Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

[CKidd]

Back in the 80s these guys were a comedy team performing in Old Sacramento. KPOP Roseville then at 93.5 recruited them into broadcasting. It was the first time you had 3-people on a morning show.

Later Westinghouse Broadcasting recruited them for mornings on KAER 92.5. The Kinney disapearred and it was just Robbins and Cowan.

They had so much sucess on their radio show that this new coathanger TV network, FOX hired them to do a late night talk show. They left Sacramento and moved to L.A. and the show had trouble before starting. They ran promos on Channel 40 saying the "show is not ready yet".

At the first ever FOX affiliates convention, the biggest complaint was about the Wilton North Report (Robbins & Cowan's show). They humiliated the FOX network and their show was cancled after a short time.

The Westinghouse general manager, Rick E. recruited them back to KAER.

So they started out as a comedy team, had a sucessful first run on radio, bommed in TV and came back to radio with more success. They were more wild with things like freeway cell phone dating and became more family oriented over the years.

It is only natural for one to evolve into something else like talk. In some cases music becomes a distraction.

Didn't they have direct comepetitors on 96.1 know as Armstong and Getty?

At one time both Don Immus and Howard Stern played music in between bits on WNBC.

Anyone else have any early memories of Robbins and Cowan and some of their early bits on air? Has anyone ever seen their stand-up comedy show. And when did they drop their last names?

CK

 

[OldAkronite]

Paul & Phil and A&G

> Didn't they have direct comepetitors on 96.1 know as
> Armstong and Getty?

You are correct, sir.

A&G, of course, first came to Sacramento on the aforementioned KYMX "Mix 96". The name of their show? "Joe and Jack - Out of the Sack". (No, I am not making this up.)

Despite their later success as morning drive talkers on KSTE, A&G still probably wince when they recall this name.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>

 

[allisonmarie]

> Back in the 80s these guys were a comedy team performing in
> Old Sacramento. KPOP Roseville then at 93.5 recruited them
> into broadcasting. It was the first time you had 3-people on
> a morning show.
>
> Later Westinghouse Broadcasting recruited them for mornings
> on KAER 92.5. The Kinney disapearred and it was just Robbins
> and Cowan.
>
> They had so much sucess on their radio show that this new
> coathanger TV network, FOX hired them to do a late night
> talk show. They left Sacramento and moved to L.A. and the
> show had trouble before starting. They ran promos on
> Channel 40 saying the "show is not ready yet".
>
> At the first ever FOX affiliates convention, the biggest
> complaint was about the Wilton North Report (Robbins &
> Cowan's show). They humiliated the FOX network and their
> show was cancled after a short time.
>
> The Westinghouse general manager, Rick E. recruited them
> back to KAER.
>
> So they started out as a comedy team, had a sucessful first
> run on radio, bommed in TV and came back to radio with more
> success. They were more wild with things like freeway cell
> phone dating and became more family oriented over the years.
>
>
> It is only natural for one to evolve into something else
> like talk. In some cases music becomes a distraction.
>
> Didn't they have direct comepetitors on 96.1 know as
> Armstong and Getty?
>
> At one time both Don Immus and Howard Stern played music in
> between bits on WNBC.
>
> Anyone else have any early memories of Robbins and Cowan and
> some of their early bits on air? Has anyone ever seen their
> stand-up comedy show. And when did they drop their last
> names?
>
> CK
>
Hey chris, Once upon a time at a radio station we both know which one it was, I did a PSA for an appearance of Robbins, Kinney, and Cowan at the little theater at the fairgrounds in Placerville. (1983) That was before anyone knew who these
three guys were. I've got a copy of the PSA buried in my aircheck collection somewhere. I guess I should dig it out. That PSA was the first one I ever did! Now look at how far these guys have gone since then!

Now before you say anything BossRadioDJ let me tell you, I have a stack of 5 aircheck CD's recorded for you. We've just got to figure out how to get them to you! You won't be disappointed with them either!

