Heads Can Roll At The Top, Too

June 23, 1985
When your favorite disc jockey disappears from the air, you probably notice it, even though station managers assure themselves that things won’t skip a beat. Sometimes they are right _ there’s a new personality already installed wanting to be your new friend
From time to time, it is demonstrated that management itself is not immune to the inherent instability of contemporary radio:

Bob Bingham, KHIT owner, booted Bill Jensen as general manager.

Jensen had been with the youth-oriented station since its acquisition in 1984. Bingham assumed the general manager’s duties himself and added Mac Steen as KHIT’s new sales manager. Not too long ago, Steen was dumped as KJR’s general manager.

Bill Jensen popped up as manager of KQIN, Burien, as it is about to flex its 50,000 watts. Ray Kelley, KQIN’s previous manager, remains on staff as sales manager.

KRPM dismissed Jack MacDonald as station manager/operations manager and eventually replaced him with a new manager, Rob Hasson, from Denver. Hasson had previous sales experience at KMPS-AM-FM.

But here’s the neatest change:

Peggy Clark has been named station manager at KARR, after a rush of departures and/or dismissals at the limited-range Kirkland station. Gone is station manager Bernard Clark (no relation), who contracted for the “Music of Your Life” format for the new owner.

Clark had been office manager at KAAR (and its predecessor, KGAA) for four years. She said the promotion was rather casual: Owner Dave Newman called her and asked, “How about it?” She answered, “What the hell, why not?”

Clark said she will stay at her desk, rather than move into the manager’s office. A humble approach, perhaps. But also practical, because she still answers the phones.

Doing the country two-step

Marking the station’s 10th year in the country-music format last week, the folks at KMPS-AM-FM made some curious shuffles and cleaned the shelves. Previously one of the most stable air staffs in Seattle, nowadays KMPS folk get a quarterly ruff as new program directors shuffle the deck.

The one last week saw Charlye Parker, the only female holding an AM afternoon drive spot, shuffled to nights; Jim Williams was moved from FM to AM; and Colleen Robbins pushed into AM midmornings.

Program director Jay Albright also dropped weekend features, including ABC’s Sunday night “Silver Eagle Radio Show” and Mutual’s “On a Country Road,” and the local Saturday-night music show, “Music With Moskowitz.”

Regular listeners may notice more music, less talk on AM; a little less music, but more personality on FM. Albright said the changes would bring the two country formats closer together in mood and content.

Twisting the dial

Quietly, KQIN, Burien, has switched frequency, from 800 kHz to 820 kHz, getting ready for a power increase next month that may make it a more serious contender in the Seattle-Tacoma market. To note its new dial location, the station is focusing on its second call letter, so we now have “the Q on 82.” … Tom Hutyler, becomes the new afternoon personality on KLSY-FM tomorrow, moving over from the morning slot at KVI. Before the short session at KVI, Hutyler worked at KUBE…. Alice Porter has changed from being the all-night disc jockey at KEZX to news director…. Steve Largent, Seahawks player, has signed with KING-AM to do previews, analysis and highlights of Seahawks games in the fall…. KNBQ has teamed Ric Hansen, the program director and former afternoon personality, and Chet Rogers, a new newsman, on its morning show. The two once were teammates at KJR…. KNBQ’s previous team of R.P. McMurphy and Mark Pierce are “looking.” … Jay Philpott has the new midday assignment at KNBQ…. A harmonica player demonstrates his musical skills and offers free lessons on “Forty Plus,” at 5:30 p.m. Monday on KLAY, 1480 kHz. The musician, Bill Brown, promised host Dorothy Wilhelm that by 7:30 p.m. everyone will be able to play at lea st one song.