 550 AM and KGME (XTRA Sports 910) took over the frequency, where it remains to this day.

A lot of very fine talented people worked at KJ Country back in the day.

 

[Lisa_Wheeler]

By the way, where do you get all of those radio station greatest hits L.P.'s ? In Los Angeles I used to see them in thrift stores and yard sales, but only from stations in the market itself.

I find them everywhere - eBay, thrift stores, etc...folks will even simply just send them to me (just received a box of seven today - seven I had never seen before).

I was looking for a hobby that would incorporate my love of radio, and my love of record collecting - viola!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

The gatefold shows pictures of several DJ and news staffers - including Myron Drake. Wasn't he a radio news pioneer in Arizona?

10-4, he was a longtime news anchor on KTAR 620 Phoenix
(prior to his stint at KJJJ).

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I worked with Tommy Wright 45 years ago. He was in Las Vegas until a couple of years ago before he retired and moved to I think South Carolina.

Is this the same Tommy Wright who earlier was on KFIF Tucson,
KTKT Tucson and KRUX Glendale?

 

[buster2]

Actually, the late, great Myron Drake finished his career at KTAR. He died not long after retiring.

 

[landtuna]

I used to listen to KJJJ in the early 80's. The morning guy, IIRC, had an airname of 'bear-something'. Anyone else remember him?

It was the only time in my life (since I was 8 years old anyway) that I listened to Country. Enjoyed the DJ more than the music.

 

[Lisa_Wheeler]

Just updated the site:

http://radiouseonly.com/states/arizona_albums/kjjj_24_greatest_country_western_hits.htm

 

[thirdtickket]

KJJJ, Phoenix was a competitive radio station. Once owned by Ray Odom who successfully ran Country KHAT-AM back in the 60s. I was working across town at KNIX in the late 70's and when Buck Owens and son Michael (the GM) started pouring more promotional money into KNIX-FM we began dominating the country shares. By 1980-81 KNIX was pulling 14 shares and sometimes higher and became the number one station in Phoenix for many years.

KNIX was one of the first stations in the country to start advertising on local tv commercials. You can see a few samples of 80's and 90's tv spots on KNIX's website....go to www.knixcountry.com then click on HISTORY and find the tv spots.

KJJJ-FM attempted to compete against KNIX FM but their programming direction seemed to fall short and they seemed to change air staff people regularly while KNIX stayed consistent (heck W. Steven Martin was there for 26 years !) KJ-FM even changed calls to KC-92 (K-Country 92) before dropping country altogether. KJJJ-FM morning guy was Bobby Butler who recorded a novelty song called "Cheaper crude or no more food". Totally lost track of him after he left KJ. I believe he worked at a station in Show Low for many years after that.

I worked with a guy named Tommy Wright in Tucson (he was my PD at KHOS in 1976,) he also worked at KRUX, Glendale-Phoenix and KTKT, Tucson. My understanding was that he ended up in Los Angeles as a judge or lawyer ??? But that was 4-5 years ago that I heard from him.

 

[Mike Lee TN]

I worked with Bobby Butler when KMZK FM was country back in 1984-85. He was always lamenting that he had left KOOL FM. Terry Black did nights on KJJJ-910 live from the Bill Johnson's Big Apple on Van Buren. Terry and I had classes at Phoenix College together. Terry passed away a few years back. I've always wondered what became of Bobby Butler though.

I know that KNIX dominated, but I always listened to KJ because of their broader playlist.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I worked with Bobby Butler when KMZK FM was country back in 1984-85.
He was always lamenting that he had left KOOL FM.

From how your post reads, was he on KOOL prior to 1984-85, which I guess
would be both before and after his stints on various country stations?

This was a memory jogger, in that I recall Bobby Butler doing weekends
and fill on KOOL-FM for a short time somewhere around the late 1990s.
Could have been early 2000s. Closed circuit for Liz Boyle: can you pin
down the year(s) better?

 

[Mike Lee TN]

I worked with Bobby Butler when KMZK FM was country back in 1984-85.
He was always lamenting that he had left KOOL FM.

From how your post reads, was he on KOOL prior to 1984-85, which I guess
would be both before and after his stints on various country stations?

This was a memory jogger, in that I recall Bobby Butler doing weekends
and fill on KOOL-FM for a short time somewhere around the late 1990s.
Could have been early 2000s. Closed circuit for Liz Boyle: can you pin
down the year(s) better?

