Pacific Northwest broadcasting pioneer, Rogan Jones, bought Seattle’s early radio station KVOS (K-“Voice of Seattle”) and moved it north to Bellingham in 1928. He was a shrewd operator, credited with many innovative ideas. In 1953, Jones put Bellingham’s first TV station, KVOS, on the air. Both his TV station and the existing AM radio station maintained the KVOS call sign for nine more years. In the meantime, Jones’ founded KGMI-FM in 1960. He sold the TV station in 1962 and that led to a mandatory change in the AM radio station’s call letters. FCC rules at the time made it necessary to alter the call letters of one of the properties — since they were no longer under the umbrella of a single owner. KVOS-AM became KGMI, which made sense with those calls already in-use at the new FM station. Jones, who was a pioneer in radio automation, was paying homage to his automation company with the KGMI calls: (K-“Good Music Incorporated”). That firm was better known in the industry as International Good Music (IGM).
I didn’t start listening to the radio until 1966; therefore, I never heard KVOS radio. I associated the call letters KVOS with the Bellingham TV station and 790 on the AM dial was always KGMI to me. It was an interesting discovery recently, when perusing the online archives of the student newspapers at Western Washington University, to find a number of old ads for KVOS radio. The collection contains copies of newspapers dating back to the 1920s. Below I pasted together three KVOS radio ads that were published in 1959.
Undoubtedly, the best-known figure to ever grace the hallways of KGMI was Haines Fay. He began working at KVOS radio in 1944, while he was still in high school. Fay stayed with the station, eventually retiring from KGMI in 1992. His first love was sports play-by-play, especially working high school basketball and football games. Fay hosted “Impact,” a call-in interview show, for more than 20 years. He was influential in the community, having served on the Bellingham City Council for eight years. Haines ran for Bellingham mayor in 1983. He conducted a good campaign, garnered many votes, but ultimately he lost the general election to an administrator at WWU.
In my collection of audio recordings, I discovered a tape of Haines Fay and Tim Douglas squaring off against one another in the race for Bellingham mayor. The interview was conducted in late October 1983, just prior to the general election referenced above.
Mayoral Candidates with moderator Rachel Grossman (KBFW news director). The original broadcast was one hour long. It has been edited to 9:54.
Another announcer at KVOS radio was Tom Haveman. Tom was also the guy who put another Bellingham station, KENY, on the air in 1958. Haveman completed his broadcast career at KVOS television. As an aside, Haveman’s KENY became KBFW. That’s the station I owned for 15 years, and where the above recording of the debate of the Bellingham mayoral candidates originated, so I can thank Tom for that. (To read more about Tom Haveman and KENY radio click HERE.)
Here is a radio archivist’s dilemma: KGMI was and is a prominent Bellingham radio station — probably the best known of all of them. But as far as airchecks, from back when AM radio was king, I find very little of KGMI’s history remaining. I don’t even have any jingles, of which KGMI played very few in the years that I heard the station. The station focused on local news and the music was middle of the road automated programming from IGM featuring Don McMaster (click HERE), Del Olney and Bob Concie.
Despite the scarcity of material, I have put together this brief sound montage of KGMI’s history. You’ll hear the voices of (1) Haines Fay (recreating a play-by-play broadcast), (2) Tom Haveman presenting news on KVOS-TV in ’87, (3) a vintage KGMI restaurant ad, and (4) KGMI newsman Ken Bertrand from March ’72.
Run Time – 2:33
Back in 2011, prior to his passing in 2014, Haines Fay was interviewed by Deb Slater on her program “Experience Northwest.” The show ran on KVOS-TV (the same television station Rogan Jones had founded in 1953). In the interview, Fay provided lots of history, discussing his life, his career, the early days of radio, and retirement. I think readers might find it interesting.
Danny Holiday (KPUG)
Dick Stark (KENY & KPUG)
Kirk Wilde (KPUG)
Gary Shannon (KPUG)
Mike Forney (KPUG)
Jay Hamilton (KPUG & KBFW)
Bob O’Neil & Marc Taylor (KPUG)
John Christopher Kowsky (KPUG)
Haines Faye & Rogan Jones (KVOS & KGMI)
Tom Haveman (KENY & KVOS)
Red Robinson (Vancouver B.C.)
