KFXD, history revisited
Don Day | April 8, 2006Idaho’s oldest call letters currently reside in the hands of Clear Channel Communications, as an AM classic country station.
As many folks know, Idaho’s first radio station didn’t actually start in this state – but in Utah. KFXD first hit the airwaves of Logan in 1922. It moved to Jerome in 1926, then to Nampa in 1929. Of Compton’s Encyclopedia’s list of oldest radio stations by state – only KFXD began its history in another state.
KFAU began on July 18, 1922, as part of Boise High School – not as part of a communications program, but instead as 1920s-era experiment of the physics department. The station went commercial in 1928 – and traded in its calls for the shiny, new “KIDO.”
Much later, KFXD put up a stick on the current property at 455 W. Amity. Friend of Idaho Radio RDS shared these amazing archive photos:
The KFXD “house” and tower.
A closer view
KFXD’s studios on 12th Street in Nampa.
I’m still looking for any available photos of the walls by the men’s restroom in the last Amity building – if you have any, send them to idahoradio@gmail.com, I’d love to share them.
(Thanks to RDS for the old photos)
I remember, the Bonnie Wallace Show, I believe it was on KBOI television. My Mom used to watch it, I was just little. If I remember right, it was a variety show of sorts, with coooking segments and ??? How about the Merry Milkman, anyone remember that show???
Doug….
Does anyone remember “Junior Varsity Quiz” on Ch.7? Or how about “Dialing for Dollars” with Larry Chase on Ch.2? I loved the “Cheap and sleazy puke school lunch menu” of the late 70’s Boise radio..so funny til the school board found out and shut it down.
How ’bout the Super 58 KFXD Mini-Sticker promotion?
Yes I remember…My parents 74 Vega had a sticker
I remember Bonnie Wallace, and the Merry Milkman on KBOI TV. Didn’t Bonnie Co-host with Bill Gratton? Remember those wonderful LIVE TV commercials for car and appliance dealers? KBOI had a big turntable in the studio floor so those cars could rotate around while your live local host tell us how much money we could save by buying a Chevy from Larry Barnes and the EZ Valley Boys on Fairview. Years and years later I got to actually work in that studio at 10th and Jefferson. Can anyone tell me why Channel 2 left that location and moved into the old Butterys-Osco store?
Norm —
Idaho Power bought the building and tore it down for parking – forcing KBCI to move to the “new” spot in the grocery store.
Warning Long Post- I will use PARAGRAPHS!
Hi folks, thanks to Don and Idaho Radio News for the announcement about The History of Idaho Broadcasting Foundation. We had our latest meeting on Thursday June 22nd. Please see Don’s announcement for infor on the July Meeting at KBCI-TV July 20th
Meantime all of the questions posed above will be eventually answered on our website, which is now up and running at http://www.historyofidahobradcasting.org
We’ve got the organization…we’ve got a few members and little money…now we just need to get every bit of that 86 years history on the website! That should only take a few hours..right? Yeah right! Well, everybody’s been talking about doing this, including me, so now that I’ve opened my mouth and said I would do it…I am committed (or should be “committed”)!
In a nut shell, each Radio and TV station in the state will have “an exhibit” that will will start with their current history…then we’ll work our way backwards from the present. We’ll also have an alpahbetical listing of the people who have worked in Idaho radio or tv…including:
Don Day
Norm Gunning
Dave Arthur
Doug Raper
Art Gregory
Bonnie Wallis
The Merry Milkman
Little Joe The Brakeman
The Good Doctor Drew
“Big Jack” Armstrong
Ect. Etc…
When you click on any station, you can click on “people who worked at KBCI/KBOI-TV” and then click on Bonnie Wallis. Or you could just Click on Bonnie Wallis and get EVERYTHING we have on her.
FYI- Right now we DO have several Bonnie Wallis Cook Books, a few pictures of her, some Channel 2 letterhead with her name on it etc. Bonnie lived on 20th street in Boise in a big fancy house with a huge garden! There was kitchen with a stove and fridge in one corner of the channel 2 studios and she used to host her cooking segments from there. We’ll have a LOT on Bonnie Wallis!
