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We had a huge crowd for the January 18th History of Idaho Broadcasting Meeting at the KATN/KBBK studios on Fairview. After a fabulous free lunch of Old Chicago Pizza, we heard a special taped tribute to legendary KATN program director Paul Ryder. The tribute was sent from Fresno by Paul Ryder’s last boss, Paul Wilson, former P.D. of KQFC-FM from 1989-1998.
Paul (Ryder) Bedard died suddenly in the mid 1990s from kidney failure. Paul went into the hospital on Friday and passed away over that same weekend. It was a touching tribute from “Paul to Paul” by Wilson, who is now a Regional Vice President of Programing for Clear Channel, based in Fresno. Wilson is Operations Director in Fresno, Program Director for two Fresno stations, and also oversees programming on Clear Channel stations in Modesto, Stockton, Salinas, Monteray, and Bakersfield, California. In the early 90s Paul Wilson had KQFC up to a 17 share 12+ and Paul Rider was part of that on-air team.
The star of the meeting was 80+ year old Ralph Frazer who started KATN-AM, Idaho’s first full time country music station in April 1961, and Boise’s 2nd oldest FM station, KBBK-FM which is now KIZN 92.3 FM.
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Ralph was thrilled with the turnout and told many stories about selling hamburgers in Africa and starting KATN after being fired by Wes Whillock of KBOI-TV once K-10’s CP was actually granted.
Tip Goss, former K-10 announcer (and current KIDO/KFXD AM board op) hosted the audio segements.Tip was also a member of the local 1960s country/rock band “The GTs.” The audio clips included an August 1963 aircheck with spots by Paul Ryder. Both “Ring of Fire” and “Abeline” were both current tunes at the time! Who’d have thunk they’d still be playing Johnny Cash in 2008?
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Tip Goss was the announcer who was heard next on a 1964 K-10 aircheck that included some great K-10 music, jingles, and spots.We then heard several segments from an April 1968 aircheck of the Bob Salter “Coffee Time” conservative call-in talk show! Former Idaho Supreme Court Justice Byron Johnson supplied the 1968 tape and was at the meeting to provide comments! Hearing Bob Salter was great and generated a lot of discussion among those attending – all positve by the way. Salter had help popularize the song “Only You” by the Platters, and according to Marty Holtman, also discovered the Kingston Trio while working as a D.J. in Seattle. The Joel Whitburn books confirm the Platters story.
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The Bob Salter aircheck was made when Byron Johnson was just 30 years old, in early April of 1968. This was a day or two after Martin Luther King Jr. was assasinated, so that was what was on the minds of many KATN listeners who were calling in that week. There also was also a “breaking news” flash that the war in Viet Nam was going to end! President Lyndon Johnson had said the other side was finally ready for “talks.” |
We then heard a 1972 Byron Johnson for US Senate ad and wrapped up the audio portion of the show with some 1972 KATN-AM (now 5 KW at 950 on the dial) and KBBK-FM sign-ons and sign-offs.
Among those attending Friday were History of Idaho Broadcasting members Ray Littrell, Larry Smith, R.W. Egelston, Jeff Bishop, Gil Rose Jr., Gary Dean Moser, Brent Jones, Jimmy Johntz, Vice President Frank Aden Jr., Webmaster Rockwell Smith, Marty Holtman, Bob Ahmann, and Al Hale.
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Guests attending included Larry Chase,Dale Peterson, Shawn Kimmell, Clint Fitch, Mark Campbell, Kitty Delorey Fleischman, Clint Tinsley, Byron Johnson, Sharon Clark, Mrs. Sammy Fisher, Randy Cox, and Steve Davidson.
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