AJ [Full name, A.J. Battalio] came to the morning show at KLCK, 98.9, from KBUL, Reno, by way of Lubbock, TX
A.J. Roberts was PD at KHIT/Bremerton, now works at KOMO TV. He is the resident expert on “Super Heroes”
Aaron Brown – “Skip” Brown was a newsman at news-talk KTW-AM 1250 when the station was trying to compete against Seattle’s established all-news powerhouse KIRO-AM. (Skip was young; he refused to tell his age. Further, Brown does not list KTW in his work resume. He was born, if you want to know, in 1948.) Prior to joining “KING Newservice” at KING-TV in 1976, Brown also worked at KRAB-FM, producing special programs, including a documentary about life in Washington prisons for NPR. Brown also reported the Washington State Legislature for three months for KTVW Channel 13, (a public television station at the time.) He spent 18 years in Seattle as reporter or anchor for first KING-TV, then KIRO-TV. In 1991 he left Seattle for a job at ABC-TV in New York leading to him anchoring “World News Tonight.” and reporting on “Nightline.” From 2001 to 2005 Brown was anchorman for the cable network CNN where he reinforced his discerning, smiling, sometimes-even-smirking delivery as reporter and anchor. His first “broadcast day” on CNN was September 11, 2001, where he provided coverage of the Twin Towers bombing from a rooftop in lower Manhattan. For his “calming and insightful” coverage he won an Edward R. Murrow Award. Brown also has three Emmys, a DuPont Award, a New York Film Society World Medal and a George Foster Peabody Award. He hosted CNN’s “NewsNight Now with Aaron Brown” but was replaced by Anderson Cooper. He then appeared on several PBS feature reports. He became the inaugural Walter Cronkite Professor of Journalism instructor at Arizona State University in 2009. Lives with wife Charlotte Raynor, former KING 5 reporter, in Arizona.
Aaron Levine [Q13 News]
Aaron Taylor [KMPS] he works at MusicMaster/A-Ware Software in Mukilteo, WA
Abe Beeson grew up in Western Washington and as a student at Pacific Lutheran University landed a job at KPLU, editing and producing audio for news stories. Up comes a Christmas Day shift no one else wanted it; Beeson thus got his first on-air experience. This led to an overnight shift, then Saturday afternoons, and now, since 1998, Beeson has been the host of “Evening Jazz,” 7 to midnight. He once locked himself out of the station on a particularly cold winter night. (VOS2012) Abe Beeson currently works at 88.5, which now sports call letters KNKX.
Abbi Kaplan – KEZX; KNDD personality
Adam Gehrke – weather@ Q13 and news for Sandusky radio. Adam Gehrke is the Quick Commute Traffic anchor for Q13 FOX News This Morning, weekdays 5-9 am. Adam was honored by Seattle Magazine as “Seattle’s Best Traffic Reporter,” after years of broadcasting traffic updates on countless radio stations around Puget Sound. He expanded his career into TV when he joined Q13 FOX News. That TV career followed his first 10 years of work in radio. Somewhere in the mix of all those stations he worked for, Adam was overheard recording a stock report on a business/talk station and was immediately drafted as a traffic reporter. Adam is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound, with a degree in Communication and a minor in Music. When he isn’t on air broadcasting, Adam is probably working on a stellar new magic trick, recording a new song, practicing Baguazhang in a local park, or taking a power nap.
Adam Gordon was not content to simply announce sports events, he built a career as an executive producer and program creator. He spent 15 years before the microphone and 15 years behind the mike. Gordon attended Washington State University and got his start in broadcasting in 1988 with the Spokane Chiefs. In 1990 he took over as broadcast director for the Tacoma Rockets. From there he worked as broadcaster and producer for the International Hockey League, the Houston Aeros Hockey Club, and the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League. He also had stints in Tokyo television, Certified Public Accountants, Microsoft., the Versus Network, NBC, Root Sports and the Pac12 Network. (CHBCenter, 2014)
Adam Thompson, KING 5 Investigative Photojournalist, died at age 44, June 3, 2022, just two weeks after marrying KING video editor Amber Litz. Thompson had been diagnosed with an extremely aggressive and unpredictable form of brain cancer.
Adrian Ramirez is a street reporter for Q13 KCPQ
Al Clarke worked as an actor at the Cirque Playhouse in March of 1966. It is possible that he was already working in radio at this time or had worked in radio previously Al shows up in the Seattle Times radio listings for the first time on 7/30/1967 at KBLE FM. He is listed at various times as morning man all the way to all nights at the end and was gone from KBLE before 5/3/70 when he is listed in a Victor Stredicke column as a radio personality at KVAC AM in Forks. He shows up as being interviewed on Bill Carters Partyline on the subject of alcoholism. On 12/10/1972 Stredicke says Clarke has a telephone talk show on KURB. By June, 1973 Clarke is advertising for items to stock a non-profit treatment center called “Comprehensive Alcoholism Programs”. In April of 1982, Clarke is working at KMPS as a radio personality and a story in The Seattle Times had details of a fire in the 6 story building on Western Ave. that housed the station. Clarke was quoted as saying “I shut it off the air, then flat took off. It was a dandy”. That was the last listing I could find for Al Clarke.
Al Cummings – living the life in Mexico. Major star at KING AM in the 1950s. Also worked for 1150 KRSC, 770 KXA, KTNT TV 11, 1400 KTNT, 570 KVI, 1150 KAYO, 1300 KOL, 710 KIRO, KYAC 1460 (talk show), KISW FM (talk show)…Al wrote to us in 2011: “How wonderful to bring up the memories of radio in Seattle! I got into radio after WW2 in the Air Force (part of the Army)I did a stint as a night club entertainer acting as a foil for a fantastic mime. We were booked by MCA, which was a small company then. In Baltimore, my partner and I split up and I went to work for WBAL. From there, I went to WWDC in Washington. I did the all night show. One of my listeners was President Truman. After that, I ducked The Capitol and went to several small stations in the East. I saw an ad in BROADCASTING for a morning man in San Francisco. I auditioned and got hired by….Elroy McCaw… Now there is a man who ought to be mentioned in Radio History. He sent me to Seattle to help with a new station there, with the promise that he would later move me to San Francisco. I never went. I fell in love with that overgrown cow town! Oh, I could rattle on!”
Al Monroe [KRKO]
Al Munroe [KITZ]
Al Vanik says: Yes, at one time Al Vanik was both Al Mack and Allen MacKenzie – but I think that was Portland/KISN when I was working for Buzz Barr. At KOL, where I worked for Buzz before he went to KISN, Buzz gave me the name Al Mack. Rhett Hamilton Walker the First was Afternoons as I recall. Yes, .. I was also Gary Mitchell at the BIG 11/K-I-N-Geee ..
Now, there was a name switch when I was working Part Time on two different stations in Seattle. At KUBE, I was Gary Mitchell and when I finished my Sunday shift on KUBE, I’d go over to KVI where I became Al Vanik – with a whole different KVI Style.
No, I was never “Gary Mack” that is another Guy, and, I’ve heard he’s pretty good! ‘s clearer.
I worked in Radio from 1965 to 1987 – so, that’s actually 22 years, and from 1987 to now, I’ve been doing VO, which is 36 years. (Don’t add `em up – it’s a LONG time).
VO/Voice Acting is NOT Radio, it is definitely NOT Announcing. It is a Totally Different Craft – a whole other Part of you comes to Life. During the 36 years I’ve been working at it, I’ve created all kinds of things for my Customers, from TV to Radio, Conventions, Narrations, anything a Customer wants a Voice Actor to vocally – “Paint a Picture”. I work every day, even when I’m out of the country in Portugal or in another city. I have remote gear to record what my Customers ask me to record.
**I’m here for my Customers – always have been, always will be.** (VANIK-2023)
Al Wallace – Al Wallace came to Seattle for a news job at KING-AM, eventually became the station’s news director. A short time later he transferred to KING-TV, first as beat reporter, but then as evening news anchorman. On screen, Wallace was a “hard news” advocate, but he personally preferred human-interest stories. Through the ’70s he was featured doing short human-interest stories. This led to a high-profile Sunday evening local TV show, “How Come?” in which he explained how things were made, or why they were important. He died in 1983 at age 58. Leukemia.
Al Workman -Al shows up in the Seattle Times radio listings at KBLE on Feb 21, 1965. Al had a country and western band, so he was a natural for KBLE FM’s venture into country music. After going through several jocks at KBLE since Al arrived at KBLE, we find in a Victor Stredicke column on 10/4/1970 that Gary McCartie the morning man and John Todd have left KBLE and Al Workman, program director, now has an air shift from 6 AM to 7:30 PM. It had to be automation or he was one tired dude. The last time Al shows up associated with KBLE FM is in a column by Stredicke on 2/3/1971 listing local radio personality’s set to appear at the next KIRO Variety Club Telethon.
Al Wynn – Manager at KXA, left town and bought part ownership of KODL, The Dalles, OR.
Alan Archer worked at KRKO, Everett, KAYO, KRPM, KQIN KUBE FM and KVI. In Costa Rica under his real name Alan McMullen he began as a disk jockey in San Jose, CR. In 1975 in Costa Rica, Alan worked at Radio Uno. After Seattle, he moved to Olympia and worked at “the South Sound Country” KAYO 99.3, Elma, and Olympia’s “The Eagle” KFMY 97.7 He was news announcer, assistant program director. In 1993 he wrote a weekly column “Computer Talk,” for the Olympia newspaper. He worked for the Department of Social and Health Services. When Alan retired from DSHS in Washington, he moved to Chehalis WA and started working for KITI/Live 95 in September 2017 and is still working then on-air and having fun.
Alan Budwill enjoyed 32 years as co-host of the KPLZ morning show with Kent Phillips. Budwill retired in January 2019.
Alan Mason/Mike Rivers – KGW/Portland, KING-AM Program Director
Alan Prell began in January 2005 as KIRO-AM’s midafternoon replacement for Dave Ross. (Ross was off the air while running for public office.) Prell, a Nebraska native, had previous experience with radio talk shows in Reno, Los Angeles and dating back to 1975, Maryland, where he was replaced by syndicated Rush Limbaugh. Prell was funny but whacked out. A liberal who considered himself “moderate,” he could be sarcastic to callers who did not agree. He wrote an obituary for “Alan Prell Jr. the right-wing talk show host.” When he was fired from KIRO nine months later, he tormented the owner, Entercom Communications Corp. and picketed the station, He was draped in an American flag and “chains of oppression.” He since has written several books, including “The Brothers Prell,” a novel about growing up in Nebraska, and “Ka-Ching, the Repository of Universal Wisdom.” Prell, now living in Virginia, cautions that this book is for “those of you who move your lips while reading.” (VOS2012)
Alan Stuart is perhaps familiar as disk jockey and production director on KZAM, KJZZ, KLSY-AM-FM from 1981 to 1988. He was disk jockey and production aide in 1990 at KJR-AM. In 2007 he started the pirate radio station Spunk FM. A website offers this information: “We have been broadcasting without a license for several years. Recently it has come to our attention that the FCC has been looking for us. “To avoid a fine, and the possibility that we would never be able to get a broadcasting license, we have shut down our FM transmitter. Soon, we will start a fund-raising campaign to raise money for the goal of getting our license, and the other expenses of getting the Spunk FM back on-the-air legally”
—–ADDENDUM— December 6, 2012
Alan Stuart Eskenazy
Seattle, Washington 98109
NOTICE OF UNLICENSED OPERATION
Case Number: EB-FIELDWR-12-00005178
Document Number: W201332980001
The Seattle District Office (of the F.C.C.) received information that an unlicensed broadcast radio station on 101.9 MHz was allegedly operating in Seattle, Washington. On November 1, 2012, agents from this office confirmed by direction finding techniques that radio signals on frequency 101.9 MHz were emanating from a residence in Seattle, Washington. The Commission’s records show that no license was issued for operation of a broadcast station at this location on 101.9 MHz
Seattle, Washington… This station is operating in violation of 47 U.S.C. § 301.
You are hereby warned that operation of radio transmitting equipment without a valid radio station authorization constitutes a violation of the Federal laws cited above and could subject the operator of this illegal operation to severe penalties, including, but not limited to, substantial monetary forfeitures, in rem arrest action against the offending radio equipment, and criminal sanctions including imprisonment.——
Spunk FM programming is available for internet mobile listening. Alan started in 1979 as Alan Larsen at KORK-AM 920, Las Vegas, offering high school reports during the station’s morning show. [VOS2012]
Alan Walters – was first listed in The Seattle Times radio listings at KJR on June 28, 1964. He was listed there until Feb 21, 1965. He then was not listed again until March 5, 1972. It was announced that Walters and Bill Ward, new manager of KURB, Mountlake Terrace were paired to run a two-man morning show from 6 to 10 AM. It is unknown at this time how long he lasted there as he never was listed in the radio listings for KURB.
Albert Tucker [KZAM]
Alex Ray [KGAA-Kirkland]
Alex Crewdson – formerly with KPEC and KOMO, died March 2011.
Alex Darby – weekender at KNBQ circa 1986
Alex Silverman – KIRO Radio reporter now at WCBS New York.
Alexis Smith joined KIRO 7 as traffic reporter in May of 2013. She tracks the busy commute with the KIRO 7 News morning team Monday through Friday. Alexis has been in professional broadcasting since 2002 when she got her start in radio. While earning her bachelor’s degree in communications at the University of Michigan, she interned for a morning show in Detroit. Alexis hosted radio shows in several cities including Kalamazoo, San Antonio, and Dallas. In 2010 she began covering traffic for Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket, KLIF-FM, and ABC affiliate WFAA in Dallas. When not watching the roads, Alexis enjoys running, with several half-marathons under her belt. She also loves cooking, reading, and spending time with her three young nephews. Worked weekends at KISW FM. Left Seattle in July 2016 for a job at KGO TV San Francisco. Returned to Seattle when her husband took a job here in July 2019.
Alice Porter – Alice Porter was, lastly, a part of the Murdock, Hunter & Alice morning team on KLSY-FM (92.5). Porter and fellow team member Tim Hunter had been paired on KLSY in afternoons in 1987 before forming a morning show with Bruce Murdock in 1989, that ran until 2004. Porter herself understood her ability to connect with people in person or via the airwaves. On her personal website, she wrote that “nothing is more important and personal to me than being in a position to help others. … Radio is the way I’ve found to be present in the moment when people need help. So, I chose radio, or it chose me, I will never know.” After 15 years Murdock left the station. Porter and Hunter had hoped to continue in Seattle radio as a duo. They were not rehired at KLSY. Porter, who lived in Maple Valley, was born and reared in Seaside, Or., where she started working for a local radio station while still in high school. She graduated from the University of Oregon. She worked at two stations in Eugene before moving to Seattle’s KEZX-FM announcing news and traffic reports and sailboarding reports. She died a year after leaving KLSY. She was 44.
Allen Schauffler – . Allen Schauffler co-anchored the top-rated weekend evening editions of KING 5 News at 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. in 2013 when he left KING for an assignment with Al Jazeera TV. Schauffler came to KING 5 News in October 1992 as a weekend anchor and general reporter. From September 1988 to October 1992, Schauffler was an anchor, consumer reporter, producer, and general assignment reporter for KSBY-TV in San Luis Obispo, California. He also worked for a year as a reporter and photographer at KTVZ-TV in Bend, Oregon.
Allen Stewart [KJR weekends]
Alpha Trivette was co-host on “The Kelly and Alpha Show,” the KMGI morning segment in 1987. (Kelly Stevens got first billing.) Trivette and Stevens developed a comfortable, funny relationship and in fact totaled about 20 years working together at various radio stations. KMGI was Seattle’s first commercial station to occupy the 107.7 frequency. The format at “Magic 108” was a bit more than adult-contemporary. The major competitor on the dial as KLSY, 92.5, and the two stations’ ratings were neck and neck except at night when the dedication show “Lights Out” stomped KMGI. The Magic lasted three years. New owners came in 1991 and the station became KNND. After Seattle, Kelly and Alpha went to “hot hits” KBEQ, Kansas City, then KYUU, also in Kansas. Next came “kool 105” KXKL, Denver, When the duo rejoined at WSB “B98.9”, Atlanta, from 1999 to 2009 the gig was expected to be a temporary deal but developed into a 10-year run. Trivette has read a series of audio books and appeared in a Cinemax cable-TV series “Banshee” He has appeared in dozens of Atlanta stage productions, TV programs and motion pictures. He wrote comedy bits and did stand-up comedy In college Trivette had served as president of Future Farmers of America, traveling across the country and to London and the (then) Soviet Union. At the beginning of 2013, he was at Ansley Park Playhouse, in Atlanta, winding up a month-long run, presenting the Jimmy Stewart movie “This Wonderful Life,” revised into a one-man show. (VOS2013)
Ana Kelly – KBSG, KPLZ, KOMO, KVI and now KCMS Spirit 105.3
Andee Beck, a Los Angeles native, began writing Hollywood-celebrity interviews in 1978. In 1980 she frequently appeared as co-host on the Jim Althoff show on KING-AM (They met when she had been a guest on his Portland talk show.) Beck continued freelance writing from a number of West Coast publications, and in 1992 was TV columnist for the Tacoma News Tribune. The couple moved to Minneapolis, where Beck continued occasional jobs. She blogs on the internet as Andee Beck Althoff.
Andrew Harms – KNDD DJ, now involved with Andy Schuon and P. Diddy Combs’ TV channel, REVOLT TV.
Andrew Walsh KIRO Radio producer-turned-Talk Show host; 7-10 pm started 12/3/12; That career ended November 2013. Walsh made occasional visits/fill-in on KIRO since then.
Andy Barber, KING-AM’s nighttime personality in 1972, grew up in Los Angeles listening to Top-40 radio. After high school, Andy went to L.A. Valley & University of Southern California, Don Martin’s Radio & TV School, and Harvey Lembeck’s Acting School. Still at Don Martin’s, he read about a new station signing on in Wichita, Kansas: KEYN-AM-FM. That’s where Andy Barber got his start in 1968 (7 pm -midnight). He won the Billboard Magazine Medium Market Air Personality of The Year Award in 1970 & 1971. (From that he says he got 38 job offers in 3 months’ time.) Among his antics, Barber tried to surf the Arkansas River. In 1972, he went north — to “the Big Eleven” KING-AM, Seattle, The nighttime jock posed for a Playgirl magazine centerfold. He became assistant program director, music director and afternoon-drive disk jockey at KSTP-AM, Minneapolis. In 1975, as the new afternoon host at KREM, Spokane, he spoofed his own run for mayor of Spokane. He returned to KING in the 6-10 PM slot and “ran” for Washington State governor. On the air he used bells and whistles and shouted out three-digit numbers (which seemed to have something to do with sexual conquests). In 1977 Barber left KING-AM — the departure was explained as a medical emergency, but Barber popped up as a utility announcer at KTNQ, Los Angeles. From 1978 through 1981, Barber continued to work in Top 40 and CHR radio at KYTE, Portland, KULF in Houston, and KMGC, Portland. Inn 1981 he was back in Los Angeles and triumphantly returned to Seattle as morning man at the new KHIT 106 (formerly KBRO-FM).. Barber continued his radio career through the ’80′s in Dallas, Salt Lake City and Louisville, KY. Andy Barber had been at KJSR, Tulsa, but left the air in 2012. — Currently, in Tulsa bounced from BOB-FM Classic Hits(KBEZ) likely from a bean counter’s decision on salary.
Andy Wappler – weather man 1994-2008, son of Harry Wappler veteran KIRO meteorologist
Andy Guyer – lives in Bothell, no radio gig last we heard
Andy Nilsen – KLAN, KAYO personality
Andy Savage – formerly at K-Rock in Seattle
Andy Schuon [KISW Weekend/fill in on air personality] Credits include: Executive Vice President, Head of Programming & Production: MTV, MTV2 & VH1; Viacom, 1992 – 1998; Program Director – KROQ-FM Los Angeles CBS Radio 1989 – 1992.
Angie Good – Angie Good was axed from her morning show at KOSO Modesto, CA in Clear Channel cuts. Angie Good is now at KHOP FM in Stocton, CA doing the 3-7pm shift. There is a cartoon of her on their website.
Angie Mentink is an American sports television personality and former softball and baseball player who is currently an anchor for Root Sports Northwest and co-anchor of the television program Mariners Live. Mentink played college softball at Washington, where she earned All-American honors and went on to play in a women’s professional baseball league before becoming a sports broadcaster. Mentink began her broadcasting career with Fox Sports Northwest (now Root Sports Northwest), first as an intern then in 1998 as a reporter covering the Seattle Mariners and Seattle Seahawks. She serves as co-anchor for “Mariners All Access”, a pre- and post-game show on Root Sports Northwest. Then known as Angie Arlati, Mentink briefly remotely anchored the Detroit Sports Report for Fox Sports Detroit. (Wikipedia)
Angie Morales – Cohost of Moug & Angie morning show (Boise) and KPLZ Seattle January 2022-August 2023. Previous markets include Las Vegas.
Ann Martin attended the University of Washington, got a job right away in the middle ’70s as weather gal and weekend news anchor at KIRO-TV. She was calm and friendly on-air and off. She was born in Everett, named Martha Gebhardt. She moved to California to be main anchor at KABC-TV in 1975. In 1994 she moved to KCBS. Ann lightened her hair, polished a gentle camera presence, pushed for more significant stories to cover, then entered the million-dollar category that some big market TV personalities are presumed to make. While with CBS Ann eventually anchored the 4 p.m. news on KCAL and the 6 p.m. news on KCBS. She has appeared as a TV anchor in three movies. She has written two short books on pet care. Following a CBS budget-cutting year in 2008, Ann Martin retired. Basically, two LA station, 33 years. (VOS2013)
Anna Winter KLAY, KGY, KXXO 96.1
Anne Barnaby [KSEA] Anne Barnaby left Seattle eventually ending up at KPKX FM, Bozeman.
Archer was the only name used for this television board-announcer who zipped through Seattle for a brief stay at KRWM in 1975. followed by three years at KMTT. After Seattle, he was at stations in Winnsocket RI, Portland, Los Angeles, New York City and Juarez, Mexico. His full name is Alan Wesley Archer. At KMJK, Oswego, Oregon, he was Alan Wesley. At KPBS, Portland, he was Alan Archer. His last airshift was in Denver in 2008. Now back using the monomoniker Archer, he is involved in radio production, drawing on his earlier ventures including the first version of “Breakfast With the Beatles” and “Beatles in the Basement” which ended in 2009. (VOS2013)
Arne Skoog – Radio engineer Arne Skoog passed away in July 2013 following a battle with colon cancer. He was with CBS Seattle [and Infinity] for over twenty years.
Art Gilmore – Born in Tacoma/1912 –Graduated from Stadium High School/College of Puget Sound and Washington State College– worked on-air at KWSC campus station [KVI Tacoma after college – $15 a month reading Hollywood news and reciting poetry. KOL in 1935] — Art Gilmore, who went on to introduce television shows and narrate countless movie trailers, died September 25, 2010 in Irvine, CA. He was 98. He moved to Los Angeles in the ’30s and became a staff announcer at KFWB and later KNX.
Art Kevin – passed away Aug. 15, 2002 (lung cancer) at his home in the Las Vegas Valley.
Art Lind, former KMO personality, moved to mornings at KQIN in 1975 — the sunset sign-off station in Burien. Lind was rescued when KOL became KMPS-AM, with its country format. He became the station’s original midday host. Unfortunately he had a stroke and left radio [1978]. He died a short time later.
