Memories of XERB

What can you say about a station that aired horse racing results between evangelists? And what evangelists they were! Sunday mornings featured truly great gospel music from a tabernacle in downtown LA, it was always a listening treat. XERB featured Reverend A.A. Allen of Miracle Valley, Arizona. In exchange for your love offering he would send you a copy of the weekly newsletter; the feature article never varied: "I Brought My Tumor To Church In A Jar". That'll clear out a pew in no time. He died of chirossis of the liver.

And who could ever forget Reverend Al. He would always spell his name for you, A and L, for you so you could make out your check correctly. Another Reverend taped his shows at Zzyzx Springs, Cal, wherever that is, another offered Bibles For Prisoners. All very appealing. Constantly. Yet there was one evangelist that was too much even for XERB. His half hour show featured relaxing music and his soft, relaxing voice, coaxing you to relax in a comfortable chair, listen to his relaxing voice, and relax and drift off and listen to his voice then go to the desk and take out the checkbook and look at the balance and write that number on the check, "Don't forget to sign it!", he would always remind you. At public pressure, XERB finally took him off the air. It was during my youth, entertained by these transparent charlatans, that gave me my dubious cynicism about broadcast evangelists, and Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker didn't let me down. This is one reason why I think that President Bush opening our national treasury to religious types with the Faith Based Initiative was a calculated and cynical mistake, buying the loyalty of these bottom feeders and, thru them, of their marks.

By comparison, XEAK was tame indeed, broadcasting the Rosary Hour for yes an hour each evening followed by Lifeline, a right wing Christian political show sponsored by the Hunt family of Texas.

This area's border blasters have had a colorful history, no doubt they will continue to do so.

Lopaka said:

What can you say about a station that aired horse racing results between evangelists? And what evangelists they were! Sunday mornings featured truly great gospel music from a tabernacle in downtown LA, it was always a listening treat. XERB featured Reverend A.A. Allen of Miracle Valley, Arizona. In exchange for your love offering he would send you a copy of the weekly newsletter; the feature article never varied: "I Brought My Tumor To Church In A Jar". That'll clear out a pew in no time. He died of chirossis of the liver.

And who could ever forget Reverend Al. He would always spell his name for you, A and L, for you so you could make out your check correctly. Another Reverend taped his shows at Zzyzx Springs, Cal, wherever that is, another offered Bibles For Prisoners. All very appealing. Constantly. Yet there was one evangelist that was too much even for XERB. His half hour show featured relaxing music and his soft, relaxing voice, coaxing you to relax in a comfortable chair, listen to his relaxing voice, and relax and drift off and listen to his voice then go to the desk and take out the checkbook and look at the balance and write that number on the check, "Don't forget to sign it!", he would always remind you. At public pressure, XERB finally took him off the air. It was during my youth, entertained by these transparent charlatans, that gave me my dubious cynicism about broadcast evangelists, and Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker didn't let me down. This is one reason why I think that President Bush opening our national treasury to religious types with the Faith Based Initiative was a calculated and cynical mistake, buying the loyalty of these bottom feeders and, thru them, of their marks.

By comparison, XEAK was tame indeed, broadcasting the Rosary Hour for yes an hour each evening followed by Lifeline, a right wing Christian political show sponsored by the Hunt family of Texas.

This area's border blasters have had a colorful history, no doubt they will continue to do so.

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Interesting post! Please post more recollections from that era!

Zzyzx Springs is out between Baker and Las Vegas. That preacher was an interesting fellow, he had a bit of a harem out there.

http://www.schweich.com/imagehtml/1440-11.html

Like any good station, XERB presented itself as a total package, right down to the constant overmodulation. The guy who gave the race results was a good fit, too--Polo Jaucez. Sorry about the spelling, it is probably wrong, the name was pronounced "haw kez"--his voice was the stereotype of every stereotypic track tout--the gravelly voice of a three pack a day habit and somehow you knew he had to be talking out of the side of his mouth. "Polo" itself, a remarkably good fit for horse racing. Results presented by Turfcraft, "de organization wit da winning infa mation"-- itself a testimony to the persuasive power of radio: who would believe that anybody could accurately predict the winner of an honest race? Or that if everybody knew who the winners would be the odds would still allow you to make any meaningful money?

The main format was country western, horse racing and evangelists were secondary. I wish I could remember the names of some of the talent, they were rather famous locally, one at least had a c-w TV show for a while.

Yes, I remember Polo Hawkez doing the race results for Turf-Craft on XERB in the early 1960's. 1090 played music from 10am to 6pm monday thru friday. I can't remember the jocks name. Yes, he had an 8 hour shift. Talk about over modulation. I visited the transmitter site in the early 1980's and the mod. meter was pinned. Curtis Springer was the old guy with the Zzyzxx mineral springs thing. His voice sounded a lot like the one on the psa's Smokey the Bear did ! He had a very brief RUN as a TV host on KTTV Ch. 11 when they were doing a lot of local talk shows. On the other hand, XEAK 690 was a really great station in the late 1950's right up to the tragic change to all-news in 1961. In addition to the rosary hour, life-line with Wayne Poucher (They had a couple of spots for Hunt food products in the 15 minute anti-communist broadcasts) Garner Ted Armstrong ran his daily half hour show. There was only an hour of non-music programming on 690 in those days. Also memorable was the late Stan Evans hour in 1960 when the U.S. ran a national one hour EBS "test". Only 640 and 1240 stayed on with this "test", so 690 had most of the audience for that hour in both San Diego and Los Angeles.

