The 80’s: R&R tracks Contemporary Hit radio action in Tacoma-Seattle

April 1981 – Tacoma, WA Margaret “Peg” Dempsey has been promoted to General Sales Manager for KTAC, coming from her previous post as a station account executive. She began her broadcast industry career as KTAC’s Promotion Director.

May 1981-



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October 1983-


February 1984-


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August 1984 – Hendricks Manages KBRD & KTAC Sales Department — John Hendricks has been appointed Sales Manager of KTAC & KBRD/Tacoma-Seattle. Prior to this, he held a similar post crosstown at KVI. Hendricks succeeds Peg Dempsey, who is now VP /GM of WAYL & KMFY /Minneapolis -St. Paul. Jim Long continues as Tacoma Sales Manager of KTAC & KBRD.

July 1986 – KMFY & WAYL /Minneapolis VP /GM Peg Dempsey has accepted the VP /GM chair at Entercom’s co-owned AC /Easy Listening combo KTAC & KBRD /Seattle. Dempsey had worked at the Seattle stations before as Promotion Director, Account Executive, and GSM prior to moving to Minneapolis in 1984. She succeeds 12 -year VP /GM Harold Greenberg, who has left the stations.

November 1986 – West Manages KQKT
Longtime KISW /Seattle GM Steve West has left to assume that post at crosstown KQKT December 1, when new owner Shamrock Broadcasting takes over from Behan. He replaces Stephen Jacobs, who has become GM and part-owner at AC KGMG /San Diego. No successor for West has been named at KISW. West has been a Northwestern radio fixture over the course of three decades. He was an air personality at onetime Top 40 giant KJR in the ’60s before leaving in 1970 to program KTAC /Tacoma. He was then PD at KJR sister station KJRB /Spokane before rejoining KJR as PD. After a promotion to Assistant Manager at KJR, he was made GM at then co -owned KISW in 1979. West admits he probably wouldn’t have left KISW if its ownership hadn’t changed (Nationwide took over from Kaye – Smith last month). `But then I happened to run into (Shamrock Radio Division President) Bill Clark, who has ideas about doing business, and cares and feels about people the same way that I do.” Asked for his feelings on leaving dominant AOR KISW, rank- ed third in the market 12+ with a 7.3 in the summer, for a station that has pulled no higher than a 1.2 in the last five books, West said. “There comes a time in life when you’ve got to look at a change. I think the change is going to be healthy not just for me, but for the people at KISW also. It’s going to create a new, very competitive commodity in the marketplace.” KQKT’s future format is undetermined; the Research Group is conducting a study. West claims KQKT, which currently employs a Gold -based AC approach, has “the best FM signal in the market.”

February 1987 – KUBE’s Erak Crosses To KNBQ PD — KUBE /Seattle Production Director Ron Erak has been named PD at CHR KNBQ /Tacoma Seattle. He replaces Ric Hansen, who remains as morning cohost along with news personality Chet Rogers. VP /GM Jack Bankson told R&R, “Ric wanted to alleviate himself of the dual duties of morning host and programmer. We searched around for a while and decided Ron would be the man for us.” Although this is Erak’s first PD position, he was acting PD when Bob Case departed KUBE last summer to program Z93 /Atlanta. Erak has also been an air talent at Seattle /Tacoma stations KVI and KTAC, as well as KROY /Sacramento. “(New owner) Viacom is a fine company, and I have a lot to learn from them,” Erak noted. “My philosophy is to have some real fun with the station.” Erak didn’t comment on the possibility of any format changes.

July 1987 –


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April 1988 – Tinsley Palmer, John Lynch, and Andrea Ehlert have been named AEs at KTAC & KBRD /Tacoma. RUK ADAMS has been named
Sales Manager at KTAC & KBRD /Tacoma. He previously served four years as GSM at KGOT /Anchorage.

June 1988 – . KVI /Seattle evening announcer Jeff Rhyner exits for PM drive on KTAC/Tacoma .. . Joining KEZR /San Jose from KMGI /Seattle are Greg Cook (AM drive) and Scott Mitchell (PM drive).

July 1988 – Entercom ‘s WAYL -FM /Minneapolis has switched from Beautiful Music /Easy Listening to Gary Guthrie – consulted Classic Hits.
WAYL (AM) remains B /EZ under PD Bruce Hansen, with the staff intact. Toby Hart, PD of sister station KTAC /Seattle, has been named OM for the Twin Cities combo.

KRPM -AM & FM /Seattle morning personality R.P. McMurphy has been promoted to PD for the Olympic Country combo. He re- places Bill Stairs, who was upped to an Olympic corporate post a month ago. Consultant Jay Albright had been the interim PD. VP /GM Jack Davies told R&R, “R.P. is a fantastic guy and a very special person here. We have a great deal of confidence in him and we’re looking forward to a period of real growth.”
McMurphy said, “This is a very competitive market, particularly for Country, and there have been some good PDs through here who have taught me a lot. I’m looking forward to programming in a market in which I’ve worked and lived for so long.” McMurphy has worked in Puget Sound radio the last 13 years and at KRPM the last three. He previously programmed KRKO/ Everett, WA, and did air stints at KNBQ and KPLZ in Seattle. Also at KRPM, evening personality Ken Moultrie has been promoted to MD.

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