Art Popham was the radio announcer for the Pacific Coast League on KMO, 1360. He started in high school as batboy for the Kansas city Athletics He became the team’s public-relations director at age 20.when the team was moved to Oakland In 1976 Popham left the Athletics to become the voice of the Tacoma Twins on KMO. He also worked UPS and high-school games. He and Doug McArthur broadcast a Friday evening sports program from the Cloverleaf Tavern from 1977 to 1981. Popham moved a nightly interview show “PM Tacoma” from the short-lived KPMA, 1400, to the re-named KAMT, 1360 kHz. This program usually originated from the Tacoma Dome or the Pantages Center. He was the recipient of the Municipal League’s 1989 Distinguished Citizen Award. Later The Popham Award was created to honor him. He joined The News Tribune as a business columnist in 1991. He died in 2002 from complications following a stroke. He was 52. (VOS2012)
Art Simpson [KOL] Art Simpson showed up in the “Broadcasting Yearbook” in 1955. He was listed as the PD at KALE in Pasco. The first time he showed up in The Seattle Times radio guide was at KOL AM on June 13, 1957. He stayed on the KOL listing until May 6, 1962. He next showed up at KBVU as one of the initial jocks on January 11, 1964. On Oct 18, 1964 an article appeared in The Times that said he was leaving broadcasting to start a career in real estate at MacPherson’s Real Estate.
Athen James [KWYZ]
B.R. Bradbury -Bill Munson — Munson’s real name was William Ruel Bradbury. Program Director Buzz Barr came up with his air name combining the last names of two of the top unlimited hydro drivers: Bill Muncey (Miss Thriftway) and Ron Musson (Miss Bardahl). He started using his real name B.R. Bradbury at KFRC when management made him drop “Bill” so as not to be confused with another member of the news team. He worked stints at KFRC, KHJ, KPOL, KAYO, KJR and CFUN. He died in 2001.
Bailey Coleman [KRIZ]
Barbra Blake [KKNW FM] was also at the Mountain FM 104 KMTT. Funeral services will be held 6/14/21 for Barbara Blake, formerly with KKNW Seattle, KYOT Phoenix, KKSF San Francisco, and the Smooth Jazz Sunday Brunch on KTWV (94.7 The Wave)/Los Angeles, who died Thursday evening, June 10 in Santa Monica after a brief illness. She was 80 years old. After she left KTWV she did online shows, formed citizenplanet.com, and hosted a podcast and monthly blog.
Barry Beck – KUBE 93 FM Oct 1982 – Jul 1992
Barry Judge worked at KDFW/Dallas, CNN, KIRO 7 news in 1991 and went on to KING 5 and then on to KXLY/Spokane. Judge was replaced at KXLY by Mark Wright who later came to Seattle and worked at KCPQ 13 and KING 5.
Bart Cronin [KIRO 710 in the 1960s]
Beau Roberts – KNBQ, KBSG Deceased (2017)
Becky Brenner – KMPS – Longtime country programmer, CMA and CRB Board Member, digital media manager and consultant Becky Brenner becomes a VP and consulting partner with Jaye Albright and Michael O’Malley’s company, further adding to the resources available to Albright & O’Malley clients. [2012]
Bender – After 18 years of mornings on KISS 106.1, he’s now doing mornings on sister KJR-FM/95.7 The Jet (as of June/2020). Also hosts annual Bender’s One Big Give for Seattle Children’s Hospital Radiothon (20 years!)
Ben Howard – owned KVAC AM 1490/Forks in the mid-1970s.
Ben Peyton began in broadcasting at age 15 (adding to his his dad’s daily gospel program) and later high school sports in Roanoke, VA. Seattle listeners met him in 1976 as morning personality and program director of county-music KAYO. His task (or vision) was to wean (or update) KAYO listeners from banjo-pickin’ music lovers to rock drum and electric guitar fans. That took only a year or so. After a ten-year tour of the radio world, Peyton returned home to work as a syndicator and consultant. At age 40, he entered the ministry; became senior pastor and bishop of churches established by his father in the early ’30s and ’40s, and 50s. He is president of Perception Media Group, Inc., a Virginia radio operator. He has assigned himself the 6:30 a.m. time for “Joy of Discovery.”
Big Bob Anthony – Bob Fogal. As of June 2021 Bob Fogal is the Owner, Manager of KOOL 107.1 FM Radio La Quinta, California
Big Ed Dunaway – Long-time Northwest radio Country disc jockey; KMO, KRPM, KMPS now working for the Auburn School District (25 years as of May 2021).
Bill Adams KQDE
Bill Apple: KPQ Wenatchee, joined KVOS Bellingham in 1940. In 1948, Bill Apple started his “Stay Up Stan, The All-Night Record Man” program on KXA. Apple moved to KRSC in 1949 and stayed with the station through a call letter change to KAYO. Only when KAYO flipped to more of a rock & roll format in 1958 did Bill Apple hang up his headphones.
Bill Benson KSTW 11 News
Bill Bray -KTW Deejay when KTW played Top 40, back in the mid-1960s – deceased – auto accident.
Bill Brubaker – At KOMO TV since 1962, Brubaker left the 11pm anchor position, “retiring” from News, in JUNE 1983. In July of that year, Brubaker was to start a series called “Off The Road with Bill Brubaker.” This was a “road show” like Charles Kuralt had on CBS. This didn’t develop and instead, Brubaker, a Republican, went into local politics, becoming a Snohomish County councilman. He was appointed in 1987, after Bruce Agnew resigned. In between his second and third terms on the County Council, Bill was named Assistant Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation, serving as the Director of the Aviation Division. After the County Council, Bill worked for a short while with the engineering firm CH2Hhill. Then, Bill “retired.”
** MAY 2021– KOMO–Brubaker grew up in Spokane and graduated from Washington State University. He arrived at KOMO News in the 1960s, working at the station during the 1970s and 1980s. Brubaker shared the KOMO News anchor desk with Bruce King and Ray Ramsey. Former KOMO News anchor Bill Brubaker, who spent over two decades at the station as one of the main on-air talent, died in May 2021. He was 85.
Bill Carter, a pioneer of Seattle’s talk radio, started in 1958 at KTW, then still owned by Seattle First Presbyterian Church. Carter guided the leisurely call-in session with generally the same few callers, using nicknames like Lochinvar, Flower Girl, John the Clockman, and in the background of one of his regulars, Mildred the parrot. Carter guided callers through topics including operations, recipes and neighborly chats. No religion, no politics. Bill moved the program through several stations, most successful of which was in 1967 — after 11p.m. on KIRO-AM. Audiences grew and listener events were staged, including an annual Partyline Picnic at Lincoln Park. Partyline was heard variously on KIXI-AM, KTW-AM and in 1969 on KBLE-FM where he “broke the music barrier” on FM. There the talk show was a midday feature, with an after-midnight session on Mondays only. At some stations Carter secured his own sponsors, notably the Jade Pagoda restaurant and a taxicab company — “the cabs that are green MAin 17 17.” Carter was a graduate of the old Broadway High School. He started in radio sates at KOL and KRSC. (He might have tried a Partyline type program in 1947 on KOL.) After one of his hiatuses and a minor heart attack Carter professed to give up cigarettes and John Barleycorn. After leaving radio Carter sold electric organs at a piano store. He had been married and was father of two daughters. [Victor Stredicke]
Bill Cavanah
Bill Cole [Coleman] worked in Portland area radio at KPOK, KWJJ and was KGAR/KVAN Operations Manager & Music Director, 1981-84, then KVAN Station Manager, 1984-86. He was with Eugene area stations KASH & KGAL. Bill worked at Seattle area stations KTNT/KNBQ as Program Director and at KMPS. He was KLOG Kelso Program Director & Chief Engineer & KPUG Bellingham Program Director. Bill passed away in December 2012.
Bill Conway [KBRD] – recently let go as PD at KOIT FM San Francisco, who programmed leading music radio stations for more than 35 years is the former program director of AC-formatted KOIT, San Francisco where he was highly successful as a strong ratings-getter from 1997-2011. He has programmed seven #1 stations in six different markets and today serves as a consultant to select friends and companies in the industry. He can be emailed at Bconway71@gmail.com
Bill Cooper – in Beaverton, OR [KBPS] still doing voice-over work
Bill Crounse, started his career in broadcasting long before he became a physician. He started when he was in college at UPS in Tacoma. Bill came up with an idea for a local television show aimed at teens and young adults. He sold the idea to Max Bice, then general manager of KTNT-TV in Tacoma. The show, which he produced and hosted, was called Opcom. The weekly, half-hour show ran for three summers from 1968 to 1970. When Bill was just 20 years old, he also anchored the Sunday Night News for KTNT. Shortly after that, he hosted Quizathon for KING-TV in Seattle. A few years later, Bill decided to go to Medical School. After is residency in family medicine he returned to Seattle to join Virginia Mason Medical Center. Soon after, broadcasting came calling again. Between 1983 and 1990, Dr. Crounse was featured as KOMO’s family doctor on the evening news where he provided daily medical reports. He provided similar services for KIRO-TV in the mid-90’s. Additionally, his broadcasting career went national and global when, for three years, he provided medical reports for ABC News, The Health Show, and between 1984 and 1990, anchored medical programming for physicians on Lifetime Medical Television (Physician’s Journal Update). He commuted between Seattle, Los Angeles and New York to do those shows. Besides practicing clinical medicine part-time over the years, Dr. Crounse eventually entered hospital administration as a Senior Vice President/CIO for Overlake Hospital in Bellevue. In 2002, Bill joined Microsoft as the company’s senior director for worldwide health. There he was part of a small team based in Redmond that manages Microsoft’s worldwide health technology business. In that role, he traveled all over the world giving keynote addresses, interviews and meeting with customers and government officials. He retired in 2016.
Bill Doane – DJ and newsman — KASY (Auburn) and KVI (weekends)
Bill Dore KOMO TV announcer – deceased
Bill Fanning accumulated 30 years in Seattle radio, including seven or more years at KBLE, 1050. Through 1975 he had little exposure on KBLE, basically board operator between brokered radio-evangelists and Christian-music interludes. He had studied radio at Everett Community College. Frequently for such stations as KING, KOMO and KIRO, he was station sports announcer, including play-by-play for high-school football, boxing and even this new sport entity, hydroplane racing. He acknowledged being a “network-style” classical announcer at KXA, 770, and a “chicken rock” disk jockey at several other stations.
Bill Fink KRPM PD – Went on to KZLA/Los Angeles 1996-99. Bill is operations manager for the six-station Regent Communications in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Bill Ford – Ex-KOL program Director and radio newsman co-owner of Ford Odell Group – Public Relations
Bill Gallant was a reporter or talk-show host on KIRO-AM, KING-AM and KOMO in the early 1980s. He gained particular recognition as the singular liberal, acerbic talk-show host on KIRO from 1991 to 1996. He had strong opinions when radio was only beginning to have strong opinions. Gallant began his career as a television reporter in Bangor, Maine. After a short stint as s spokesman for Congressman Norm Dicks in 1979, he landed briefly at KING-AM, but then began “The Bill Gallant Show” on KIRO-AM. He took a leave of absence from KIRO radio to run as the democratic nominee for a senate seat in his home state of Maine (against iconic Republican Olivia Snowe). His next stop was as a producer at KOMO-AM and then as a TV producer on Northwest Cable News. Later he became director of communications for the Archdiocese of Seattle during a turbulent period for the Catholic Church. He regarded his time as diocese spokesman as his most challenging and most rewarding. He died of colon cancer in 2002, age 46. (VOS2014)
Bill Gardner was the cool, topical wise guy on afternoon drive at KING-AM from late 1971 to early 1973. He has worked at “America’s very first rock and roll radio station on FM” Denver’s KLZ-FM, He was twice named Billboard’s Air Personality of the Year while in Dallas. He stayed at this station for a decade. He has worked in San Francisco, San Diego, and for nine years was on-air personality at KOOL, Phoenix — eventually becoming program director. In 1989-91 he owned and operated an AM/FM combo in a ski-resort area of Arizona’s White Mountains. In 2010 he was program director of KJLL, Fountain Valley, CA, a four-station group surrounding Los Angeles, including Thousand Oaks, Victorville and a translator in Malibu Beach — all broadcasting as “92.7 Jill”. He is one of three Gardner brothers currently in radio. The brothers work at different stations in hometown Philadelphia. His father Bill Gardner Sr. was in television for 40 years in Philadelphia. Gardner lives in Las Vegas. He works with Airline Ground Schools, Livermore, CA. In 2012 he applied for and missed a job in Miami. “I guess I’m retired,” Gardner said, “until I hear otherwise.” (VOS2012)
Bill Gavin was an announcer at both KOMO and KJR — when both stations operated together in the 1950s. His career blossomed when he moved to San Francisco and in 1958 began publishing “The Gavin Report,” a tip-sheet for radio programmers and record enthusiasts. His publication monitored single record sales and playlists at key top-40 radio stations, One of Gavin’s KJR features in 1940 was called “Fish Finder.” At KOMO he had a program called “Captain Dobbsie’s Ship of Joy” filling in for Hugh Dobbs, founder of what was a popular West Coast syndicated music program. Gavin’s fame grew beyond the Northwest as he became the key announcer for “Lucky Lager Dance Time,” a syndicated music program. Before radio, he was a teacher, a pianist and a member of a vocal group, The Blenders. He died of cancer in 1985, age 77.
Bill Goff – News Director at KVI and later at Kountry KAYO.
Bill Graham – KMO Tacoma, production director, air personality
Bill Harpel [Part owner/ops manager at KQDE 1959] Outing Fatal To Bill Harpel, Snowmobile Accident Claims KHAR Owner (Times 1/15/68) It was clear and cold and beautiful – about 10 degrees below zero and shortly before three o’clock in the afternoon – when Bill Harpel died Saturday as his snowmobile plunged off a trail near Mt. Alyeska and struck a tree. Funeral services for the 46-year-old broadcasting executive, owner of KHAR AM-FM and TV, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Anchorage Funeral Chapel. Harpel was the first person in the Anchorage area to suffer fatal injuries in a snowmobile accident. Earlier, two other fatalities had been reported in the state from mishaps occurring on snow machines. An avid snowmobile enthusiast and recognized as one of Alaska’s leading broadcasters, Harpel died seven years and one week after he first put KHAR radio on the air in Anchorage on Jan. 7, 1961. In the intervening years, Harpel built “Heart Radio” into a broadcasting operation that had a great impact on listening habits in the Anchorage area. Starting from a trailer studio on the Seward Highway, Harpel built his station into a leading broadcast operation that saw FM added on Dec. 22,1966, and television added on Channel 13 last Oct. 31. Harpel’s last day of a life that began June 28, 1921, in Clear Lake, S.D., was the outdoors that he loved. Accompanied by Larry Weatherman, public relations and advertising manager for the National Bank of Alaska and one of Harpel’s closest friends, the broadcaster was on a snowmobile outing up the long trail toward Crow Creek mine. “We were almost to the top, up where you can look over and see Whittier,” said Weatherman, “when we decided to come back. The snow really was too deep. “Bill was driving his big racing machine with a new motor, and was running well ahead of me. He would stop, look back, and see that I was all right, and then go on again. Back down the trail was hard packed and rough. He must have hit a bump and sailed. There weren’t any tracks off the trail.” Weatherman passed the point where Harpel’s machine left the trail – without at that time noticing anything amiss. It was later when he doubled back, not finding Harpel ahead, that Weatherman noticed his friend off the trail, the snow mobile smashed. “It was exactly 3:04 p.m. when I found him,” Weatherman said. “It was clear and cold and beautiful at the time. Bill must have plunged off the trail a little before three o’clock. When I got there, there wasn’t anything I could do to revive him.” Harpel’s two sons, Craig, 11-1/2 and Curt, 8, were at the Alyeska Lodge with friends, awaiting their father’s return. Friends drove them back to Anchorage. Harpel competed in last year’s inaugural race and was a leading promoter of the event. He held entry ticket No. 1 in this year’s race. Elmer Brisbois, president of, the Anchorage Motor Mushers Club, sponsor of the race said today the club would retain the. No. 1 spot in the race for Harpel and might retire the number in honor of his memory in future races. Brisbois said the race committee would meet Tuesday night to consider a proposal that the race be named after Harpel. “He had been enthusiastic about snowmobiles from the first day he ever heard of them,” Weatherman said. At the time of his death, Weatherman said, Harpel was not wearing a protective helmet. “We had on face masks and down suits, but no gear to take a blow in case of a serious accident.” Harpel began his radio career in the early 1940s in Anchorage with KFQD.
Bill Harvey
Bill James
Bill Luckhurst- chief engineer, KTAC, 1967 and an instructor at LH Bates Vocational Technical Institute in Tacoma. Died January 2001.
Bill MacMillan – DJ at KTW 1250 circa 1959
Bill McDonald KRKO, KOMO
Bill McLain – Brakeman Bill – For 20 years, from 1955 to 1975, “The Brakeman Bill Show” ran on Channel 11 in the Seattle-Tacoma area and at the time, it held the record as the longest running children’s show in the country. Along with the likes of JP Patches and Captain Kangaroo, Brakeman Bill was a childhood favorite for millions of children who tuned in to watch the live program with its cartoons and Brakeman Bill’s funny banter with sock puppet Crazy Donkey. Brakeman Bill’s model train, the Cartoon Special, added to his appeal among his young viewers. McLain died April 9, 2024. He was 96 years old.
Bill McSpadden was a fighter pilot in World War II, flying 86 missions in Africa and Italy. In college, McSpadden majored in speech and journalism at University of Oregon & UCLA. He started as a newscaster in Roseburg, Medford, and Klamath Falls before joining KOIN-TV in Portland. After two years at KOIN, McSpadden began anchoring the 11:00 nightly newscast at KOMO 4 in Seattle in August 1965.
Bill McDonnell
Bill Meyer spent several years as late-night jock at “top-40” KPLZ starting in 1984. He began his radio career in Barstow, CA, moved to Modesto, then Sacramento.. In the ’90s he hosted the morning show and programmed KBOY, Medford, then KZZE, Medford, and then KFGO-FM Fargo. “Since 2001 I’ve programmed and hosted the morning talk show at “Newstalk 1440″ KMED, Medford.” Meyer said on the AllAccess website. “Given my talk focus, I’m really passionate about current issues and the human condition. If I had to encapsulate my point of view, it’s to remind folks that government is hired help. Government is there to serve you. “Who would have thought that after 25 years in music-radio that talk would be so much fun?” His secondary passion is repairing and rebuilding antique radios. “There’s something about that tradition and craftsmanship which is very comforting. Unlike radio work, there’s a real tangible quality to the hobby.” “I really enjoy the lifestyle in Southern Oregon, but as most small-market folk know, we don’t come to small towns to die. I work harder now than I ever did in the majors.
Bill Minckler was working at KSJO San Jose in 1974, but looking for greener grass. He was offered a job at KOL Seattle but his boss at KSJO discouraged him from making the move. So, he took a job at KSJO sister station KZOK Seattle. After a month at KZOK, he took a better offer in Denver. Bill Minckler died February, 7, 2015.
Bill Munson – deceased See: B.R. Bradbury
Bill Newland- KBVU Bellevue
Bill Norton KIXI FM [PD]
Bill Ogden began in broadcasting in 1966, He retired in 2011. “While radio has been a passion,” Ogden said, “I found I had the need for other employment to pay the bills and to keep my sanity. So while I was playing radio in Centralia, McMinnville, Bellingham, Auburn, Tacoma, Olympia, and Seattle, I variously owned some grocery stores, was a college administrator and taught public school (for 18 years).. After his start in McMinnville, Ogden got the news job at KPUG 1170, Bellingham. “I got a paycheck! I replaced Steve West! I got my picture on the wall! I even got my picture on the KPUG 1170 Top-40 Hit List.” Under the name Marc Taylor, Ogden worked at KTAC, Tacoma, and then behind the news desks at KJUN, Puyallup, KASY, Auburn, KXXO-FM, Olympia, KRPM-FM, Tacoma, and KTAC again, During Metro Traffic stints, he usually was heard on KOMO-AM and KING TV weekend newscasts. In 2012 Ogden was commercial accounts manager at a local car dealership. (BO2012)
Bill Oltman – TV and radio for over 50 years, 1962-2012. News anchor for KCPQ 13 circa 1983.
Bill O’Mara (newsman/sportscaster) Real name: Bill Rhodes – Broadcast pioneer – one of the top sportscasters in the region – died at age 92. O’Mara got his start as a sportscaster in 1937. In 1948, he came to Seattle and began work in the newly formed television industry, where he covered the Seattle Rainiers baseball team for KING-TV. He also worked for Channel 13 TV in Tacoma, KWYZ radio in Everett and KFKF radio in Bellevue. He finished his career at KLKI radio in Anacortes, where he was still broadcasting play-by-play high-school sports games at age 90. Mr. O’Mara was inducted into the Unlimited Hydroplane Museum Hall of Fame, and when he was 89
Bill Radke Bill is a radio talk show host, web video host, author, comedian and columnist. He currently hosts Seattle’s KUOW-FM’s The Record and Week In Review. From November 1, 2010 to October 2012 he hosted Seattle’s Morning News on KIRO-FM 97.3 with Linda Thomas in the 5AM to 9AM Pacific time slot. Radke won the 1992 Seattle International Comedy Festival. Radke authored the picture book “Seattle” and wrote a weekly humor column in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. (JR-2021)
Bill Reid – formerly at KNDD, now a videographer based in Seattle
Bill Rice worked at several Santa Clarita and Santa Ana radio stations, but in 1970 moved to Seattle as on-air personality at oldies KUUU. He became news director of KVI-AM and KVI-FM (now KPLZ) in 1977. He later worked as newsman or news director at KJR-AM/KJR-FM/KUBE and KOMO. In the late ’80s he was stadium announcer for the Seattle Mariners. He also has been a singer with the Young Americans, recording several albums, touring the country and appearing in one motion picture and on TV shows.
Bill Schonely (sportscaster) – retired, living in Portland
Bill Shela [on air at KAYO 1956] Program Director at KXRN 1220, Renton in 1948, Half owner of KLOQ, Yakima in 1959, Station mgr of KLOQ in 1960 and 1961, Commercial mgr. of KAYO in 1962
Bill Snoopy, host of KUOW’s Saturday night “Swing Years” in the late ’60s was really Bill Poier, a schoolteacher, surveying old music from “the tippy top of the tower” for many years. He was succeeded in 1979 by Cynthia Doyon. Since 2003, Swing Years has been produced and hosted by Amanda Wilde.
