KMET/KFWB video from November 1972

[radiofan2023]

Just ran across this video from November 1972, it includes a KABC-TV report in the beginning about KMET bringing back KFWB jocks for an oldies weekend. There’s also some great commercials, Stu Nahan smoking and Dr. George Fishbeck with a funny fog demonstration:

 

[michael hagerty]

(the segment is 2:30 into that linked video)

The KMET/KFWB re-creation always fascinated me.

I get that there was a common link---B. Mitchel Reed worked at both stations---but here's a radio station that is making its way (to the extent that it was in 1972) by being the antithesis of Top 40, choosing to sound (apart from contemporary commercials) like an AM station from 10-15 years before.

Yes, the nostalgia thing was gathering steam ("Grease" was a hit on Broadway, KRTH had just launched the month before, playing pre-Beatles oldies)---and I suppose getting 18-34 year olds who'd grown up on KFWB to sample KMET wasn't a bad idea---but did they really expect them to stick around after?

(sidebar: The Channel 7 anchor who did the story, Harold Greene, hopped back and forth between San Diego and Los Angeles, and was a major influence on the Ron Burgundy character in "Anchorman").

 

[radiofan2023]

Did a lot of anchors smoke on the air back then, or not?

 

[michael hagerty]

Did a lot of anchors smoke on the air back then, or not?

A lot, no---but it was not a remarkable thing to see.



Edward R. Murrow did. I don't recall him taking a puff or holding one on-air---but wisps of smoke from the cigarette could occasionally be seen.

The anchor who did smoke on the air---to the point that any good impression of him includes a cigarette in one hand---was Tom Snyder:



And in the mid-late 70s, WNBC used that in a promo:

 

[ChannelFlipper]

(the segment is 2:30 into that linked video)

The KMET/KFWB re-creation always fascinated me.

I get that there was a common link---B. Mitchel Reed worked at both stations---but here's a radio station that is making its way (to the extent that it was in 1972) by being the antithesis of Top 40, choosing to sound (apart from contemporary commercials) like an AM station from 10-15 years before.

Yes, the nostalgia thing was gathering steam ("Grease" was a hit on Broadway, KRTH had just launched the month before, playing pre-Beatles oldies)---and I suppose getting 18-34 year olds who'd grown up on KFWB to sample KMET wasn't a bad idea---but did they really expect them to stick around after?

(sidebar: The Channel 7 anchor who did the story, Harold Greene, hopped back and forth between San Diego and Los Angeles, and was a major influence on the Ron Burgundy character in "Anchorman").

I can't think of another industry, especially in the entertainment sector, that dishonors its history as much as radio. It is amazing to me how radio sees itself as a completely disposable product, and then wonders why the public at large feels the same.

For example, it has been discussed on this board before that KIIS and similar "heritage" CHRs can't, don't, and won't acknowledge their past because that would be admitting to their current target audience that their station is "old" which is something that can never be allowed to happen.

It is a rare occasion indeed when one station pauses just for a day to acknowledge the past, and for once, demonstrate a little humility by acknowledging the station you work at today was often times built by the labors of others, even possibly at other stations. KMET itself is a case in point. KMET was most successful in the late 70s when AOR was also at its peak. The jocks there at the time, while plenty good and entertaining, could not have enjoyed that success without the work done originally by B. Mitchell Reed and later Shadoe Stevens. Even in the later years, the Sam Bellamy (PD) era jocks (late 70's-early 80's) would not acknowledge the successful work of Shadoe Stevens who built the station from a fringe prog rock station that could barely sell commerical time to an actual competing station in the marketplace, which they essentially inherited. Even more amazing because Bellamy was Stevens' assistant for several years.

The Sound 100.3 did two separate KMET days during their time on the air, the first one in July 2009, and the second one several years later, each of which was chronicled at this site at their respective times. Each time it was a good idea for the station, which saw itself as sort of carrying on the KMET torch and wanted to position itself that way to its listeners. So in this case, self-interest was probably the main motivating factor for otherwise doing the "right thing". The irony of course is now KCSN is really trying to carry on The Sound's torch, by actually stealing the name and putting old Sound DJs on. They have done everything but steal the old logo.

Each generation inherits from the one before, it's just that radio almost always fails to acknowledge and say "thank you".

 

[radiofan2023]

But the subset of people who are “loyal” to a station like that is pretty small, even in a big city like LA. People who want to remember KMET or other TV or radio stations “as they were” can find a bunch of clips/airchecks, etc. online any time they want, rather than wait for a certain day to hear Rick Dees and Hollywood Hamilton come back to KIIS, etc.

