Pioneer Station KGY Olympia


KGY jingle package


KGY was one of the oldest radio stations in the state of Washington. It was licensed in 1922 and began broadcasting April 15th, 1922, at St. Martin’s College, for a while out of a log cabin, as 7YS. “The log cabin station, where the cedars meet the sea.” The affiliated station KGY-FM began operations in 1992. The AM and FM stations’ studios were both located on Port of Olympia property at the southern end of Budd Inlet.– For most of the modern day period of KGY, the morning show was hosted by General Manager Dick Pust, who had been at the station since 1959. He continually hosted the morning show since 1967–the longest continually running morning radio show in the state of Washington, until Pust was fired after nearly 50 years at KGY. [Wikipedia]
—January 6, 2011 [Olympian]– After a career spanning 51 years with KGY Radio, local broadcasting legend Dick Pust’s career with the station ended suddenly Wednesday when he was let go as the station’s general manager. He hosted his final early-morning radio show Wednesday at the iconic station that overlooks Budd Inlet, the last installment of a six-day-a-week broadcast that began at 5:30 a.m. and has run since 1967.
KGY personalities: Ty Flint, Bob O’Brien, PJ Kirkland, Ed Evans, Willy Kelly, Smilin’ Jay Andrews, Randy Roadz, Rick Schaeffer, Mike Altman, Dick Pust, Bob MacLeod.

The Kerry family sold KGY AM 1240 to Sacred Heart Radio in 2014, ending family operation of the station held since 1939. Call letters changed to KBUP November 2014.

5 thoughts on “Pioneer Station KGY Olympia

  1. Hi Jason,
    Thanks for posting the KGY Jingles. What a rush! I had the great pleasure to work for a year, 1972, at my hometown radio station. Dick Pust and Bob O’Brien were especially instrumental in launching my career. When I went to work at KTAC in early 1973, I changed my name to John Williams and enjoyed a 43 year career, mostly in Portland, Oregon. The late Barbara Olsen Kerry was like a big sister to us, and Mr. Olsen was a gem of a human being. Great memories!

    1. Just saw this posted question, I did the duties of putting this jingle package together with Tommy Gwinn in Richardson, Texas. His jingle company was “Gwinsound”. He used musicians and singers in their off hours from PAMS as well as other jingle companys in Dallas. He was very affordable for a smaller station like KGY. I think all in all the final package sounded quite good considering it was in the mid seventys. We had some good air personalities too, such as Al Hanna. P.J. Kirkland, Dick Pust who just finished his book about the station “AM 1240-Life at a Small Town Radio Station” which I am sure,he would send you a copy, and yes, I was on the air at KGY also. It was really a fun station to work for. I was there for over 5 years.
      Bob O’Brian

      1. Thanks so much for the reply, Bob. Those jingles remind me of a great childhood in Olympia. The best!

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