RADIO THRU THE YEARS

[AZJerry]

Thought it would be fun as a new contributor to start a thread of “Radio thru the Years”
that others here could add their comments to. Perhaps where you worked, other radio
guys you worked with, famous moments/people/promotions that you remember in NM
broadcast history.

I grew up listening to KQEO-920 with Tom Dunn and Ed Pennybacker in the morning,.
“Keep circling Aunt Elsie (his pet name for the turntable), we’ll be right back after Action
Central News with Ed Pennybacker.” Ah…remember “Big Red” Ed’s news cruiser?
KGGM-610 and their studio in the lobby of the old Alvarado Hotel? KLOS-1450
(before moving to 1580) upstairs above the KIMO Theater?

After passing the 3rd class radio license test (administered twice yearly by the
Denver FCC Regional office at the old ABQ H.S. auditorium) my broadcast career
started as a student volunteer announcer at KUNM-FM in the Fall of ’67
Geez, I feel ancient back in the “basement of the student union building days”
They took anybody with a 3rd Class license in those days!

In the Summer of 1968, I went to work for KRST-FM (easy listening in the basement of
KRZY’s round building on Quincy)…graduated later that year to KRZY-1450…
first doing overnights on weekends and then to 7p-12midnight weeknights.

Early 1970, if my memory is right, moved to KPAR-1190 doing early afternoons.
I also did a short stint at KZIA-1580 (out on 98th Street, great view of the city), and
part-time and fill in at KGGM-610, damn, I am old before graduating in Dec-71
from UNM and then headed to Santa Fe and KVSF-1260.

Thru my 27 years in Santa Fe, also did evenings at KTRC-1400 and
finished my Santa Fe radio days at KNYN-FM (95.5).

Pk...tag your it!

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Many, many, many, many years ago I worked with a Bob Luningham back in his home state of Arkansas. He moved on to New Mexico and I lost track of him. Who can do an update on Bob?

 

[GridLeakBias]

Perhaps where you worked, other radio guys you worked with, famous moments/people/promotions that you remember in NM broadcast history.

I grew up listening to KQEO-920 with Tom Dunn and Ed Pennybacker in the morning,.
“Keep circling Aunt Elsie (his pet name for the turntable), we’ll be right back after Action
Central News with Ed Pennybacker.” Ah…remember “Big Red” Ed’s news cruiser?
KGGM-610 and their studio in the lobby of the old Alvarado Hotel? KLOS-1450
(before moving to 1580) upstairs above the KIMO Theater?

Pk...tag your it!

I go back a little further than you. I knew Tom Dunn well when he had morning sign-on at KOB-am, when they were still in the KOB-TV building across from KGGM. This was ’69, ‘70. I engineered KOB-TV back then and would drop the Alb Journal off to Tom so that he could do his “clippings from the cutting room floor” bit. Tom also did the noon broadcast from the little round glassed-in outbuilding (sorry, I can’t come up with the proper name for it) which was on the patio (behind, south of Sears) which is now enclosed as part of Coronado Mall.

KLOS-1450…anyone here remember Al Tafoya…”Pal Al” and his “Night Train”? Remember when he tried to set the record for hours-on-air when Al and KLOS broadcast from an auto dealer showroom (was it the Chevrolet dealer) downtown? My memory is hazy, but I think he missed the record by a couple of hours. This was sometime late in 1957, I think. In that year, Pal Al was broadcasting out of a studio in the back room of a house off Central Ave in the UNM area – we teens used to drive through the alley, toot the car horn and he would wave through the window and acknowledge us on air. Hmm, sounds similar to the Wolfman scene in the “American Grafitti” movie, doesn’t it? Bet they stole it!

Pal Al, God bless him. He was "the man" back then.

 

[chilly]

How 'bout the old 610 KRKE when it was owned by Gaylord from Oklahoma City? The mid to late 70's had Del Weba, Thousand Dollar Bill Burkett, Waylon Walker, King Kong Kirby, Dr. Wu at night. All those guys moved on to bigger markets and they ended the top 40 dominance of KQEO. That staion sounded much bigger than market #69 (or whatever ABQ was rated back in that era).

 

[AZJerry]

Great stuff guys...to start the thread. Gridleak...Tom's program (KOB-AM) from Coronado Center was called "High Noon" I believe. Anyone who was anyone made a point to appear on that program for sure.
Help me on this...Tom went on to KOB after KQEO or pre KQEO?

Pal Al...thanks for the memories on that one! He was a legend also at KVSF in Santa Fe I was told...use to hear alot about him there from Fred Sena (the GM I worked under). How's his son Henry doing in the biz? Last I knew he was still operating KDEF-1150.

Another KLOS-1450 memory...was Frank Cody's marathon broadcast from above the KIMO Theater in protest to switching frequencies with KRZY (1580, and a daytime freq. then). Frank was a mentor of mine from High School. He was at KOB-AM at the time he recommended I get my 3rd class license.