Yes, I think Bobby did mornings on KOOL FM for about three years from like 1979-82?

I doubt Liz Boyle will remember. I went to high school with her. She's as old as I am, so her memory is probably pretty foggy as well. LOL <ducking>

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Yes, I think Bobby did mornings on KOOL FM for about three years from like 1979-82?

I doubt Liz Boyle will remember. I went to high school with her. She's as old as I am,
so her memory is probably pretty foggy as well. LOL <ducking>

79-82 seems more like the Dave Munsey in AM drive period--most of it
anyway--before he went over to the TV side to become Mr. Weather.

By September 1984, Mike Farrell was doing AMD on KOOL-FM* and had
been in that slot for a while, IIRC.

BTW, Liz is going to whack you for that remark. ;D
Maybe I can turn it around by saying I wish I was as young as Liz is.

*: source: Off-Mike Magazine

 

[landtuna]

I seem to remember Dave Munsey doing evenings on KOOL in the early/mid 80's. Seems he was replaced by Jeanne Sedello <sp?> after he became the weathermeister on KOOL-TV.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I seem to remember Dave Munsey doing evenings on KOOL in the early/mid 80's.

KOOL-FM September 1984:

0000-0600 Dave France
0600-1000 Mike Farrell
1000-1400 Bob Polk
1400-1900 Tom Peake (hmmm...never heard of him ;D)
1900-0000 Jeanne Sedello

The above lineup was also current in August 1985.

Source is Off-Mike Magazine, two issues with the above dates.
I'm not sure if there were any other issues published.

At one point which I think was shortly before Munsey flipped to TV
weather, he and Sedello were teamed in AM drive on KOOL-FM.

If Munsey had done evenings it probably would have been on his
arrival at KOOL (late 70s?), coming from KPIN 1260 Casa Grande.
The 1974 Broadcasting Yearbook shows him as KPIN ND.

Speaking of KPIN (1 kw-D), its GM circa 1974 was Dean Weatherly.
You may have heard of his son Kevin, who got his radio start there.

Geez, now I wish this thread was on the Phoenix board--it would get
a lot more "face time."

 

[bobjlv]

Bobby Butler got me in the door at KJJJ in 1976. I've kept in touch with him off and on through the years. Unfortunately life hasn't treated him very well. He was Program Director at KHOS in 1974, and left when Tommy Wright came down and made him pretty miserable. Sorry, I don't have any respect for Tommy Wright...Bobby did a gig at KIKK-Pasadena-Houston, then was back in Phoenix and worked for several stations. I lost track of him for awhile, but he ended up in Tucson again programming KIKX in the fall of 1977. He left there and again returned to Phoenix.
Several years went by and he ended up in California, then moved to Las Vegas and worked at KQOL working midnights. He left Las Vegas and worked some shifts at KOOL-FM in Phoenix, then returned to California (Stockton) and then back to Vegas at KQOL under a new owner. That was short lived. He then moved to Oklahoma City, then Farmington, NM. The last time I heard from Bobby, he was working in 2005-2007 at KHOB-Hobbs, NM. I called looking for him last Christmas (2007) and was told he had returned to Oklahoma City. Sorry, I may be off on the chronology. He moved around a lot.
From what I gather, he's living with his son and has a lot of health issues. Unfortunately he has some serious health issues which I'll leave personal, but from what I gather he's not in radio anymore and probably living with his son looking for his next gig. If you are in Oklahoma City, you may hear him on the radio working part-time somewhere.
Didn't mean to sidetrack the subject about KJJJ, but wanted to fill you in. I worked there in 1976. Another jock from the 70s at KJJJ, Jess Devaney, and Tim Tyler who did midnights for years at KJJJ are at Citadel in Tucson. Jess and myself work part-time at KIIM-FM and Tim Tyler does mornings at KHYT-FM.

 

[0521srb]

My husband and I worked at KJ from '81 til '83, the height of the urban cowby format. He was a salesman, I was in charge of commercials. We worked with DJ's Eric Fox (program director), Dennis McBroom, Johnny Collier, Bobby Butler, and Mike Morgan. Also saw tons of country greats (courtesy of KJ) at Phoenix Civic Plaza and Graham Central Station like Don Williams, Alabama, Babs Madrell, Gatlin Bros, Mickey Gilley, Ronnie Milsap, Leon Russell, The Kendalls, etc. Great times!