I agree 92.5 KLSY use to have a good local late night show. Back when locals owned radio Ackerley, Fisher, Gaylord ?, KING Broadcasting Co.
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What you all miss in Seattle radio
- Thread starter DMK
- Start date
Unfortunately, that’s the truth!
The obvious answer is that we all miss the radio stations that we loved when we were younger and that either no longer exist or don't have much resemblance to the stations that we remember.
I graduated high school in 1980 and listened to pop music, so for me the stations that I miss when I come back for visits are 96.5 KYYX (as a Top 40 station), 97.3 KNBQ (Q-97-FM), and 101.5 KVI-FM/KPLZ. I also liked 104.3 KNWR's presentation of the TM Stereo Rock format up in Bellingham. I do remember a little of the early years of KUBE-FM as Top 40, but I was mostly on the other side of the state by that time.
Many of my classmates in high school were more into rock music, and for them the golden stations of that era were 99.9 KISW ("Seattle's Best Rock") and 102.5 KZOK ("OK 102 1/2"). Interesting that those stations are still around and doing pretty well, although the passing of decades means that they sound much different today.
I graduated high school in 1980 and listened to pop music, so for me the stations that I miss when I come back for visits are 96.5 KYYX (as a Top 40 station), 97.3 KNBQ (Q-97-FM), and 101.5 KVI-FM/KPLZ. I also liked 104.3 KNWR's presentation of the TM Stereo Rock format up in Bellingham. I do remember a little of the early years of KUBE-FM as Top 40, but I was mostly on the other side of the state by that time.
Many of my classmates in high school were more into rock music, and for them the golden stations of that era were 99.9 KISW ("Seattle's Best Rock") and 102.5 KZOK ("OK 102 1/2"). Interesting that those stations are still around and doing pretty well, although the passing of decades means that they sound much different today.
I'm biased because I was part of the KYYX team ... but I agree it was a good-sounding station! Although it was automated, we tried to make it sound "live" -- a Top-40 station tempered a bit to fit in with the FM culture. Talent like Bob Simon, Lan Roberts, Emp Smith, Robin Mitchell, Burl Barer and some guidance from owner Pat O'Day (who was juggling Seattle and Honolulu's KORL). Production from Eric McKaig and Jim Bach really classed it up; and Don Winget's engineering genius kept it humming. They really didn't give it enough time to get grounded...I'll bet there was pressure from the investors to get to profitability ASAP and hence the attempt at new-wave rock as "The Wave". Even that didn't get the $ returns they expected. KNBQ was just running Drake tapes with generic talent drops so it wasn't that impressive until they took it live late in 1979. I did time there after being shown the KYYX door, and I was pretty miserable because I knew what a good station sounded like and knew "this isn't it". fmKVI tried to balance Top 40 with what the market expected from the amKVI, and it was being programmed by a guy who was VERY focused on the New Testament and it influenced a lot of his choices. Interesting times as it was beginning of the end for the legacy stations like KJR and KING.
Back in the 80's, a friend of mine recorded hours of KYYX as new wave. After the format change, he would only play his cassettes of KYYX in his car, and nothing.else. I always looked forward to riding with him, and got to know a station pretty well that I never listened to on the air. They had some very HARDCORE fans!
For me, it started with KOL-ÀM. Then KJR, KING, KYAÇ, KRKO, KTAC, CKLG, CFUN, Then FM, KLAY-FM (then AOR "K-106" and broadcast probably the first New Wave music show on a commercial FM in Puget Sound), then KZOK-FM (for Dr Demento), then KNBQ (the soundtrack underneath the 8-bit din of the video arcade where I was raised in the summers of 1981 and 1982.) KJET, KYYX, KCMU, KNHC, KHIT, KEZX, KXRX, CHRX, KZOK-AM (Z-Rock), KMTT, KNDD.
I remember being psychologically traumatized by the screaming fire and brimstone radio preachers like R.W. Schambach on KBLE my elderly elementary school bus driver lady played to us. Daily. Loudly.
I played Name That Tune with KSEA and KBRD.
I remember being psychologically traumatized by the screaming fire and brimstone radio preachers like R.W. Schambach on KBLE my elderly elementary school bus driver lady played to us. Daily. Loudly.
I played Name That Tune with KSEA and KBRD.
As a Vancouver area resident living just north of the border in the 80's, I had better signals from Seattle than most others in B.C. Especially since I lived on top of a hill, and I could get FM from Seattle, even though most of my neighbours couldn't. Canadian FM was just horrendous at the time and I really couldn't be bothered with it. As far as Canadian radio went, I was AM only...unless it was a college station. I did like punk rock quite a bit.
I really got into KKFX and KJET. Kfox was my daytime station and KJET was my night time station. The 2 couldn't have been further apart musically, but they were so different from stations like CKLG and CKDA. Both turned me onto cultures that just didn't exist where I was living, and gave me a more rounded musical education beyond the top 40 charts, and to me, they sounded like a way to hear what was just beyond the charts, without being too alienating. KJET ignited a love of dark 80's English music in me. K-fox's urban format really complimented a lot of the dance music that was on top 40 radio. I thought the music was excellent and never understood why Canadian radio shied away from it so much.