Chilly...thanks fro bringing up KRKE-610. That's right, Gaylord purchased it from NM Broadcasting (KGGM-TV, KVSF)...and weren't most of those jocks from WKY-930 in Oklahoma City? or KOMA-1520 in OKC?
You're right about KRKE ending KQEO's Top 40 dominance (those were great promotional days back and forth betwene the two of them)...while at KPAR-1190, we took a stab at KQEO..but as a daytimer, we never had a good chance. There was always the promise from ownership (KINT-AM/FM El Paso) that we were going to get an FM...which eventually became KKJY-FM (100.3)...now "The Peak" and we'd do the same as El Paso...simulcast thru the day, and continue the Top 40 format on FM at night. In fact at signoff, we'd tell our listeners to turn their dials to KOMA-1520 and re-join us in the morning at sign-on Airstaff besides my self included Dave Brooks (ex KTKT-Tucson, I think), K.C. Carter (the former KQEO's Michael Young also worked at KELP-El Paso, and KOIL-Omaha after leaving KQ) and Frank Reagan was our local Program Director. Frank wenton to be the "promo voice" for KOAT-TV for years. We were also programed from El Paso by Sonny Melendrez and his duck

 

[Kent]

OK. Since everyone's talking about it, this is something I've wondered about for awhile. I lived in Albuquerque in 1976. I don't really remember much about it since I was pretty young, and I didn't have any real interest in radio at the time. My parents used to listen to KOMA at night, but I'm not really sure about what they listened to in the daytime. They only remember KOMA because my mother was born and raised in Oklahoma, and my father moved to Oklahoma in 6th grade. So, they loved listening to a station that reminded them of home. Does anyone know what the radio dial in Albuquerque looked like in 1976? I've seen some Broadcasting and Cable Yearbooks from that time, but we know how accurate B&C has always been!

 

[chilly]

OK Kent, back in 1976 young people would have probably listened to KRKE or KQEO. Both stations did a great job of keeping the kids satisfied and they both sounded as good as the 50k watt flamethrower, KOMA. By the way, KRKE had a very capable newsroom, (which was not uncommon for top 40 stations during that time). "Buck Rawlings", later to be known as Stuart Dyson now of KOB-TV was part of that staff as was Joe Monahan, now one of New Mexico's leading political reporters.

 

[AZJerry]

Chilly...thanks so much for the insight on Stuart Dyson and Joe Monahan. That's new news to me I read Joe's blog most everyday and catch Stuart's work often at www.kob.com

Speaking of KRKE, it's good to see those calls back in the Duke City! Thanks Don Davis. Wish the KQEO calls hadn't slipped away to Idaho Falls, ID. They're currently sitting at "Arrow 107" (KQEO-FM 107.1). Someone help me understand how you use the calls KQEO and then brand it as "Arrow 107."

I thought Bobby Box's concept (heard 2nd or perhaps 3rd hand by me a few years back) of branding 98.5 as 'KQE-Oldies" was an awesome idea rather than "Big 98.5" I wish AGM would stream "Big Oldies" Thanks Don for streaming KRKE-1600. I'm cruisin with Double C while posting this!

 

[GridLeakBias]

Speaking of KRKE, it's good to see those calls back in the Duke City! Thanks Don Davis. Wish the KQEO calls hadn't slipped away to Idaho Falls, ID. They're currently sitting at "Arrow 107" (KQEO-FM 107.1). Someone help me understand how you use the calls KQEO and then brand it as "Arrow 107."

Speaking of calls, someone help me with this one.

There was KQUE (we referred to it as "KQ") before I left Alb in 1958. When I returned in 1969 there was KQEO. I never thought about it until now, and I'm wondering.

 

[AZJerry]

Grid...let me take a stab at the KQUE calls. I've been told by other ABQ Radio history buffs, that at one time there was KOAT-AM radio (1240), and then the calls changed to KQUE, and with the frequency change from 1240 to 920, came KQEO. Hopefully someone reading this board can confirm or deny that for both of us. Radio Disney owns the 1240 frequency now. Perhaps someone can share with all of us the ownership changes from KOAT-to-KQUE-to-KQEO. I do know that KQEO in it's hayday was owned by Swanson Broadcasting (Division of Swanson Foods)...who also at that time owned KLEO-Wichita and
WBYU-New Orleans amongst others. I remember seeing promotional posters of the other stations in the chain hanging in the lobby of KQEO's studios on Indian School Rd (next to the towers).

 

[DavidEduardo]

I do know that KQEO in it's hayday was owned by Swanson Broadcasting (Division of Swanson Foods)...who also at that time owned KLEO-Wichita and
WBYU-New Orleans amongst others.

