KJR's Kaye-Smith Still Around

[jon]

In its Top 40 heyday, Channel 95 KJR Seattle was owned by actor Danny Kaye and Seattle's own Lester M. Smith. Those days are long past, so a Seattle friend did a double-take when he saw a Kaye-Smith Enterprises truck as he drove to work last week.

But a quick look at their web site clears up the confusion:

"After spending over 40 years as a leader in the communications business, including owning and operating radio stations, a concert promotions company, a radio/TV production studio and as one of the original owners of the Seattle Mariners, Bellevue entrepreneur Lester M. Smith purchased a small Seattle-based business forms manufacturer in 1987."

They currently have 250 employees. CEO is Alex Smith, very likely related to Les. Les himself is still very much alive according to the latest material I could find on The Lester M. Smith Foundation, a charitable organization that provides university scholarships among other things.