The old KRTH

[davideduardo]

As I mentioned in the comment just before this one, rotations for currents would probably be dependent on the number of reels in KHJ-FM's automation system.

When we still shared part of the KRTH building, there were some "shared" storage rooms that included some IGM Instacarts... so they may have been running the currents off carts on an Instacart. I don't recall when the first Instacart came out, but in '71 we did also have Carrousels from SMC and the 55 machine from Gates (the elevator). So it's technically possible that they had some multi-cart single play devices and could have had multiple song categories in currents.

 

[Unregistered]

David: It's complicated. My understanding is that KHJ-FM ran the Drake-Chenault format and that the reels were produced up in Fresno (prior to D-C moving to Canoga Park), but that Dave Jeffries had control over the new music (with Drake's input). So, KHJ-FM was running a customized version of "Solid Gold Rock and Roll" (and before that, "Hitparade"), and not the same exact reels the syndicated customers got.

I had an aircheck at one time from KHJ-FM in August, 1971. They played the Elvis Sun classic "From Elvis Presley, that's the "Mystery Train." and segued into "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart.

A month later in Sept. '71 on WIFI (FM) in Philly the same "Mystery Train" announcement and seguing into the "Wedding Song" by Paul Stookey.

The second songs were both currents at the time.

 

[beedee]

Hi David
Joined RadioDiscussions.com today because this discussion interested me so much !

I have a few personal tape recordings of the am930 Smokin' Oldies Jukebox
You'll sure to enjoy, Only transfered one to digital so far.
Happy New Year 2015
I enjoy reading about the old KeaRTH, I grew up listening when it was KHJ FM Stereo 101
into Kearth 101 with Captain KeaRTH, My Favorite, Bob Hamilton, Brother John and Brian Bierne
Soon I'll be getting out those ol' tapes again and some I've collected from other collectors that
I enjoy transferering audio from the ol tapes and reliving when radio was great.
I dig AM and FM and especially the radiodiscussions about the old KRTH !
Keep Cool
bd

 

[oldies76]

I enjoy reading about the old KeaRTH, I grew up listening when it was KHJ FM Stereo 101
into Kearth 101 with Captain KeaRTH, My Favorite, Bob Hamilton, Brother John and Brian Bierne
Soon I'll be getting out those ol' tapes again and some I've collected from other collectors that
I enjoy transferering audio from the ol tapes and reliving when radio was great.
I dig AM and FM and especially the radiodiscussions about the old KRTH !

Welcome!

A longtime KRTH listener myself (1980's especially). Certainly remember Mr. Beirne on the air back then. Any chance of any airchecks or recordings of their "Number One Music Weekend", from Labor Day back then?

Here's a link from someone else who tallied all the songs played. I've yet to find any recordings of this special. I already kicked myself for not recording it back then!! LOL!

http://buff.ucsd.edu/music/krth/

 

[Thomps2525]

That list shows Dick Dale & the Deltones' Miserlou as the first number-one song of 1963. KRTH was obviously not using the Billboard charts. Miserlou went to number one on both the KRLA Tune-dex and the KFWB Fabulous Forty but never charted nationally. It didn't even make it to the "Bubbling Under" chart.

Can you imagine a classic hits station in 2015 playing all those number-one songs? Nope---I can't imagine it either.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

R

That list shows Dick Dale & the Deltones' Miserlou as the first number-one song of 1963. KRTH was obviously not using the Billboard charts. Miserlou went to number one on both the KRLA Tune-dex and the KFWB Fabulous Forty but never charted nationally. It didn't even make it to the "Bubbling Under" chart.

Can you imagine a classic hits station in 2015 playing all those number-one songs? Nope---I can't imagine it either.

Of course, Miserlou was prominently featured in one of my all time Top 10 movies "Pulp Fiction"

 

[oldies76]

That list shows Dick Dale & the Deltones' Miserlou as the first number-one song of 1963. KRTH was obviously not using the Billboard charts. Miserlou went to number one on both the KRLA Tune-dex and the KFWB Fabulous Forty but never charted nationally. It didn't even make it to the "Bubbling Under" chart.

From what I could make out RR, K-Earth used radio surveys from KFWB from 1958 to 1965, then the KHJ Boss 30 weeklies from 1965 to about 1977, then their own surveys from '77 thru '85 to compile this list. It is unknown what surveys were used prior to '58.

I've checked Solanas: http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/
and Oldiesloon for accuracy.

1955 does resemble the national charts.

 

[oldies76]

Can you imagine a classic hits station in 2015 playing all those number-one songs? Nope---I can't imagine it either.

Actually I wish they would. It would be a spectacular retro feature, but then you'd have to add 1986 thru the 90's to keep up with their target. I'm not sure if any L.A. radio station kept weekly surveys beyond 1986, except maybe KIIS-FM

 

[Thomps2525]

Assuming no number-one hits would be skipped over, such a special would include Frank Sinatra, Georgia Gibbs and the McGuire Sisters.....Elvis Presley, Ritchie Valens and Ricky Nelson.....Kyu Sakamoto, the Singing Nun and the Hollywood Argyles.....the Beatles, Charlie Rich and Cheech & Chong.....Taco, Prince and Madonna.....Michael Jackson, Boston and Bon Jovi.....Mariah Carey, Kris Kross and Bone thugs-n-harmony. Some of us here would love to hear such a special but the radio people will tell us that it would never work because there are too many years and too many different musical styles. But if a station did broadcast such a feature, think of the publicity they'd get! The station would be called "innovative" and "groundbreaking"---even though KHJ did something similar in April 1965, when all the top hits of 1950-65 were played in chronological order and listeners could vote for their favorites. After the first two songs were played, the one with the most votes would be the Champion and would be played again, followed by a new Challenger. Then the Champion would be played, then a new Challenger. Yeah, depending on the voting, sometimes the same song would get played eight or nine times in an hour, but it was fun to hear all the hits in chronological order. Another Million Dollar Battle aired on KHJ in 1967.