The Merry Milkman was on both Channel 2 and Channel 7 I think. I remember it best on KTVB – and in fact was on the show with a group of cub scouts at old Channel 7 studios on Crestline Drive. The host of one of those shows was Milt Hale I believe. We all got “Milk-Nickels” which were tasty little ice cream treats that cost 5 cents, probably made by Meadow Gold or Home Daries. There was a previous Merry Milkman that was on Channel 2 I think.
Other popular kids shows where “Funland Express” with Jim Cowan, later hosted by Marty Holtman, who got tied up by “the mean director” and had shaving cream sprayed all over him. Marty would do ANYTHING to get an audience on radio or TV, including climbing out of an actual casket as Claude Gloom! In fact Marty and I spoke last month and he is very excited about what we are doing.
Junior Varsity Quiz was on KTVB and was hosted by Mary Alsagar who was “Miss Mary” on Romper Room. Bruce Fox of L.E. Johnson Adv (where my Dad, the artist Quinten Gregory, worked for a time). My Dad died at age 68 in 1998 and read all about him at http://www.quintengregorystudio.com All I got of his talent was the name “Art.” Anyway, we’ll have a lot on JV Quiz I hope…as well as every other show or program you mentioned.
I have “KWZ” KUUZ window stickers and we’ll have KFXD ones too…and perhaps a few rare KIDO stickens when they tried to take on KFXD in 1977-1978. About the only good thing was they palyed Chicken Man!
Everything I have I am donating to the foundation. We don’t even need the original (yet) just a good copy for the web site. We’ll have airchecks, jingles, videos, and more.
There will be a bitchin newsletter called “As the Turn table Turns” (“as the hard drive whirls?”) that all members will receive free 6 times a year. The first issue written primarily by Frank Aden will be out next month and will be on early Boise Television. it will feature COLOR pictures of KIDO TV’s self-supporting tower at Crestline Drive as well as KFXD-TV’s make-shift antenna and building from lower Deer Point. KFXD-TV were on the air a full month ahead of KIDO-TV, but they did not last. Channel 7 is indeed the oldest TV station in the state still operating…but they were not first.
Plus KBOI was actually licensed to MERIDIAN for the first 2 years. Jimmy Johntz told us all about in last month at Citadel…and we hope to have quotes from him in our newsletter story on Tv next month. Plus KGEM-TV was to be next on Channel 9…what happened to them? Learn all about it in the Newsletter.
Future issues will cover KFXD radio…KIDO-FM and KFXD-FM (in the 40s)! as well as the history of KEST/KSPD-AM (hear that Dave Arthur)? KEEP in Twin Falls (yes Doug that’s YOU!) and of course the golden days KYME-AM, KFXD-AM, KUPI-AM Idaho Falls when they were rockers! We will cover em all!
P.J. Laws of KTVB said she will give us access to the complete history of Channel 7…so there will be a Newsletter devoted to KTVB (KIDO-TV). We have audio of a the sign on sign-off from 1972 that feature Lon Dunn’s voice and indentify “KTVR LaGrande Oregon” when they were KTVB’s sister station.
These newsletters will be 4 pages minimum in full color…and will be collectors items with the latest information BEFORE it appears on our web site.
So go to http://www.historyofidahobroadcasting.org and sign up now! The site is VERY basic but will be adding material soon! Thanks for reading this.
Art Gregory
Someone has evidently got things just a tad out of whack.
I think Milt Hale did do a short gig as The Merry Milkman… Knew him personally and he was a very pleasant and most talented man.
Jack Lythgoe, (that’s me), did the Merry Milkman on KID-TV in Idaho Falls, KLIX in Twin Falls and then on KTVB in Boise. There seems to be a discrepancy on the length of time, but it totalled somewhere in the area of six years. I was asked to move back to Idaho Falls for another go-round, but did not want to take my children out of school in the middle of a school year, and Beatrice Foods, (Meadowgold), management in Boise did not want to extend their time for another two or three months, so I resigned and went back on the road.
I use very little profanity.
I never defame anyone. ( With the possible exception of Emporer Obama.)
Don’t threaten me with strong enforcement or I will kick you out of the “Good as Gold Club”!