Bill Stainton writer, comedian with KING 5’s Almost LIVE!, now a motivational speaker, author
Bill Swartz: “I have joined KOMO am 1000/ FM 97.7 as the Washington Husky sports reporter and will again co-host the UW football radio pre-game shows this fall 2016 season. This job takes me full circle from when I started at KOMO with Larry Nelson, Norm Gregory, Gina Tuttle, Stan Orchard and other great broadcasters in 1983.” Bill’s resume https://www.qzvx.com/pictures/Bill Swartz resume.pdf
Bill Taylor – William Engelhardt …”Lee Askervold was my mentor at KING, when I worked there as a switchboard operator and tour guide in 1965. Lee had the overnight show, and after my shift on the switchboard, I’d hole up in a production room with a reel-to-reel Ampex, records, news and commercial copy, and be a DJ. Lee would critique my tapes, and helped me assemble my first audition tape, which got me a gig at KMO (Tacoma). After stints at KMO and KJNO (Juneau), I was hired by Lee in January 1967, to replace Bruce McMichael who was heading to KIRO Radio. At the time, KTAC’s business offices and newsroom were in the Winthrop Hotel. Jerry Geehan owned and managed the station, Fred Kaufman (formerly of KOMO) was the sales manager. The jocks did their shows from a ramshackle studio out at the transmitter site near the Puyallup River. Dave Allen (Darrel Sauve) was doing mornings, John Welsh afternoons. Lee Knudsen, a former KING FM announcer, did 6 p.m. -12m. Jack Allen (Thompson) came to KTAC from Idaho just before I left for KOL in June 1967. Dave and Jack and I worked together again in the ‘70s at KVI.” William Engelhardt/Bill Taylor retired in 2011 after 27 years as a public information officer for the Washington State House of Representatives
Bill Thomas, KSEA announcer. Now retired, living in Surprise, AZ. (JA2012)
Bill Dirkse-van-schalkwyk —-William P. Dirkse-van-schalkwyk had the longest moniker for a radio announcer in these parts, ever. Dirkse-van-schalkwyk worked the weekend shift at KTW-AM and -FM, according to Jay Johnson, then station manager. (Too bad he never met up with Dinwiddie Furhmiester, booth announcer at KTNT-AM and KTNT-TV.
Bill Wade – owned a few broadcast schools bearing his name, longtime KHJ DJ
Bill West – KDFL personality (early 1970s)
Bill Wippel was news and program director of KIRO-AM from 1976 to 1979 during the time the station switched from music and talk entertainment to the all-news format. Maurice Wippel Jr. was born in Ellensburg. He attended Gonzaga University working weekends at KNEW (now KJRB) Spokane, from 1953 to 1955. At the University of Washington, he halted his broadcast training course to take a job at KUTI, Yakima. He worked at a number of radio stations in Eastern Washington and Idaho as newsman, announcer or disk jockey, He co-owned KOFE, Pullman for a time. In Seattle he was a newsman at KOL, in 1964, then moved to KIXI-AM in ’65 under news director Martin Tobin. Wippel was on-screen anchor for KTNT-TV, Tacoma, and for WBAY-TV, Green Bay, WI. After three years at KIRO-AM, working with news-consultant Norm Woodruff, Wippel moved to KCIS, Edmonds. He stayed there 10 years. “My dream” Wippel said, “would be to have a station filled with radio greats who were let go because they were too old or too expensive. What fun we could have! Our station could have Lan Archer/ Bill Taylor doing morning news, with Chris Wedes and Jack Morton as co-hosts. Middays, Esther Druxman and Randy McMillan with news from Steve Montgomery and Dick Cross. Afternoon drive with Dean Smith and Jim Dai and news from Don Riggs and Dave Stone. You should pray I win the Powerball!” He was Information officer for the Republican House Caucus in 1989 and 1990, He was media director of Union Gospel Mission and later executive director of Tape Ministries NW. Almost retired in 2011, he continued producing ID’s and bumpers for Tom Read’s ACN Network in Eastern Washington. He died from cancer September 2012, age 77. (Sister, T.Wippel2012)
Bill Wixey [Q13 News]
Bill Yeend – Yeend began his career at Easy Listening KBBX-FM, Seattle in 1968 and moved to crosstown KIRO in 1970. KIRO format was MOR music and later switched to ALL-NEWS; Yeend retired in 2012 as morning anchor at KOMO 1000/FM 97.7
BJ Donovan [KPLZ]
BJ Shea After seventeen years in mornings at Audacy Rock 99.9 KISW Seattle, BJ Shea departed its morning show on Friday, December 15. Shea began his career at multiple stations in the Boston area before joining Brother Wease’s Show at WCMF Rochester NY. He would depart in 1992 for stints at KRQR San Francisco, WIVY Jacksonville, and KZZP Phoenix before returning to WCMF as afternoon host in 1997. Shea would arrive in Seattle in 1999 to host middays at Hot Talk “100.7 The Buzz” KQBZ before being fired and rehired the following year. Following the demise of KQBZ at the end 2005, Shea moved to mornings at co-owned KISW in January 2006. Steve Migs would join the show then as producer before rising to co-host with the show being renamed from “BJ Shea Morning Experience” to “BJ & Migs” in 2014.
Bo Wiley – KAYO
Bob Adkins – Air personality (Adkins and Johnston) KING radio; sales at KOMO radio and later became KOMO AM General Manager
Bob Alek (Robert Aleksich), started as a disk jockey at KMO, 1360 Tacoma. In 1978 he developed a weekend radio program, “International Connection,” Alek bought the time from the radio station and sold commercials himself. He also had a Polka band “Bob Alek’s International Connection Dance Band” in which he was manager, bandleader and vocalist — singing in six languages..The program aired on KMO for 30 years, then moved to KLAY-AM and then KBLE-AM, which then was well stocked with religious programs and ethnic-music shows. Alek died in 2007. Members of the band continue, now just under the “Bob Alek Band,” name playing Big Band, swing, Latin, and other types of ballroom music, but mostly contracted to Muckleshoot Casino.
Bob Allen [KLSY]
Bob Anthony Fogal –
Bob Brooks – PD at KIXI-AM (1998-2006), afternoon drive MD/at KLSY-FM (1986-1998), and MD/afternoon drive at KJR-AM (1982-1986) — now Operations Director and Evening Host at KING-FM.
Bob Boardway – Robert “Bob” Boardway was a producer/director/assistant manager under Max Bice at KTNT in Tacoma for several years up until Boardway’s death in 1970.
Bob Bracken – KJR all-night DJ 1962; In 1963 he was at KBAT San Antonio.
Bob Campbell KSCR
Bob Carmichael was morning disk jockey at KJR, 950, in 1958, but soon jumped to KUDY, 910 Renton. He previously worked at KREM, Spokane. During Carmichael’s stint at the “cutie” station, owner Wally Nelskog was working his magic, changing KQKD to KUDY to KIXI, in 1959. Carmichael was program director for KIXI-AM in 1963;
Bob Case – KUBE FM, last at Clear Channel/iHeart
Bob Cochran [KBRD]
Bob Cooper – KOL PD that orchestrated the competition with Top 40 leader KJR (1965).
Bob Cooper – (KVI) – Buddy Webber appointed program director of KVI Seattle, Wash., succeeding Bob Cooper, who moves to KEX -AM -FM Portland, Ore., as assistant manager and program director. Both stations are owned by Golden West Broadcasters. —Bob Cooper, program director of KVI Seattle, appointed program director and assistant general manager of KEX -AM -FM Portland, Ore. Both stations are owned by Golden West Broadcasters. Dave Valentine, for past two years with KVI news staff, named news director of KEX- AM -FM, replacing Pat Wilkins, who resigned to join news department of KATU (TV) Portland.
Bob Corcoran was movie host and later a late-night talk-show host on KTVW, Channel 13. Turmoil was to be expected at Channel 13 in the ’60s and ’70s — the station was limited to showing scratchy black-and white movies and was near bankruptcy several times. Corcoran faced the black-and-white camera unflinchingly for two hours or more, with no props, few guests and a lot of opinions. Some of his eventual guests included Ralph Williams, auto salesman, State Senator Martin Durkin and former governor Albert D. Rosellini. “I was assembling a good package of movies,” Corcoran said at the time.. “I just took it easy until my movies could be added to the schedule.” He said he had TV rights to 182 movies. “Counter-programming, that’s what it is,” Corcoran said, “At 9 PM there is a carload of movies, so I’m going to talk. At 11 PM there are news programs galore, so I’m going to show my movies.” He bought airtime and sold commercials for his movies himself. Corcoran frequently hawked items from the B&I, a circus-themed shopping center. Corcoran had earlier been involved in promotions for the B&I, including during the time of Ivan the Gorilla.. Later, Corcoran became a candidate for the state House of Representatives. His Democratic opponent, an incumbent candidate, asked for “equal time” to compensate for Corcoran’s saturation appearances. Corcoran turned the show over to his wife Lee, but instead of following a threat of “appearing as a guest on his wife’s program”, Corcoran purchased a different hour of political time each weekday. New TV station owners ended the program.in 1972. He didn’t go to the Legislature, but he did stay active in South Sound politics, he co-owned a radio station in Pierce County, and then joined the Archdiocese of Seattle as a foundation development officer. He retired from the archdiocese in 2000. Additional information from CHBC. While working at Channel 13 Corcoran formed a production company which handled professional wrestling events and University of Puget Sound football games. He sometimes broadcast a radio sports program from the B&I. He died in 2014, age 83. (VOS, and CHBCenter, 2014)
Bob Cram – In March 1963, Bob was hired to be the weatherman for KING 5 TV and began to create cartoon characters that depicted the weather. Bob worked in this role until 1972 and was an award-winning Seattle illustrator for many years. He became a household name and his cartoon characters like Milli Bar, Onshore Flo, and Big Hi were adored by thousands of households throughout the Northwest. He soon became known as KING TV’s legendary “cartooning weatherman.”
Bob Dean – with KAYO in 1962 – eventually worked at KOIL, Omaha, NB from 1973-76 and later became a partner in Valley Communications who bought KOIL. Robert Dean “Bob” Moomey, passed away unexpectedly from natural causes Jan. 10, 2008, after being rushed by his daughter to a Thousand Oaks, CA hospital. The former broadcasting and renowned media and communications training expert was 71 years of age. His Mutual Radio Network program “On the Homefront” was heard over 300 stations nationwide in the early 1980’s.
Bob Dearborn – retired from radio [left KIXI in 1999] now living in Ontario [Canada]
Bob Engler KOMO TV announcer
Bob Field was an animated, descriptive, all-around best hockey broadcaster around. He served as play-by-play voice for all seven years of the Tacoma Rockets. His phrase “They SCORE!” was said to tax the power of any tube-type radio of its day. Field spent his youth between Canada and Philadelphia. After the Navy he concluded his service while stationed in Tacoma. From there he worked as a salesman for his radio sponsor, Columbia Breweries of Tacoma, and began his play-by-play career.
After the hockey team folded he called Seattle hockey games for Channel 13 TV. He moved to Spokane, then retired and moved to Westport in the early 1960s where he opened a fish-and-pet shop.
He died in 1992, age 68. (CHBCenter, 2014)
Bob Fleming KOL DJ (1959)
Bob Fredericks KAYO
Bob Fuller – KOL newsman late 1960s
Bob Gill – African-American broadcast pioneer. Back at Indiana State, Gill studied broadcasting, eventually becoming “the nation’s first black disc jockey on a network-owned station, WIRE, in Indianapolis,” said his brother. KTVW tv host for a weekly magazine-format show, KBVU, KOMO, KVI deejay in the early 1960s. In the late 1960s he worked for KING and KOMO (hosting a ski show for 2 years at KOMO 4 among other duties). He went to KIRO-TV in the 1970s, where he became director of minority affairs and developed the award-winning commentary show “Dialog.” Soon he was promoted to vice president of KIRO Broadcasting, then made a vice president of Bonneville International Corp., KIRO’s parent company. Gill was an avid skier and also drove a motorcycle, occasionally on joint outings with KIRO executive Lloyd Cooney. Bob Gill died March 9, 1994 at age 70.
Bob Gleason – KTNT 11[/caption]Bob Gleason was host, moderator and popular KTNT TV personality in the 1950s and 1960s. Gleason hosted homemaker programs on Channel 11, introduced the matinee movie, appeared in public events promoting KTNT TV and anchored the evening news.
BOB HARDWICKE – Robert E. Lee (Bob) Hardwick worked at KVI for 21 straight years, starting as afternoon disk jockey when Gene Autry’s Golden West Broadcasting bought the station in the late 1950′s, and moved the studios to the Tower Building (7th and Olive) Through the 1960′s, 70′s and early 80′s, KVI was the dominant personality station, and morning man Robert E. Lee Hardwick became a true Seattle Legendary Figure, headlining over such talent as Buddy Webber, Jack Morton, Robert O. Smith, Michael O’Shea, Bill Taylor, Jack Spencer, Lou Gillette. Hardwick worked at KVI from 1959 to 1980. (He did transfer briefly to a Los Angeles sister-station KMPC in 1963.) On his KVI morning show, Hardwick would sometimes play only two or three records an hour. The rest of the time was filled with jokes, skits, ad-libbed advertisements and promotions for his latest escapade. In 1965, he piloted a tugboat to British Columbia to haul back Namu, the Killer Whale, for the Seattle Aquarium. He jet-skied 740 miles from Ketchikan to Seattle. In 1978 he was Billboard magazine’s Radio Personality of the Year. In 1989 he swam the Bremerton-Seattle ferry route. That same year, disgruntled with KVI’s decision to abandon music and switch to all-talk, he quit – walking out in the middle of the 8 a.m. newscast. After an unaccounted-for absence, he bounced around, first at a Tacoma station, then he worked mornings at KIXI-AM, Later he popped up at country-music KAYO. Several months passed. One Friday he called in sick and didn’t return. “Seattle radio is a bore and I have been boring right along with it,” he said at the time. His two disappearing acts were not publicity stunts, Hardwick told The Seattle Times, “but an emotional trauma in my life.” Then in 1987 the Seattle native left the medium altogether. He formed a company trying to transmit computer information over standard radio waves. He worked for a time as communication director at Pacific Institute and helped several local drug- and alcohol-rehabilitation centers market their programs. Said Hardwick, when asked once to sum himself up: “I’m a professional smartass. I love to tease people. I love to make people laugh. I’m a communicator.” In 1992 he was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 61.
Bob Hards worked at KXLE-Ellensburg /Now baseball announcer for the Midland, Texas Rockhounds on KFZX 102.1 – Brian Lord, working the email machine, reaching out to the Boss Jocks from wayback. To Bob Hards, the question “I seem to remember you also worked at KTOL for a bit, but was that in sales?” Response: …I did go to KTOL directly from KXLE (John DiMeo hired me at both stations), but it wasn’t sales. I originally did mornings and sports and, later, moved to afternoons and did some PD work (and the sports). It’s far too long a story, but I got a radio job in baseball … almost by accident … in the final days at KTOL. Worked baseball in Bend, Oregon, for two years (1988-89) and Eugene for two (1990-91). Was hired by a team in Midland, Texas, in 1991 and have been here ever since, doing radio and publications….. Bob
Bob Hawkins Program director, KVI.
Bob Hooper from St. Louis/Houston to KOL in November 1974. Left for Minneapolis in March 1975 for more money.
Bob Hovanes (a message from his wife): Tears fell from the sky on a rainy day on August 10, 2019 as my funny friend, partner and husband lost his long battle with lung disease. It was an epic battle for someone who had so much to live for and so many memories to cherish. Bob was born in Auckland, New Zealand to a family that grew to six rambunctious boys. They eventually settled in Seattle, and later moved to Huntsville, AL in 1964 for Boeing’s aerospace program. Bob completed High School and attended Auburn University, then returned to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, where he did on air work at their radio station. Bob became a local celebrity during the ’70 and ’80’s while co-hosting the afternoon, then mornings shows for KISW. After a successful career in video production, Bob moved to Bend, OR to host a local morning show there. In 1992, Bob moved back to Seattle and joined the morning show on KZOK where we began an on-air romance! Bob and I were married in 1999, and were blessed with twins in 2003. While awaiting their arrival, Bob built our dream home in Sammamish, then stayed home with the kids, while building a successful electronics business. Even after being off-air for many years, Bob’s voice or name were often recognized by fans who fondly remembered his time on the radio. Bob was a free spirit who traveled to San Francisco to be a hippy (he says he got there “too late”), hitchhiked across the country (with crazy adventures like being chased by a man with an ax), and was taken in by a family in Alberta to work on their farm after his clunker car broke down (which he sold for $1)! Good-natured fun included hiring an Elvis impersonator for our twins’ 1st birthday party, and wearing his brother-in-law’s shoes home from a party – twice! Bob’s kind spirit, humor, and love of family will be missed by many. Bob was predeceased by his parents John and Cecily, and is survived by wife Bev (me), children Aubrey and Chris, brothers Michael (Shari), Stephen, Peter (Carole), Ken (Cheryl), Bruce, and many nieces and nephews. A private service for Bob was held by family.
Bob Hudson – see Emperor Bob Hudson
Bob Joy – J Paul Damon/Steve Elliott/Bob Joy
Bob Kelly Started out at KEPR-TV Tri-Cities. “I kept going to the radio studio. Radio seemed so spontaneous to me. TV was, If you goofed, tape it again. No second chance in “Live” radio. Got a job at KALE top 40 while going to Columbia Basin CC. Went to Eastern Washington State. Graduated and worked one night at CKOK Penticton BC. (girlfriend lived there). Steve West called from KJRB and gave me a shot. Learned a lot in a short time from West, Charlie Brown, Joe Micheals, and others. Went to afternoons at 1310 KEIN Great Falls Montana. Went to Hollywood to learn how to be entertaining on stage. Learned a lot at the comedy store, and picked up part-time work at KRLA. Wanted to go home to Seattle. The late Roger Dale hired me at KUUU. Started 6-10pm and ended up 2-6 pm drive. SRO bought the station. They brought in Terry McDonald as PD. He brought in the late Kevin O’Brien for evenings. He called me in and asked “Have you every thought of doing country music?”. Why I asked? You have a regional dialect, are you from the south? I said yeh…White Center!! Down the road I went to Roger Dale, and the new KMPS. Worked part-time fill for a long time. Started country disco at the Roosevelt hotel in 1978. Great fun! Had a small syndicated show from there called “Country Disco Dance Party”. It was on the air in British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, and select stations in Washington. Did over 2 years at “The Rosey”. Canadians bought the hotel, and I went back to KMPS. I ended up being the last person to broadcast from the old KOL/KMPS harbor island facility. Never forget yelling at the people to stop banging the walls in before I cracked the “Mic”. Threw the switch around midnight, and off to the Pike Place Market KMPS went. From KMPS to KAYO’s last hurrah at country music. Unbeknownst to me, I was hired to eventually replace the 6-10 pm girl. She did alot of “heart wrenching love stuff” on her phone bits. That was the bosses story. She eventually was out, and I was in at 6-10 pm. The girl was Delilah Rene, now known as Delilah…yes her! We know that worked out pretty well. After 2 years KAYO brass realized the AM/FM combo at KMPS was unbeatable. So on the beach I went. Decided to get out of Dodge. Took afternoon drive/Assistant Promotion director job at WOW Omaha. Any station that upside down spells MOM can’t be bad. Did 2 years under former KMPS 3-7pm’er Chuck Urban. Almost went to WPLO Atlanta, when the late Lee Rogers (Formerly KMPS and others) called from KCBQ San Diego. Wow!! Sunshine, beaches, football, baseball, and hydroplanes. Did midday, and beat the main competition in 2 books. Worked for KKOS-AM (KVSD) doing midday oldies. In 87′ I jumped back to country music at KOWN the KOW. Promotion Director, and pm drive. Great time for 4 years. Got into mobile radio personality (Free money) John Maynard turned me on to that years earlier in Seattle. Fell in love with the car business did that on top of everything else. Lee Rogers called again, so off to KUPL Portland (now the Bull) overnights. Did 9 years there! The best radio experience of my life. Howard Stern went satalite, and CBS had major cutbacks. I got chopped, and walked away from the business. So I thought. Wingnut from the WOLF Seattle called, I did a few shifts, but I was working with Motorsports, and all he had was weekends available. The races are on weekends. That couldn’t work. So I now do motorsports (mostly hydroplanes) marketing and sales. I also have a small limo service in north Seattle. Semi-retired with GREAT memories of all the FUN broadcasting provided me. I always said, “How can you have this much fun, and still get paid!!!!!!!!!”
Bob Liddle, joined the KIXI-AM-FM air staff in 1961 and would stay with the station for 45 years. He had a booming doomsday-type news voice. A newsman, midday announcer and sometimes program director, Liddle was selected in the 1970s to team with Dean Smith on “News 90”, one of Seattle’s first all-news morning-drive programs. (During this time KIXI had a taken a CBS News affiliation, but lost it to KIRO-AM, then took on NBC News and had UPI and AP news.) Liddle lasted through all the Nelskog years, the Thunder Bay year, through Sunbelt and Ackerley and finally into the Sandusky years. He announced a partial retirement in 2001. Counting his beginning in 1946 in Spokane and years at KXL (“Little Bob Liddle, 3 p.m. to sunset sign-off”) and KEX, Portland, he completed 60 years in broadcasting. His weekend beautiful-music show continued on KIXI-FM until 2006. He died of natural causes, but with dementia, in 2010, age 88.
Bob MacDonald – [KTIX in 1960, KIRO weekends in 1969, KXA in 1970]
Bob Mathers – formerly with KOMO radio. Went on to Sales, Marketing, & Voiceovers with Cumulus Radio – WSBA/WSOX/WARM/WIOV – York/Lancaster/Reading PA.
Bob McLoed news director at KGY Olympia
Bob McCluskey – General Manager KLAY AM Lakewood
Bob McCoy – @ KONA/Pasco-Kennewick
Bob O’Brien
Bob Piatt – KIRO radio in the 1960s; KTNT radio late 70s/early 80s
Bob Reece [KSND, KJR, KBSG], Cherry FM
Bob Rivers grew up in Branford, Conn., and, when he was 5, got a transistor radio from his grandfather. “I thought, ‘That’s cool, that’s what I want to do.’ ” He got his first paying radio job when he was 16. For the next 15 years, he worked as a DJ at stations in the Northeast, including six years in the Boston market, where Twisted Tunes was born. Rivers took his act to Baltimore, gaining attention by staying on the air for 11 days until the Orioles finally ended a 21-game losing streak in 1988. He’s stayed on the radio in Seattle since 1989, now with his third station, 95.7 KJR-FM. [ at KISW and KZOK] – Bob Rivers retired July 2014.
Bob Roberts (KVI newsman and commentator) Craig Adams reports– He worked in Portland Radio at KGON-1230 PD (Oregon City), KXL ND, KFGR PD, (Forest Grove), KPOJ AM/FM, KGW, KUGN PD (Eugene), then 7 years in Honolulu and back to Portland at KOIN AM/FM before heading to KVI. Further updates from Craig Adams: a. Just ran into a mention of him, using his real name: Robert R. Roberts, Jr. b. Just found out the Honolulu station Bob was on, was KGU and he was News Director.
Bob Robertson (sportscaster) – the Voice of Cougar Football [forever] and also Tacoma baseball from Cheney Stadium on KTNT and KTAC. KVI, sports director; KAYO, sports director, during the station’s short-lived news/talk format in 1980-81. Bob died at his University Place home on September 6, 2020. (1929-2020)
Bob Rondeau works for the University of Washington as a sportscaster
Bob Salter put together the first top-40 music list based on record sales for a Seattle station, KJR, in 1953. Just as likely, as Salty Dog Bob Salter, he would qualify as the first rock-and-roll jock in Seattle. Previously Salter was a studied, serious studio announcer who watched the broadcast world change in front of him, but still clinging to his studio piano as he did midday chatter with Dick Stokke. They watched new KJR owner Les Smith sweep away network entertainment like “Duffy’s Tavern” in favor of all-day music from phonograph records. And this was before Pat O’Day! Salter later moved to KVI. His last gig here was at KAYO in 1961. He later worked at Idaho stations. He was last heard of in 1971 as news director at KATN, a country-music station in Idaho.
Bob Shannon – now a radio historian, read AMERICAN RADIO TALES where Bob Shannon talks about Northwest and nationally known radio folk. Great book!
Bob Stelton is the co-host of Bob and Groz. He comes to 710 ESPN Seattle from 101 ESPN in St. Louis and had previously worked for Sporting News Radio in Chicago and Santa Monica, Calif.
