1460 KTYM History

Hey Guys:

I know KTYM 1460 was Country from 1958 to about 1961. Did KTYM in 1961 go to a religous format?

I also see from my research KTYM had a lot of ethnic programming, did that start in 1961 as well?

Would anybody know when did KTYM start it's Black Gospel format?

Thanks

T.J.

t.j. said:

Hey Guys:

I know KTYM 1460 was Country from 1958 to about 1961. Did KTYM in 1961 go to a religous format?

I also see from my research KTYM had a lot of ethnic programming, did that start in 1961 as well?

Would anybody know when did KTYM start it's Black Gospel format?

Thanks

T.J.

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KTYM appears to have been playing Country as late as 1965.

There's a trade ad listing them as playing the Johnny Mann singers in 1968...so that would make them MOR.

And in 1969, Billboard listed their format as R&B/Soul....there's evidence they were still in that format in 1973.

Purely from memory, I don't think the block programming/ethnic/religious stuff started until the late 70s.

michael hagerty said:

t.j. said:

Hey Guys:

I know KTYM 1460 was Country from 1958 to about 1961. Did KTYM in 1961 go to a religous format?

I also see from my research KTYM had a lot of ethnic programming, did that start in 1961 as well?

Would anybody know when did KTYM start it's Black Gospel format?

Thanks

T.J.

Click to expand...

KTYM appears to have been playing Country as late as 1965.

There's a trade ad listing them as playing the Johnny Mann singers in 1968...so that would make them MOR.

And in 1969, Billboard listed their format as R&B/Soul....there's evidence they were still in that format in 1973.

Purely from memory, I don't think the block programming/ethnic/religious stuff started until the late 70s.

Click to expand...

My memory is that it may have nominally been R&B, but a lot of it was brokered programming by the mid 60s. I seem to recall music shows from record stores, and music shows for the purpose of publicizing various local venues for dances, small time concerts and so forth.

I remember hearing these kinds of programs on "K-Time in the Daytime" and some of them were fun, even if they were trying to sell you something. I was gone from LA by 73, so it had to have been earlier. Art Laboe may have bought some time on KTYM too for his Oldies but Goodies collections.

Reelradio has a 1966 air check from Godfrey. I haven't hear it in a long time, but I seem to recall that he's selling something.

Lkeller said:

michael hagerty said:

t.j. said:

Hey Guys:

I know KTYM 1460 was Country from 1958 to about 1961. Did KTYM in 1961 go to a religous format?

I also see from my research KTYM had a lot of ethnic programming, did that start in 1961 as well?

Would anybody know when did KTYM start it's Black Gospel format?

Thanks

T.J.

Click to expand...

KTYM appears to have been playing Country as late as 1965.

There's a trade ad listing them as playing the Johnny Mann singers in 1968...so that would make them MOR.

And in 1969, Billboard listed their format as R&B/Soul....there's evidence they were still in that format in 1973.

Purely from memory, I don't think the block programming/ethnic/religious stuff started until the late 70s.

Click to expand...

My memory is that it may have nominally been R&B, but a lot of it was brokered programming by the mid 60s. I seem to recall music shows from record stores, and music shows for the purpose of publicizing various local venues for dances, small time concerts and so forth.

I remember hearing these kinds of programs on "K-Time in the Daytime" and some of them were fun, even if they were trying to sell you something. I was gone from LA by 73, so it had to have been earlier. Art Laboe may have bought some time on KTYM too for his Oldies but Goodies collections.

Reelradio has a 1966 air check from Godfrey. I haven't hear it in a long time, but I seem to recall that he's selling something.

Click to expand...

Llew:
I had totally forgotten about the Godfrey aircheck. It's from March 31, 1966, and the exhibit description says he was on from 3-4PM each afternoon. He was live from Sam's Record store, promoting a big dance in East L.A. and pitching John's Menswear, The Montebello Ballroom and The Record Inn.

In the exhibit comments, Rick Lewis said he first heard Godfrey on KTYM in 1964, so it's possible that the station was block-programmed...someone doing a Country show, Godfrey doing R&B...and that while he was only on for an hour in the wintertime, as sunset got later, his show would go on until sign-off (as late as 8PM in June in Los Angeles).