 

[Weiserguy]

A lot, no---but it was not a remarkable thing to see.

View attachment 6069

Edward R. Murrow did. I don't recall him taking a puff or holding one on-air---but wisps of smoke from the cigarette could occasionally be seen.

The anchor who did smoke on the air---to the point that any good impression of him includes a cigarette in one hand---was Tom Snyder:

View attachment 6070

And in the mid-late 70s, WNBC used that in a promo:

View attachment 6071

And it should be noted that Mr. Murrow died of lung cancer at age 57 (in 1965, just after his 57th birthday). And Mr. Snyder died at age 71 of leukemia. So all those cigs did them a world of good.

 

[Weiserguy]

I can't think of another industry, especially in the entertainment sector, that dishonors its history as much as radio. It is amazing to me how radio sees itself as a completely disposable product, and then wonders why the public at large feels the same.

With a small handful of exceptions, old radio is as disposable as a sneezed-in tissue.

It is a rare occasion indeed when one station pauses just for a day to acknowledge the past, and for once, demonstrate a little humility by acknowledging the station you work at today was often times built by the labors of others, even possibly at other stations. KMET itself is a case in point. KMET was most successful in the late 70s when AOR was also at its peak. The jocks there at the time, while plenty good and entertaining, could not have enjoyed that success without the work done originally by B. Mitchell Reed and later Shadoe Stevens. Even in the later years, the Sam Bellamy (PD) era jocks (late 70's-early 80's) would not acknowledge the successful work of Shadoe Stevens who built the station from a fringe prog rock station that could barely sell commerical time to an actual competing station in the marketplace, which they essentially inherited. Even more amazing because Bellamy was Stevens' assistant for several years.

Since you seem into the history of KMET, do you happen to recall what years Mike (Michael) Harrison was PD?

 

[ChannelFlipper]

With a small handful of exceptions, old radio is as disposable as a sneezed-in tissue.

Since you seem into the history of KMET, do you happen to recall what years Mike (Michael) Harrison was PD?

I was not aware that he was at any time PD. If so it must have been post-Bellamy. In the mid-80s, as America moved on from the hippy movement that KMET embraced, and never really let go, ratings started to suffer and KMET went through several PDs and consultants. Perhaps he was PD sometime during that span.

He is most remembered for hosting a small talk show called Harrison's Mike (clever play on words, eh?) on Sunday nights after the Dr. Demento show where the trampled liberal view of the highly successful Reagan administration was given much-needed voice. Voiced at 11:00 pm on Sunday nights.

 

[michael hagerty]

Harrison was KMET PD briefly in 1983-84 (maybe a year---he was replaced by George Harris). According to Sam Bellamy (in an interview with Don Barrett), Lee Abrams was hired to consult, and he booted her and hired Michael.

As for acknowledging Shadoe's role in building KMET, let me preface this from Sam (also part of the Barrett interview) with my belief that Shadoe straight-up reinvented album rock radio, taking it out of the stoners and sitars freeform era:

“Shadoe tried really hard (Sam said). For one percent of the people, the station was really creative. Really awesome, but his format didn’t have enough of a fan base to attract ratings that would make the sales department happy. People who liked it, loved it and really got it,” said Sam. “It just wasn’t mass appeal. It was an extremely creative concept, but people just were not getting it.”

She didn’t think it was her place to criticize Shadoe’s vision. Only in retrospect does she make the observation about Shadoe. “I was enjoying it actually. I was enjoying what it was and wondering if it was going anywhere. It was my first radio gig and it was wonderful working with Shadoe Stevens. It was major for me.”

On April 28, 1975, Tom Donahue died, at the age of 48. Tom was considered the “granddaddy” of free-form radio, achieving his success and legend in the City by the Bay. The world of Haight-Ashbury, the Fillmore and Golden Gate Park smoked in the world of Tom’s underground radio. He was in the Southland briefly in the 1960s at KPPC and KMET. Shadoe’s concept of KMET wasn’t working and David Moorhead brought Tom’s widow Raechel Donahue to the station. “He made her music director. Shortly thereafter Thom O’Hair was made promotions director. After Shadoe left, Moorhead set up a triangle. Instead of having anyone in charge, I was the operations manager, Raechel the md, and O’Hair promotions. They looked at me like an ant who was lucky to be there,” said Sam.

Thom and Raechel worked together in San Francisco and had a vision for KMET. “They had their ideas about the station and I had mine. They pretty much tried to run all over me. We were trying to get a direction for the station and they kinda tolerated me because they knew they had to.” The triangle was created to make all sides equal. Each participant had a strength. “It limped along like that for awhile until it got to the point where I was a little stronger and I was becoming more aggressive in my role,” remembered Sam.