Presently editor and historical writer with QZVX.COM in Seattle. Former radio broadcaster and radio station owner, 1970-1999. Journalism and speech communications degrees. I enjoy researching articles and online reporting that allows me to meld together words, audio and video. P.S. I appreciate and encourage reader comments and opinions. View other articles by Steven Smith
Hello. I have just discovered your site and this article about KGMI; hence, my late response.
When I was growing up in Vancouver, BC during the 1960’s, I used to listen to KGMI, because compared to the Seattle stations, KGMI, put a reasonable signal into my part of Vancouver, given the radio that I was using and the station’s position on the dial. I enjoyed listening to the ABC Radio programming; Don McNeil’s Breakfast Club, the ABC Hourly News, and Alex Dreier, News and Commentary. I remember an old-fashioned singing commercial for the Lynden Department Store. Is this business still around?
Steve….KGMI is still around. All news and talk shows. If you are asking about the Lynden Department Store, well it burned maybe in the 1980s. The building has been restored for many years now and there are some nice businesses in the old building that sort of looks the same.
Thank-you for the reply, Steven, and the information about the former Lynden Department Store.
I listen to KGMI on occasion, usually online, because the over the air AM signal is harder to receive now. I was pleasantly surprised that KGMI now has CBS affiliation. When did this take place? I wish the station had been a CBS affiliate back in the 1960s; it was and still is very difficult to pick-up KIRO 710 because there are two powerful stations at 690 and 730 in Vancouver.
For as long as I can remember KGMI had been an ABC affiliate. That was prior to the 1960s. I do not have an exact date on the flip to CBS, but I first noticed it about 5 years ago…maybe a little longer the way time flies.
KGMI switched to CBS in the February-March 2018 time period, based on archive.org copies of the station’s webpages.
Thanks. That ties in perfectly with my recollection. I knew they had CBS last Presidential election…and ABC the prior cycle.
The Lynden Department Store… “where the customer is always king”. The store closed in the mid Seventies- couldn’t compete with the chains (Fred Meyer and Valu-Mart). Reopened as Delft Square- the
fire was in 2008. (2008 was a lousy year for Lynden with the fire and Homestead crashing). Now it’s the Waples Mercantile Building.
There was also that singing commercial for Hinotes- “out in Everson”.
Thanks for the details. I knew it had been Delft Square at one time which I liked. Forgot the fire was in that time frame. I have a friend with an office across from the current operation. Last I was there a hotel, book store and cafe seemed to be the anchprs.
Dick…yes KVOS existed for awhile in Seattle until Jones moved it north in 1928. When KVOS started out it was real low power, like 100 watts. Eventually it got to 5kw. The Bellingham AM’s just do not go that far. Most of them become unlistenable about Everett. Even KPUG currently at 10kw and the old KOQT at 50kw do better north than south. My station, KBFW at 930kc and 1kw actually had a signal pretty comparable to KPUG and KGMI at their 5kw. As I recall, KPUG was directional daytime and night after going to 5kw from 1kw in 1966.
John….yes, since I am listing what KGMI stood for I probably should put in Voice of Seattle for KVOS ..although it was kind of an oddity when it was in Bellingham. In those early days stations had little power so did not go very far.
Steve,
I always wondered why, in the 50s and 60s from North Seattle, although I could listen to stations all the way across Western Canada from Nanaimo to Calgary, from Everett, Mount Vernon, Spokane and the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla and Blaine, I never could get decent reception from any station in Bellingham.
I also thought that, back in the 20s or 30s, KVOS was a Seattle station, at least the call letters.
Another great memory, Steven! Years before I ever was old enough to even contemplate a Broadcasting career, my Father and stepmother ran a Boarding house for WWSC female students. I remember an older gentleman in the large house next door who would always smile and wave to me. I asked my Father who that was. He said “That’s Rogen Jones. He owns KVOS TV”. Almost as memorable as sharing a house with 36 college-age girls, who loved having a young boy around. Incidentally, KVOS call letters stood for “Voice of Seattle”
Sounds like a plan.
Puget Sounds: A Nostalgic Review of Radio and TV in the Great Northwest 1st Edition
by David Blair Richardson
https://www.amazon.com/Puget-Sounds-Nostalgic-Review-Northwest/dp/0875646360/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=puget+sound+radio&qid=1610925623&s=books&sr=1-1
I have my copy of David Richardson’s great history compilation. It’s a great read.
Yes….that is a good book. I stopped by the KVOS tower on Orcas many years ago. The engineer on duty was Dave Richardson. He showed me his book.
Nice article! Thanks. I remember that change to KGMI very well.