Dave Clay comments that everything was brokered (every jock paid for his timeslot and then sold commercials within in hopes of making a profit)....and that it was lucrative enough for KTYM's owner to buy a Fresno TV station and sign on KDWN-AM (50,000 watts 24/7) in Las Vegas in 1975.

Llew, there's confirmation about Art Laboe's Oldies But Goodies shows on KTYM in 1968 from....well, you (posted in 2002). Ted Chittenden says Art was still on KTYM as late as 1970 or 1971.

Block programming would explain that Johnny Mann Singers trade ad in '68.

I started listening to KTYM in 1958. Jack Morris was a jock there. At that time is was all country with a similcast of it on KTYM-FM 103.9, which later went R&B. In 1961 paid religious programs started in morning drive. Roy Masters got his radio start there at that time. Country music continued in the afternoon with jocks Frank McDonald and Smiley Monroe. During the summer they would sell 5 or 6 to 8pm. Chuck Johnson would do an R&B show most of the time. One year Reb Foster was on in that time period playing Top 40 before he went to KRLA.

The religious programming was around in '77 at least. As a kid at the time, I had become a big horse racing fan and they used to run "race recreations" of the daily results at Hollywood Park and other local tracks. The show was called "Horse and Jockey" (during which they also hocked their handicapping service) and it was always preceded by the "Reverend Raymond Branch Rainbow Gospel Hour"...what an odd juxtaposition, I always thought.

OMG I had completely forgotten about ol' Godfrey, just listened to that aircheck on RR and I sure do remember that voice.

JPT said:

The religious programming was around in '77 at least. As a kid at the time, I had become a big horse racing fan and they used to run "race recreations" of the daily results at Hollywood Park and other local tracks. The show was called "Horse and Jockey" (during which they also hocked their handicapping service) and it was always preceded by the "Reverend Raymond Branch Rainbow Gospel Hour"...what an odd juxtaposition, I always thought.

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XERB was that way back in the 60s...paid preachers, horse racing and Wolfman Jack.

It's low-hanging fruit for broadcasters who work the brokered programming model.

I remember hearing Roy Masters on KTYM in the late 1960s when I lived in the LA area. He was on later in the evening, as I recall. So they were selling blocks of time by then, at least at night.

Don Mussell said:

I remember hearing Roy Masters on KTYM in the late 1960s when I lived in the LA area. He was on later in the evening, as I recall. So they were selling blocks of time by then, at least at night.

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A fellow student in high school (1967-69) became a devotee of Roy Masters...she got her boyfriend hooked into it too...though I always suspected his main interest was getting into her knickers. No luck there, I suspect. She became a real cold fish once she found religion. I remember she explained that showing emotion was a bad thing because it was irrational. I connected it in my mind to Masters' philosophy, though I actually know nothing about it. I also remember that she and her boyfriend would not stand in class during the Pledge of Allegiance, or recite the Pledge with everyone else. That wasn't a big deal a couple of years later, but other students and teachers were offended by that in 1967 in our conservative Republican suburb.

I was aware at the time that Masters ministered on the radio, but didn't make the connection to KTYM.

Ktym-fm 103.9

KTYM-FM 103.9FM

The very first Black music programming on 103.9-FM, Los Angeles, was in 1961. In those days FM was in its infancy and most people did not have FM in their autos. When Al Williams's KTYM AM was purchased the KTYM-FM was thrown in for free.

The very first Black Operations Manager on Los Angeles FM was Charles (Chuck) Johnson and the very first Black Program Director was Lonnie Cook, they constituted the only paid staff. The broadcast was on from 6pm to midnight after a switchover from daytime programming. The station airtime was brokered with the exception of the shows hosted by these two. Cook hailed from Kansas City, Kansas, and Johnson had been a celebrated DJ at KPRS Kansas City, MO.

The format was R&B, Doo Wop, and Blues and its programs included one hosted by Floyd Ray, the owner of the first all Black Los Angeles Record Distributor and former big band leader. An in studio picture of all of the DJ's can be found online. Ron Johnson (in the picture) was the lone caucasian jock.The operation endured for 3 years.

