Left to right: Julie Martin (Garton-Good), Dr. Gary Daniel, Janie Farlow, David Hagen (aka David O’Shay / Paul King), and Rick Oldenburg
(Webmaster’s note: Additional pictures and audio will be added soon – check back after August 27)
The August 15, 2014 History of Idaho Broadcasting Foundation Meeting
was held at Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta at Parkcenter in Southeast Boise. Those attending from the Foundation included President Art Gregory, Vice President & Secretary Frank Aden Jr., and Treasurer/Webmaster Rockwell Smith. Special Guests attending from out of Boise included Dr. Gary Daniel of Santa Rosa, California, Rick Oldenburg, Gig Harbor, Washington, and Julie Martin from Lewiston. KSPD staffers Janie Farlow of Boise and Dave Hagen of Cascade also attended. Bill Oldenburg, Rick’s brother was Rick’s guest.
Other Foundation Members attending were 3 people from Cumulus Media of Boise including Market Manager Don Morin, Account Executive Katlin Cauffman, and Assistant Chief Engineer Bill Frahm who also brought, set up, and operated the computer, projector, and sound system at the meeting. Other members attending included John Buck, Jon Adamson, Vera Cederstrom, Bill Hatch, Larry Newton, Lucas Babin, and new member Charles Wilson, the former owner of KBOI-AM and 4 FM stations now owned by Cumulus.
Guests attending include former KGEM and KJOT announcer Byron Defenbach, and former KYME announcer Jack Armstrong, and Lizz Tucker who worked for KYME, Capital Audio Productions, KIDO-AM and KIDQ-FM, and KIVI-TV.
After a delicious no-host lunch served by the staff at Smoky Mountain Pizza, Art Gregory introduced everyone attending, but accidentally missed two members who were sitting in a booth which of his view. Member Larry Newton worked in sales for KLCI-FM, KIDO-AM, KLTB-FM, KARO-FM, KCIX-FM, KXLT-FM, KNIN-TV, sold “Traffic Reports” for Peak Broadcasting, and now is the director of underwriting for Boise State Public Radio. Member Lucas Babin is a senior account executive for Townsquare Media of Boise but previously worked for Citadel Radio in Boise, before moving with a group of other Citadel employees to Peak Broadcasting in 2007 when they acquired the six Boise Clear Channel stations. Townsquare Media purchased Peak in late 2013.
Member Charles Wilson was introduced and indicated that he officially took over KBOI AM & FM on January 21, 1975 after purchasing the stations from Boise Valley Broadcasters in late 1974. Bill Frahm pointed out that shortly after buying KBOI, one of the AM towers fell down in May of 1975, but Charlie confirmed it actually happened in June, and was right around the time his and JoAnne’s wedding anniversary! When asked he ever imagined he’d own 3 more stations in Boise before it was over, he said no not in the beginning. However once the station ownership limits were changed in the mid 1990’s and radio “consolidation” had arrived, he acquired KLCI-FM in Nampa, first as an “LMA,” and then bought KZMG-FM in New Plymouth and KIZN FM in Boise in the summer of 1996. Charlie said he was in the process of buying KTIK-AM when the Citadel offer came in, but the proposed sale was never consummated.
Don Morin of Cumulus Media then played the 5:00 video that was shown right before Art Gregory was announced as the Silver Medal Award winner at the Boise Advertising Federation’s 2014 Rocky Awards. After the video, Art thanked Don for nominating him and said that receiving the award was perhaps the biggest moment in both his career and his life.
Art Gregory then played several audio greetings; one form Member Bob Krueger recognizing former KTVB employee Janie Farlow, and another from former KSPD announcer Dave Keefer, who could not attend due his recent back surgery. Member Vee Cederstom was featured in an audio clip of her telling the story of how she became KEST’s first traffic director in 1962. Former KYME announcer Jack Armstrong , (yes that is his actual name), was honored by showing an Idaho Statesman “Radio Log” listing the KYME air-staff and what shifts they worked. Jack was doing mornings and Gary Daniel was doing 6:00 pm until sign-off. We then played the K-Y-M-E Flashback jingle! And finally, Art Gregory played a brief KEST air-check from 1970 showing what the station sounded like before it changed to KSPD. Program Director Bill Smith does the legal ID at the top of the hour.