I have been “Jack” since I was thirteen! I am now ancient, so there is little possibility of me going for “Chuck”, “Mike” or :Freddie”.
If I were any more moderate I would fall over.
Odd that I have never bothered to check on “KTVB Boise Idaho Merry Milkman” before now.
Good luck on ‘getting it all together!
Appreciatively,
Jack Lythgoe THE Merry Milkman
Jack: Sorry i did not hear about the ceremony in Ogden to get up to see you. I live in lancaster County and did not read about it until after it was over. If you have time you can contact me at f7c6b4@comcast.net. I am Frank Bramble and we were class mates about
1942. Oh my , that was how many eons ago?
Jack,
I turn 68 next month and remember an “incident” with you like it happened yesterday. In 1955 you were giving a magic show at Mickey’s Fountain in Emmett and right as you were starting I piped up and asked you if you knew how to disappear. You quickly answered that yes you could pack up on the spot and go back to Boise. I didn’t know it at the time but you were handling an 11 year-old heckler! I just read your Navy bio and want to say thank you for your service to our country. I myself retired as a chief from the USN in 1988. Thanks again for the fond memories.
Dave in Emmett
Don Day…it seems like just a few years ago that you were calling me on the air after you got home from school to get the dirt on Magic and now you’re on an alphebetical list with some of the biggest names in Idaho radio history. Ahhh how the years fly by. :) I feel like a big proud papa!
Art…
You are amazing…what a project.
Doug….
Great Job Art!! Doug and I will be glad to contribute some info on KWEI, the “Kilowatt Call of the Canyon”
You bet…I think I may even have an old KWEI mike flag???
Doug….
In case it is not already on your schedule, I’d like to invite you to attend
the next meeting of The History of Idaho Broadcasting Foundation, Inc. The
meeting is scheduled for 7:00-9:00 P.M. on Thursday night June 20, 2006 at
the studios of KBCI-TV Channel 2. They are located at 16th and Main in
downtown Boise. We anticipate the meeting will last about 90 minutes, and
will be followed by a tour of the KBCI facilities, hosted by Operations
Director Jeff Bishop. Jeff started at Channel 2 in 1969 and was there when I
worked at KBOI AM-FM-TV from 1970-1972, so he is a wealth of historical
information himself!
We also hope that Jimmy Johntz, former Chief Engineer and General Manager of
KBOI AM-FM-TV (and later KBCI-TV) will be able to attend and perhaps tell us
a little about the early days. We have taped the last two meetings on a
digital audio recorder but hope to also run a video camera during this
meeting to capture some of the history that will recounted by some of those
who “were there.” I plan on inviting Marty Holtman and some other KBOI
veterans to attend too…so it should be fun and interesting.
Our first Newsletter will be out in the next week or so and will cover the
early history of Idaho television; including rare color photos of both
KIDO-TV’s Crestline Drive tower (that existed from only 1953-1956), and the
KFXD-TV transmitter building and home-made antenna…all in full color! This
“bi-Monthly” 4-page Newsletter (called “As the Turntable Turns”) will be a
collector’s item – and will even come with 3 holes punched in it to put into
a binder so you can build your own library to share with others. All of this
comes with your membership, so go to http://www.historyofidahobroadcasting.org and
click on “become a member.” Then, print out the application and mail it with
your check to the address on the form.
Our August Meeting will be Thursday the 24th from 7:00-9:00 P.M. at Journal
Broadcast Group on Fairview next to KTVB Channel 7.
Hope to see you at the July Meeting!
Sincerely,
Art Gregory
That should read JULY 20th folks…sorry.
Here’s a quick update on the Broadcast History Group:
Had our 3rd Meeting of The History of Idaho Broadcasting Foundation tonight (Thur July 20) and it went great!
We picked up 5 new members including Larry Smith former KBCI Chief Engineer, Mike Pullin, local Broadcast Producer, Rockwell Smith Engineer par-excellance of Journal Broadcast Group, Jon Adamson, host of Property Line Today on KBOI-AM (produced by Mike Pullin).