Bob Summerise – Bob moved to the Seattle area in the early 1950’s where he began a successful career as a disc jockey on numerous radio stations including, but not limited to; KTAC, KQDE, KAYO, KFKF, KZAM & KYAC. Truly a Northwest pioneer in the field, he was one of the first African-American on-air personalities and the first with an engineering license. He and Elliot Brown (uncle to Chuck Bolland) also booked talent into a couple of taverns near Ft. Lewis. At that time the black GI’s had very limited places they could go (1950s) off post for social occasions. It was just after Ray Charles moved here from Florida. Acts also included Etta James, The Platters, etc. It wasn’t long and most of those acts were far too expensive for a Lakewood area tavern, but lesser known groups on tour had limited places to play in the Northwest so they could get them very reasonably. Summerise owned a record store in later years, he died in 2010.
Bob Summers [Wikstrom] KUUU jock, then years later was KXA Manager, now Soundworks Recording Studios in Redmond
Bob Throndsen retired after 34 years at KOMO (May 2012). He was a reporter, anchor and managing editor during his time in the newsroom. Most recently he had served as news director of KOMO radio.
Bob Waldron [KOL]
Bob Watson – KOL
Bob Wright – Weekends at KAYO and KJR
Bobby Irwin – former program director KLSY Radio – now at 92.9 The Peak/Denver
Bobby McAllister – KTAC morning jock in the 1970s.
Bobby Rich – KMGI/KIXI Seattle, where he served as Vice President/General Manager and morning show anchor, 1989-91. . …KMXZ in beautiful Tucson, Bobby Rich fired from Tucson’ MIX Feb 2017. In January, 2021, Rich, along with Fletcher McCusker and Jim Arnold launched KDRI (101.7 FM and 830 AM) with a wide music selection, focused on listeners from 45 to 64. 5/2/2023— 50 years a radio veteran, @ 23 stations including Seattle, Bobby Rich has announced his retirement from KDRI AM 830 Tucson, AZ.
Bobby Ryan was the quieter member of the team of Ryan and Linton on KAYO in 1985. The two Utah beginners, Gordon Stephens (Ryan) and Gary Linton (Linton), were first teamed up at KRGO, Salt Lake City, in 1983 — to offer a “transition” from one to the other hosting the morning show. The team-up worked better than anyone expected and they soon jumped to Seattle, bringing along a variety of radio characters including the Rev. Billy Saltine and Benjamin Gaylord Ferry, who played off the natures of Ryan as conciliator, and Linton as a man close-to-outrage. After KAYO, they moved to mornings at KRPM-FM, then moved to a midday shift, At Pat O’Day’s KKMI and KXA they changed the team name to Ryan and Ryan, plunging into the joys and sorrows of automation. Thanks to the machine, Ryan and Ryan presented daily day-long shifts at contemporary-hits KYYX and six-hour weekend shifts at oldies KXA. Back to a real time midday shift at KVI, continuing as Ryan and Ryan, then a surprise shift to afternoon drive in 1989, as management pulled the 14-year afternoon-drive shift away from Jack Morton, moving him to middays. Iin 1991 they were at oldies KBSG. They spent three years at “K-Best” playing musical hits “almost remembered” by another of their characters, Delbert Dumm. Change in owners. Soon it was Bobby-Ryan-only on KRPM-FM. Linton visited stations in Florida and California, but returned to Seattle for some part-time political-talk experience.(See Gary Linton.) After radio, Bobby Ryan reverted to Gordon Stephens, selling real estate in Kent. (VOS2013)
BOBBY SIMON came to work at KJR, 950 –, the first time, in 1964. His full name Robert Theodore Simon was sometimes used, even with a “Chipmunks” background. This first KJR stint was only three months long. (His previous air experience at KAYE, Puyallup, KORD, Pasco, and KXLY, Spokane, was not enough to keep up with high powered KJR jocks including the already legendary Larry Lujack.) Bobby got shifts at KEED, Eugene, then KISN, Portland, and WIFE, Indianapolis. He came back to Seattle for KOL and then bounced back to KJR where “B.S. for the Great Northwest” thrived — until he was pushed out “because Lan Roberts came back.” Into the ’70s “Ma and Pa Simon’s little boy” worked at KTAC, 850, then back to KOL, until he was replaced by an automation machine. Then to KTAC again. He finally achieved morning drive at KZOK-FM, and then KYYX, Seattle, in 1978. He did fill-in work at KNBQ, Tacoma, and KISW, Seattle. He also worked briefly for the Braiker Satellite service. In 1980 he was back at KTAC. Bobby Simon died in a car crash November, 2002. Bobby Simon was 65.
Bobby Wooten was disk jockey and program director on “country” KAYO 1150, from 1963 to 1975. He died of cancer Oct. 1 1998 in Arkansas. He was 70.
Here are portions of a Seattle Times obit, by reporter Carole Beers
“Bashful” Bobby Wooten actually was shy, says his wife. But when it came to publicity, he was “as bashful as a tank of barracuda,” said a colleague.
He had phony on-air feuds with fellow disk jockey Buck Ritchey. Wooten stayed two weeks in a camper suspended 15 feet above the station until listeners guessed what he’d packed along (a U.S. flag). And he lived six months in an apartment on the Space Needle, broadcasting from there.
“Bobby was still getting cards from fans a few years ago,” said Mr. Wooten’s wife of 31 years, Patie Mae Wooten of Carlisle, Ark. And he was still getting royalty checks from “Goin’ Deer Huntin’,” a song he’d recorded. “It was only $5 or $18 a year. But he’d puff up and say, `They’re still likin’ it!’ ”
Wooten was twice voted program director of the year by Billboard magazine. He recorded local country artists like Bonnie Guitar on his G.R.C. label.
He had changed his name from Wootton to Wooten for “for professional reasons,” and although he had a long career as a disk jockey, he was a musician himself. He played guitar, banjo, fiddle and dobro. “Once at a dance they were playing, the drummer never showed,” said his wife. “So Bobby sat down at the drums and did pretty well, too.” The youngest of five children born to a family near Paris, Ark., he left school at age 14 and moved to San Francisco to work in the shipyards.
He began playing in a Western-swing band that got gigs on the radio. He eventually got up nerve to ask a radio-station manager to hire him as a DJ. When the manager burst out laughing, Wooten found a sponsor who would buy radio time only if Wooten did the show. In 1952 he became a DJ in San Jose. In the late 1950s he had a radio show in Salt Lake City. In 1963 he moved to Seattle as KAYO was changed its format from rock music to country. He welcomed country stars who were to play at Seattle Center, and emceed shows for artists such as Buck Owens, Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash.
“Bashful” Bobby retired in 1975, and returned to Arkansas to raise cattle and chickens. “We had a hard life on that farm,” said his wife, “18 years before we got out. But it gave us experiences we’ll never forget.”
Brad Dolbeer – staying true to the music, Brad was at KINK/Portland. January 2016/ “KXT” KKXT/91.7 FM Dallas/Fort Worth, TX has hired Brad Dolbeer as assistant program director. Dolbeer was most recently at KINK/101.9 FM in Portland, OR, where he was program director and, before that, music director, according to The Ft. Worth Star Telegram. He had also worked for KLTH/106.7 FM in Portland.
Brad Eaton In Nov 2011 he celebrated 20 years playing the classical music on KING FM. Former talk host at KAYO (1980).
Brad Frederickson [KGY-FM]
Brad Lee [KITZ]
Brady Wright started as Jim Brady (Brademan) at KRKO Everett in 1976. He remembers “the Great Flood of ’78” when the broadcast booth and radio towers were in a Snohomish County flood plain. “The towers were right outside the station, a two-stick directional array,: he recalls. “The water rose until it soaked the station foundation and was flooding the parking lot. “It was like being on a houseboat in a lake. Water was lapping at Tower No 1. Needless to say, the signal ground plane was completely thrashed.” He stayed on air all night because the next scheduled disk jockey could not get there. In the morning a Search and Rescue crew arrived — “in an aluminum boat during a thunderstorm!” He moved to “solid gold 16” KZAM-AM, firmly adopting the air name Brady Wright moved to KMPS-AM-FM in 1981 After a format-separation, Brady took the FM shift. He jumped to the competing country station KRPM, 106.1 Tacoma, then began parttime ventures including single years at KZOK-AM and staying through the name change to KQUL and back again. His final radio appearances were at “young country” KYCW-AM-FM from 1995 to 2002. “”Radio became a parttime endeavor for me,” he said. “I was also working as a trainer for several retail financial companies both before and after KYCW. “It’s somehow a natural progression from the communications business and is basically my dream job.” He has been a movie critic and wrote columns in motorcycle publications for three years and was a host on Hog Radio. “I continue to do freelance and commercials voice work. I’m registered with Voice123 . . . Broadcasting was a great bridge to many doors in my career. Great times!” (VOS2013)
Brandi Kruse – Political reporter for KCPQ 13 tv, left mainstream media November 2021 and started an independent podcast venture.
Brandi Walker [a.k.a. Sunshine Smith from KRPM/Tacoma, KJUN/Puyallup] KKFX
Brandon Wholey – Webmaster of 1180 KLAY website, Freelance Weather Forecaster for KLAY-AM, went on to become Chief Meteorologist at KRNV, the NBC affiliate in Reno, Nevada from 2008 to 2015. Moved to KJRH 2 TV in Tulsa, OK in 2015.
Bre Ruiz – KHTP 103.7 morning host
Brent Alberts – Former KISW evening jock in 1977, Cumulus management announced his retirement from radio in August 2021. Alberts completed 53 years in the business at stations from Miami to Seattle, and steps down as Brand Manager at Townsquare Media stations in Lansing MI to retire.
Brent Larson – retired, living in Las Vegas
Brent Stier – formerly at KTAC FM [Progressive Rock, where Robert O. published the weekly Goldenrod. That was the color of the Top Hits chart.] Brent was Boogieman Brent Stier at 97.3 KNBQ. Brent also worked at KBRC and KMPS.
Bruce Stier – worked as senior sales representative at Salem Broadcasting.
Brew Michaels – is in Kalispell, Montana @ KBBZ
Brian Beck – formerly at KNDD was last heard from as senior director of artist development at Black Seal Records
Brien Blakely [Q13 News]
Brian Calkins – KVI, Country KAYO, KDFL ownership for a period of time; moved to Arizona, KBAS Bullhead City, KRCY, KHITS, KZUL, KBBC. Calkins died of cancer in 1999.
Brian Gregory – “Almost retired… PT KUOW, Formerly at KOMO, KIRO, KJR-FM, KZOK, KVI, KLSY, KCIX, KFXD, KEZE, KJRB, KBOI, KPUG”
Brian Kanziger Executive Producer at KIRO TV
Brian Lord – retired …
Brian Moote was a cast member on 2 seasons of MTV’s prank show “Money from Strangers” and has performed stand up on AXS TV’s “Gotham Live” and Nickelodeon’s “Nickmom’s Nite Out.” Moote was also featured on the USA Network as a comedian during their “Characters Wanted” campaign. Before coming to Click 98.9, Brian made appearances on morning radio shows across the country while touring for stand up comedy.
Brian Suits KIRO talk show host migrated to KFI Los Angeles, remotely from his home broadcast studio in Seattle.
Brian Zerr — a UFOlogist?
Brock Huard has continued a family tradition in sports throughout the past 20 years, first on the field and in recent years in the broadcast booth. He has called college football games for ESPN since 2008. He has served as both a gameday and studio analyst for both ESPN and ABC, and since 2009 he has co-hosted a morning radio show on 710 ESPN. He joined the Seattle Seahawks preseason television broadcast booth leading up to the 2013 season. Huard grew up in Puyallup and became one of the top high school quarterback in the country in the early 1990s under the tutelage of his father, Puyallup High School coach Mike Huard. Brock was named Gatorade National Player of the Year, All-State and Class AAA State Player of the Year, and he received high school All-American honors from five different sources. He remained in the Puget Sound region for college, setting 20 quarterback school records at University of Washington. His hometown Seattle Seahawks drafted Huard in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft, and he spent six seasons in the NFL with both the Seahawks and the Indianapolis Colts. (CHBCenter, 23014)
Bron Smith was a cartoon weather man and played the part of Captain SeaTac on the original commercial version of KCPQ13 when that station was owned by Kelly Broadcasting.
Brooks Burford was a news reporter for KIRO-AM-TV and KOMO-TV. He was born in Seattle but has spent most of his broadcast life in Portland. He has done news for KATU-TV, Portland, spent twelve years as news anchor and reporter at KEX, Portland and recently did news reporting at news-talk stations KPAM and KPOV. Married to Marcia Karfstedt, a software-support specialist. The two still attend Toastmaster meetings. Burford declares himself officially retired; he and his wife are frequent travelers and do volunteer work in the Portland area.
Brook Stanford – KOMO TV news reporter, retired in 1991.
Bruce Bond – major mover & shaker in the Lakewood radio operation of 1180 KLAY [Program Director]; retired to Arizona; previously worked at KTAC Tacoma and KLAY FM Tacoma.
Bruce Buls He is now the Technical Editor for WorkBoat.com.
Bruce Butterfield – Prudential Northwest Realty
BRUCE CANNON – KJRB-KTAC-KASY–KAMT-KPMA-KQAK-KOZI – Dir. of Public Relations, Tacoma Stars Soccer Club 1981; became PD at KTAC in 1984; . deceased
Bruce Funkhouser was PD at KINK in Portland in early 1970’s then went on to become a VP at Muzak. Now he works at Copyright Clearance Center
Bruce McMichaels was a newsman when KISW was still a classical-music station. He weathered the 1962 Columbus Day storm driving from the station’s rickety location on Roosevelt Way to the Seattle World’s Fair. He also worked for KASY, 1220 Auburn, KTAC 850 Tacoma, and KBES, Bellevue. He also worked for KIRO-AM twice — first when it was atop Queen Anne Hill preparing a move to Broadcast House on Third Avenue. In 1968 he was lured away to Los Angeles’s KNX, the CBS-owned all-news station, getting nationwide exposure for his reports on the Robert Kennedy assassination. To preserve his family life, he returned to KIRO but a year later was lured back to Los Angeles to work for the Westinghouse all-news station KFWB, His family stayed in Seattle. He covered grisly murder trials, got trapped in a forest fire, had F.B.I. agents pull guns on him while running down an alley to get back to the station to file his story on a bank robbery. Two years was enough! The Nebraska-born newsman headed back to the Northwest. He became news director at KASY, 1220 Auburn, a quiet little mom n’ pop station in the swampland of “Little Detroit of the West.” Scripts and notes from his daily KASY news briefs, from 1975 to 1976, have been donated to the White River Valley Museum in Auburn. Near retirement he worked for a Bothell telephone-security company and filled-in as occasional announcer at KPLU, Tacoma. He had a long and productive retirement. He died in 2007.
Bruce Murdock – Formerly with KGW, KING 1100 Musicradio, KIXI, KLSY, Soft Rock K103/Portland. Retired 2019.
Bruce Stier – KKOL and KGNW Seattle. Bruce’s was the first voice to be heard on the new KGNW, after the company purchased the old KQIN and went to 50kW. “During the transition period, we had three different call letters in one day. After many years in Media Management ( Radio, TV Cable) I have also served as Senior Pastor of Grace Christian and President of Kingdom Bible College. As I have reached the age of retirement, I can now dedicate time to serve in Ministry.”
Bruce Vanderhoof joined KING-AM, a popular music station featuring NBC news, in 1956. He came from KYA, San Francisco, after a dustup over his music choices. (Elvis Presley records were not acceptable programming on this radio station. Vanderhoof demurred. He played Elvis over and over, until the engineer cut the sound, The station manager apologized for content “not in good taste.”) Vanderhoof was on his way to Seattle, joining a MOR-personality staff including Frosty Fowler, Al Cummings, Jim French. Vanderhoof soon paired with Cummings to raise money for elephants at the Woodland Park Zoo. After 13 years at KING, Bruce moved to KOMO-AM where he held down the morning-drive show. By 1973, he was midday at KTNT-AM (and sometimes KTNT-FM). (VOS, 2014)
Bryan Johnson, a Vashon Island boy with British background, started as newsman at KAPA, Raymond, a half century ago. A couple of months later he was at KITI, Chehalis. A couple more months and he was at KOMO-AM, and later appeared on camera at KOMO-TV as well. There he stayed as newsman, commentator or assignment editor for 50 years, until retiring November, 2012.
Bryan Lowe [KING FM]
Bryce Phillipy air name Bill Phillipy [440 Satisfaction] KPLZ Star 101.5
Buck Ritchey was both the iconic morning personality at country-music KVI and then the iconic afternoon personality at country-music KAYO. Richey fronted the KVI country swing band, The K-Six Wranglers His “radio feud” with KVI’s morning man Harry Long lasted 20 fun years. When new owners turned KVI into a personality station (introducing to Seattle such names a Jerry Dexter,and Bob Hardwick) and naming Ritchey “operations director,” it was a no-brainer to change horses. At age 15 the young Buck had began a cross country journey from Missouri — eight years to get to country-music KVI (then licensed as a Tacoma station).. When KAYO was changing from top-40 KRSC to it’s country format. Richey became the keystone to country music in Seattle. He recorded four songs, including a family campfire song — actually a spoken poem by Mildred Plew Meigs “Only the Moon Man Knows.” Buck Richey was on the air 32 years in Seattle/Tacoma. He died December 23, 1973.
Buck Owens was a disk jockey at KAYE-1450, Puyallup, before his Columbia Records recording career took off. Born in near-poverty in Texas, he moved to Bakersfield, CA,.in the late 1950s and after an early record success gave him enough money, he purchased a third interest in the daytime Puyallup station. He played records and occasionally brought in his band for live performances, sometimes including visiting housewife-performers Loretta Lynn and Bonnie Guitar. Owens also hosted his own country music show on Tacoma’s Channel 11, KTNT-TV, introducing such performers as Willie Nelson and Ferlin Husky. Owens later moved back to Bakersfield and took the tiger by the tail, building a multimillion-dollar media empire performing, writing songs and operating several California & Arizona radio stations. He made national TV appearances on the “Jimmy Dean Show” and eventually his own CBS-TV show, “Hee Haw,” which he co-hosted with Roy Clark. He died in 2006, age 76. – VOS2012
Buck Wade – KMPS
Hayden (Bud) Blair – Before professional sports took root in the Puget Sound area, local schools drew the allegiance of fans. For those who followed teams from Puyallup and Pacific Lutheran University in the 1970s, their source for news and play-by-play action was Bud Blair. Hayden (Bud) Blair created an atmosphere that made the athletes and their fans feel like their game was the most important game in the area every time he took the mic. Unfortunately, not only Blair’s career, but his life, was cut too short. He died a couple hours after broadcasting a PLU basketball game at the College of Idaho in Caldwell on February 5, 1978 two weeks before his 37th birthday. He had gone to dinner with Ed Anderson, PLU coach, and Gary Wusterbarth, his color man on the broadcast. Blair collapsed in his motel room. Bud was born in Tacoma in 1941 and graduated from Stadium High. He started the Blair Sports Network around 1966 and began freelancing as a broadcaster and photographer. Later, he was part owner and then full owner of KUPY 1450 AM in Puyallup. From 1970 until his death, he called the action for PLU basketball and football games. Bud was noted for injecting his personality into his broadcasts. It was not enough just to say scored, who made two yards and who made the tackle. “Holy Humptulips” and “He’s covered like a Tukwila fog,” were a staple of most Blair broadcasts. There were other favorites including, “In the popcorn machine,” and “Down the elevator shaft,” along with, “It’s a 20-footer that goes 18, five-star stump floating barn burner” and “goodness gracious, Agnes,” that made his broadcast unique. In the spring and summer Blair turned his attention to the unlimited hydroplane circuit. He traveled to the sites of the hydro series taking photos and calling race action. One of his most famous hydro photos captured Mickey Remund catapulting from his boat as it flipped mid-air. (CHBCenter, 2014)
Bud Harrington [KBLE]
Buddy Webber was afternoon personality at KVI more than 40 years ago, but is still remembered. He frequently waged a friendly battle with morning host Bob Hardwick and participated in memorable, sometimes zany station promotions. Among them, Webber and Hardwick raced around the world, in opposite directions, to publicize the 1962 Seattle Worlds Fair, “Hardwick beat me,” he said years later, giving his usual explanation: “But then he always beat me because he cheated.” Born Justus Buddy Webber, he started his own Big Band in the late 1940s. He played trumpet; his wife was featured singer. He worked at radio stations in Indianapolis, Omaha and San Francisco. He came to Seattle after Gene Autry bought the station in 1959. After his long stint at KVI, Webber moved to KOMO-TV, where he hosted a morning television show that bore his name and then an afternoon radio program on KOMO-AM. Webber left broadcasting, frankly at the peak of his career, to devote time to a Jehovah’s Witness ministry, moving to the Canary Islands off Morocco. He returned to the states, lived in Rhode Island but returned to Seattle in 1997 to start a business. He died of pulmonary fibrosis in 2005. He was 82.
Burl Barer – TRUE CRIME author, former Seattle radio legend and can still hit the post, in radio terminology. Who knew Burl Barer was bound for fame and glory in the writing business? His on-air stunts at the feuding rockers KJR and KOL is engrained in Seattle’s audio memory. Barer could be pushed to being a screamer, gasping and panting in anticipation for the next record or recoiling from a news item. Barer started at KUJ and KTEL in hometown Walla Walla, moved to Seattle for an overnight gig at r&b station KYAC. From there he got afternoons at KJR and bounced between KOL-AM, KOL-FM and KJR again –, with remarkably brief stints at KIRO and KZOK. 1972, Barer got a commission to adapt the Val Kilmer movie “The Saint” into a novel. That led to a franchise of new authorized novels based on Leslie Charteris’ urbane crime- solver Simon Templar. A second movie screenplay was completed and in 2011 still was being “shopped around” (without any control by Barer) as a TV movie, TV special or TV series.) Barer has also written several “true crime” books and mystery novels. Barer, who once touted himself as a “distance reader” (psychic/mentalist), appears in his own true crime book, “Body Count,” as “the psychic/mentalist/true crime author Jeff Reynolds.” In his Seattle radio days he won praise for producing punchy commercials for national pop- music performers. That lead to forming an internet advertising company and a TV production company focusing on Eastern Washington. Returning to Walla Walla in 1990s, Barer teamed with Thomas D. Hodgins to launch several radio stations for Hodgins broadcast company, with Barer handling programming and on-air talent. He is host of “True Crime Confessions” on the American Horrors channel, a pay-tier TV venture from FilmOn and contributes to “Outlaw Radio” an internet audio service. Barer has two grown children, Anea Barer and Jordan Barer. Barer’s brother Stan is an attorney in Seattle and his sister Jan Curran, who died in 2010, was a journalist with The Desert Sun and author of two books. (VOS2112)
Burt McMurtrie was a radio personality and news commentator best known for his KTAC radio show “Breakfast with McMurtrie.” He interviewed local people and visiting celebrities while they dined in the Daffodil Room of the Winthrop Hotel from 8 to 8:30 am. (KTAC was located one floor below the restaurant.) He came to Tacoma in 1906, taken out of an orphanage by his Aunts Bertie and Sadie McMurtrie, both schoolteachers. He got his first newspaper job at 14, working on the Tacoma Ledger. During the ’30s, he was one of the top national radio broadcasters for the Columbia Broadcasting System. He was friends with many stars in the arts and entertainment of the ’30s & ’40s. He returned to Tacoma after WWII to take care of one of his ailing aunts The breakfast show originated on KTBI (which later became KTAC). He moved to KMO and returned to KTAC in the early ’50s when it was purchased by a group of local businessmen. His other program was a noon time commentary called “It Seems to Me.” McMurtrie died in 1979 at 79 years of age. (TPLibrary 2014)
Buzz Barr was a rock disk jockey, a program director and a station owner. His radio career started in Hoquiam in 1960. He moved to Centralia’s KITI (air name Tom Cat), then to Tacoma’s KMO, then to KVI. He left KVI in the mid-1960s for “kolorful” KOL, where he kick-started the station’s Top 40 format, going hit-to-hit against KJR. His next stop was KISN, Portland, for a short time, then back to KOL, and in 1967, triumphantly, to KJR middays. Buzz became program director at KING-AM as it jumped into top-40.in 1960. After KING, Buzz became sales manager for Anchorage stations, then bought a station in partnership in Kenai. Buzz retired at age 72. He died in 2012, age 74. (VOS2012)
Buzz Lawrence – John Maynard @ KJRB
Bwana Johnny’s antics were heard only briefly on KJR in 1969, but he accumulated a 40 year history in the heyday of top-40 on stations in Hackensack; Cincinnati; San Diego, San Francisco and Eugene. He was “Crazy” Dick Simms on KISN, Vancouver/Portland, in 1975 and 1976. He started at KLOG, Kelso, his hometown. At one of his early stations, at age 18 he still didn’t have a driver’s license, so the station sent him to a driving school so he could participate in station remotes. He used the name Johnny Dollar, but after staffers saw a humorous parking-lot photo of him in a pith helmet, a new name followed. (Incidentally, one of the reasons his KJR term might have been brief is while borrowing the program director’s car he was involved in a Harbor Island train wreck.) At the end he was working in production at Jones Radio Network in Seattle. He died of heart failure and diabetes at a Mercer Island extended-care facility in 2005, age 56.