JON BRUCE said:

Yes, I remember Polo Hawkez doing the race results for Turf-Craft on XERB in the early 1960's. 1090 played music from 10am to 6pm monday thru friday. I can't remember the jocks name. Yes, he had an 8 hour shift. Talk about over modulation. I visited the transmitter site in the early 1980's and the mod. meter was pinned. Curtis Springer was the old guy with the Zzyzxx mineral springs thing. His voice sounded a lot like the one on the psa's Smokey the Bear did ! He had a very brief RUN as a TV host on KTTV Ch. 11 when they were doing a lot of local talk shows. On the other hand, XEAK 690 was a really great station in the late 1950's right up to the tragic change to all-news in 1961. In addition to the rosary hour, life-line with Wayne Poucher (They had a couple of spots for Hunt food products in the 15 minute anti-communist broadcasts) Garner Ted Armstrong ran his daily half hour show. There was only an hour of non-music programming on 690 in those days. Also memorable was the late Stan Evans hour in 1960 when the U.S. ran a national one hour EBS "test". Only 640 and 1240 stayed on with this "test", so 690 had most of the audience for that hour in both San Diego and Los Angeles.

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The XEAK change is interesting. I am told... and this may be pure anecdote... that McLendon had been vacationing in Havana pre-Castro and heard Reloj Nacional, the Cuban all news station, and wanted to do something similar in a large market and used 690 to try it.

Reloj Nacional in Cuba dates back to before 1950 when Goar Mestre, owner of the CMQ national network, wanted a way to provide breaking news without interrupting the soap operas on CMQ. So there is a format that was first done nearly 60 years ago, and invented in Cuba!

And we all remember KADS in LA!

Tragic change, indeed, losing XEAK, one of the great rock stations of all time, was like losing a friend. Stan Evans, sorry to hear he is gone, what a wonderful talent. The station had some superb talent: Art Way, Ernie Myers, Noel Confer, Len East (from out of the west--the perfect voice for late nite radio!), and I am sorry I am forgetting the name of the Bob who did the "Hamms Beer Hour", he went on to manage KCBS of course under a different name. A frustrating thing about XEAK was that thru all the years when rock was at its best, it as XETRA was doing yugh elevator music, but I guess that allowed KCBQ and KGB to get in their licks.


Another format that XERB had that I liked a lot was oldies, serious oldies, doo wop, In The Still Of The Night and Earth Angel type oldies. Art Laboe and Alan Freed had played that on KDAY but when KDAY went soul it was nice to still be able to get doo wop. And then of course came the Wolfman. Another whole story and a very interesting one...And here I interject, as a radio fan I take it as a stroke of luck that I had the chance to listen to Alan Freed when he was on KDAY. Listen to his air checks, hear how much love the man had in his voice for his music, his job, and yes, his listeners. A pivotal figure in radio and in rock, destroyed for his vision.

Let us take a moment of silence to remember Reverend IKE!

I understand that XERB circa 1966 had an office/studio in Chula Vista, as
well as their studio in Hollywood. Also, anyone know who the voice of
the station was, "THE BIG X!! X E R B 1090 over Los ANgeles". Unforgettable delivery.

Aah yes, Wolfman Jack shrieking X e r b, Chula Vista California Baby...and when they got their LA office, 82 28 Hollywood Blvd Baby.

I finally remembered it was Bob Donnelley who did the Hamms Skyblue Waters Hour on 690, and in later years moved on to manage KCBS.

Another talent of the era went under the name of Johnny Holliday at KCBQ, he did a history of rock show for an hour a week in addition to his other duties, from this I learned and have never forgotten that the first song ever called Rock 'n Roll was "Gee" by the Crows, I believe it was in 1952, and if I remember correctly the term was coined by Alan Freed on WJW in Cleveland--but don't take that as gospel...there has after all been some water under the bridge.

I see that Reverend Ike is alive and well just google his name and there he is alive and well! Still driving his Rolls too!

doublecashkgb said:

I understand that XERB circa 1966 had an office/studio in Chula Vista, as
well as their studio in Hollywood. Also, anyone know who the voice of
the station was, "THE BIG X!! X E R B 1090 over Los ANgeles". Unforgettable delivery.

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What was that pink building labeled X E R B next to the Rosarito Beach Hotel, circa 1965, was that their "official" Mexico studio?

Does anyone remeber or know the exact address in Chula Vista that the studiuos were at?????? I heard replays of the Wolfman Jack Show on a station in town last year but it disappeared..... ;D

If someone can access a 1966 or 1967 San Diego phone book I think the address was published.