 

[TheBigA]

The station would be called "innovative" and "groundbreaking"---

By whom?

 

[oldies76]

But if a station did broadcast such a feature, think of the publicity they'd get! The station would be called "innovative" and "groundbreaking"---even though KHJ did something similar in April 1965, when all the top hits of 1950-65 were played in chronological order and listeners could vote for their favorites .

Yeah, a station needs to have fun with it's audiences in some form or another. I think the publicity would be incredible, considering today's target audience has probably never heard or experienced true specials like these in their lifetimes like we did growing up. They may have heard the AT40 reruns, if that.

 

[TheBigA]

It's just playing a group of songs along a theme. Not unlike what hundreds of stations do over Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend. Nothing really "special" about it. Anyone could do the same thing at home with YouTube.

 

[oldies76]

It's just playing a group of songs along a theme. Not unlike what hundreds of stations do over Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend. Nothing really "special" about it. Anyone could do the same thing at home with YouTube.

You've missed my point. By "special" in this case, is that unique #1's were played over a weekend that were normally not played otherwise during regular rotation. Most of today's specials are just reworks of their regular rotation, made to sound "special". The Memorial Day Top 500's are just their Top 500 songs they already play. And that's what today's targets are missing......creativity.

If you look at that link, you'll see that the majority of those songs would most likely not be rotated otherwise, even in 1985, which makes it a "true special".

 

[TheBigA]

If you look at that link, you'll see that the majority of those songs would most likely not be rotated otherwise, even in 1985, which makes it a "true special".

All you have to do is listen to a station in another format to hear a bunch of unfamiliar songs. That would be special?

You & I clearly have two very different ideas of what makes something "creative." Playing a bunch of songs I know people won't like isn't creativity. It's stupidity. You can accomplish the exact same thing without actually playing all of those songs simply by airing a 1khz tone for 3 days.

 

[oldies76]

All you have to do is listen to a station in another format to hear a bunch of unfamiliar songs. That would be special?

No, it's not a special because it isn't presented as one, it's a bad format. What happened in the 80's were specials and was presented as such. You don't get it do you?

You & I clearly have two very different ideas of what makes something "creative." Playing a bunch of songs I know people won't like isn't creativity. It's stupidity. You can accomplish the exact same thing without actually playing all of those songs simply by airing a 1khz tone for 3 days.

Call it anything you want, but it aired as early as the late 70's to 1988 every year. It was labeled as a "Southern California Tradition" so people did like it, otherwise they would have cancelled it way before this 1985 edition even aired. It was creativity by a station called K-Earth 101. They only cancelled it in 1989, due to a Beasley Broadcasting sale, otherwise I'm sure it would have lasted even longer. Many people were disappointed by it's cancellation.

There is an advantage for those who lived and heard creativity on the radio vs. those who didn't.
I realize this was 30 years ago, but please don't argue with one who lived it. Jeez!

 

[TheBigA]

What happened in the 80's were specials and was presented as such. You don't get it do you?

Sure I do. I just don't think this qualified as special. It qualified as being different. Different isn't special. Sushi is different, but eating raw fish ain't special.

I realize this was 30 years ago, but please don't argue with one who lived it. Jeez!

People did a lot of crazy things 30 years ago. I'm not sure everyone wants to be reminded of all the stupid things they did. The money they lost, the cars they wrecked, the clothes they wore, the girls they insulted, and on and on. That may be a :30 promo, but not 3 days of non-stop radio. If I'm going to call something special, I'm going to make it something they'll WANT to hear. Not a bunch of one-hit wonders or mistakes. Even when VH-1 did the one-hit wonders show, and that was 20 years ago, they never played the entire song. They played the hook, and the rest of the segment was about the artist. That sounds like a "special" to me. But not for 3 days.

The thing is that this was done 30 years ago, and covered 30 years, from the 50s to the 80s. If they did it now, it would cover the 80s to the present. Are there songs that went to #1 that are equally terrible? Sure. The main thing is the people who listened to this "special" 30 years ago are now in their 60s or worse, and they're not in the target for this station any more.

 

[oldies76]

Sure I do. I just don't think this qualified as special. It qualified as being different. Different isn't special. Sushi is different, but eating raw fish ain't special.

Ok, call it a specialty weekend, a themed weekend, a holiday event, or a number one weekend. It's not regular programming. WCBS's A to Z weekend, is also a radio station "special"...same thing.

Now hopefully Beedee will just answer my request for an aircheck, before this thread turns into another 60 page monstrosity!

 

[oldies76]

Even when VH-1 did the one-hit wonders show, and that was 20 years ago, they never played the entire song.

And how is VH-1 and MTV doing today?? yeah, nothing to really do with music! Nothing but reality junk!

 

[TheBigA]

And how is VH-1 and MTV doing today?? yeah, nothing to really do with music! Nothing but reality junk!

They're actually doing much better than they did back then. Certainly making more money. But they're aiming at people half your age.

 

[TheBigA]

Ok, call it a specialty weekend, a themed weekend, a holiday event, or a number one weekend. It's not regular programming.

How would you feel if you drove into McDonalds, and they were selling sushi instead of hamburgers. It's just for a weekend! Would you stay in the drive thru?

This is a business. We make money delivering on expectation. Our customers expect us to do something very specific. You want us to diverge from that. It's not good for business to do that.