Jerry Isenhart posted on FB– “A KOZI LEGEND – JEFF CONWELL IS RETIRING FROM KOZI SOON”- (KOZI is licensed to Chelan, Wa.) And this is the first of a series of Facebook Posts about his Broadcast Journey. KOZI and the people of the Valley have been fortunate to have him be their morning host for many years. He’s been a true credit to KOZI’s history, Keep reading and follow the series.
…
Now that I’m just a few weeks out from “retiring”, the nostalgia is kicking in so I thought I’d share a bit about my radio journey. It was made possible by a ton of people.
But first, the question I get asked most about radio is “how did you get into radio?” I knew I wanted to get into radio when I was 16 years old. I went to the Space Needle and Mark Jeffries was broadcasting live in a plexiglass studio for KJR. Most of the girls were oohing and aahhing and I knew, I wanted to be THAT guy!
But at just 16 and being a kid from not even Issaquah, but Pine Lake, who was I to think I could do that? So I listened to the voices that told me I couldn’t do it. Until I spent a year in college and then realized at 19, yeah, I had to do the radio thing.
So off it was to broadcast school. The Ron Bailie School of Broadcast. I was obsessed from the minute I walked in the door. It was a year long program and I was blessed to meet and have some amazing people for my instructors and mentors. One of the first people I met, Brady C Wright. He was the director of the school and was the overnight guy at KMPS. He played a big role in my future as a broadcaster. I count him as a dear friend even now. Next up was my man, Big Ed Dunaway instructor/mentor and afternoon host at KMPS AM. He was hilarious and patient with me. He let me use his home studio on the weekends to practice the craft. He’d critique me and guide me. He is the one who decided I should use “Jeff Chase” as an air name. I loved it! Then there was Charlye Parker (RIP my friend). She was amazing and a great instructor. She was also 7-12mid at KMPS FM. With all my KMPS friends, I was able to land an internship at KMPS doing phone research and anything I could to breath radio air. I had access to studios to practice shows and hone my production skills. Of course there was the one and only Jack Allen (RIP friend) and instructor and 7-12Mid at KMPS AM. Jack was a real Seattle talent and became a great friend. Other greats I was blessed to work with included Jim Kampman (RIP friend) who was the production director at KMPS, he left and went to KJR. Jimmy was replaced by Pete Stacker. You’ve all heard Pete. He went on to Chicago, did all of Ophra’s promos, McDonalds, and Budweiser’s “Real American Hero” campaigns. If you played Halo, he was the voice of Master Sargent.
Graduated, and off it was to find a real radio job. Jimmy Kampman scored my first interview for me AT KJR with Tracy Mitchell who was PD then. Tracy was generous to let this wet behind the ears kid even come to the studio for an interview. Suffice it to say, I didn’t get the gig. But…it’s a funny story I’ll share another time.
In those days, you had a resume, and a reel to reel tape. I was applying at every radio station I could. It was a tough thing to break into the biz. I heard about a production gig open at KPUG in Bellingham. I hightailed it up there in my suit and tie, resume and tape ready to go. Bruce Butterfield, aka “Butter” was the PD. He knew I was just too green for the job but he encouraged me. So on the way home from B-town, I decided to stop at KRKO in Everett. A fun top 40 radio station and I figured I had nothing to lose. I walked in the door and there sat Program Director RP McMurphy. Me in my suit, and RP in his jeans and t-shirt. He gave me the usual “well not a lot going on here right now, but I’ll keep your resume and air check on file” I was crestfallen. Shook hands and turned to walk out when he shouted “hey you know Big Ed Dunaway!” I said “oh man thank you! He told me to have you call him when you can, he wanted to talk to you!” Of course I just made that up and then raced to a pay phone to call Big Ed and tell him about the encounter. Well the two talked and thanks to Big Ed Dunaway, he convinced RP McMurphy to take me in. And that’s how I got into radio! More to come in the next episode…
Congratulations, Jake.
Jake Whittenberg sits at his cubicle on the 15th anniversary of his employment at Channel 5/Seattle. Marking the anniversary of a long term at KING 5, several colorful bags of gas can be seen floating above his desk.