KEST signed off the air in late July or early August after telling the FCC they’d be dark for only about a week. It turned out to be about 3 weeks, and Foundation Vice President Frank Aden Jr. was given a round of applause at the meeting for having the foresight to tape both the sign-off of KEST and the sign-on of KSPD, which took place at Noon on Friday August 21, 1970. After both tapes were played, Art Gregory introduced Gary Daniel who told the story of how he and Rick Oldenburg moved from KYME to KEST, and the idea behind KSPD.
Gary Daniel, Program Director for KSPD, then took us though a fascinating slide-show of vintage photos and documents showing the birth of the station, and the some of the many promotions they did. Gary started with the “When Will Boise Radio Change?” campaign and explained how they plastered the city with 10,000 circular stickers, and all about the newspaper and television ads they ran to announce the time and date of the “change” which was Noon on Friday August 21, 1970. Gary showed photos of the station’s remote studio “Little Woody” and showed photos of a number of remotes, including those done for Firebird raceway, where the station sponsored a dragster. Other remotes and promotions mentioned included an auto-cross car race at Boise Motor Village, a Halloween promotion at Grand Central, and remotes for Capital Care Stereo and Larry Barns, just to name a few. Account Executive Janie Farlow explained what it was like to be selling something that was “brand new” and very different from other stations were doing.
Rick Oldenburg, who was Music Director at KSPD explained the station’s philosophy on music, and how he was the first in Idaho to broadcast live from a Hot-air Balloon! In addition to remotes and lots of events at Firebird, KSPD had a rather unusual personality/mascot named Hog Tucker. Gary went on to explain how the idea for “Hog” was first conceived (by accident one morning on the air) and a number of very funny photos were shown, with Gary providing the story behind each one. Who knew? !! The listeners KNEW, and they LOVED “Hog Tucker,” who was reincarnated 2 years later by KIVI-TV Channel 6 after they signed on the air in February of 1974.
KSPD Music Charts were shown and provided a “snapshot” of what was hot in 1971 and 1972. The station played its #1 song – on the hour – every hour. Rick explained that was to intentionally “burn-out” certain songs so when the competition finally started playing them, the song was old news. It was a very bold approach then, but was still very refreshing to hear in 2014. In fact Gary is presently using the KSPD format on his “on-line” radio station.
TM Jingles were played next, and we head a wide variety of different styles and tempos from two different packages. The first package was done in 1970 and was supposed to sing “KWX” which is what Gary wanted to call station whose call letters were to be KUUX. Then station manager Bill Williams submitted his favorite instead to the FCC, and “K-Spud” or KSPD was what the FCC granted KEST when they requested that as their first choice for a call letter change. The KSPD call letters were adopted August 21, 1970. The first TM package feature some “base” jingles with intros and outros in 3 different tempos – Fast, Medium, and Slow. Certain jingles then became “transition tools” allowing the jock to go from slow to fast…medium to slow…or slow to fast…just to name a few. With opening and closing jingles that sang “Hit-bound” “Double-Play” “Double-Golden” Power-Play” and “Yesterday” there was a perfect jingle to go between every two elements.
The 2nd TM Package used the theme “KSPD Loves You” as well as the secondary theme “Where your Friends Are” and debuted sometime in 1971 or early 1972. These jingles were VERY creative and fit the 70s perfectly. Some were long form, which was very unusual in 1970, and even in 1971 and 72 when these jingles hit the Boise airwaves. There was also a very cool news-sounder.
After we heard the jingles Rick Oldenburg did an appeal for prospective members to join the Foundation and presented Art with a $100.00 check for 5 years dues, indicating he’d write another check for $500 as soon as the Foundation becomes a 501c3 non-profit. We are working on that as I write this, and we appreciate Rick’s support, (as well as everyone else’s) both now and in the future.
Vera Cederstrom arrived late and we sang “Happy Birthday” in honor of her 91st birthday which was August 12th. Don Morin of Cumulus brought a birthday cake for Art (whose birthday was Thursday the 14th) and Katlin Cauffman served it up to everyone as desert! The meaning was then adjourned at 1:25 pm, after which, the crowd enjoyed visiting with one another before dispersing.
Stay tuned for information regarding our next meeting which will be announced soon!