It was like a “who’s who at Channel 2″ with former VP GM and CE Jim Johntz, Marty Holtman, Larry Smith and current Ops Dir. Jeff Bishop all talking about “the old days” on camera. Award winning photographer Clyn Richards was there a videoed the meeting…we got some great history on tape! We also played the 1972 Channel 2 Eyewitness News promo that lists everyone who worked in the Newsroom…they had a massive news staff in 1972 including one Norm Gunning! Marty got in great detail about Claude Gloom and his Operation Santa…as well as some great outtake stories. Jeff Bishop then gave us the grand tour of the KBCI studios, master control room, production rooms, news room etc.
Next Meeting is Aug 24th at Journal Radio…why not join us?
It was a great meeting tonight and Channel 2 will be getting us tons of old news film which will be available by clicking KBCI-TV on our website http://www.historyofidahobroadcasting.org We have a LOT of work to do! Anyone want to be a web master?
Our site is slowly being improved and hopefully will soon have some pictures and audio clips. Frank Aden Jr. wrote a GREAT article on early TV in Idaho for our first Newsletter which was mailed on Tuesday and received on Wednesday!
The Idaho State Broadcasters Assoc. (ISBA)will receive some complimentary copies at their banquet next Friday July 28th in Sun Valley. Frank Aden’s article puts to rest any doubt which TV station was first to sign-on in Idaho (KFXD-TV), who was 2nd (KIDO-TV), 3rd (KBOI-TV), and 4th KID-TV. KGEM-TV Channel 9 never made it on the air.
BTW, Frank’s article also reports that even thought KFXD-TV beat them on the air, KIDO-TV Channel 7 actually delivered on their promise and signed-on the air July 12, 1953 as they said they would. KFXD-TV by contrast was OFF the air for good as KFXD-TV one month after KIDO-TV debuted on August 12th. Some “big plans” just don’t work out. We are not trying to color history…just report it accurately, which Jim Johntz said Frank did in this article, btw.
We also have audio tapes of the sign-on for BOTH KFXD-FM (“XD-FM” now called “The River 94.9″) in January of 1975 AND the currect Channel 6-TV in February of 1974. Both GM’s did “Editorials” tomopen their stations…Waye Cornills on KFXD-AM and “XD-FM” and Harry Godsill on Channel 6. Both of these will hopefully be available soon to listen to on our web site…although the Channel 6 sign-on is L-O-N-G!
Trivia Question? Who said the 1st words spoken when Channel 6 signed on (hint: he’s still there) and what were their first call letters (they wre NOT KIVI)? First correct answer gets a free membership and 6 newsletters from the Hist of ID Broadcast Foundation. BTW, their first ad campain was themed “Everything you wanted to know abou SIX but were afraid to ask!”
Art Gregory
History of ID Broadcasting Foundation, Inc.
This site is so great! I’ve never been in radio but am a huge radio fan, so I hope it’s okay for me to post here…will understand if it isn’t.
I remember many of the radio and TV shows mentioned here. I was actually on Junior Varsity Quiz in 1969 or 1970 as the team captain from Nampa’s Central Junior High. I think I still have our picture with Mary Alsager somewhere…
I have wonderful memories of listening to KFXD as I was growing up. Remember the Red Steer Request Hour? You could go to any Red Steer restaurant and fill out a request slip, then they’d read your dedication on air and play the song. Lots of young romances started that way!
Can’t wait to see your website grow…what a great thing you are all doing for this history of Idaho!
Thank you!
Brenda and others. I’m sure Don Day welcomes anyone who likes radio to his site, and we would be honored to have you as a member of the History of ID Radio Foundation.
As a matter of fact, I am counting on some “non-radio” folks to help fund this group. The radio and TV folks are all busy folks and have sometimes “moved on” from broadcasting. They don’t yet realize the impact they had on people’s lives…but they will someday.
Marshall McLuhan said that we can’t “see” our present culture and environment – because we are immersed in it! Only until a little time has “passed” do clearly “see” our culture and what it meant…then we embrace it and celebrate it like Happy Days and “That 70s Show” has done for the 50s and 70s.
The 80s and 90s are still too new to see in the “rear view mirror.” But Brenda, you clearly have the 60s “pegged” by what you recall.