Sam can point to the turning point in the change for KMET and for herself. “When Raechel started adding music that made no sense to me based on where we were going and what we were trying to say. Yes, we were doing free-form, but when you heard Peggy Lee following Led Zeppelin, it was just too all over the map. It wasn’t going to get ratings. It would alienate too many people. It wasn’t working and the ratings were attesting to it. Thom, Raechel and I were in a constant battle as to what KMET was all about. Eventually, they got fed up with my determination and quit, one right after the other.”

The Harvard Business School is known for pitting two executives against each other. They claim it encourages survival of the fittest. KMET went Harvard one better, putting three into battle. Sam survived. "

Sam was PD from 1976-1983, easily KMET's most successful years, from a standpoint of ratings and revenue.

 

[Mark Roberts]

A lot, no---but it was not a remarkable thing to see.

There are photos of Russ Van Dyke, whom author Bill Bryson referred to as "The Walter Cronkite of Iowa", smoking during his early days on then-KRNT-TV, which would have been in the mid-1950s. I don't recall him smoking on the air when I was living in the Channel 8 viewing area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By that time, the societal consensus on smoking was in the middle of a shift away from smoking seeming glamorous and cool. There's a photo of him smoking - with a sponsorship by Iowa's major dairy, of all things - Russ Van Dyke Pictures KRNT - KRNT-TV KCCI (7th photo down). Van Dyke retired in 1983 and died in 1992 from a heart ailment. He was 74.

 

[Bongwater]

I can't think of another industry, especially in the entertainment sector, that dishonors its history as much as radio. It is amazing to me how radio sees itself as a completely disposable product, and then wonders why the public at large feels the same.

For example, it has been discussed on this board before that KIIS and similar "heritage" CHRs can't, don't, and won't acknowledge their past because that would be admitting to their current target audience that their station is "old" which is something that can never be allowed to happen.

The station IS old. Their grandparents who came of age in the 1970s listened to KIIS. The kids likely already know that by now if they're casually listening to it on something and Grandpa walks in 'Oh yes, KIIS. I used to listen to that station when I met your grandma"

Or their Backstreet Boys obsessed mom might say something in the car." Oh KIIS! Rick Dees was so funny! Is he still there?"

Unless the kids go out of their way to hide their music choices from their parents (and unless their parents are strict religious, they usually don't), it's likely already been brought up before how old KIIS or any heritage CHR is if that's what their kids are listening to.

 

[davideduardo]

Each generation inherits from the one before, it's just that radio almost always fails to acknowledge and say "thank you".

Radio is worse than a newspaper... after each brief moment, nothing remains. And listeners only keep coming back as long as what you do this moment is pleasing. They have no desire to know about what a particular station did a decade or more ago.

When I was acting PD of KLVE in LA when it was either #1 or #2 in the market, some of the staff wanted to do a 25th anniversary "celebration". Since there was no prospect of doing a concert that could make money, I considered that saying "we are 25" would make us sound old, so I nixed the idea.

And, when the station started its Spanish pop format 25 years before, it was absolutely horrible. Never got out of the 1 share range. 25 years later, we had a 6 share. Why would we want to celebrate the audio dumpster the station had been back then?

 

[michael hagerty]

The station IS old. Their grandparents who came of age in the 1970s listened to KIIS. The kids likely already know that by now if they're casually listening to it on something and Grandpa walks in 'Oh yes, KIIS. I used to listen to that station when I met your grandma"

Or their Backstreet Boys obsessed mom might say something in the car." Oh KIIS! Rick Dees was so funny! Is he still there?"

Unless the kids go out of their way to hide their music choices from their parents (and unless their parents are strict religious, they usually don't), it's likely already been brought up before how old KIIS or any heritage CHR is if that's what their kids are listening to.

As David points out, it's of dubious value if you have an adult audience. If you're targeting a younger audience, it's potentially deadly.

KHJ used to celebrate their "birthdays"---the anniversary of the launch of Boss Radio in 1965. It was a big deal.

In 1966, a souvenir booklet, a KHJ Boss Goldens album and a giveaway including a swimming pool, a color TV, a scuba diving outfit, a complete wardrobe, a motorcycle or a round-trip vacation to Hawaii. To enter, you sent them a birthday card, and you qualified by random drawing.

In 1967, they did it again, but turned it into a birthday card contest. They all had to be home-made and were judged for originality "and soul". Grand prize was a Pontiac Firebird 400 convertible.