 

[SteveKing]

> Back in the 80s these guys were a comedy team performing in
> Old Sacramento. KPOP Roseville then at 93.5 recruited them
> into broadcasting. It was the first time you had 3-people on
> a morning show.
>
> Later Westinghouse Broadcasting recruited them for mornings
> on KAER 92.5. The Kinney disapearred and it was just Robbins
> and Cowan.
>
> They had so much sucess on their radio show that this new
> coathanger TV network, FOX hired them to do a late night
> talk show. They left Sacramento and moved to L.A. and the
> show had trouble before starting. They ran promos on
> Channel 40 saying the "show is not ready yet".
>
> At the first ever FOX affiliates convention, the biggest
> complaint was about the Wilton North Report (Robbins &
> Cowan's show). They humiliated the FOX network and their
> show was cancled after a short time.
>
> The Westinghouse general manager, Rick E. recruited them
> back to KAER.
>
> So they started out as a comedy team, had a sucessful first
> run on radio, bommed in TV and came back to radio with more
> success. They were more wild with things like freeway cell
> phone dating and became more family oriented over the years.
>
>
> It is only natural for one to evolve into something else
> like talk. In some cases music becomes a distraction.
>
> Didn't they have direct comepetitors on 96.1 know as
> Armstong and Getty?
>
> At one time both Don Immus and Howard Stern played music in
> between bits on WNBC.
>
> Anyone else have any early memories of Robbins and Cowan and
> some of their early bits on air? Has anyone ever seen their
> stand-up comedy show. And when did they drop their last
> names?
>
> CK
>

Not to bring up old wounds, but, I do remember a VERY short stint they did in Dallas at KEGL. The came in after Moby (James Carney) left for Houston, I think that is where he went. I remember they were taking calls their first couple of weeks of people who kept saying they sucked. (I am sure they were all set up). They had some really lame bits, one that had them reading a letter from someone who was in the Adams Family requesting a song from Howard Jones "[Thing] Can only get better". They left, I think, within 3-6 months, then Kidd Kraddick took over.

I did hear Paul and Phil years later in Sac. and it was a dramatically better show.

 

[DeltaKing]

...I have the album from KPOP. 1985.

THAT was a great sounding and fun CHR for it's day. There was just no room in town for a 3rd CHR between FM102 and KWOD. They were easily the best of the 3 AM Drive shows, and when you have JJ Jeffrey following you, that just makes you better!

> Back in the 80s these guys were a comedy team performing in
> Old Sacramento. KPOP Roseville then at 93.5 recruited them
> into broadcasting. It was the first time you had 3-people on
> a morning show.
>
> Later Westinghouse Broadcasting recruited them for mornings
> on KAER 92.5. The Kinney disapearred and it was just Robbins
> and Cowan.
>
> They had so much sucess on their radio show that this new
> coathanger TV network, FOX hired them to do a late night
> talk show. They left Sacramento and moved to L.A. and the
> show had trouble before starting. They ran promos on
> Channel 40 saying the "show is not ready yet".
>
> At the first ever FOX affiliates convention, the biggest
> complaint was about the Wilton North Report (Robbins &
> Cowan's show). They humiliated the FOX network and their
> show was cancled after a short time.
>
> The Westinghouse general manager, Rick E. recruited them
> back to KAER.
>
> So they started out as a comedy team, had a sucessful first
> run on radio, bommed in TV and came back to radio with more
> success. They were more wild with things like freeway cell
> phone dating and became more family oriented over the years.
>
>
> It is only natural for one to evolve into something else
> like talk. In some cases music becomes a distraction.
>
> Didn't they have direct comepetitors on 96.1 know as
> Armstong and Getty?
>
> At one time both Don Immus and Howard Stern played music in
> between bits on WNBC.
>
> Anyone else have any early memories of Robbins and Cowan and
> some of their early bits on air? Has anyone ever seen their
> stand-up comedy show. And when did they drop their last
> names?
>
> CK
>

 

[Camron_Fry]

Agreed. If it'd had a bigger signal it may have actually competed fairly successfully with the other two. I still have one of the t-shirts with the "playing the hits for greater Sacramento" logo.

- Cam.