Lopaka said:

Aah yes, Wolfman Jack shrieking X e r b, Chula Vista California Baby...and when they got their LA office, 82 28 Hollywood Blvd Baby.

I finally remembered it was Bob Donnelley who did the Hamms Skyblue Waters Hour on 690, and in later years moved on to manage KCBS.

Another talent of the era went under the name of Johnny Holliday at KCBQ, he did a history of rock show for an hour a week in addition to his other duties, from this I learned and have never forgotten that the first song ever called Rock 'n Roll was "Gee" by the Crows, I believe it was in 1952, and if I remember correctly the term was coined by Alan Freed on WJW in Cleveland--but don't take that as gospel...there has after all been some water under the bridge.

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anyone know what the exact address was for XERB and the WOLFMAN was in Chuka Vista..I would like to visit the area as a tribute LOL but really I would like to see where all that history in radio took place thanks

Rev Ike cant forget him god rest his radio soul

so many folks used to try calling the Wolfman that the phone lines would get overloaded and crossed you could talk to all sorts of folks from all over the place it was like a party line people had fun

Monty something did a c&w show on XERB. C&W was a popular format in San Diego in the early 1950's--I think thats what KCBQ was playing before Lee Bartel made it perhaps the first fulltime rocker in town. Although I definitely remember TNT on KSON, rock from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. followed by the Navigator On Cloud 9 beautiful elevator music. KSON itself had some history, Regis Philbin did a show there, J. Paul Huddleston did news. Monty something also did a c&w show on channel 8.

How tuned in to radio am I? OK, as a kid I was at the Del Mar fair one year and in some agriculture exhibit there was a radio playing country on KXLA 1110 in Pasadena, and to myself I said, somebody ought to change the call letters to KRLA and make it rock. Somebody did. The format and call lasted almost 40 years there.

Living in La Jolla as a kid the radio dial included KHJ, KFWB, KRLA, and KDAY from LA for rock. I think the first rocker I ever listened to was KFOX 1280 from Long Beach and a bit to KPOP 1020 LA. From a listeners standpoint, I still think KFWB was the best operation ever. Odd that a very minor player, Crowell Collier, could dominate the airwaves in SF and LA as totally as they did in the '50's and early '60's, and then vanish without so much as a trace.

Before the rock and roll era, was not KCBQ the CBS affilitate in San Diego? Is that not the source of "CB" and the "Q" was for quality? If I'm correct, KCBQ was orginally KSDJ, owned by the San Diego Daily Journal. When the newspaper died KSDJ, housed in the 5th and Ash building that the newspaper was printed in, was sold. The acquiring owner applied for the calls, KCBS, to tout the connection to CBS - CBS wanted those calls for it's own and the KCBQ calls were the compromise.

KCBQ's rock incarnation took place about the same time as XEAK went full time rock-n-roll from being afternoon's in english with a show I recall as being named "Ray Robinson's Record Rack" and of course it was XEAC before boosting from 5,000 to 50,000 watts.

I don't think KCBQ ever did country music before the late 1970's and KSON was firmly entrenched as the country leader.

I do recall reading that Don Howard, one of the Q's most famous dj's complained about the switch from what would now be "adult standards" at KCBQ to top forty, and that would be around 1955-56. Don was a Frank Sinatra fan and as I recall he made the statement, "now that was music."

Howard had a nightclub located near College and El Cajon, incidently just three or four blocks from the orginal KCBQ transmitter site, called Don Howard's Club Tempo. Club Tempo burned down.

Memory fades, I wasn't a country music fan, but my dad was (as well as a radio lover) - I think he listened to country music on Mexican stations from Tiajuana - the Bostonia Ballroom was the center of country action in San Diego at that time.

I also think KSON went from "way back also ran" to country around the same time as KCBQ and XEAK/C went rock. If I recall 690 predated Q as a top forty station. You're right, KSON tried top forty for a short time as well - "TNT" - Tunes, News and Time - which simply could not compete with Xciting XEAK with it's vastly superior signal.

The difference between the Mighty 690 and KCBQ programming - 690 played the black music, KCBQ played the white guys versions (Pat Boone, gag, hurl). That made KCBQ of that era a poor second choice to the Mighty 690 for us rock loving teenagers. I hated it when the Catholic Hour (not Catholics, just the radio show) came on and I had to tune into KCBQ to keep the tunes flowing. I also considered XEAK's Turf Report from Santa Anita a pain as well. I was a selfish little guy, I wanted it all my way.

rickity

Great memories. I also appreciate the old school spelling of Tiajuana.

My mother grew up in Tiajuana, that's the way she pronounced, we pronounced it, and they pronounced it. I have a 1964 Pemex map - in Spanish - that lists the city on the map and in the mileage grid as "Tia Juana."

The USGS calls the river, both inside and outside Mexico, as the Tia Juana River.

Tijuana is so much 1960s era political revisionism.