I'd check in with KUBE and KPLZ on a daily basis as well. I hated CFOX but I did like KISW, as I learned the djs there were much more knowledgeable about music.. It reminded me of my time in Iowa listening to KRNA in Iowa City. CFOX didn't even know that the Doors did their own version of Gloria, which I had heard on KISW. I got into an argument with a CXFOX dj on the phone, I hung up on him after saying "yes, the doors did do it, I heard it on KISW last night!"
I really got into KKFX and KJET. Kfox was my daytime station and KJET was my night time station. The 2 couldn't have been further apart musically, but they were so different from stations like CKLG and CKDA. Both turned me onto cultures that just didn't exist where I was living, and gave me a more rounded musical education beyond the top 40 charts, and to me, they sounded like a way to hear what was just beyond the charts, without being too alienating. KJET ignited a love of dark 80's English music in me. K-fox's urban format really complimented a lot of the dance music that was on top 40 radio. I thought the music was excellent and never understood why Canadian radio shied away from it so much.
I'd check in with KUBE and KPLZ on a daily basis as well. I hated CFOX but I did like KISW, as I learned the djs there were much more knowledgeable about music.. It reminded me of my time in Iowa listening to KRNA in Iowa City. CFOX didn't even know that the Doors did their own version of Gloria, which I had heard on KISW. I got into an argument with a CXFOX dj on the phone, I hung up on him after saying "yes, the doors did do it, I heard it on KISW last night!"
I haven't seen you on R-D for *years*! Welcome back! Were you in Surrey, White Rock, Maple Ridge area? There are definitely hilltops around the Lower Mainland that get marginally better signals from the south. Of course, there are FM stations on 99 of the 100 licensed channels now...translators, full-powers, rimshots moved from other places, etc.
Did you have a rooftop TV antenna as well? I know there were spots up there where KOMO, KING, and other Seattle TV stations were watchable OTA without cable.
Did you have a rooftop TV antenna as well? I know there were spots up there where KOMO, KING, and other Seattle TV stations were watchable OTA without cable.
The thing that stands out for me about KYYX in its Top 40 era was that y'all played the long versions of the songs -- I have old cassette recordings from the late 70s that have KYYX playing album versions of songs such as "This Masquerade" by George Benson, "Wildfire" by Michael Murphy, "Could It Be the Magic" by Barry Manilow, "Damned If I Do" from Alan Parsons, and "Midnight Wind" by John Stewart.
And there was the rather unique extended mix of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" that assembled an intro from Parts 1 & 3 before going to Part 2. I liked that mix enough to replicate it using Audacity based on an old cassette recording.
That said, I do know that the whispered "Playing Favorites" liners drove a friend of mine crazy...
Regarding KNBQ, it seemed to me that they dropped the Drake-Chenault format in early 1978 -- even as a high school student, I could tell that the music sounded different starting a few months into that year. Notably, that was the point at which they started playing album versions of songs where they'd only played the single versions (and sometimes even edits of the singles) under the Drake-Chenault format. I don't know for sure, but I'm thinking they switched to a different syndicated format on tape at that point before moving towards being locally programmed.
"This Masquerade" was another song I grew up with on KWJZ. But of course, very much edited for radio. I have heard the long version on the former KOAZ ABQ (Oasis) and it sounds even better as a long version. George is a true class act and so underrated in mainstream radio. The "On Broadway" cover gets classic hits airplay, and occasionally "Turn Your Love Around," but not much else.
I also grew listening to "Breezin", and KWJZ also played "Affirmation".
He's 83 and still doing well. I pray George will be with us for another 10 years or more.
I also grew listening to "Breezin", and KWJZ also played "Affirmation".
He's 83 and still doing well. I pray George will be with us for another 10 years or more.
I was in White Rock and Tsawassen, top of the hill just before you entered Point Roberts. I just used the antenna that came with the boombox.
When I lived in Coquitlam, the only Seattle FM I could get was Magic 108. On the AM side, we could only get KCIS, KIRO, KOMO and KING. KJR could barely be heard at all.
In Tsawassen, all Seattle AM's came in, some very well. In White Rock they were even better.
I’m in Richmond and still have pretty decent results with Seattle AM. KIRO doesn’t sound great with a strong 690 only a few miles away from me, but in general you can hear the Seattle AM band pretty easily. The FMs are hit and miss, but the kitchen radio I use in my apartment is set to 95.7, and I can usually hear KJEB (KJR) pretty well. Sometimes it fades to the translator for 550, but usually it’s okay.
Crow and West
Langan and West
Slaton
"The Late" Cathy Faulkner
KISW Rocked
Langan and West
Slaton
"The Late" Cathy Faulkner
KISW Rocked
I believe Cathy Faulkner is now on KUOW, talk about a change. I listened when Bob Rivers came in, then it was Dan Wilkie, John Ballard, then Cathy at night. I think she was either PD or MD at the time too.
Sure is! Cathy Faulkner