Modified KQKT, Now KQ-96

April 21, 1985 — Air staff at KQKT is a strange mix, coming “from all over the United States,” according to a station announcement. Howie Castle, morning host, is fresh from Denver, with work in Pittsburgh, also.

Shawn Stevens previously worked in Grand Junction, Colo. The morning guy, incidentally, works the back-breaker 5:30-10 a.m. shift, and the midday folk get simple three-hour shifts.

Morry Shanahan, previously heard on KHT, is early afternoon personality. He’s a Tacoma native but has done radio work in New Zealand. Miles Cameron, from San Francisco, is afternoon-drive-time host. Working 8 p.m.-to-midnight is Bob Scott, fresh from Terre Haute, Ind. After midnight is Gary Semro. Chet Rogers, previously with KJR, KYYX and KHIT, and a part owner of KSPL, will do some weekend work.

The new station, owned by Behan Broadcasting, is the successor to KKMI. The only KKMI holdover is Dennis Wills, doing morning sports and traffic reports.

KJR gets a well-traveled Watson

Tom Watson has joined KJR as director of operations and programming. His background includes programming and on-air positions at stations in Columbus, Ohio, Albuquerque, N.M., and Portland, Maine.

His only West Coast experience was at KSFX, San Francisco. Most recently, Watson was with Balon and Associates, a radio-consulting firm in Austin, Texas.

“The opportunity to be involved with a radio legend like KJR is something I’m really looking forward to,” Watson said.

Twisting the dial

A three-hour live satellite broadcast, “Radio USA for Africa,” is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. today on KJR, 950 kHz. Most of the 45 musicians who recorded the popular single “We Are the World,” in an effort to fight hunger, will participate.

The Christian Science Monitor has begun a new radio program for audiences in Western Europe and the United Kingdom, broadcast weekly over Radio Luxembourg. Puget Sound listeners can hear “Monitoradio,” a news-and-feature program distributed to public-radio stations, including KUOW at 5:30 p.m. Sundays and KPLU at 6:30 a.m. Sundays.

A nationally coordinated fund-raising effort will modify portions of the KUOW and KPLU schedule this week. On KUOW, a drive segment is billed as “All Things Considered Special Broadcast,” at 2:30 p.m. each afternoon. KPLU’s fund-raising will include special editions of “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” but at their regular times. Personalities from Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles include Jean Stapleton, Emmy Lou Harris, Henry Winkler, Sam Donaldson and Phil Donahue. Feature fund-raising program segments are by National Public Radio, but the money goes to member stations.

The National Symphony Orchestra’s annual Pension Fund Concert is scheduled for broadcast as a Great Performances Special, at 10 p.m.

Today on KUOW, 94.9 mHz. The concert will include interview segments with Princess Grace. She had been scheduled to narrate a part of the concert