Yes indeed the Red Steer request Hour on KFXD was a classic…as was the “Hollywood Beauty” request show in 1965. We have some KFXD “top 58″ Surveys from 1965, and a “20/20″ Survey 1967, and still another version in 1968! Plus we have some great surveys from the 1970-1976 during the “Glory Days” of KFXD as a top-40 station.
I also have the MASTER COPY of the KFXD TM Jingle package from 1974 or so. We played some of these jingles (Fred Novack!) at our meeting last month at Clear Channel and blew the CC folks away with how good they sounded. I also have KSPD-AM TM jingles from when they were top 40, and some great KIDO jingles from the 50s when they switched to 630.
I am building the AM station list now by frequency (580…590…620…630… etc.) listing all stations in the state like a radio dial. You’ll be able to find the station you want (KFXD) and click on it and get everything we have on them…from the present format…to it’s first inception (September 2, 1925 for KFXD in Logan, Utah)!
So please join us…we need anyone who is interested in history to help us make this thing go. The radio folks and the ex-radio folks are wonderful people…but they are busy with the real-life jobs or have moved on to other things, which is cool with me btw. We’ll be honored work with them at whatever level they are comfortable with.
However, my prediction is…when they see and hear what we’ve got, they’ll warm up to the idea. After all…radio’s “2006″ history is be made right now. We just can’t “see” it right now…because we’re still IN it.
Art Gregory
My first job, right out of high school (at Borah High in Boise) was as a DJ at KFXD. This was in 1968. The first record I played was “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf.
I live in New York City now. I’m the author of a series of mystery novels for Avon, featuring an ex-cop turned dog trainer. I’ve also been a dog trainer for 15 years.
It’s great seeing photos of that old house. It brought back a lot of memories of the summer of 1968…
Don’t know if someone else has covered this but I thought I would throw it in.
For a time I worked with a guy named Dave Combes who was a D.J. in the ’50s in the bOise Valley. According to Dave, the original KCIX TV located at the Amity Road transmitter site only had one camera and it was hooked into the film chain. Dan Smeed was the news announced. When he wanted to do the news cast hel pulled a string of lever that swung a mirror in front of the camera lens to he could be seen sitting off to the side at the news desk. According to Combes, the mirror reversed all the images so anthing seen on the announcers desk had to be written backwards so it would look correct to the viewers.
KCIX had several of my favorite shows, one called “Rat Patrol” about WWII in the desert–a lot of war-based programs (I was an adolescent at the time).
Norm Gunning and I go back a long way, graduating from Kuna High School together.
For many years I worked in newspapers and people were always confusing me with Wayne Cornils at KFXD. The bank once deposited my paycheck in Wayne’s account which hut me a lot more than it helped him.
Wayne Cornell
Hey Wayne.. Nice to read your post. Shoot me an e mail -Norm
I don’t know the announcer, believe the calls were
K I T C
and they had a clip of the letters changing to
K I V I
My brother Allen won a round of “6 shooter”, a voice cued game during the afternoon kids showa.
I don’t think Larry Chase? is there anymore, but I know the current voiceover guy seems to have been there a looong time.
Brownie points? Still working on a check too, but a certain 1942 Zenith chassis and a Sencore SG-165 are really cool thinga to acquire if one can help it, and I’ve waited three years for that and to find a good used 100 MHz scope, can you blame me?
frank aden
April 9th, 2006 15:19 19Jeff Miller has an excellent broadcast history site at:
http://members.aol.com/jeff99500/tv9.html
He has my Idaho TV Timeline.
One error in it, hoped to be corrected soon.
KAID signed on in 1971 not 1970.
Frank, he also had KIDO on 1380 in 1958 (based on Broadcasting Yearbook data), which clearly wasn’t the case to my knowledge, as KSRV was already using it’s brand-new Harris-Gates BC5E by that time at 5 kw, something that they could never do at 1450 or any other frequency they could’ve used.
There may a few holes and gaps in KSRV history occasionally, but the common legend I’ve always heard was that the 1 kw Continental of infamy was sold to KYET because it was simply easy to go on the air at an already available frequency, crystal wise. May be beeswax but then Dave Combes is still out there, KIOV.com has a partial picture of (somebodies) tower, without the top load visible, and last week I checked but no signal. I will listen in the morning but even the 1970s red Soundesign no.1130 pocket AM radio I have with a terrible IF section will get KFXD yet no 1450.