C. R. Douglas [Q13 News]
Cal Glomstad former sports anchor for KSTW 11. Glomstad went on to teach Contemporary World Issues and Video Production at the Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton.
Candace Siegel – formerly with KPTK –
Candi Chamberlain – KJR … left full-time radio in 2007 to work in financial services
Cara Anderson – morning traffic reporter at KTAC 1984, KAMT/Tacoma, KASY/Auburn, KGAA/Kirkland, KJUN/Puyallup
Carey Curelop KLOS/Los Angeles and then KQLZ [Pirate Radio, Jan 1991-Jun 1992] as PD replacing Scott Shannon — most recently CBS Radio Group PD/Seattle.
Carl Cook – DJ at KGY/Olympia and 920 KQEU in the 1980s.
Carl Dombek joined KING-1090 as a weekender in 1983, willing to fill in for anything. After a noteworthy assignment to cover the funeral of Senator Henry Jackson, he won a permanent spot, but as one of the Sky Twins — offering aerial traffic with reporter Sara Johnson. (He had already done traffic reporting for radio stations in Phoenix — and he had a pilot’s license.) He then became one of KING’s street reporters. supplying a variety of Northwest news events and feature stories. He provided a quick fill-in when the talk host J. Michael Kenyon stormed off the air in a huff in March 1988. In 1989, he spearheaded KING-1090’s coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake, traveling to the San Francisco Bay area to provide live coverage on KING-1090 and for the NBC Radio network. On January 5, 1993, he was one of 12 media eyewitnesses to the execution by hanging of admitted child-killer Westley Allan Dodd and filed numerous reports for KING-1090, KING-5 television, appeared on major networks CBS, ABC, NBC, and CNN and was a guest on an episode of Geraldo! where capital punishment was the topic. Ten days later, he and fellow reporter Sherry Walsh, the station’s last two street reporters, were laid off. Dombek moved to to Sacramento where he started his own public relations agency but did occasional freelance work for KFBK, KGO in San Francisco and KFTV TV-50 in Santa Rosa, California. He also covered the January 1994 Northridge Earthquake for his former station in Seattle. Subsequently, he did public relations for the U.S. Small Business Administration in the wake of declared disasters (both natural and man-made) and was a Public Affairs Manager for a division of General Electric.
“Next, I joined a power-grid operator in the Midwest,” Dombek said, “and spent five years talking about wholesale high-voltage electricity.” In 2010 he and his wife moved back to Seattle. “Semi-retired,” he writes his travel blog (www.TheTravelPro.us), and volunteers with his town’s police department. (VOS2014)
Carl Gardner – Vice President, Market Manager at Bonneville Seattle Radio Group
Carl Lambert – Passed away February 23, 2020 — Received the Kurt Gegner Community Service award for 2010. The award is part of the Pierce County Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame. Carl was nominated for the Washington State Hall of Fame but had never been passed through. Carl Lambert’s broadcasts of local high school sports was heard for many years on KAYE (KUPY, KJUN) 1450 Puyallup and on 1180 KLAY.
Carl Sawyer – deceased
Carla Steele – [KISW]
Carlos Del Valle – News/Sports anchor and Sports Director for KCPQ 13 circa 1981 and KING 5 anchor (1983)
Carol Handley – now Director of Music Programming at 88.5 KNKX/Tacoma.
Cathy Faulkner spent four years as evening announcer of Les Smith’s progressive rock KISW, was carried along for Nationwide Communications’ KISW purchase, continued as night announcer and became music director until 1998. From 1998-01 she was 7-midnight disk jockey at Entercom Communications’ KISW and was inducted into the KISW Hall of Fame in 2012. She was evening disk jockey at “classic alternative” KRQI, 96.5, for four months in 2004 — until Infinity Broadcasting brought in that disembodied JACK-FM voice. Since 1997 she has been an independent voice-over talent and has developed on-line music-chat service for MSN and developed other on-line presentations.
Cathy Marshall was a news anchor at KIRO 7 in the mid-lates 70s and went on to KATU 2 Prortland. She co-hosted the evening news with husband John Marler at KATU circa 1998. Marshall has worked as an anchor for CNN and has also worked with news stations in Boston (WHDH); Eugene, OR., and another Portland station, KGW (2011). Cathy Marshall was a sideline reporter for Fox Sports Northwest. In 2022, she began working as an anchor at KTVZ (Bend, OR.) and became the station’s News Director in December, 2022.
Cedric James – [KWJZ] Died March 2015
Chad Douglas – voice-over talent
Charles Herring – KJR, KING TV (anchor and news director), KAPY (Port Angeles), owner and manager. (Deceased January 2006)
Charles Johnson KSTW 11 News
Charles Sheppard
Charlye Parker (see below)
CHARLIE BROWN created VoxPro Digital Audio Editor and then retired from radio. Veteran KJR Seattle personality Charlie Brown died Monday (5/11/20) at age 74 after battling lung cancer and Parkinson’s disease. His career began at Eastern Washington University’s station, before moving to KPUG Bellingham, which led to six years at KJRB Spokane. Brown joined KJR in 1974 before moving to KUBE-FM as Program Director 1981. Seattle PI’s Bill Virgin wrote:
Charlie Brown spent a lot of years in radio cutting tape with a razor blade and resplicing it. And he was tired of it. So he went out and helped develop an alternative — a digital editor known as VoxPro. That invention in turn formed the basis of a Bainbridge Island company, Audion Laboratories, owned by Brown, his wife, Kimberly, and company president Tyrone Noble. Brown is a familiar name to Seattle radio listeners. He was co-host with Ty Flint of a long-running morning show in the 1980s and 1990s on KUBE-FM and KJR-FM. Brown retired in 1997. Audion, he says, was started in the early 1990s but not with the intent of providing a second career. “I wanted something to edit (with), and if it grew, that was fine,” he says. The software was developed by a partner from Portland, since bought out, while Brown provided input on its design. VoxPro lets broadcasters quickly edit phone calls or other audio clips. Aside from the software, the company also sells a small control panel for manipulating audio files. VoxPro originally was based on the Apple Macintosh, but last August Audion came out with a PC-based version. Brown believes Audion is well positioned to take advantage of the trend toward digital technology in radio, for online productions and in business communications. Radio and business are “two totally different worlds. Each has its own pressures and stresses.” Brown’s radio career included stops in Bellingham, Spokane, Dallas and Seattle. Asked if he has any temptation to get behind a microphone, he says, “No. I did that for 35 years.”
Charlie Burd – [KTNT TV News/Ranger Charlie kids show, KBRD, KEZX radio] deceased
Chet Buchanan – Chet started at KRKO and went on to KNBQ, Z100 in PORTLAND, KUBE 93, KZZP Phoenix, KZHT SALT LAKE CITY, KBKS Seattle and finally at KLUC Las Vegas.
Charlie Busch – Alta Sierra Broadcasting/Owner-Operator – Kern Valley, California
Charlie Harger KIRO FM News Director – formerly KOMO radio 1000, KGRG, KVI, KRXY, KITI, KGMI
Charlie Lake KMCS
Charlie Van
Charlotte Raynor, former KING 5 News reporter, married to Aaron Brown. Lives in Arizona.
Charlye Parker was nighttime personality at the “new country” KMPS-FM in 1977 and soon thereafter transferred to afternoon drive on separately programmed country-format KMPS-AM. (The KMPSes were then the new stations in town, under old owners, known as KOL and KEUT-FM). Placing the blonde Parker in afternoon drive was a daring venture as the station entered the rugged “country-music format wars.” against KAYO, KRPM-FM and KYCW. After 11 years in Seattle Parker left KMPS for a career jump — an on-air shift and program director at country-music KHGL, Billings, MO. This was a three-year stint. Then she signed on for a long run at country-music KHAY, 100.7. Ventura, CA. Most of those years she was co-host of the daily program, “Early Morning Country Club with Jon and Charlye.” “Jon (Cowsill) was an adventure.” Parker said. “I never know from day to day what road he was going to take us down. Most mornings I couldn’t stop laughing at his goofy antics. We met the world’s most wonderful people. Then at the end of the week somebody hands me a paycheck. Go figure!” In the 21 years at KHAY, she also became music director and later program director. She is a published songwriter. Parker occasionally appeared on community theater stages. She left KHAY in 2012. When last heard of, she lived on a small farm in Ventura County, with three birds, two horses and a dog. (VOS2013)
Cherokee Jack led his Western Rhythm Riding Wranglers in weekly broadcasts from the KMO 1360 studios in Tacoma’s Keyes Building, on Broadway –from 1945 to 1949. The radio program frequently featured country-western celebrities (such as Gene Autry, left, on a officially proclaimed Gene Autry Day, July 15, 1949. Guests in that time period also included Eddie Peabody, “The Yodeling Blonde Bombshell” Carolina Cotton and the Women’s Army Chorus.) Cherokee Jack (Henley) and his wranglers appeared at dance halls throughout the area into the 1950s. He died in 1993, age 85.
Chet Huntley – Huntley began his radio newscast career in 1934 at Seattle’s KIRO AM, later working on radio stations in Spokane (KHQ) and Portland. His time (1936–37) in Portland was with KGW-AM, owned by The Oregonian, a Portland daily newspaper. At KGW he was writer, newscaster and announcer. In 1937 he went to work for KFI in Los Angeles, moving to CBS Radio from 1939 to 1951, then ABC Radio from 1951 to 1955. In 1955, he joined the NBC Radio network, viewed by network executives as “another Ed Murrow”.
Chet Rodgers [real name Ron Favor] formerly with KJR
China Smith was the hippest of the hip disk jockeys at KING-AM in 1971 when the station was rocking as “The Big 11.” Real name Thomas Wayne Rorabacher. He first used the name China Smith at KCBQ, San Diego, unabashedly lifting it from a B&W TV adventure series. In 1988 he was a smooth “new Wave” announcer on KMET/KTWV, Los Angeles. .As China or Thomas Wayne and Wayne Thomas he was heard on Los Angeles radio for three decades, including stations KDAY, KRLA, KCBS-FM. He occasionally hosted syndicated radio shows and specials. He died in 2005 of a heart attack. (VOS2012)
Chops Carlson
Chris Brecher – Chris worked at KCBS and later moved to Seattle, where she worked at KING and KIRO while earning her law degree. Brecher returned to the Bay Area and was hired at KGO in the spring of 2000 –Chris Brecher was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA where she says, ‘I was a good girl until high school where I was criticized for being ‘flippant.’ Now, I’m paid to be flippant!” Brecher came to California with her family and spent a year at Santa Clara University, where she discovered the campus radio station. Chris transferred to UC Berkeley where she worked at the University’s radio station, as well. By “sheer luck,” as she calls it, she landed a job at KNEW, a news station in Oakland. That’s when she caught the bug and has been in radio ever since. Chris worked at KCBS and later moved to Seattle, where she worked at KING and KIRO while earning her law degree. Brecher returned to the Bay Area and was hired at KGO in the spring of 2000. “I now have the job of my dreams, but it comes with responsibility to the audience and to democracy itself,” Brecher said of KGO. “We are the source of information that people need to make decisions about their lives and their government. That means our information must be accurate, and as complete as possible. And if we get to have a little fun along the way, even better.”
Chris Cashman is the son of Pat Cashman. Chris worked at KSTW 11 doing some very creative on-air comedy productions – Chris and father Pat hosted the syndicated Up Late comedy series on KING 5
Chris Collins – In Sacramento
Chris Hill/Dale Unruh – passed away 12-10-2010
Chris Jeffries/Wade Fisher – radio/tv instructor at Centralia College see: Wade Fisher
Chris Lane – Chris Lane was at KISN, Portland, in 1957 and at KJR, Seattle, shortly thereafter. He is credited with assembling a KJR staff that would drive the top-40 format. But he made his bigger mark at KAYO, 1963 to 1964. Chris Lane, as Kountry KAYO program director, was on the air 10AM-2PM. Lane developed KAYO’s “modern country” format. Later Chris Lane (Alexander) spent more time at Los Angeles radio stations; also working at stations in San Francisco, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Chicago. He was co-host of “The KNX Food Hour,” with Melinda Lee and had TV appearances on episodes of “”Cheers,” “General Hospital” and a made-for-TV movie, “Favorite Son.” He began in Tennessee radio (pushed into applying for a job by singer Eddie Arnold.) He was voted 1976 Radio Man of the Year and given a Bill Gavin Award. Later, he produced and announced syndicated day-long music packages “Big Country” and “Legend Makers.” His wife Lorna Alexander reported that Lane was diagnosed with cancer in 1999 and had a stroke and a heart attack on the very day he was scheduled to meet an oncologist. That was February 14, 2000. He was 71. He was named posthumously to the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 2001.
Chris Russell
Chris Taylor – KISW, moved to Oregon
Chris Travis – Kindle Vendor Manager at Amazon.com, Owner at Burning Building Recordings
Chris Wadsworth [KZAM]
CHRIS WEDES –By Jack Broom, Seattle Times staff reporter
Most people didn’t even know his real name, but he was a bona fide piece of Seattle history, one that predated the Space Needle, the Mariners, the Seahawks and Microsoft. Chris Wedes, better known as TV clown J.P. Patches, died Sunday July 22, 2012 after a long battle with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. He was 84.
On television from 1958 to 1981, and in countless personal appearances since, Mr. Wedes delighted generations of Puget Sound-area children and adults with his zany antics and a style that was irreverent yet gentle. In his tattered hat, red nose and colorful patchwork coat, the character Mr. Wedes created, Julius Pierpont Patches, could cause all sorts of mayhem, tumbling off his tricycle, blasting himself into space and playing pranks on his TV guests. J.P. was the “Mayor of the City Dump”, where he lived in a shack and welcomed frequent guests: Seattle boy scout and girl scout troops, various local and national celebrities. Among his more well-known guests were Colonel Sanders, Jacques Cousteau, Slim Pickens and Tiny Tim. He also had a beloved cast of supporting characters – Gertrude, Boris S. Wort, Grizwold, Esmerelda and Tikey Turkey. Many children signed up to be “Patches Pals,” and J.P. announced some of their birthdays by “viewing” them on his “ICU2TV” set (a cardboard prop that created the appearance that J.P. was looking at you from inside your television). J.P. Patches also made frequent fundraising appearances for local charities. He was a common sight at Children’s Hospital, visiting sick kids and promoting the work of the hospital. But he also reminded his tiny viewers, known as “Patches Pals,” to follow the rules, which included minding Mommy and Daddy, saying your prayers and sharing your toys. He opened his last major public appearance, in September 2011, by leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance…
Chubby Howard was a country-western performer who sat before the microphone at KFHA, 1480, Lakewood for a time in the late 1950s.
The steel-guitar player mostly performed with his band in Puget Sound venues, sometimes appearing on “Country Jubilee,” a live variety show on Channel 13 KTVW.
Late in his career Howard returned to radio with a Saturday-night country-music show on WBZI, Xenia, Ohio.
Chuck Bolland was born in Tacoma in 1941 and started school at Bryant Elementary in the Hilltop area before the family moved to Lakewood. He was in the fifth grade at Lakewood Elementary when the family moved to Idaho. Chuck came back to Tacoma often to visit family and when he was about 11 years of age, his uncle, Elliot Brown, would bring him along to work at a little building near the River Road-Pioneer Way intersection. This was the transmitter location for KTAC. At the time, KTAC’s studios were located in the Winthrop Hotel, but the night DJ’s did their shows from the transmitter site. For Chuck this made quite a lasting impression. Chuck got a weekend job on the small town’s radio station. He was often called-in after school to fill in a shift for vacations and vacancies. First some jobs in small towns in Southern California, and then the Tri-Cities and Spokane, In 1964 he became news director for KJR. That’s where the daily sports feature, “This is Chuck Bolland and That’s the Way the Ball Bounces” came into being. This set a style of sports reporting that could best be described as sports editorializing. Bolland left Seattle to accept an offer in Cincinnati that provided station management and placed him in front of the television camera. Bolland returned to the Northwest in 1976, landing at KTAC. For the next ten years he was the station’s news director, but once again was best known for the daily sports commentary. “It was something I could never escape and I’d have to say I’m glad I didn’t”, said Chuck. After 10 years he went to work for the Washington State Legislature as a public information officer and later in the Department of Fish and Wildlife where Bolland produced audio-visual projects as well as a monthly cable TV show called, “Wild About Washington. Bolland has continued to produce five sports commentaries each week for distribution to several Northwest radio stations, including KLAY, Tacoma. Chuck Bolland writes: Here’s a bit of trivia for you. Just after I moved to Cincinnati, WSAI, and had been there only about two months….. Mike Phillips was PD at KFRC. He offered me the news directors job there. The company was willing to reimburse Pacific & Southern Broadcasting for my moving expenses from Seattle to Cincinnati…and pay for the moving back to San Francisco and provide an apartment for 6 months so I home could be found. There were family reasons that had me stuck in Cincinnati or I would have jumped on it. It hurt, but a week after the offer I had to tell Mike, no. That’s when he contacted Bill at KOL. My career could have been very different. However, you never know. I left WSAI after two years and moved over to WKRC and that got me a bit of work in TV as well as radio (CHBCenter, 2014). Did we mention that Chuck is retired and living in Paris, France?
Chuck Bras was on KJR in the fifties. Bras was a music teacher at John Marshall Junior High in the early ’60’s
Chuck Ellsworth – KOL, KJR, KMO, KTAC (deceased)
Chuck Knopf -last reported in 2008 he was doing fill-in work at KPAM AM, Portland
Chuck Wiese weather man at KING 5 circa 1985
Cindi Bemel Works for KPCC Southern California Public Radio
Clarence Jones [KZAM]
Clark Race worked for a short few months at KVI – died July 27, 1999 of throat cancer
Claude Brimm DJ KAYO, KOL
Claude Rorabaugh The reports of my death are greatly over rated! There may be some that wish this son of a bitch stays dead, but I did not die. What is true is that I have finally retired and as well from broadcasting. Since the summer of 2011 I have been the voice of Tom Read’s ACN and LBS networks. I informed Tom just before the July 4th weekend that I am hanging up the microphones. I am 69 and it is time to grow up and get out of radio. 🙂 I made a few enemies over the years for being a perfectionist. There is just too much mediocracy. Just because you are on the air, talking and playing records, does not mean you are talented or a star. You are just a disk jockey. Very few rise to excellence as an entertainer. Nuff said.
Clay Freinwald – Chief Engineer at several Tacoma-Seattle stations. Did some on-air work at KTW in the mid-1960s.
Clay Huntington has operated stations KFHA-Lakewood, KLAY FM Tacoma, KQLA-Lakewood and now KLAY 1180-Lakewood, serving the Tacoma and South Sound area for well over 50 years. [pictured: Clay Huntington, voice of Tacoma Tigers baseball 1946-1951;] Huntington’s early sports broadcast career includes stints at KTBI, KTNT and KMO radio stations and both KTVW and KTNT television. All of this, as well as sports broadcasts on a 14-station network that covered Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. His vast record of community involvement includes helping to fund the construction of Cheney Stadium in 1960 and bring Triple A baseball back to Tacoma. Huntington died in 2011. One of the roads leading to Cheney Stadium has been renamed in his honor. Clay Huntington was Voice of the Tacoma Tigers in the Western International League from 1946 to 1951 He has continued for more than 40 years, broadcasting and producing high school, college and pro sports events He also did the color commentary for the Tacoma Rockets hockey club in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Clay also was a sportswriter for the Tacoma Times. He was one of the founders of the Tacoma Athletic Commission and a two-time president of that group. Clay was also one of the key figures instrumental in bringing Pacific Coast League baseball back to Tacoma in 1960
He initiated the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame in 1957 and the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame in 1960. (CHBCenter, 2014) Clay died in 2011.
Clif Kirk was imported to anchor the revamped half-hour evening newscast as “Eyewitness News” on KIRO-TV He had worked at several stations including KOGO-TV, San Diego, and KTTV, Los Angeles, where he was a news anchor and reporter. He stayed at KIRO as anchor, news manager and news director from 1969 to 1976, when he left to return to Los Angeles radio. Kirk compiled a 31-year career in news, but died in 1979 of a heart attack at age 49. (VOS 2014)
Cliff Clinton [KBRD]
Cliff Mass supplied brief intellectual weather discussions within Steve Scher’s “Weekday” program on KUOW, but added his opinions on science, schooling, other subjects. (He is a tenured professor at the UW, but tenure had no relevance in radio; the windy weatherman got the boot.) He did similar weather analysis on KPLU. (VOS2014)
Cliff Murphy [Air Traffic reporter KVI Skywatch] died November 2014.
Cliff Wilson
Colleen Patrick – After a 4 year enlistment in the US Air Force as an Information Specialist, these are the stations at which I have worked:
WAER Syracuse University, NY – actor, well known plays we broadcast live with sound effects (Shakespeare and Broadway)
KCAT, Central Washington State University, Ellensburg, WA – nightly news anchor, writer and performer for soap opera Little Fanny Frosh; winner with co-writer Paul DeMerchant, first place, National Writing Award.
KIRO AM Seattle, WA – news reporter (I was also the first woman full time TV reporter and radio reporter at the CBS affiliate).
KING AM & FM Seattle, WA – talk show host.
KZOK AM Seattle, WA – news director, morning news anchor, wrote, produced, talent for news documentaries; selected top morning radio team for Puget Sound with DJ Rick Shannon.
KZAM AM/KJZZ FM Bellevue, WA – news director, morning news anchor for both stations; I was selected one of three memorable radio voices in Puget Sound with Chet Rogers and Dave Niehaus.
KSPL Seattle, WA – news director, morning news anchor with DJ Joe Michaels.