The format was aired from 6pm to midnight and was shut down by Lonnie Cook with the closing theme song "Sugarloaf at Twilight" by Ahmad Jamal., as he doubled as engineer. Many future celebrities made their debuts on the station including a policeman running for office, Tom Bradley. LaMonte McLemore was a member of The Intervals (the Doo Wop group that represented the station at promotional functions) and was the station photographer (he was also the exclusive source of the center page models in Jet magazine); he later was one of The Fifth Dimension.

KTYM-FM was noted for its independent approach to programming and many times refused to air the designated "A" side of a record. It even played formerly banned tunes like "Your Old Lady" by The Isley Bros. (banned in 1959). Cook featured the Doo Wop "B" side "Write to me". KGFJ"s Larry McCormick (brother to lead singer Charles from Bloodstone) heard the station making noise and getting attention with "Your Old Lady" and added it to his play list and to his televised dance show. When Atlantic Records got calls for the 45 they put it back on the market. Billboard had a "New" hit.

Johnson and Cook moved on to KAPP-FM and have been credited with establishing the very first Top 40 sheet on any FM station anywhere in the world.

I think Williams got both 1460 and 103.9 thru granted cp's after applying for them. Chuck Johson would do 5 to 8 on the am during the summer months as that was a daytimer in the early years. I believe Chuck was later on XEGM 950 later.

Michael Hagerty says that Godfrey Kerr's KTYM afternoon show was only an hour. Okay, he said that five years ago...but KTYM has just been sold to Immaculate Heart Radio so the station is back in the news. I remember listening to "the Godfrey Show" in the late 1960s and I believe he was on from 3 to 6. He always referred to the station as "K-Tyme in the Daytime." Am I wrong in thinking that Dick "Huggie Boy" Hugg was also on KTYM in the late '60s? LARadio.com's "Where Are They Now" section doesn't show that Hugg was on any station at that time.

So will KTYM carry the same Catholic programming as KHJ...or does IHR have different plans for the station?

LARadioRewind said:

Am I wrong in thinking that Dick "Huggie Boy" Hugg was also on KTYM in the late '60s? LARadio.com's "Where Are They Now" section doesn't show that Hugg was on any station at that time.

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440: Satisfaction says Huggie Boy was on KBLA in 1965 and on KRKD in 1965-66, but it is known that he was at KTYM at some point in the 1960s because he and Godfrey promoted the East L.A. band Thee Midniters on their shows there.

So will KTYM carry the same Catholic programming as KHJ...or does IHR have different plans for the station?

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Answered you in the other thread you posted the question in.

You speculate that KTYM might switch to Spanish-language Catholic programming. That would make sense. I posted comments in two threads because this one is about KTYM, which has been sold to IHR, and the other thread is about KHJ's new owner IHR, which just bought KTYM. I believe that's what people in the media business call "synergy."

Michael says Godfrey broadcast his show from Sam's Record Store but, as I recall, Godfrey often announced that he was "coming to you from the Flash Record Store at the corner of Jefferson and Western in downtown Los Angeles." Am I remembering the name wrong or did Godfrey broadcast from two different stores at various times?

Just a guess but I think IHR might spin it off. As far as I know IHR only has one format. In Monterey they spun of 1240 after buying the more powerfull 1200.

I found a top 30 list from KTYM from May 15, 1973. Gladys Knight's Daddy Could Swear, I Declare was number one. There are some obscure artists on the list. Does anyone remember Dale Darby, Bennie Conley, Sister Love, Tommy Bush, Smoke Sugar Company, the New Songbirds or Apple & 3 Oranges? The list includes a DJ photo and the caption "The Roadrunner Show. Johnny Jr., 5 PM - 8 PM." I have no idea who Johnny Jr. was. I can't find any information about him.

kzpo said:

Just a guess but I think IHR might spin it off. As far as I know IHR only has one format. In Monterey they spun of 1240 after buying the more powerfull 1200.

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Good guess!

http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/145480/ktym-los-angeles-sold-again

KTYM will go to a Spanish-language religious ministry.