What a treat reading all of these entries. I grew up in Mtn. Home listening to the Boise radio stations and watching early television and still recall many of those who were giants in the business at that time…the voices of news director Vern Moore, and disk jockeys Lon Dunn, Jim Blossie (sp)and Del Chapman at KIDO, Bill Gratten at KBOI and the list goes on. On television I recall Sheriff Spud at KIDO TV, later KTVB and the very popular weather man Jack Link who always talked about those lunkhead lows that would move into our area. On KBOI it was the Merry Mailman and later the Merry Milkman, both of whom were Milt Hale. Later there was PQ Patches played by Don Bisch, a large and gentle man. Also at KBOI was Bonnie (?), who did an afternoon talk show. She was billed as Idaho’s first lady of television. My broadcast career began in Mtn. Home in 1963 while I was in high school and Boise was the closest thing there was to big time broadcasting. I later worked for the wonderful Georgia Davidson as a news reporter at KTVB, sharing air time with Sal Celeski, Dan Smeed, and Clint Bellows. KTVB also had a sports director named Danny Peters. I treasure those memories and was fortunate to work in the Boise market during some very interesting years. My time at KTVB was spent in the old studio built on a hill on the east side of town before news departments were even thought of. They carved out a chunk of the basement, threw up a couple of walls that that was our news room. Working there was interesting because the place was infested with scorpions and it was common to see them running around on the floor as you sat at your desk typing…yes, typing your news stories on paper.
Re: The Bonnie Wallace Show on KBOI. I think it was about 1955 that I performed on her show in Boise with my brother and cousin. I was on piano, my brother Phil played tenor sax and my cousin Lois played violin. I was about 12 and the others were in their early teens. We play a couple of popular tunes. My parents were pretty excited about it so they tried to shoot an 8mm movie off our old TV set. This setup didn’t work so well.
However, my piano teacher in Boise, Bernice Brusen, was Bonnie’s good friend. To advertise her musical soirees we would appear on Bonnie’s show dressed as Joseph and Michael Haydn, Mozart and others. I have a photo of one of these recital groups, decked out in brocade jackets and powdered wigs, standing alongside Bonnie. Probably also from 1954-55.
I recall she was a really neat lady who encouraged our performing abilities, even with the huge tv camera stuck in our faces. Also, she was quite tanned from all the studio lights.
After a long career at UCLA I’m retired but still playing
piano in jazz clubs and local venues in the Culver City area.
I’ll be happy to send a jpg copy of the photo to anyone who e-mails me at smfry@ucla.edu
Having started at the local FCC class D 1000D/250N radio station, KART-AM in 1964 Jerome Idaho, imagine my suprise in finding out that KFXD originated at Utah State University, in Logan, Ut by Dr Larry Cole. I was lucky enough to have Dr. Cole as an instructor in classes. I have had my hands on the original KXFD transmitter. My recollection is that it was a desktop dark wood 5 watt am transmitter. The unit had a center meter and to the left and right were tuning knobs. The location of the transmitter was the Jerome, Idaho County Airport. One of the knicknacks on Dr Cole’s desk was a 4 inch ringed copper tube containing about eight 1/2 inch coaxial cables. This was a chunk of the first transcontenintal telephone RF carrier cable.
Do you know the whereabouts of any of those historical items today? I appreciate your sharing of this information and experiences. I had never heard this angle on KFXD story before.
Did you ever work with a Don Weathermon at KART. I think I have some copies of photos of that radio station in the collection.
Very interesting! I’ll be teaching a course in Radio at USU in Logan beginning this fall. As part of the history of local radio, I’ll be drawing from both James Randall’s 1970 Master’s thesis and Dr. Burrell Hansen’s History of Broadcasting at USU published in 1989. Both refer to the early history of radio in Cache Valley including KFXD but in vague terms. From my research, I’ve found that at one time KFXD was located about 21 East Center in Logan and that there were TWO radio stations in Logan prior to 1935. No one seems to know about the other facility and until today, I did not know that Dr. Cole and KFXD may have had a USU connection. Any and all details about KFXD or the other unnamed station in Logan before 1935 (pre KVNU) will be appreciated!!!