I was also an Ombudsman/Reader Advocate for The Seattle Times.
I’ve published two books – Mind Over Media (CHEF Publications) and The 100% Solution (Meadow Brook Publications); written, produced and directed 16 short films, one of which, Life as Art, was an Official Academy Award submission and shown at the Seattle International Film Festival; wrote and directed the comedy feature film The Whole Truth, which was shown at the Seattle International Film Festival and the NY City Friar’s Club International Comedy Film Festival. It was so well received in New York they made me a Friar.. I was inducted in the Lucille Ball Room.
Coby McCloud [Joe Michaels] –
Colleen Robbins had an evening program for a short time on KMPS-AM. In 1985 she moved to Bend, OR, Currently she is co-host with her husband of a morning show at an Oregon radio station.
Commander Tom [Thomas Mailey] KMPS – Hey! Just stumbled on your website. Not even sure if you still update it but I did evenings (7-mid) at KMPS from 1990-92 under the awesome name of “Commander Tom”. I went to work for sister station KRAK (later KNCI) in Sacramento in late 1992 and have been here ever since, co-hosting the morning show with Pat Still. LOVED my time there, working with Tony Thomas, Stubbs, Tall Paul Fredericks and Ichabod. Tim Murphy was the PD then, and Becky Brenner the APD. That’s all! Tom Mailey, Roseville, CA
Connie Cole [King is real last name] – worked at KOMO radio… now mostly voice-over work. Classic Marketing Guild | Voice, Radio & TV Narration
Connie McDougall [KOMO] works at Seattle City Light as their senior public relations specialist.
Connie Thompson KOMO 4 News
Corine McKenzie on the air @ KPLZ
Corry Reynolds – Friendly, warm, accessible, upbeat, fun+characters – Corry Reynolds at Voice123 – Broadcast Media Professional – Published Author -KIRO Radio / Bonneville
Craig Edwards left his position as PD with KRLA/KTIE in August 2008 during a budget cut by Salem Broadcasting
Craig Martin
Curt Kruse KPLZ
Cynthia Doyon was the friendly, dedicated host on “The Swing Years,” Saturday night “big band” program on KUOW. She had begun work at the radio station, enrolling at the UW in 1973, right out of Lincoln High School. She had worked full or part-time at the station for 24 years, sometimes in the orvernight hours, firmly locked into the six-hour Saturday night shift. She was a soothing guide to a time when radio had a special stature as the nation’s dominant mass medium. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of that period of music, when Guy Lombardo, Glenn Miller, Lawrence Welk performed under the mirrored ballroom fixture. She opened each Saturday show with a deliberately old-fashioned montage of waves lapping on shore over a soothing nostalgic tune. For a station photograph, she dressed like a 1940s throwback, checked jacket, tightly permed blonde hair carefully parted to the side. She apparently lived a largely reclusive life. She didn’t go to staff meetings. No one knew where she lived. She died of a self-administered gunshot on the UW campus waterfront in 2004. She was 48. (VOS2013)
DJ No Name was host of the Afternoon Experience at KNDD, “The End”. His real name, Bob Van Dyne. His first radio exposure was on Green River College’s KGRG. Liking the taste of radio, he applied at stations across the country, but accepted a “modulator” job at The End. (KNDD Modulators do promotions, like passing out stickers.) Eventually, he slipped a resume in the station manager’s in-box and got a Sunday morning shift. That grew to a daily midday show. Always interested in live events, DJ began open-mic appearances away from the station. DJ No Name established his funny comments between grunge and heavy metal. But he tripped over Al Yankovich. An Entercom executive and DJ himself apologized over material aired after a 2006 Amish schoolhouse shooting. Soon, he was replaced by a syndicated music-interaction feature from Montana. Once done with “corporation-owned alt.rock radio” DJ promoted his own on-stage program for Main Stage and developed mixtapes. He did return to radio for vacation work in 2008. When last heard of, he was on an advisory board at Green River. DJ No Name turned out to be a difficult name off air. Was it No Name or noname? Was he related to the East Coast fellow, DJ With No Name? “My real name is Bob and the boss guy, Phil Manning, thought Bob was way too vanilla for a station as “cutting edge as The End. DJ Noname was our compromise. Had I known I was going to be on the station for years, I would have picked my name more carefully.” (VOS2012)
Dakota Williams [KAYO]
Dale Goode KRKO, KOMO
Dale Hubbard is president of Olympic Broadcast and Media, operator of KMAS 1030, Shelton, and other stations. And he’s not above doing the midday airshift on his own station’s year-old shift to the news-talk format. Hubbard once manned the midnight shift at top-40 KTAC, Tacoma. (VOS2013) On January 12, 2016, KMAS rebranded to iFiberOne NewsRadio as a result of merging with local cable/fiber optic provider iFIBER Communications.
Dale Owens -deceased
Dale Parsons
Dale Pederson – Roger Dale Pederson who for more than 20 years was simply known as “Roger Dale on the KITI morning radio show, died March 25, 2010 due to complications from cancer. He was 63.
Dale Roberts on the air @ KZOK
Dale Starkey – DJ at KJR circa 1959
Bruce Dale Sommers, better known as “The Truckin Bozo,” died August 2012 in a Florida hospice. Sommers was 68. Truckinginfo.com reports Sommers moved to Cincinnati with his family at age 15 and started working at WAEF-AM a year later, in 1959. After radio jobs in Indianapolis, Seattle, San Diego, Miami and Kansas City, he returned to Cincinnati in 1984 to do the overnight show as “The Truckin’ Bozo” for 20 years on WLW-AM. “The Truckin’ Bozo” made national news twice at WLW-AM helping solve crimes.
Dale Schornack- KSTW 11 News anchor during 1995-1997 CBS affiliation, he came from KDFW, replacing Don Porter.
Dale Starkey – spent his first four years as a disk jockey at WGTO, Haines City, Ia. but he had CBS network experience in the 1940s, He worked briefly at KGA, Spokane (1950), KJR, Seattle (1960), followed by stations in San Francisco and Hollywood. He’s been a singer, writer, broadcast instructor, a musician in the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. In 2006 he lived in Citrus Heights, CA. doing occasion commercial spots.
Damien [Michael Stein] – Afternoons on KGY FM (2022) — Moved to Seattle in 1980, and got a degree (in Communications and Journalism) at the University of Washington. While there, Michael was on-air at KCMU, the predecessor to KEXP. Also helped start and host ‘Audioasis’, a local music/ performance show there…and it’s still on the air today! KYYX-FM, Seattle was his first full-time radio job. Using the name ‘Damien’, Michael did the afternoon show (with news-partner Debbie Paine) up ’til about mid-1984, when the station got sold and changed format. Then, did nights for a couple years at ‘K-Plus FM’…which is now ‘Star 101.5’. Michael did promotion for Geffen Records in the mid-late ’80s, Polydor Records in the early ’90s. Now doing voiceover work.
Damon Huard took his quarterbacking skills from Puyallup High School to the University of Washington and eventually to 12 seasons in the NFL. In 2010 he took his football insight, including two Super Bowl rings, to the KOMO radio booth adding color commentary alongside long-time Husky voice Bob Rondeau. Huard was a three-year starter for the Huskies. He went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL with Miami, New England and Kansas City. With the Patriots, he won two Super Bowl rings as a backup to Tom Brady. In addition to his radio duties, he has also acted as the UW football program’s chief administrative officer focusing on player development and professional growth and he has been a fundraiser for the football program and university. Damon and brother Brock became the first brothers to start at quarterback in the NFL on the same weekend – Nov. 26, 2000. Damon started for the Miami Dolphins against the Indianapolis Colts while Brock started for the Seahawks against the Denver Broncos. (CHBCenter, 2014)
Damon Stuart [Stewart]
Dana Rebik [Q13 News]
Dan Bartolovic – Skagit Valley radio icon Dan Bartolovic died in Anacortes January 19th, 2006 at the age of 60. Danny B hosted the KAPS AM 660 Mount Vernon morning show from 1989 to 2001, was program director, handled sports play-by-play, was track announcer at Skagit Speedway and public address announcer for the Bellingham Mariners and Tacoma Tigers baseball teams. [NWBroadcasters]
Dan Foley DJ KING AM
Dan Hemingway – (Ken Sasso) passed away in 2004
Dan Lothian – Seattle TV reporter Dan Lothian became Executive Producer of WGBH Boston and PRX’s The World in November 2021. He was a general assignment and breaking news/investigative reporter at KING 5 from 1991-94.
Dan Lewis retired from the KOMO 4 News anchor desk in 2014, after 27 years. For most of that time, his co-anchors were Kathi Goertzen and Steve Pool/weather.
Dan Mason – Program Director at 920 KQEU in the early 1990s.
Dan Murphy Dan Murphy worked weekends at KMPS; KIXI
Dan Niles – DJ at KTIX in the late 1950s
Dan Packard – Operates the Portland Radio Guide http://pdxradio.com/Home.html
Dan Pounder – a sales associate at Sam’s Club
Dan Roberts evening DJ at 95.7 KJR FM, also the voice for several cartoon characters, including Scott Adams’ Dilbert comic strip character. Moved on to KZZU-Spokane.
Dan Shannon Program director at KING radio in the mid 1960s.
Dan Springer, originally from Woodinville, joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in August 2001 as a Seattle-based correspondent.
Dan Wilke let go from KISW in Nov 2002
Dan Williams real name: Walt Bjerke worked at Kountry KAYO 1150, in Seattle from 1963 to 1979. From there he moved to Eugene, OR to work at KEED AM until 1997.. Later, worked at a station in Florence, OR. Dan Williams worked as “Montana Fat” Walt Bjerke (get it?) playing C & W at KLAN. Dan told me that the day KAYO hired him to start that very night, he was listening later when somebody announced on the air that a new deejay named Dan Williams was starting that night. He found a phone and called program director Chris Lane and said, “What the hell’s the big idea? You told me I had that job, you son of a bitch!”, to which Chris replied, “You do, Dan.” (Dick Ellingson) He passed away due to cancer in 1999.
“Dana Deardon & The Kiss Boys” was the morning show on KBKS from March 1996 to May 1997, Dana then teamed with Chris Collins, to February 2000.
Previously she was afternoons and then midday at KLSY.
Dana Middleton was last reported as resigning as communications director for Gov. Gary Locke in Dec. 2001
Dancin’ Danny Wright – DJ at KNBQ FM & KJR; fired from Dial Global in 2008 and retired
Daniel Hargrove – News Radio KXRO AM 1320/ FM 101.7 Aberdeen/ Hoquiam News Director since 2015, in July 2022 became the Communications and Public Relations Specialist for the Lewis County Public Utility District.
Daniel Weatherhogg KQMV Music Director left the station September 2012 after 6 years. Now, Program Coordinator at Sandusky Radio Seattle Inc.
Danny Holiday was born Daniel Thygesen in Everett, but he made a name for himself starting at his first job at KPUG, Bellingham. In 1966 he was part of the stellar rock and roll lineup at KOL and became program director of KSND 1590, as it became “Superstar Radio” KUUU in 1968. He loved his music and kept meticulous notes, soon becoming rock’s best Seattle historian, and always current on local groups including Paul Revere and The Kingsmen. He had brief exposure at KJRB, Spokane, KTAC and KING-AM. For a time he was a record-promoter for A&M Records. He was also known to get up and sing at major concert performances. When he returned to radio, he developed an oldies segment at KZOK-FM. At oldies KBSG he started a Friday-night program “Rock and Roll Time Machine,” which ran for eight years. After a long absence, his last gig was as a volunteer-host at KSER, Everett, continuing his “Rock and Roll Time Machine.” Because of a continuing illness he announced his retirement in 2012, counting up 41 years in the business. He died in February, 2012, (VOS2012)
Darryl Despie one of the first jocks at KOL-FM worked at KOL FM from 1970-72. In 1975 he was a radio personality at the Circus Circus 2060 15th Ave. W. in Seattle.
Daryl Webster is Sr. Director, Customer Support, at Med Assets in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
Dave Allen (Daryle Sauve) never worked in his parents apple orchard in Yakima Valley, preferring to hang around radio stations instead. He got a morning shift at KWYZ, Everett — “paid in experience only.” When he mustered out of the Air Force, he parlayed that brief KWYZ experience into jobs in and around Seattle, including KING-AM, (adopting the name Dave Allen), KMO, KVI, and all-nights at KOL and later KGAA and KBES, Bellevue, (where he was Morgan in the Morning). Dave Allen worked part-time at KMPS-AM at its beginning. His best times were at “Rosellini’s 410 a media bar, sitting with other deejays cracking jokes He jumped from one Skagit County station to another. By 1970 he returned to Yakima Valley. He moved in and out of the voice-over business. He had one son. He was single when he died of cancer in December, 1999, age 60. (VOS2012)
Dave Ballard – DJ at KIRO and KIXI – deceased
Dave Benson – Former Seattle market The Mountain KMTT-FM 103.7 program director Dave Benson has joined WNRN-FM 91.9 Charlottesville VA as PD and GM [November 2012]. He left The Mountain in June 2011 after two years.
Dave Christensen – KBCS FM, KCMU FM, KING AM & KGW in the ’70s, KTAC AM & KING AM/FM in the ’80s, and KING AM/FM in the 90’s until I left the biz.
Dave Clarke (Bliss Clarke Sutphin) — KJR, KVI
Dave Dawson from Cleveland, hosted a talk show on 1400 KTNT Tacoma (1980)
Dave Day – [KUUU] moved to California, home territory and sister station KLOK
Dave DeSoto – Newsman at KQDE, KVI, KMPC (Los Angeles). Deceased (6/27/2001)
Dave Dolacky last worked for KIRO and now appears on Seattle Radio Theater productions
Dave Grosby is the co-host of “Bob and Groz” on KIRO 710. The Groz has spent the last 21 years of his 39-year broadcast career as a Seattle sports talk show host. Dave is also the play-by-play announcer for Seattle U basketball on KTTH 770. Before coming to Seattle, Dave worked at KFI in Los Angeles and KFBK in Sacramento. He’s been married to his wife Bonnie for 23 years. On Twitter @thegroz Facebook at BobabdGrozShow
Dave Drui….started in radio in 1973 in Bellevue as a jock at KBES AM and FM, moved to KIRO AM as the all night announcer and later became a news anchor when it changed to newsradio. Worked at KUUU voice tracking mornings and then left radio to be J.P. Patches’ floor director at KIRO TV which included script writing and acting. In Los Angeles got into radio management at KBRT and later was a news anchor for the Financial Broadcasting Radio Network. Worked in radio production at KFAX in San Francisco and is currently the program director for KKOL KLFE and KGNW where he’s also the morning host.
Dave Henderson (newsman) former Mariner worked Mariner baseball games as a color commentator in the past
Dave Henderson — (not the former Mariner) — Dave was a newsman at KVI in the 1970s before moving to Golden West’s KSFO (San Francisco).
Dave Keefer – Worked at KYSN East Wenatchee. Now, Dave is now program director and mid-day dj on KQBG in Wenatchee. He is also owner of Jazz Stream Records.
Dave Langley – Newsman at KAYO and KIXI
Dave McCormick was program director and morning disk jockey at KOL in 1966. Previously he had worked at CFUN, Vancouver, ten years at KYNO, Fresno and helped launch top-40 KHJ, Los Angeles, in 1967. Under Dave, KOL was akin to a Drake-type format, complete with Johnny Mann jingles. Dave had a gigantic collection of 45 rpm. records, which he started assembling at age 5 in his hometown, Hamilton, Ontario. At age 15 he was pulling an eight hour shift at a Hamilton radio station, well before the rock ‘n’ roll era. (VOS2014)/font>
Dave Newton was General Manager of News-Talk KTW AM and KZOK FM [1974]
Dave Perry – [KMO/1963] left radio in 2004 and is concentrating on voice work
Dave Ross – KIRO FM anchor/talkshow host. Contributor to CBS Radio News special features.
Dave Ryan [Dave Sawyer] KBAM Longview, KBRO Bremerton, KIXI Seattle, BPI. Dave died from a heart attack in 2018. (JR-2021)
Dave Scott left KINK/Portland in June 2015
Dave Sims – Currently is the television play-by-play commentator for the Seattle Mariners. Sims was the 2018,2019 and 2020 National Sports Media Assn., Washington state Sportscaster of the Year. He is in his 16th season as the co-host (with Mike Krzyzewski) of Basketball and Beyond with Coach K on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
Dave Sloan – Afternoon anchor-reporter for KPLZ FM joined the morning teamat KLSY/KJZZ (1984)
Dave Smith [KING 1090 News]
Dave Stone was newsman at KIRO-AM from 1971 through 1993. His best exposure was when KIRO introduced a morning news block in 1974 and followed up with an all-news format — Stone teamed with former all-night music jock Bill Yeend. Stone’s first fulltime radio job was in 1957 in Hermiston, OR, then in Orofino, Idaho.
“I joined KLIQ, Portland, to work with Bob McAnulty, Stone said. “After leaving there, I was at KOIN, Portland. Three years later, KGW-AM, then KREM-AM-FM-TV.”
He moved to KING-AM, Seattle, for one year, then to “classical KISW, but carried through as classical became rock.. Finally he moved to KIRO-AM-FM for his long stay.
“Since retiring I’ve stayed in Seattle. I live in Magnolia, Stone said. (Not related to the Portland disk jockey Dave Stone. Not related to the San Diego disk jockey Dave Stone . Not related to “The Laughing Devil New York comedian Dave Stone. Not related to the Atlanta/New York disk jockey Dave Stone. Not related to touring guitarist Dave Stone. Not related to the 1975 KOL disk jockey Dave Stone.) (VOS2012)
Dave Stone was imported from KOIL, Omaha, to be KOL’s afternoon disk jockey in 1975.
Originally from New York, Dave Wingert delivered consistent No.1 ratings in middays on Seattle’s 92.5 KLSY for many years before hosting a syndicated all-nite program for night-owls, “Dave ’til Dawn” from the KLSY studios. KLSY was also the home for the syndicated “Delilah” radio show. After leaving KLSY, Wingert went back East to Omaha. Wingert worked at KGOR Omaha until an on-air conversation got a little nasty. Wingert was fired from KGOR/Omaha in October 2011. “Dave Wingert, morning DJ for oldies rock station KGOR, is no longer with the station. [10/18/2011] Wingert said an expletive on the air and was suspended, then subsequently fired. Wingert had the KGOR morning job since early 2007. Previously, he had worked at other Omaha stations as well as in Des Moines, Kansas City and Seattle [KLSY].
**** Wingert was hired in January 2012 by crosstown NRG MEDIA Adult Hits KOOO (BIG 101.9) Omaha. “Dave is an exceptional talent with an uncanny ability to connect with listeners of all generations,” NRG MEDIA/OMAHA Market Manager Andy Ruback said. “To have him back on the air in Omaha is essential to continue to raise the bar in the radio market and offer listeners throughout the community a mass appeal morning show that will make people wake up and feel good.”
Dave Yates writes “I started in Yakima at KMWX 1460, the only nighttime radio station in town. Then moved up to KJRB in Spokane. (hometown). Also worked nightclub action during hey days of disco at Top of the Ocean in Tacoma, Rosebuds in Everett, and Annabelles in Los Angeles. All giant clubs. My last radio gig (after KJR) was back in 2002 at KLSY and I had 2 shows on Sirius Satellite Radio. Then I was Admissions Director at a broadcast school for quite awhile before they went under. Now I work for Postal Express as a mail courier. Fun times while I was in radio though.”
Dave Young
David Arneson
David Boze is a lifelong talk radio fan and Washington resident. He began his radio career with the nationally known Peter Weissbach as Weissbach’s sidekick “The Grasshopper.” Since then, he’s produced and substituted for numerous hosts, was the co-anchor of mornings on KTTH, and has guest hosted/co-hosted for national hosts including Michael Medved and Michael Savage. Prior to radio, David worked as a research analyst for the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF), a non-profit, public policy think tank in Olympia. While at EFF, David was a columnist for The Olympian, and has written columns for the Seattle Times, the Tacoma News Tribune, and numerous other newspapers across the state.
David Hebert – Hi. I just discovered this website, and I thought I’d give you a brief look at my radio career. My radio career began on my nineteenth birthday when my first radio job started in Mt. Vernon, Washington. I was hired as afternoon deejay, which was why I went into radio in the first place. I was a deejay at KAPS radio. After I worked for 2 months, I was promoted to chief engineer, which suited me just fine. I knew nothing about being chief engineer, but the idea had a particular ring to it. Over the next 3 1/2 years, I picked up the job quite well. Before I left, I had rebuilt the station, not to mention repaired the equipment several times, including two temper mental cartridge machines. Step two happened with me going to work in Aberdeen when I went to work for KXRO. I was happy there, and picked up alot more knowledge in the process. I rebuilt a 2 tower directional antenna system, took care of a cranky 5,000 watt transmitter and rebuilt the control room. The station had no ground system, so every once in awhile the entire station would break out into oscillation. One by one, all the problems were solved and the station was quite stable, as far as the antenna system was concerned. Before I left, I worked on the technical part of the application for them to buy KDUX-FM. After almost nine years, it was time to move on, so I came to the Tri-Cities to work for KONA AM & FM. I don’t think I got a day off for 4 years. Again, I helped rebuild the antenna system, installed two transmitters, converted the station to AM stereo, and rewired the AM control room, complete with a new console. My knowledge was rapidly increasing and by the time I left, I was quite an authority in almost everything. We had fun experiencing what that job had for me. But, it was time to leave again, so I started my own technical consulting business, and went to work for stations all over Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Alaska, and Montana. I had written several magazine articles, became a ham radio operator. This time, I moved to Dallas, Texas, to work for Continental Electronics. I’m out of radio now, sad to say. I see where the business gave me a ton of knowledge, met many fine people, and I enjoyed many, many good times.
David Perry [KISW] now at KTYD/Santa Barbara
Davidson Corry left radio to work at Attachmate
Dayle Parks traffic manager at KTAC, became 7-midnight DJ at KJUN/Puyallup in 1984
Deacon Baker [KKFX]
Dean Carlson worked at KMTT, The Mountain, from 1992 to 2000. In 2008 he developed a syndicated radio program, “FusioRadio,” for AAA-format stations.. He is associate music supervisor at PlayNetwork, in Redmond. Carlson counts up 20 years in the entertainment industry. Seven years in radio syndication. Seven years in digital production He has been a board member of The Recoding Academy, in Santa Monica (VOS2013).
Dean Shepherd – last heard on Nightly Business Report on PBS
Dean Smith KIXI newsman and announcer; continues freelance voicework
Deb Henry
Donald Courtnay – Mr. Courtnay, best known for his voice-over work in local commercials, died of natural causes July 14, 2008 in his Sammamish home. He was 84. With his booming and inviting voice, he began a radio career in Salt Lake City in the 1940s. During the 1950s he moved to Seattle, where he became a widely recognized voice-over artist through his work with KING and KIRO television and KJR radio station. He later became general manager of KCPQ television in Seattle. “He was, of course, the freelance voice in town,” said colleague Dean Smith, who met him in 1962 and worked with him at KJR. “If there were 10 voice-overs to do in town, he would probably do nine of them. He had a wonderful voice and was the type of guy you could just respect.” Among his accomplishments, Mr. Courtnay is best recognized as the voice of Safeway for 19 years, with his signature line in commercials: “Shop Safeway — you’ll see!”