Actually, Gerry Swanson bought KRMG (Kerr McGee is the meaning of the calls) when the Swansons got out of the food business. The Swanson family sold the company (and the rights to the name) to Campbell Soup in the early Sixties. Each of the Swanson kids got a share of the fortune.

Gerry Swanson used his share to get into the radio business; he bought KRMG and moved to Tulsa and created Swanco Broadcasting (later renamed Swanson Broadcasting).

At its height, the company consisted of KRMG and KWEN in Tulsa, KKNG in OKC, a station in Wichita, one in New Orleans, one in San Antonio, another in Albuquerque, and the Texas News Network.

 

[AZJerry]

David...thanks so much for the correct information about Swanson Broadcasting. The station in Wichita was KLEO and the New Orleans station was WBYU. I had forgotten about Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio, plus the Texas News Network.

 

[GridLeakBias]

Grid...let me take a stab at the KQUE calls. I've been told by other ABQ Radio history buffs, that at one time there was KOAT-AM radio (1240), and then the calls changed to KQUE, and with the frequency change from 1240 to 920, came KQEO. Hopefully someone reading this board can confirm or deny that for both of us.

Thanks, I have a strong interest in Alb. radio history, 50's era. Do you have any links?

 

[AZJerry]

Grid...I don't know of any links regarding ABQ Radio History...perhaps some of our readers and fellow contributors can help with that.

 

[Kent]

OK Kent, back in 1976 young people would have probably listened to KRKE or KQEO. Both stations did a great job of keeping the kids satisfied and they both sounded as good as the 50k watt flamethrower, KOMA. By the way, KRKE had a very capable newsroom, (which was not uncommon for top 40 stations during that time). "Buck Rawlings", later to be known as Stuart Dyson now of KOB-TV was part of that staff as was Joe Monahan, now one of New Mexico's leading political reporters.

Thanks for the info! Was KPAR doing beautiful music at that time, or was it still on its last legs as top-40? What about 1450 and 1580? Also, do you know what the FM's were like in '76? I seem to remember hearing KRST was AOR before going country. This thread was the first I'd heard of it being easy listening, though it doesn't surprise me that it tried since automated beautiful music was cheap and easy to run on FM at the time. I also remember hearing KOB-FM was beautiful music for quite a long time before flipping to AC in the 80's. I'm especially curious about 99.5. I know it went through several calls before finally becoming KMGA.

 

[Kent]

At its height, the company consisted of KRMG and KWEN in Tulsa, KKNG in OKC, a station in Wichita, one in New Orleans, one in San Antonio, another in Albuquerque, and the Texas News Network.

From my recollection of reading Broadcasting and Cable Yearbooks, I believe Swanson also owned 99.5, possibly KZZX, along with KQEO. He expanded in San Antonio by adding an AM to his portfolio, and I believe he also had KFJZ 1270 and KWXI 97.1 in Ft. Worth/Dallas along with the Texas News Network.

He sold much of his portfolio to New City Communications in the 80's. After selling his empire, he bought a Tulsa move-in and ran AC on it. I was just starting as an intern at, ironically, KRMG and KWEN when he blew out all the live staff except the morning guy and ran SMN's StarStation on it. He dumped that station a few years later. Gerry was probably about ready to retire as he passed not too long after that.

 

[chilly]

KZZX was bought in the late '70's by Sunbelt Communications. They were headquartered in San Luis Obispo, CA. They also owned properties in Colo. Springs and Calif's inland empire (forgot which city.) KZZX was first a soft AOR with laid back jocks. It became Albuq's first FM top forty in 1980. They had a strong air staff and did quite well until KOB-FM went live in the early 80's. In the mid 80's Sunbelt changed calls to KMGA and went to a satelite delivered service called Format 41. It was soft AC and was live only in morning drive. Sunbelt bought KQEO from Swanson (in the late 70's I believe), and turned it from top 40 to oldies. In 1991 I believe, Sunbelt sold both properties to a Fresno CA company who's name escapes me. They kept KMGA as is and turned KQEO into a news talk to compete against KOB-AM. That was a short lived disaster.

 

[Starbucks]

Was KQEO the first top 40 heritage station in Albuquerque in the 50's, or was there one or a few before it.

 

[AZJerry]

Starbucks...I believe KLOS-1450 was the heritage Top 40 station in the 50's. Those calls eventually went to ABC-FM in Los Angeles (95.5). KLOS switched frequencies with KRZY-1580 (a daytimer) back in the mid 60's I believe and that pretty much killed it off with KQEO's dominance then.

99.5's original calls were KBNM-FM prior to KZZX-FM. They were housed in the former KARA-1310 facility on Menaul back in the late 60's playing Top 40...real low budget operation at that time. I don't believe their stick was on the Crest then...they were working off a tower adjacent to the studio.

 

[AZJerry]

By the way...the KZZX-FM calls are parked in Alamogordo (105.3) now.