Bill Virgin's Radio Beat December 21, 2006

Includes archive of Bill Virgin's columns fromJ une 2006 - March 2009

Postby radiofan » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:43 pm

Thursday, December 21, 2006

On Radio: KOMO and KVI are turning 80

By BILL VIRGIN
P-I REPORTER


Fisher Communications has been paring its radio holdings to just three stations in its headquarters city of Seattle. Two of those remaining stations are celebrating 80th birthdays.

The first full day of broadcasting for KOMO-AM (1000) was Jan. 1, 1927, according to a history of the early years of radio broadcasting in Seattle written by William Brubaker. The station was a business venture of the Fisher family, who also owned a Harbor Island flour mill (they purchased an existing station owned by a man named Fisher who actually was no relation). In later years, the station would bill itself as the "Fisher's Blend station" to promote the flour.

In its first year, KOMO featured the Seattle Civic Opera performing "Il Trovatore" and the arrival of Charles Lindbergh at Sand Point Flying Field.

"Unlike stations preceding it, KOMO was the first broadcasting firm with the businessmen and enough money to make it successful in terms of talent, programming and money," Brubaker writes. "The station's affiliation (with the new NBC network) gave it a competitive edge by providing it with a source of programming available to no other station in the city."

KOMO bounced around the dial in its early years, according to a history on the Puget Sound Radio Broadcasters Association Web site, starting at 980 and not winding up at 1000 until the 1940s.

In the 1930s, KOMO featured some of the top radio programs of the era. A sample radio listings page from a P-I of that era (the radio columnist was bylined as Ray De O'Fan) shows an evening of "Hit Parade," "Amos 'n' Andy," "Lum and Abner," "Burns and Allen" and Fred Allen's "Town Hall Tonight."

By the 1960s, KOMO's format was what was known in the trade as "middle of the road," later moving to adult contemporary, then news and talk, then becoming all news and landing the Mariners broadcasts.

KVI-AM (570), meanwhile, started in Tacoma in November 1926, later moving studios to the Camlin Hotel in Seattle in the 1950s, according to the broadcasters association history. Like KOMO, it moved around the dial in its early years and KVI too went through several format shifts, broadcasting music until the early 1990s when the station adopted its present conservative-talk format. Once owned by cowboy movie star Gene Autry, KVI was bought by Fisher in 1994.

Dennis Kelly, program director for both stations, said KOMO plans to do a series of stories on the station's history, "Around the Sound in 80 Years," starting the first week of January. KVI also will be doing small vignettes on its history, he said.

In other radio notes:

KIRO-AM (710) is dumping its short-lived experiment with the "Midnight Truckers Network" in the overnight slot effective Jan. 2. In its place KIRO will air a repeat of the previous day's Dave Ross show 1-4 a.m.

Don Riggs' guests on "Introspect Northwest" at 7 a.m. Saturday on KPTK-AM (1090) and 7 a.m. Sunday on KMPS-FM (94.1) include Wendy Northcutt, author of the latest in the series of "Darwin Award" books.

Stephen Gomes' annual Hawaiian Christmas show airs at 8 a.m. Saturday on KXPA-AM (1540), and noon Saturday on KBCS-FM (91.3).

"The Scandinavian Hour" has its regular broadcast at 9 a.m. Saturday on KKNW-AM (1150). At noon Sunday (Christmas Eve), the show presents music and messages from local Scandinavian clubs. At noon Christmas Day comes the 44th edition for "Sounds of a Scandinavian Christmas."

The Afro-Cuban funk group Nepotistas performs on "Sonarchy" at midnight Saturday on KEXP-FM (90.3).

Lizz Sommars' guests on "Conversations" at 6 a.m. Sunday on KISW-FM (99.9), KBSG-FM (97.3) and KKWF-FM (100.7) include author Kenneth Davis discussing Christmas traditions.

P-I reporter Bill Virgin can be reached at 206-448-8319 or billvirgin@seattlepi.com.

Bill Virgin's Radio Beat, Thursdays in the Seattle P-I
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
User avatar
radiofan
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 13724
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 2:24 pm
Location: Keremeos, BC

Return to Seattle / Washington State Radio News

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 96 guests