Del Olney (Delbert L. Olney) worked at several stations in the Northwest as early as the middle ’40s. He was at KHON, Honolulu, in August 1946 and at KXL, Portland, the next year. In 1947 his shift included signing-on KXL at 10:15 p.m and broadcasting until a 2 a.m. sign-off. In 1953 Olney was at KWJJ, Portland, working evenings, then middays and finally mornings, until 1958 when he moved to rocker KVAN, Vancouver. This ended when KVAN became KISN. Next: KLIQ, KEX, KXL and again KLIQ.
In 1960 he was briefly KJR’s noontime announcer, then he moved to “good-music” KXA and in 1961 was at KIXI-AM on its new 910 frequency. Olney left KIXI in 1967 for KGMI, Bellingham, then came back to Seattle for KXA and in a year was on the 7-midnight shift at KOMO. He eventually became KOMO’s long-term midday announcer.
Olney left KOMO in February, 1978, to work at the new communications center for the Yakima Indian Nation.
Delilah Rene – still in syndication at stations across the USA. Delilah won a high school speech contest in hometown Reedsport, OR, got a job on KDUN reporting school news and sports. After school, a natural step up to KPNW, Eugene, OR. In Seattle she did some temping at KAYO, but landed the nighttime segment at contemporary KLSY. Her blend of love songs and dedications emerged despite minor skirmishes over music selection — she wanted more soul — and readings of her own poems. Success. The station declared her 7-midnight shift AA sales time. But then, her first misstep, KJR was changing from rock to all sports. Delilah Rene’s midday shift at KJR attracted neither males nor females. She spring-boarded to stations in Philadelphia and Boston and Rochester, trying for national syndication. She launched “Delilah after Dark” with Jones Radio Network, back in Seattle, which evolved into Premiere Radio. She now appears as “Delilah” with a blend of storytelling, sympathetic listening and love-song dedications on more than 200 stations, with an audience of 7 million. She is a single mother of seven, four of them adopted. Delilah created Point Hope Foundation for forgotten children, refugee children and special-needs kids in the foster-care system nationwide.
Delilah on the State of the industry: “It’s very, very sad. If one of the big automakers lost a quarter of its customers over a four- or five-year period, they would say, ‘What are we doing wrong? Let’s fix it.’ Radio has lost a quarter of its listening audience over the last couple of years. Instead of going, ‘What are we doing wrong? Let’s fix it,’ they go, ‘Oh, let’s cut more talent, let’s add more commercials, let’s test more music. Let’s pretend that satellite radio isn’t happening.’ Radio is such a gift and such a powerful medium. It needs to maximize its effectiveness, which is doing theater-of-the-mind stuff, touching people’s hearts and inspiring people. [From a Radio & Records interview 2004]
KAYO/KING-AM/KZAM/KJZZ/KLSY/KJR-FM
Dennis Arlington was a longtime country announcer on Radio 123, KWYZ. He passed away during angioplasty surgery after suffering a heart attack while driving to work in Everett.
Dennis Buckle News director at KAYO, retiring in 1980.
Dennis Kelly – the President/CEO of News Talk Concepts, Inc.
Dennis Murphy – Before joining NBC News, Murphy was a reporter for KING-TV, the NBC affiliate in Seattle, Washington. He began his career as a desk assistant at WCBS-TV in New York and worked for several years as an assignment editor, producer and reporter at KHOU-TV in Houston, Texas.
Dennis Rahm studied radio broadcasting at LH Bates Vocational-Technical Institute in Tacoma – Dennis has broadcast Lake Chelan area high school sports games for KOZI
Denny Fleenor is now a Communications spokesperson for WSU
Derek Murray
Derek Shannon owner of KITI/KRXY
Dewey Boynton – operations mgr Radio Yakima cluster
Diamond Jack Brady
Diane McKenzie – KUBE, KJR
Dianna Rose [KWJZ]
Dick Albertson/Richard O. Albertson – KING radio, Seattle area school teacher and longtime Seattle Seafair Pirate died Aug8, 2008
Dick Calvert broadcast the Tacoma Stars of the MISL from 1985 to through 1988. Calvert has an extensive history of soccer broadcasting, working for both the North American and Major Indoor Soccer leagues. He has been the announcer for MCA championships and official starter for NCAA golf tournaments, and for WCC basketball. He was the featured announcer on three World Cup broadcasts. He was the “Voice of the Rebels” for the University of Nevada Las Vegas and has broadcast the college’s basketball, baseball, men’s and women’s soccer games. Although retired from the national radio booth after five decades covering sports, Calvert continues as UNLV athletics-department announcer. (CHBCenter,2014)
Dick Courier [KOMO AM News 1972]
Dick Cross is a 40 year veteran of the radio business, on radio stations such as KUGN and KEX, in Oregon, and KVI and KOMO in Seattle. He sometimes served as program director, music director, and sports color announcer for Pacific Northwest stations. Along the way, he recorded several award-winning commercials and coached and mentored up-and-coming announcers. Dick’s other interests include playing drums and banjo. Dick was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. He wanted to be a radio announcer since junior high school when he visited WOC, Davenport. After two years in the Navy, Dick moved to Eugene, attended Radio Voice of Students and got his first-class license. In 1954 he became morning announcer at KORE, Eugene. He moved to KERG, then KUGN as afternoon-drive announcer and became program director as well. In 1969 he was afternoon personality at KEX, Portland, but moved back to Eugene the next year to focus on sports announcing at KUGN. In 1971 he was afternoon-drive personality at KVI, Seattle, then program director at KBES, Bellevue, finally moving to afternoon-drive at KOMO. He was also music director there. His segue to owning a Redmond recording studio, AudioVisions, was seamless, because of his background. Open for over 15 years, Dick represented some of the most well-known speakers in the National Speakers’ Association Northwest. Dick retired in 2007.
DICK CURTIS – KBRO-KJR-KOL-KYYX-KKMI-KORL-KVI-Concerts West — retired. Program Director at KOL. Curtis left KJR (after nearly six years there) in late ’67. He launched KOL-FM’s progressive rock in June ’68, became KOL general manager in Jan. ’69 and hired morning star Lan Roberts away from KJR in May, ’69. Roberts was KOL’s off-air program director (due to a non-compete contract at KJR) and became KOL morning drive jock in early Oct. ’69. Popular KOL talent Robin Mitchell, who left the station in Aug. ’69, replaced Roberts as off-air PD when Curtis brought Mitchell back to the station in April, ’70. The Curtis-Mitchell team led KOL through one of its most successful periods until both were fired in the summer of ’72. Curtis went on to manage concert tours for Frank Sinatra, The Eagles, Bob Dylan and others with Concerts West. His Facebook bio: Worked at KOL, Former News Anchor at KYYX, Former Program Director & Deejay at KVI, Former Promoter at Concerts West, Former Deejay at Kjr, Former General Manager at KORL, Studied Radio Broadcasting at Bates Technical College, Went to Lincoln High School (Tacoma), Lives in Issaquah, Washington, Married to Connie Curtis, From Tacoma, Washington
—–SEATTLE TIMES Obituary______Dick Curtis was born in Tacoma, Washington with the name Richard J. Falk. He passed away on Saturday, December 26th in Olympia, WA at the age of 87.
He assumed the name ‘Dick Curtis’ in 1960 when he first joined KJR Radio Station and decided to adopt this name legally in the early seventies. Dick attended Lincoln High School in Tacoma and joined the U.S. Air Force a year after graduation. Following his four years in the Air Force as a radio operator in the Security Service, he enrolled at Bates Technical College in Tacoma, which at the time was called Tacoma Vocational School. After leaving Bates he became a radio broadcaster in Sunnyside, Washington. From there he learned his craft in the small markets, mainly at KBRO in Bremerton. Curtis spent the next seven years at KJR, Seattle. It was there that Dick joined Pat O’Day in forming the first Rock and Roll concert promotion company in the Northwest, “Pat O’Day and Dick Curtis Presents.” The two also promoted several teen dance locations. After leaving KJR, Dick joined KOL in Seattle as an announcer and left four years later as their general manager. While there Curtis launched the first commercial FM rock station in Seattle, KOL-FM which is now KMPS. In the early seventies Dick returned to the concert business joining Concerts West, which sprouted from the original O’Day-Curtis partnership. He was also employed by the Jerry Weintraub organization in their Los Angeles office. His main duty in the middle seventies was road manager for Frank Sinatra. Dick also managed several national tours for the musical groups Eagles, Jackson Browne, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell and other well-known performers. While working for Weintraub, Curtis served as management representative to Bob Dylan in the late seventies. Dick came back to the radio business in 1979 managing KORL in Honolulu, Hawaii. Returning to the Seattle area in the middle eighties, Curtis hosted a morning “Oldies” show on KVI for nearly a decade. Prior to retirement in 2001 he acted as a news anchor for KVI. In 2009 Curtis received a “Lifetime Achievement Award,” referred to as a “Crystal Soundie,” from the Puget Sound Radio Broadcasters Association.
Dick Ellingson – Dick Ellingson left radio in 1993 – last job at the Real Country Network, broadcasting from Phoenix. Ellingson worked at KAYO and KMPS in the ’70s. He lived in Phoenix from 1985 to 1993. Ellingson was on KLFF 1360 in 1988 (big band/mor) and, from 1989 to 1993, KCWW 1580 which was the originating station for the ABC Radio’s Real Country Network.
Dick Goodman [KISN] KOMO AM News (1972) Dick Goodman, as Dan Tucker, A.K.A. Mother Tucker, was newscaster evenings and weekends on KMPS-AM.
Dick Guthrie -after leaving KING radio in the early ’60s became the night booth announcer on KOMO for many years
Dick Harris is retired and still alive and active at 86 as of Sept 2010 (from Clay’s Corner)
Dick Haugen reports for The Spokesman-Review after 35 years in the broadcast industry. Dick spent a good portion of his career in the Seattle-Tacoma market with top-rated radio shows at KVI in Seattle and KTAC in Tacoma. He has spent the last 20 years in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area reporting for both radio and television email Dick
Dick Jones/Rick Knapp – retired from radio after selling his station KENE, Toppenish [Tom, Dick and Harry] One of the oldest radio stations in Seattle, KTW (1250 AM) had a tortured history, including its beginning in a church loft, with a meager signal and a sunset sign-off. After being sold by the First Presbyterian Church in Seattle, the station suffered a series of owners and a bankruptcy or two. In late 1964, with the station still at 1250 AM and holding a construction permit for 102.5 FM, a new owner introduced a top-40 format with d.j.s “Tom. Dick, Harry, … and Sam.” The disk jockeys assigned names were Tom Morgan, Dick Jones, Harry Smith … and Sam Kelly. (Even their previous-station experience was made up.) The station’s rock format lasted 9 months and then was switched to the “Nashville Sound.” (KTW would soon endure other indignities in a three-way station-and-frequency shuffle to try to get rid of the sunset sign-off.)
Dick Keplinger – Newsman at KOMO, KJR, KVI, hosted Cookbook Quiz on KOMO TV in the 1950s. Dick Keplinger did the KOMO news from his home studio.
Dick Klinger – KING TV Evening Show Host – VOICE of SIRIUSLY SINATRA ON SIRIUS XM SiriusXM -Portland State University -Greater Atlanta Area -Listen at www.dickklinger.net
Dick McGarvin eased into Seattle as KVI’s weekend disk jockey in 1965. In addition to early-morning Saturday and afternoon Sunday shifts, McGarvin also worked as production director. In August of the same year he became the early-evening announcer.
He had been at KIDO, Boise, from 1959 to 1965.
McGarvin was interested in more voice-over work and was advised that he would do much better if he were closer to Los Angeles. So that’s when he negotiated a move to KVI’s sister-station KSFO, San Francisco..
In 1980 he began at “all-jazz” KKGO, Los Angeles, and in 1999 and 2000 was on KLON, the non-commercial station owned by Long Beach State. (VOS2013)
Dick Rossetti left KNDD in 2007. Anyone who has worked in radio knows how incredibly hard it is to pull someone off the street, put them on the air, and have it sound good. It doesn’t work like that. However, every once in awhile a showman of such incredible talent and charisma comes along and hits it out of the park on his first swing. Dick Rossetti is that guy. You may not have understood two thirds of what Dick was referring to in any given break, however what you did know is that what he was saying was funny. No one has been weirder, more complex and loved music more at the station than Dick Rossetti. Rossetti has since performed as front man for the band The Jilly Rizzo. (HARMS2012)
Dick Roth KTAC and KING AM personality
Dick Staub [KING 1090] “The Dick Staub Show first appeared locally in Seattle at King Broadcasting (NBC affiliated) in 1987. In 1991 Staub moved to Chicago where he hosted a nationally syndicated, afternoon drive, radio talk show. His award winning signature interviews resulted in numerous honors including the Cardinal’s Award for excellence in broadcasting.
Dick Staub was host of a daily radio show on Seattle’s KGNW (also broadcast on cable’s Total Living Network), and is the author of Too Christian, Too Pagan: How to Love the World Without Falling for It (Zondervan, 2000). He’s also the founder of the Center for Faith and Culture, which examines intersections between popular culture and religious belief.
Dick Stokke first worked in Seattle in 1955 at KJR. Three years later he was on “the new” KFKF-AM, 1330. He was known for his adlibbed, irreverent comments and could truly have been classified a humorist. In 1964 Stokke moved over to the KIXI news department and as a midday disk jockey at the same time at contemporary-personality KOL. He returned to KFKF, but soon was automated out of the business. He sold automobiles, and did fill-ins at various stations. By 1965, Stokke was back at KFKF but off the air by the end of 1966. He started in Yakima. During the span between 1966 and 1969, Stokke sold automobiles, was a classical-music announcer at KXA, program director of KURB and KAAR, Mountlake Terrace, and filled-in at various Northwest radio stations. He was eventually promised a fulltime shift at KTNT-AM. It didn’t happen, so he ventured into a leased stock-market-news program with veteran radio announcer Merrill Mael on KTVW, Channel 13. Stokke also appeared in many dinner-theater productions in Seattle. He died in 1987, age 71. This from the Times, Sept 25, 1987: Dick Stokke , longtime radio personality, actor and humorist, died Tuesday after an extended bout with cancer. He was 71. Stokke was born on Feb. 26, 1916, in Salt Lake City. He moved to Seattle as a child, graduated from Roosevelt High School and attended the University of Washington. He continued to live in the city until he and his wife, Beverly, moved to Bellevue nine years ago. Stokke’s career spanned two periods in radio, from the straight delivery of a station announcers into the much livelier days of disc jockeys. Beginning in the 1940s, Stokke worked as a talk-show host and station manager for KOMO, KJR, KIRO, KFKF and a number of other radio stations. He did thousands of commercial spots. Stokke was famous for his frankness on the air, and gained attention for panning Elvis Presley and purposely twisting words. His constant ridiculing of Presley irritated but attracted listeners and elicited a response from the singer himself. When Presley came to Seattle in 1958 and was introduced to Stokke, legend has it the singer said, “Oh, so you’re the one!” Stokke worked in television for a few years, hosting the news-and-commentary segment of a daily stock-report program. Also a cartoonist, he was fond of making his on-the-air partner, Merrill Mael, break out in laughter by slipping a strange cartoon over his script. “Dick was the best ad-libber in Seattle radio,” Mael said. “He was very, very funny and that got him fired a few times, but he was one of the best.” Stokke also acted in about 60 plays with the Cirque Dinner Theater, where he shared the stage with Van Johnson, Bob Crane and several other stars. He also worked for a while as public-relations director. After he retired Stokke continued writing columns for various Seattle-area publications and did event promotion. Stokke is survived by his wife; five children, Francis and Keith of Seattle, Karl, Kurt and Karen of Port Angeles; and a stepson, Don Mix of Spokane. No services were held.
Dick Wahl worked at KRKO, Everett, in 1958, but moved to KTIX, 1590 mg in 1960. He had attended Bellingham High School, Western Washington University and graduated from the University of Washington. He was active in drama. He worked at KOMO and KIRO and later moved to Los Angeles where he spent the next 20 years news reporter and correspondent for the American Broadcasting Co. After retirement he taught journalism at California State College, He portrayed a newscaster in the 1978 motion picture “Remember My Name.” He died in 2001. (VOS2013)
Dick Weeks – KTAC; KMO; KTNT talk show host; – deceased
Dinwiddie Fuhrmeister- In his time, he was: a cowboy, World War II bomber pilot, an amateur actor and director, a local TV host and producer, and one of the founders of the Sound to Narrows race. Fuhrmeister, known by many simply as “Din, died December 2002 from complications of cancer at his Tacoma home. He was 82. …Fuhrmeister went on to work for the Tribune Publishing Co., at a time when the company still owned KTNT-TV, Channel 11. Among other things, he hosted a children’s show during the 1950s called “Din’s Dandy Time”.
Doc Downey [KJR] became a New Orleans attorney
Doc Watson, KTVW TV DJ-personality and later became a real estate salesman in Gig Harbor. See comments here.
Don Burns [KOL, KJR] KVFM, 1963; KNJO, 1964; KOL, KJR, KRLA, 1970-72; KROQ, 1973; KRLA, 1974-75; KIIS, 1975; KIQQ, 1976-77; KOST, 1978-80; KUTE, 1986-88; KTWV, 1988-2000. Don worked afternoon drive at “the Wave.” He was doing his program from his home in La Quinta, CA when he was forced out because they wanted him to do his program on KTWV live.
Don Cannon – KOMO, KING
Don Chambers – [KQIN-KOL]
Don Chapman was KAYO’s all-nighter in 1965. Donald B. Woodland was his given name when he was born in Aberdeen. He attended Lewis and Clark College and Grays Junior College. After school he moved to Chicago where he became one of the “Five Western Gentlemen” disk jockeys on WJJD. The Chicago station was so successful Chapman and another disk jockey took a stab at syndication, consulting for “Sammy C.” a “complete country-music format for other stations.” (No relationship to Sammy C, Latin Freestyle.) But even better, a fellow Country Gent Chris Lane had returned to KAYO as program director, a station with a nightly 10 p.m. signoff that had just moved away from rock and roll. Lane urged Chapman to follow. Chapman wrote a country song or two and produced some recording sessions. One of his royalty checks was for three cents. He decided not to cash the check. Chapman eventually became afternoon disk jockey at middle-of-the-road KOMO, Seattle. He moved to Nashville to try producing record albums. But he returned to Seattle and then began his own video and audio production company. Two years later he felt the urge to try his luck in Nashville. There he would find work as a record producer. But the memories of the Northwest beckoned and he and his wife Willie moved back to Seattle. During this time, he began his own video and audio production company. Two years later, he became production manager at Videoland Productions in Lacey. Chapman died during cancer surgery in 2011. (VOS2013)
Don Clark was an aggressive, entertaining, disk jockey at KOL in the early 1970s. Clark said among his previous experience included writing segments for NBC’s emerging series “Saturday Night Live” with his wife. Clark was singularly inventive. As afternoon disk jockey, he cajoled listeners to rat on who stole the Carnation Cows from a display at University Village, talked the grateful company into rewarding all KOL listeners with free ice cream. “KOL, Keep on Licking” Clark said to listeners who lined up at the Harbor Island radio station. He made a big deal of the buzzards in Hinkley, Ohio. He made phone calls to Arthur Prysock, he cajoled touring musicians, including superstars like Aretha Franklin to add unscheduled concerts for prisoners at McNeil Island. Clark continued activism as nighttime disk jockey at KIRO AM, noting that gold had climbed to new levels so he lined up busses and equipment for gold-panning trips. Clark clipped media coverage of his station activities, splayed them in front of his station manager and asked him to budget money for listener promotions, Clark: “Here’s the press coverage I’ve generated for six months — now I’m going to stop and see how much coverage KIRO could get on its own.” (Cricket sounds here, if you please.) Then Clark learned that management was budgeting promotional money to build up its lackluster morning man, Clark quit and returned to California. Never to be heard from in Seattle again. Sort of. (A couple of years later he submitted an application for an opening at KVI. {He would have been a perfect fit for the promotionally minded Hardwick, Morton and French.}. His aircheck was an hilarious two-hour phone interview with the hot comedian Don Rickles. KVI dumped the application because no where did Clark mention Seattle, or Mount Rainier, or rain, or any KVI turf.) (VOS2012)
Don Cristi [Wagner] He said in Feb.2011, “This business is so strange, I have returned to radio full time as the General Manager of the Leatherstocking Media Group in Upstate New York with stations in Syracuse, Oneida and Utica; it really is good to be back.”
Don Einerson – Sheriff Shot Badley, a character on the JP Patches tv show.
Don Fuhrman commandeered the KVI night shift for eight years and other air shifts totaling 14 years. His overnight shift started a year after KVI had stopped midnight signoffs. Offered a low-key show, with minimum prep time, but all-in-all a friendly gentleman. He retired in 1975. While still at the station he let his obsession with the outdoors take hold. Frequently he would park his camper truck on city streets outside the station, keeping it handy for a quick snooze or an early-morning steel-heading session along a countryside stream.
Don Hedman – KVAL Astoria, KBKW Aberdeen, KXA and then KJR, left KJR in 1960 and went to KAYO and later moved to Bellingham (1962) and worked at IGM; left radio and worked in real estate; Don Hedman died Dec 13, 2009
Don Hill was for many years Tacoma’s “voice of baseball”. He was the regular radio announcer of the Tacoma Giants and Cubs games from 1960-1971, most of the time on KTAC. Hill came to Tacoma from the Midwest as the Tacoma Giants began Pacific Coast League play at the new Cheney Stadium. Hill was renowned for his road-game recreations, in the days when teams did not send broadcasters on the road. Hill and his wife Connie made it difficult for Tacoma listeners to discern he wasn’t watch the game in person, Connie gathered information from teletype or phone from the ball park. From a few simple words Hill could fashion a 15-minute yarn describing each pitch and, on occasion, even a fake argument on a close play that he imagined could have occurred, He used sound effects in the studio including a recording of crowd noise and a cow bell for celebrating a home run. Hill’s given name was Dwight Herrick. He broadcast for 14 years previously in cities including Omaha and Columbus. His signature call was “How’s that Giants fans!” His career covered over 50 years and 10,000 broadcasts. He died in 2002. (CHBCenter 2014)
Don Hoffman is retired from radio. He is writing, working part-time and teaching in Monterey, CA.
Don January submitted an aircheck to KOL in 1960. But his real name Don Wimberly was not “Seattle enough” for J. J. Valley and Buzz Barr. Everybody likes January in Seattle. Wimberly says he was the first graduate from the Broadcast Journalism Department at WSC (midwinter 1960). Even so, he had been on the air in 1958 at KOFE, Pullman. He remembers there were only two jobs posted in the college placement service, in St. Helens, OR, or Fargo, ND. He chose KOHI, St. Helens. A year later he moved to KUMA, Pendleton, OR. The aircheck to KOL followed. “Frankly, rock and roll was not my thing,” January said. “I was a jazz musician.” He left KOL for a sales job at a Portland station, then did some ad-agency work. He “retired to The Dalles, OR, in 1996, but met KODL owner Al Wynn and went back on the air for ten years. Retired again in 2005. Last heard from in 2006, acknowledging he was in remission from a serious disease.
Don Lane -Dick Ellingson says: Don Lane (Don Finger) came to KAYO from KRDR in Gresham, Oregon. His wife Joy refused to marry him unless he legally changed his name. Their daughter was named Melody. KRDR’s address was 1230 Melody Lane. Don and I were fired by KAYO’s new p.d. on the same morning. As I walked out of his office, Don walked in. Don became manager of KEED in Eugene and hired Dan Williams after Dan left KAYO. Don Lane died 3/5/07 in Oregon.