Just happened to stumble across this interesting page about KFXD. My father, Ralph Paulson, worked for KFXD, and Mr. Hurt while he was attending NNC in the mid to late forties. Someone mentioned KFXD’s short-lived TV efforts. I remember the studio Mr. Hurt built on the rear of the 12th Ave. building and the huge cameras he installed in there. Loved that old radio station. I would take my Dad’s supper to him and hang around til he got off late at night. I can still remember the smell of the vinyl that curled off the transcription machine. Thanks for the memories.
Hi, great info…just thought I’d let you all know that yeah I have great memories of my Dad and his radio career beginning in Oregon and into Idaho and Channel 7 on the News also as the host of Today in Idaho on KTVB. When I was in elementary school dad worked for the radio station in Ontario, Oregon. Memories of station parties and baby grand pianos..wow. To round it out I worked as a DJ in northern Idaho myself in the 1980’s.. Take care
i just wanted to give a nod to a radio program on KIDO in the late fifties/early sixties called Top Thirty Showcase, hosted by “Deacon Del” Chapman and played the top thirty songs for the week. Each of the station’s jocks would pick a new song that they thought would move up the charts. If I remember correctly the jocks were Del Chapman, Dick McGarvin, Jim Blossie, and Vern Moore. Later Lon Dunn and Larry ? were added.
What a great site, thanks for all of your work here. I grew up listening to KFXD at night, being in Kellogg…I remember being told KFXD was able to shoot out non directional at night when a fire had burned the lines to three of the towers. Does anyone know this to be true? It was my favorite station. KFXD got me excited about my career in radio because of the way it had a major market sound in a smaller city, very impressive. My short stint at KBBK/Magic 92 in 1982/83 gave me a chance to meet some of the veterans of the former AM powerhouse. It was a very exciting time in radio before the end of the real time of personaltiy battles on the air. If anyone has a copy of old airchecks from the Drake package days, I would be grateful to have a copy, especially the news intro, newscast then the “Nampa Boise” sing back into music.
hi, i’m looking for any copies that might exist of the bonnie wallis show from the 1950’s. my mom and her sister were on the show singing and playing accordian. if possible, i’d like to give my mom a copy of this for christmas. does anyone know of existing copies? kboi has none, so i’m hoping some one out there does. thanks
Just recieved this site from a gent I recently met here in Salem. I grew up in Fruitland and Boise and he grew up in Homedale. I responded about something to him today mentioning the Merry Milkman and Sherrif Spud and shazam, he forwards this site.
Two things come to mind about broadcasting there when I was young (Borah class of 62). Our Borah choir sang at one of the TV stations in 60 or 61 which was a hoot. Pretty spartan digs as i recall but hittin’ the big time in our small way was fun. I’m sure Burt Berta felt like he was herding cats but what can I say.
I also recall the speech teacher at Borah, Mr. Bender, telling me I had a good voice for broadcasting. I’ve often wondered how my life might have been different had he only offered a little insight as to what a 16 or 17 year old might have done to explore the industry. Instead I worked as a busboy at Dixons. What nice people…..
I see the dating on these posts qualify as old news so I’ll just have to play catch up.
Cheers
I was talking with my son about my life in Idaho in the 1930s and 1940s, and I mentioned my favorite radio station: KFXD. It was at the bottom of the radio dial, which gave it broader wavelength, and it bragged about being the only “high fidelity” station in Idaho. We kids spent much time listening to KFXD because it played considerable jazz and big band music, which we were much into then. KIDO was considered a “fuddy-duddy” operation, with such shows as Major Bowes and Amos and Andy. I can remember riding my bike way out on State Street to admire its new transmitter. I also remember singing with a group of Boy Scouts on Sundays in the studio in the basement of the Boise Hotel in the late 1930s. We weren’t good but we were free to the station. Bob Irwin was the Scout leader, and he also sold bikes on N 18th (more than a coincidence!).
My Mother is looking for a receipt from back in the 50″s the lady cooked on channel 2 Her name was Bonnie Wallis, I understand she still has cookbooks for sale could you please piont me in the right direction. Thanks, Glenda