All who attended stayed to hear the telescoped high-quality recording of the July 1968 “countdown” to the sign-on of KBOI’s new 50,000 Watt Transmitter on 670 kc! The morning show back then was hosted by the legnedary Gene Perkins. But on this “big day” in July 1968, he was joined by KBOI-TV Anchor Bill Gratton and radio P.D. Jim Hawkes. VP of Radio Pat O’Halloran (formerly of KIRO-AM Seattle)was also there on the air with Gene from 6-8 AM for the “The Big Switch.” Some of the humor Perkins used on the air was actually quite funny and had the group laughing out loud and hard. Ya had to be there…and for about 55 minutes – we are were…and it was suddenly 1968!

We heard a great Ennis Furniture spot cut by Marty Holtman, an interview with Hub Warner, a 1947 Baseball bit featuring Dick Eardley, a coupl of actual 1968 newscats with the very “official” sounding John Clark, and many congratulatory messages from stations like KIRO, KOMO, KSL, CBS News and much more! It was a jolt “backwards” into the past!

Several former KBOI Radio and TV Employess were in attendance including Marty Holtman, now PBS Engineer Larry Smith, and KBCI-TV Operations Dir. Jeff Bishop. Also attending was Paul J. Schneider – who has been with KBOI since 1968 (on Channel 2 or KBOI Radio…and from 68-75 on BOTH)! Paul J told us what it like to be “there” and even admitted he too had two radios going (one on 950 and one on 670) to hear the “big switch” live! In fact, former KBCI-TV Chief Larry Smith said he was the guy who “turned off” the old 950 transmitter right after the new 670 one signed on.

Also Attending were: R.W. Egelston (with KIDO in thw 40s), Al Hale (with KTVR, KTVB’s sister station in the 70s), Jim Reynolds former KYME/KBSU staffer, Frank Aden Jr. Idaho’s foremost broadcast historian, Gil Rose Jr. (whose Dad helped build KBOI-TV, KFXD-TV, and was an engineer par-excellence for KFXD and KAIN and later KBOI…and it Gil Rose Sr. who “threw the switch at the new 670 transmitter), Harold Hommeier of Journal, Barry Lewis 7-Midnight Anncr on 107.1 K-HITS, Jon Adamson host of Propertly Line Today on KBOI-AM, Mike Pullen, Producer of Property Line, Rockwell Smith C.E. at Journal Radio, Tipp Goss or KIDO-AM (former KATN-AM Boise) and Ms. Martell the KQFC Radio Physic! Hope I did not leave anyone out. If I dod, please forgvie me…it is late!

After the meeting Citadel Engineer Bill Frahm hosted a excellent tour of Citadel’s 6 Boise Radio Stations, including trips into all 5 out of 6 studios…4 of which were “live” at 10PM at night (KQFC, KIZN, KKGL, and KZMG). This a great way to see other radio and TV operations. We have been to all of the radio groups and all TV stations except Channel 12. And I’m working on that!

Special thanks to Citadel General Sales Manager Darrell Calton, KBOI Program Director Andrew Paul, KBOI Sales Mgr Trev White, Beth Catlin, and the legendary Paul J. Schneider for hosting this Meeting!

If you were not there you missed hearing a great moment in history. The move to 50 KW changed KBOI’s role in Idaho Radio – and from that moment on and helped the station become what it is today. Everyone at the meeting now has a better understanding of just how big of a leap it was going from 5KW to 50KW.

At the time KBOI was one of TWO stations in the USA on 670…the other was WMAQ in Chicago. So at least from everywhere West of Wyoming and everywhere North and South of Boise (from Mexico to Canada)…KBOI RULED 670.

Thank You Citadel!