> ...I have the album from KPOP. 1985.
>
> THAT was a great sounding and fun CHR for it's day. There
> was just no room in town for a 3rd CHR between FM102 and
> KWOD. They were easily the best of the 3 AM Drive shows, and
> when you have JJ Jeffrey following you, that just makes you
> better!
>
> > Back in the 80s these guys were a comedy team performing
> in
> > Old Sacramento. KPOP Roseville then at 93.5 recruited
> them
> > into broadcasting. It was the first time you had 3-people
> on
> > a morning show.
> >
> > Later Westinghouse Broadcasting recruited them for
> mornings
> > on KAER 92.5. The Kinney disapearred and it was just
> Robbins
> > and Cowan.
> >
> > They had so much sucess on their radio show that this new
> > coathanger TV network, FOX hired them to do a late night
> > talk show. They left Sacramento and moved to L.A. and the
> > show had trouble before starting. They ran promos on
> > Channel 40 saying the "show is not ready yet".
> >
> > At the first ever FOX affiliates convention, the biggest
> > complaint was about the Wilton North Report (Robbins &
> > Cowan's show). They humiliated the FOX network and their
> > show was cancled after a short time.
> >
> > The Westinghouse general manager, Rick E. recruited them
> > back to KAER.
> >
> > So they started out as a comedy team, had a sucessful
> first
> > run on radio, bommed in TV and came back to radio with
> more
> > success. They were more wild with things like freeway
> cell
> > phone dating and became more family oriented over the
> years.
> >
> >
> > It is only natural for one to evolve into something else
> > like talk. In some cases music becomes a distraction.
> >
> > Didn't they have direct comepetitors on 96.1 know as
> > Armstong and Getty?
> >
> > At one time both Don Immus and Howard Stern played music
> in
> > between bits on WNBC.
> >
> > Anyone else have any early memories of Robbins and Cowan
> and
> > some of their early bits on air? Has anyone ever seen
> their
> > stand-up comedy show. And when did they drop their last
> > names?
> >
> > CK
> >
>

 

[R J Fletcher]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

These guys were also on WMJC-FM in Detroit, very briefly in either 1985 or 1986, after St. James & Elliott bolted for Chicago. The station soon afterwards flipped to WCSX, one of the first "classic rock" stations.

 

[chilly]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

First of all, Mike, I believe the A&G morning show at the Mix was "Out of the Sack with Joe & Jack".
Robbins & Cowan became Paul & Phil back in the early '90's when the program director at the time, Jeff Sattler, thought there was a name recognition problem with Robbins & Cowan. He felt Paul & Phil would be easier to remember. It was about that time when KAER became KGBY. Sattler was from San Diego and had a thing for KGB.

 

[RealTime]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

How's "The Paul show" doing?

 

[Madmansam]

Whatever became of "Kinney"?

Does anyone know whatever happened to Paul Kinney? Is he still in radio? Was he with Robbins and Cowen in Detroit and Dallas?

 

[calguy]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

I seem to recall Robbins winning the old KXOA-AM Great Sacramento Laugh Off at Laughs Unlimited in 1980 or 81...

 

[JaxWebGuy]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

For the record, I took over as RVP/GM at KPOP when Fuller-Jeffrey Broadcasting bought the station in 1984. We decided that "Rock of the 80s" wasn't salable enough so we flipped to CHR during Carmy Ferreri's night shift -- yes, we went to Tower Records and bought the top 40 45s and instructed Carmy to just play them in order over and over again while PD Bill Jeffries and co-owned JJ Jeffrey worked out the format clock. I had hired John Buckley from KROY as Sales Manager and we were out drinking in the Herpes Triangle and I was telling Buck that we needed to find a (cheap) morning show in a hurry. Buck said, "Let me take to you Laughs Unlimited" where I first saw Robbins, Kinney and Cowan. We approached them and they said yes despite an embarrassingly misery offer. The rest is history. The trio never pulled big ratings except with teens (THREE stars on the radio just doesn't work) but the street buzz was enormous, which is how KPOP managed a 46 share of 12-24's in 1985. My how radio has changed.

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

For the record, I took over as RVP/GM at KPOP when Fuller-Jeffrey Broadcasting bought the station in 1984. We decided that "Rock of the 80s" wasn't salable enough so we flipped to CHR during Carmy Ferreri's night shift -- yes, we went to Tower Records and bought the top 40 45s and instructed Carmy to just play them in order over and over again while PD Bill Jeffries and co-owned JJ Jeffrey worked out the format clock. I had hired John Buckley from KROY as Sales Manager and we were out drinking in the Herpes Triangle and I was telling Buck that we needed to find a (cheap) morning show in a hurry. Buck said, "Let me take to you Laughs Unlimited" where I first saw Robbins, Kinney and Cowan. We approached them and they said yes despite an embarrassingly misery offer. The rest is history. The trio never pulled big ratings except with teens (THREE stars on the radio just doesn't work) but the street buzz was enormous, which is how KPOP managed a 46 share of 12-24's in 1985. My how radio has changed.

KPOP was a fun sounding station back then.


I feel that I need to note something about this thread. It was started four years ago by the late Chris Kidd. Chris passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the end of May this year. There's was very little mentioned of this other than a short line in RBR (Radio Business Report). Chris had a talent for applying for a building construction permits for AM and FM stations along with LPTVs and translators. He would later sell them. Before his passing, he was awarded a CP for 1340 AM in Jackson. Chris also owned KTHO in the 1990's. RIP Chris.

