June 23, 1974
The phone rang. It was Lan Roberts with a surprise message:
“I just wanted to say goodbye,” he said. Lan holds the honor for the most heavily promoted one day show in Seattle. Just as he transferred to mornings on KISW a wave of reevaluation and family crisis engulfing. KISW has granted him a with pay “compensatory vacation for 12 years of service” on KJR radio.
“I do need to get away,” Robert said. “I want to find out what it is that’s calling me and where I am going.
“I sold my airplane, but I couldn’t part with my parachute,” Lan said as he announced plans to visit relatives in New Orleans and Texas that he hasn’t seen for years.
“You know, I know a lot of people who say they’re going to build a boat in the basement and someday sail to a South Sea island.
“That’s one of the things I’m going to do.” He said it as if island life suited him, he might never return. “I just hope I don’t get seasick,” he said.
No competition . . .
KIRO AM has informed its sales representatives in New York and other cities that the station has “no competition” in Seattle as it changes from a music and personality station to a news station.
The obfuscation may be clear to New Yorkers than it is to KTW, KIXI and KOMO listeners, but as KIRO sees it, there are three distinct “news formats.”
“There is news music, news talk and all-news, Phil Syrdal, sales manager, explained.
“In 20 cities out of 21 markets, Newsradio is number 1…or number 2… or number, 1 and, 2, or-like Los Angeles-number 1, 2 and 3,” Syrdal said. “Every city, but Seattle.”
Jack Adamson, station manager, said the station had acquired the services of Norm Woodruff, California news consultant.
Wolfman calling…
Wolfman Jack was on the telephone last week to explain that his agreement with NBC radio precludes a station affiliate, or not, from carrying his voice against his own syndication efforts. Thus, KING AM is not at liberty to carry NBC radio rock concerts with the Wolfman voice as long as KJR is carrying the Saturday Wolfman Jack show.
Wolfman said he was taking a few days off (“to be with my wife, you know,”), but was eager to greet folks in Seattle. Earlier this month, he was confined to a mechanically troubled airliner and missed a scheduled appearance at KJR’s Marathon Dance contest.
“I’m going to get to Seattle, someday,” Wolfman rasped.
Former radio columnist for the Seattle Times (1964-1989).
— View other articles by Victor Stredicke
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