In '68, more birthday cards---this time, just a color TV.

And in 1969---well, I wrote about this two years ago on this forum, so let's just cut and paste:

In 1969, the "Birthday Payday" contest celebrating KHJ's fourth anniversary as "Boss Radio". Each hour, KHJ would announce some sort of historic event, but withhold the date. If you were whatever number caller, you told them your birthday (month and day) and if your birthday matched the date of the historical event, which they'd announce on the air, you won whatever the jackpot was.

It launched on Wednesday afternoon, April 30 with $2,500 ($18,801 in today's money) and went up by ten bucks each time they had a loser.

Their winner happened overnight Friday night into Saturday morning, May 3. $2,920. Too soon, too little, wrong daypart. Sucks for promotion, so KHJ figures it's worth it to re-launch the contest with another $2,500 Monday morning.

A second winner 45 hours after re-launch---$2,950. Again in overnights on May 7.

So, KHJ, made of money in those days, decides to roll the dice one more time, and re-set the jackpot to $2,500, with ten bucks added each hour until the jackpot is won.

And every hour of every day for the rest of the May---nobody wins. By May 30, the jackpot is $8,020 ($60,150.66 in today's money). On the back of the May 28 Boss 30, there's a promo that reads:

"On July 16, 1969, the United States is scheduled to rocket the first man to the moon! If the "Birthday Payday" jackpot hasn't been won by then, it'll be worth $18,230 in KHJ cash!"

That, by the way, is $135,240 in today's money.

The trouble is that the official rules for the contest didn't give an end date.

Well, it didn't go that far---but the jackpot got up to $10,420 ($87,593 adjusted) before Mrs. Effie Boldinger won that---at 3:11 a.m. Total payout: $16,290 ($136,938 adjusted).

The next year, 1970---there was a picture of Bill Wade holding a piece of birthday cake on the cover of the Boss 30. That's literally all.



And from 1971 on, there were no more mentions of "Boss Birthday".

Would they have stopped without the 1969 fiasco? Probably. Six years is a third the lifetime of an 18-year old, and Top 40 was all about the (then) current moment.

 

[johndavis]

I'm reminded of a stunt I was involved in to flush a format. We had local celebrities come on the air for an hour to play whatever they wanted and at the end the new format debuted.

One of the hours was a beloved local children's TV host. The station's CFO pulled me in the office after he finished. "I didn't want to say this in the hall because I didn't want people to think I'm stupid, but who is this guy? I was in the car when with my husband when the he came on with his theme song and my husband was going apes--t and singing along and I just don't get it."

Me: "You're not from here, are you? You had to grow up here to get it. They tried to take him national and it totally flopped. But if you were here, your Brownie troop would have gone to a taping at least once when you were 6."

And that's what happens when you try to celebrate milestones in local media. Half your audience says "oh, cool" and the other half asks WTF is everyone so excited about, depending upon how long they've been here.

 

[michael hagerty]

I'm reminded of a stunt I was involved in to flush a format. We had local celebrities come on the air for an hour to play whatever they wanted and at the end the new format debuted.

One of the hours was a beloved local children's TV host. The station's CFO pulled me in the office after he finished. "I didn't want to say this in the hall because I didn't want people to think I'm stupid, but who is this guy? I was in the car when with my husband when the he came on with his theme song and my husband was going apes--t and singing along and I just don't get it."

Me: "You're not from here, are you? You had to grow up here to get it. They tried to take him national and it totally flopped. But if you were here, your Brownie troop would have gone to a taping at least once when you were 6."

And that's what happens when you try to celebrate milestones in local media. Half your audience says "oh, cool" and the other half asks *** is everyone so excited about, depending upon how long they've been here.

...and in Los Angeles, it's multiplied by a factor of your ZIP code.

 

[TomásEstefan]

Radio is worse than a newspaper... after each brief moment, nothing remains. And listeners only keep coming back as long as what you do this moment is pleasing. They have no desire to know about what a particular station did a decade or more ago.

When I was acting PD of KLVE in LA when it was either #1 or #2 in the market, some of the staff wanted to do a 25th anniversary "celebration". Since there was no prospect of doing a concert that could make money, I considered that saying "we are 25" would make us sound old, so I nixed the idea.

And, when the station started its Spanish pop format 25 years before, it was absolutely horrible. Never got out of the 1 share range. 25 years later, we had a 6 share. Why would we want to celebrate the audio dumpster the station had been back then?

To add to your comments David, Radio IS very unforgiving. Someone I worked for once said: "Everything you are, everything you ever have been, and everything you ever will be, goes out that tower RIGHT NOW !