 

[Madmansam]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

For the record, I took over as RVP/GM at KPOP when Fuller-Jeffrey Broadcasting bought the station in 1984. We decided that "Rock of the 80s" wasn't salable enough so we flipped to CHR during Carmy Ferreri's night shift -- yes, we went to Tower Records and bought the top 40 45s and instructed Carmy to just play them in order over and over again while PD Bill Jeffries and co-owned JJ Jeffrey worked out the format clock. I had hired John Buckley from KROY as Sales Manager and we were out drinking in the Herpes Triangle and I was telling Buck that we needed to find a (cheap) morning show in a hurry. Buck said, "Let me take to you Laughs Unlimited" where I first saw Robbins, Kinney and Cowan. We approached them and they said yes despite an embarrassingly misery offer. The rest is history. The trio never pulled big ratings except with teens (THREE stars on the radio just doesn't work) but the street buzz was enormous, which is how KPOP managed a 46 share of 12-24's in 1985. My how radio has changed.

Michael, Is there another thread that mentioned his death back in May since this is the first that I have heard.
KPOP was a fun sounding station back then.


I feel that I need to note something about this thread. It was started four years ago by the late Chris Kidd. Chris passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the end of May this year. There's was very little mentioned of this other than a short line in RBR (Radio Business Report). Chris had a talent for applying for a building construction permits for AM and FM stations along with LPTVs and translators. He would later sell them. Before his passing, he was awarded a CP for 1340 AM in Jackson. Chris also owned KTHO in the 1990's. RIP Chris.

 

[BossRadioDJ]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

I feel that I need to note something about this thread. It was started four years ago by the late Chris Kidd. Chris passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the end of May this year. There's was very little mentioned of this other than a short line in RBR (Radio Business Report). Chris had a talent for applying for a building construction permits for AM and FM stations along with LPTVs and translators. He would later sell them. Before his passing, he was awarded a CP for 1340 AM in Jackson. Chris also owned KTHO in the 1990's. RIP Chris.

I had met Chris on several occasions, and still have his KTHO business card. I believe, most recently, that he was doing news updates (via Metro?) at KGO in San Francisco.

Was Chris "newsperson" on Radio-Info.com? I had thought so ... and newsperson's posts on these boards appear to have stopped, ironically, at the end of May.

 

[DaveBayArea]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

Chris passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the end of May this year. There's was very little mentioned of this other than a short line in RBR (Radio Business Report). Chris had a talent for applying for a building construction permits for AM and FM stations along with LPTVs and translators. He would later sell them. Before his passing, he was awarded a CP for 1340 AM in Jackson. Chris also owned KTHO in the 1990's. RIP Chris.

Wow. I am very saddened to hear that. I'm a resident of the up-country area (above Jackson on Highway 88). I saw the application, some subsequent testing they did on 1700 KHz, and finally saw it granted. Believe it or not, there is a real need for some local service in that area, and an AM station would be welcome. The 94.3 FM assigned to Jackson is Spanish, and essentially serves Sacramento and Stockton.

I had been following his CP and even tried to contact Eastern Sierra broadcasting to see if I could assist in some way to help get them on the air. No response, and now I know why. Another reminder of exactly how fragile life is.

Dave B.

 

[RadioStarOne]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

Sorry to hear of his passing, he was a great person to know. Every day we live is a gift from God! So who is going to step up and put this station on the air? And what about the station in Sparks, NV. that he had a CP for also? 1040 AM?

 

[RadioStarOne]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan Update on KFOY Sparks, NV.

The station in Sparks, NV. was KFOY 1060 AM 15 KW daytime, 370 Watts Nighttime. To bad the CP expired on 7/20/2009 It seems Chris was very close to getting this one on the air. Will the process have to be started all over again? Or can this one be rescued as a result of his passing? Mr. Kramer what do you know?

 

[coppersmom]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan

Newsperson is gone? that sucks.

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

Re: Robbins, Kinney & Cowan Update on KFOY Sparks, NV.

The station in Sparks, NV. was KFOY 1060 AM 15 KW daytime, 370 Watts Nighttime. To bad the CP expired on 7/20/2009 It seems Chris was very close to getting this one on the air. Will the process have to be started all over again? Or can this one be rescued as a result of his passing? Mr. Kramer what do you know?
[/quote


Below is the only information I have on his passing.
it's near the bottom of the following website:

http://nevadabroadcasters.net/news/index.php?news=119


Good question to what happens to all of his CPs. It's really sad. he wasn't that old.