Don Madsen KING 5’s first morning news anchor 1982
Don O’Neill half of the Ron & Don team of talk show hosts on KIRO FM
The Ron & Don Show started at KJR-AM in 1995. Other stations they have worked at during their career include: KCTC-AM/San Francisco, KZZP FM/Phoenix, KYNG FM/Dallas, KQBZ FM/Seattle, WKLQ/Grand Rapids, KKND FM/New Orleans & finally settling here at KIRO.
Don Patrick – KTAC / KJR
Don Riggs – retired and living in Bellevue * formerly with KMPS
Don Riley – Newscaster at KIRO TV and radio, and KIXI
Don Shorter/JJ Jackson – Don Shorter was an air personality in Tacoma, including KTNT-AM-FM, KTAC-AM-FM and KNBQ, in the early 1970s, and in Seattle hosted prepared programs on radio stations ranging from “r&b” KYAC-AM-FM to “hot talk” KVI and “top-40” KUBE. As Don Shorter Phd he produced TV programs which appeared on the Trinity Broadcast Network and The Word Network. He is a life coach and founder of Company Care Associates, founding pastor of Pacific Church and owner of Media Elite Production and Promotions Agency. Shorter is the author of several books including “Winning Against All Odds and “Take Control of Your Thoughts.
Don Simon KIXI FM [PD] left for American Academy of Performing Arts/Pasadena, Ca. – 1982
Don Viceroy KFKF
Don Wade (WEHDE) got fired at KOL in 1972, Wade had escaped from Philadelphia to avoid some controversy. Wade had dispatched his first wife on a month-long journey around the country to look for the best place to live. If she found it, he promised he’d find a way to make a living there — Indiana, Texas, California, no matter. She called him for a two-week vacation; he joined her in Seattle, went back to Philadelphia prepared to quit. That’s when the sister-station business of Buckley Broadcasting became important. Buckley had just bought KOL, Seattle. Wade was a natural morning-show host with a lot of funny voice characters, including Sheriff C. W. Turnipseed …(a big old spit into the rusty spittoon – Yuk!) Then came KOL’s automation equipment and a mass firing. Wade said he would have taken a pay cut to stay in Seattle, but that didn’t work. No doubt he took a pay cut when he logged on at KTAC, Tacoma, just readying in 1973 to take on KJR and KOL with Top 40. At KTAC-AM-FM Wade attempted to set a world record “watching PBS-TV for 30 hours.” After KTAC, Wade moved to Chicago, and that’s the last we ever heard from him. But Chicago heard him big. He became a legend at WLS, Chicago, first as a morning disk jockey, then as a cynical talk host as the station changed formats. Wade tackled Chicago aldermen, dysfunctional politicians. This evolved into the “Don Wade and Roma Show,” with new-wife Roma trying to moderate him. They became the longest running drivetime show in Chicago — 27 years. That ended when Wade developed brain cancer at age 71. Serious surgery and chemo followed. After months of wondering when he would return to the air, Wade decided to retire at the end of 2012. Don Wade died September 6, 2013. (VOS13)
Donna Seebo was an occasional guest as a psychic on Mike Moran’s talk show on KTNT in 1980. Who would predict she would develop her own radio show? Well, she knew! She is a storyteller and a seer, an author , teacher and minister. “The Donna Seebo Show” continues on alternative-talk KKNW.
Dori Monson – mid-days on KIRO FM
Double R – Double R (Rick Robertson) on the beach.
Doug Dahlgren, formerly with KGY & KYYO/Olympia, has died November 30, 2024, he was 82. Dahlgren’s career took him through many markets, including Indianapolis and Portland, OR. Dahlgren died at his home in Chicago. Dahlgren began his career in Iowa in the 1960s and spent seven years in mornings at WIRE-AM Indianapolis (1430) starting in 1980. He joined KUPL-FM Portland’s “Waking Crew” in 1987 and was there for nine years. He worked for several Chicago stations during the 1970s.
Doug Klippert — [KTAC] (Here is what he said in an email.) He is an independent Microsoft technical trainer. 5/1/1965 KTWD-FM first stereo FM in Spokane :: KDFL Sumner, KTAC Tacoma, KSND Seattle until 2/28/1968.
Doug Taylor – Doug Taylor is now working for Seattle Pacific University
Dr. Rock Jeff McIntosh
Drake Collier arrived at KING-AM in 1991, fresh from Chicago. With a deep voice and friendly personality, he moderated the station’s evening talk show. (Early on, CSPAN elected to telecast his radio program for Seattle’s reaction to the 1990 presidential election.) Over the years Collier has been on both TV and radio as news anchor, announcer, and talk-show host, and has done documentaries, training films, voice-overs and promotions. He moved to KIRO-AM for the 9 p.m. evening radio program. Collier met wife Maria Lingat at a PBS TV telethon in Chicago. He was a host and she was a telephone volunteer. Shortly afterwards they had an unusual first date — attending a wake. They were married a year later. Originally from the Philippines, Maria moved to Chicago with her family in the late 1980’s and worked in the marketing field. Touched by his wife’s faith, Drake entered the RCIA program at St. James Parish Seattle and he participated as a lector. Maria initially transferred to Nevada with the Department of Social and Health Sciences. Drake followed and now operates a year-old real estate venture in Las Vegas and Maria has joined him. Website: Drakecollierhomes.com. (VOS2013)
Duane Smart says “I began working in radio at KISW-FM, in 1963. During my years at UW, I was on KUOW and a booth announcer at KCTS-TV. I worked at KMCS-FM, know then as MarketCasters and then to KIRO AM-FM-TV, where I did audio production and mixing. From 1967-1981 I was Mr. Music Man on the J.P. Patches show.”
[Bill] Dudley – mono-monikered morning guy at KTAC mid-1970s, moved up to KJR for a few months, overniter and weekends. Later at KTWV The Wave-Los Angeles.
Ed Bowman enjoyed a 25-year sports broadcasting career in Tacoma, calling action ranging from Cammarano Brothers-Double Cola Little League Caravan baseball all the way through high school, college and professional sports. Bowman’s broadcasting career got its start in 1955 while he was a student at College of Puget Sound. “Clay Huntington gave me the opportunity to do radio play-by-play of six or seven games at the Washington State High School Class B Basketball Tournament at the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse, Bowman recalled. For the next 25 years until he moved out of the Puget Sound area, Bowman did radio and television broadcasts of hundreds of sports at all levels. Bowman worked with long-time Tacoma Cubs play-by-play man Don Hill on the broadcasts of the team’s run to the 1969 Pacific Coast League championship. Bowman also handled public address and public relations duties for the Cubs, in addition to writing game stories for Associated Press and United Press International. When Hill took a group of Tigers boosters to Honolulu for games against the Hawaii Islanders, Bowman slid into Hill’s chair doing local re-creations of those games based off of wire reports. “I remember signing off the air at 2 or 3 a.m. on those re-created live broadcasts from Honolulu, Bowman said. Frequently Bowman worked alongside Doug McArthur calling the action as the Loggers and college and high school football, baseball and basketball games — along with some swim meets. Bowman’s broadcast career ended in 1980 when he moved to the San Francisco Bay area where he became an executive in international transportation, trade development and marketing. (CHBCenter, 2014)
Ed Dollar – KMO (Country) in the 1960s; KTNT 1400 (Variety-Adult Contemporary) 1970s;
Ed Dunaway see: Big Ed Dunaway KMPS
Ed Evans Evans grew up in Albuquerque, N.M. He started work in his broadcasting career the day after he graduated high school, reading the news for KLOS, a hometown country-western radio station. He left for Portland, Ore., to attend Lewis & Clark College, where he majored in communications. Evans was student manager of the campus radio station and worked as a disc jockey for KGY in Olympia and also had radio stops in Tacoma and Seattle. After graduating in 1968, he was hired to work at KOMO radio in Seattle, covering city hall and the state legislature. In 1972, he joined KOMO television, where he first met longtime KHON anchor Barbara Tanabe. In 1977, Tanabe suggested Evans apply for the executive news producer’s position at the Hawaii station. He also taught broadcast news for three semesters at the University of Hawaii. In September 1980 he left KHON to work at KIRO television in Seattle for 11 years as capital bureau chief in Olympia. He went on to earn a master’s of divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. Evans served at Blaine United Church of Christ in Blaine, Wash., and later as pastor of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Vancouver, Wash. After retiring in 2006, Evans moved to Sequim, Wash., but remains active in the church.
Ed Garre was station owner of KASY, Auburn –a true mom-and-pop day-timer at 1220 on the dial. Wife June Garry was office manager and receptionist in the little concrete-block studio at the end of a gravel road leading into Auburn marshlands. A partner at first, Garre acquired sole ownership in 1960, was chief salesman and became an Aubur civic leader. He was described as “Auburn’s greatest ambassador.” He was master of ceremonies for just about any civic event. He organized Auburn auto dealers into a group inventing the slogan “Little Detroit of the West.” A Tacoma native, Garre attended St Martins College and Gonzaga. KASY’s format was middle of the road — “the KASY kind of music.” The station was sold in 1989 and with its dial position changing to 1210, became something of a pawn in a series of media mergers, going through call letters KBSG-AM, KTTH-AM, KNWX, KDDS, KWMG, KTBK and the current “Latino1210” KMIA. Garre died in 2010, age 89.
OBIT–Ed Garre, May 31 1921 – Nov 14 2010 –
With the death of Ed Garre, the Garre’s lost the core of their family and Auburn lost an icon. As owner of Auburn’s Radio KASY from 1958 to 1989 he was, as one Auburn business owner put it, “Auburn’s greatest ambassador.” He was active in numerous clubs and civic activities, was the popular MC for most all of Auburn’s community events, and organized the Auburn Auto Dealers into the successful advertising cooperative widely known as the “Little Detroit of the West.” The son of Italian immigrant farmers, Ed was born in Tacoma. He graduated from Fife High in 1939, followed by college at St. Martins and Gonzaga. He served in the Navy during WWII and married his high school sweetheart June Reck in 1944. Together they owned and operated KASY, enjoyed an active social life including many years of boating, and raised their three children.
Ed Isenhart – writes on 5/8/2020 – Wow! What a flashback!! I worked at KTAC from easy listening to light rock.(67 to 69). Lee Knutson was PD when I got there and Tom Conners when I left. Then got a Job as booth announcer for KTNT TV. Worked there from 69 to 75. Started shooting film for commercials and a little news. For a while I was the Sunday night news anchor and would take over the 10 o’clock news for Charlie Byrd when he went on vacation.
Ed Ives – Newscaster at KING and KIXI, former information officer for the state insurance commissioner’s office and state House of Representatives
Ed Jacobsen
Ed Kelly – KOL; station manager at KJUN Puyallup
Ed Longcrier. afternoon DJ KAGT Annacortes Jan-May 1973. Morning announcer KELA Centralia 1973-1983. Owner operator KTHE Thermopolis Wyoming 1983-1987. now retired old fart. (grew up in Kent in the 50’s and 60’s) grad Ron Bailie School of Broadcast.
Ed Scott [KING 1945] went on to KOA Denver and later purchased KLAK Denver. Ed was born in Denver, but by the 6th grade, was living with him grandparents in Englewood, a relocation in the “Country” to recover from childhood tuberculosis. He graduated from Englewood High School at age 16. When he was 17, he attended a DU summer session , enrolled at the University of Washington to study broadcasting. Soon he dropped out of school to work to keep his teenage record show which he shared advertising revenues with the station. It eventually led to a full time job with KING in Seattle. In 1947, Ed returned to Denver, first to KOA-AM, then to KLZ-AM. His network announcing debut came at age 19 after he moved to WBBM, CBS in Chicago. His network radio credits include “People Are Funny,” “Sky King,” “The Gene Autry Show” and “The Quiz Kids.” Network TV commercials involve the “Wednesday Night Fights,” “Ben Casey, “”My Three Sons” and “Lucy.” In 1953, Ed moved back to Denver. When KLZ-TV Channel 7 went on the air, he became Sheriff Scotty, a top rated show that Ed produced and performed in for nine years. In 1961. shortly before his 33rd birthday, he pooled all his resources on a radio station located in an old ranch house in Lakewood. Five years later, KLAK was a state-of-the-art facility and the station was positioned to become a ratings leader. KLAK-FM came in 1966, then a background music/sound system named Accent Sound in 1970. In 1971, KFEZ-AM went on the air in Kansas City. Ed sold his businesses in 1976. Ed Scott then began a career in politics, first in the Englewood City Council, followed two years later as Colorado’s youngest Mayor. In 1984, Ed turned his talent to print. His current events column was featured in the Denver Post and in 63 other newspapers in 30 states. He also hosted and narrated a TV program about Denver in the 1940’s called “There Was A Time.” The program won a national “Telly.”
Eddie Mason
Eddie O. [KKFX]
Edward Bowes was a Tacoma business man and successful real estate developer. Bowes founded the town of Fircrest. Most people remember him for his NBC radio show “Major Bowe’s Amateur Hour.”
Edward R. Murrow – The most famous broadcaster to come out of the Northwest might have been, Edward R. Murrow. Murrow grew up in Bellingham, attended WSC, studying broadcasting at the 500-watt campus radio station. Murrow will be remembered for his wartime broadcasts for CBS and his “See It Now” program, (CBS-TV, March 9, 1954) “A Report on Senator Joseph R. McCarthy”.
Elise Woodward, KJR Sportscaster, is truly a fabulous Sports babe. A guy’s gal, Woodward is married and enjoys nachos, beer, gambling, Harleys, and knows more about sports than you do.
Ellen Tailor was co-host of the Fitz in the morning show on KKWF and was a features reporter for Q13 TV. Tailor came to Seattle radio from a station in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Elliot Brown. Chuck Bolland says: “He and Bob Summerise did weekend Rn’B shows at KTAC, and then booked talent into a couple of taverns near Ft. Lewis. At that time the black GI’s had very limited places they could go off post for social occasions. So my Uncle and Bob (who was African-American, just died about three years ago in Seattle) booked in Friday and Saturday night acts. It was just after Ray Charles moved here from Florida so it was him, Etta James, The Platters, etc. It wasn’t long and most of those acts were far too expensive for a Lakewood area tavern, but lesser known groups on tour had limited places to play in the Northwest so they could get them very reasonably. Don’t know if my uncle used Elliot Brown as a name on the air or not. It would have been about 1953 or so. He had returned from Korea after an enlistment with the Marine Corps and was enrolled in Bates for their electronics class. (2016 – Chuck Bolland)
Ellis B Feaster – KRPM/Tacoma; WPOZ FM Union Park, FL
Emperor Bob Hudson – made famous with the Hudson & Landry comedy records, Ajax Liquor Store etc., and a Los Angeles disc jockey who worked for a period at Pat O’Day’s KKMI FM. died 9/20/97
Emperor Lee Smith – KJRB, KJR. Deceased
Eric Chase/Paul Christy now is a voice actor at Paul Christy Productions in the Houston, Tx area
Eric Dahlberg [KKNW FM]
Eric Dawson [KRIZ]
Eric Funk
Eric McKaig [KING-AM, KYYX, KOMO-AM production manager]
Eric Powers [KUBE], 1988-1991 KNHC/C-89FM host and student PD, 1991-1992 KNDD – One of The End’s very first hosts, 1992-2016 KUBE – Afternoon host, 2007-2016 KUBE PD,
2009-2014 KBKS PD, 2010-2017 Westwood One National Hot AC Voice, 2017 HOT 103.7 Program Director/Afternoons.
Eric Slocum Former KOMO anchor, who worked at the Seattle ABC-affiliate for a decade and also served as an anchor for the KOMO radio station, died February 2012. He was 54. “It is with great sadness that we’ve learned of the death of Eric Slocum, reads a statement posted on KOMO’s Facebook page today. Slocum’s death was ruled a suicide, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He reportedly suffered from depression for several years. Slocum worked in radio before becoming an anchor and reporter with KOMO-TV in 1990. He stepped away from TV in 2001 and worked as an anchor for KOMO radio until 2008, when he left to work full-time on a memoir.
Eric Tyler Music Director and afternoon drive jock at KISS 106 Seattle. Hired by WBBM FM in August 2016.
Erin Hart [KIRO] Erin Hart hosted weekend talk shows on news-talk KIRO-AM for seven years. Previously she was a midday talk host at KTLK, Denver. Hart grew up in a small town in Colorado. Hart learned to work in Spanish in Puerto Rico, where she has lived off and on. Since leaving KIRO she has done freelance hosting at stations including KHOW and KOA, Denver. She has written items on politics and entertainment. She is a board member of Faith Forward, an interfaith group inspired by progressive politics and social action. She has hosted talk programs on the internet broadcaster Talkspot.com.
Evelyn Tinkham – KONP Port Angeles Travel editor, program host, advertising executive.
Fastlane Phillips started at KAMT, Tacoma, in 1984. In six months under his name Scott Phillips, he moved to Seattle’s “magic 108″ KMGI for a 7 p.m.-to-midnight shift using the name Don Phillips. Finally in 1990 he was at “oldies KBSG as “Fastlane. He stayed there 19 years, the last five of which he was morning personality.
He also was the co-host of “Goodtimes Oldies Magazine, a nationally syndicated weekend show that aired in over 250 markets. While attending the University of Puget Sound he became program director of the college station. He is younger brother of Kent Phillips, KPLZ program director. He now works mornings and is the operations manager for a cluster of stations in Billings, MT — where incidentally there is a Fast Lane Phillips 66 gas station on High Ridge Drive. Ops Mgr, 98.5 the Wolf/Magic 107.5 and Morning Show Host, 98.5 The Wolf. – update by Scott Phillips/8-29-2014
The Fabulous Sports Babe sparked KJR’s transition from rock ‘n roll to sports-talk in 1991 under ownership of Jeff Smulyan. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of sports and an aggressive conversational style. She seldom used her name Nanci Donnellen. She stayed in Seattle for three years, always expressing disdain for the disorganized KJR caller … a rich guy on a cell phone. She was lured away by national syndication through the ESPN Radio Network. In the next eight years she was heard in over 300 radio stations nationwide. She also briefly hosted an ESPN TV show. Early on she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent treatment (apparently remaining cancer free for 14 years.) After her ESPN exposure ended in 1998, she moved to a Florida beach home and appeared regularly on WHFS, Tampa Bay, and on the short-lived Sports Fan Network from WQYK, Tampa. (Before “Sports Babe Donnellan did sports reporting on stations in Boston, Cape Cod and Tampa Bay.) She made occasional sports-TV guest appearances and was the subject of newspaper and magazine accounts — frequently noting she was the first sports call-in female host (and maybe still, the only). With Neal Karlen, she wrote a book, “The Babe in Boyland, in which she discussed men, women, football, goalies, strikes, and clueless sports executives in a unique style.
In February 2012 a Tampa newspaper reported she had a stroke. She returned after recovery as overnight host at WHFS-FM (as CBS Radio fully developed “The Fan” sports-radio format for Tampa.) The Babe announced she had been fired from her weeknight show in August 2013, but CBS Radio says she will be returning with a parttime weekend program. Negotiations continue.
Fendall Yerxa had a long career in newspapers and television before moving to Seattle in 1965 to become a professor of journalism at the University of Washington and a featured news analyst on KOMO-TV, into the early 1970s. He also wrote a weekly news commentary for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He began as a news reporter in Minneapolis and advanced to editor at newspapers in New York, Delaware and the District of Columbia. His career included time as a news editor at ABC-TV. Yerxa retired from the UW in 1984, after nearly 20 years on the faculty. He died in fall of 2014 at age 101. (VOS, 2014)
Fenwick – Jim Fenwick (Jim Pierson) left KOL and went back to Portland radio
Fran Hawkins – KUUU – let go from KUUU over $$ and fringe benefits, KVI FM, KYYX;
Fran Martin
Frank Catalano began as a midday disk jockey at KUHL-AM, Santa Maria, CA. followed by some time in Green Bay WI, and Boise, ID. In 1980 he started at KTNT-AM, Tacoma, moved to KMPS for a year and then six years at KING-AM. As KMPS newsman he also wrote for Seattle Weekly and Puget Sound Business Journal, and was on-camera technology reporter for KCPQ-TV. In 2008 he resumed consultant work, offering branding, marketing, educational Services. He writes a column for Geekwire.com. His business website: Intrinsicstrategy.com.
Frank Lenzi began his career in commercial radio in the summer of 1995 at KGON in Portland, where he was an intern. He also worked at KZEL in Eugene while attending the University of Oregon. Also during his time at the U of O, he served as production director, and eventually general manager of KWVA-FM, the campus radio station. After graduation in 1997, he took at job at KEX in the newsroom. He also worked as a jock at K103-FM. Three years later he moved to KPAM 860 where he stayed for eight years, six years of which he served as the managing editor in the newsroom. Most recently, KOMO Newsradio in Seattle, where he was the morning editor.
Frank Roberts [news]
Frank Shiers has bounced around a variety of stations in Seattle, and for the past several years has been a talk-host, news-reader and production aide at KIRO-AM, “B97.3,” and KIRO-FM. Here’s Frank: “I grew up in Bremerton, but, I’ve lived all over western Washington. I got my Communications degree from WSU and then went to work in radio in Bellingham and Tacoma. In 1979, I went back up to WWU to get a teaching certificate. I taught elementary school for awhile (first and fifth grade,) then high school. I taught English, speech, television and coached debate and drama. After 7 years of teaching I returned to radio. Since 1986, I’ve bounced around a variety of stations in Seattle. For the last several years, I’ve worked at KIRO and our sister station, B97.3. In my spare time, I’m a political cartoonist. I draw seven cartoons a week which are syndicated to about 20 papers around Puget Sound. My wife, young daughter and I live on the Eastside. We have a sweet old yellow lab, a persnickety old orange cat, and an old Volvo wagon I’d like to drive off a cliff.” (FS2013)
Frank Thompson was an announcer and the news director at KJR from 1969 to 1975. He previously worked in Victoria BC and San Diego. Thompson started in 1957 at the Tijuana frequency “Mighty 690” operating out of San Diego, From there, he moved to other stations in San Diego and Los Angeles before moving to KJR. After KJR, he spent a decade at CKLG, Vancouver Frank was an author, a history buff, and poet. He died in August 2012, age 85.
Fred Brott, or Francis J. Brott, was a genuine pioneer in Seattle radio and TV. He was “Seattle’s first radio announcer,” according to an obituary in 1955. He also telecasted Seattle’s first television pictures (from his home), well before there were TV sets. He obtained an amateur radio license in 1915, was the announcer on experimental 7AD in 1920, and was “first to broadcast recorded music” June 3, 1929. Brott built five of the original transmitters in the Pacific Northwest and he owned two early Seattle stations, KFIY and KGCL Brott was chief engineer for KOMO Radio when it was organized in 1926. He became engineering director for both the radio and television stations in 1952. He died May 12, 1955, at age 64. (KOMO1955)
Fred Miles [KITZ]
Fred Ross–Newsman at KTAC and KOMW
Fred Zaehler has worked in Pacific Northwest Music Promotion
Freddie Mertz
Freddie Williams [KBRD weekends]
Frosty Fowler has passed away at age 96 at his home in Poulsbo with his wife Sue at his side, April 2019. (See the many posts about Frosty here at QZVX.COM, search FROSTY FOWLER
Gabby Parsons – on the air @ WMMM Madison, WI
Gary Bryan programmed the great rocker KNBQ Tacoma with jocks like Matt Alan, Steve Randall and Ichabod Caine. Under Gary Bryan’s leadership, KNBQ went head-to-head with Seattle’s best CHR stations. Bryan can now be heard @ KRTH/Los Angeles every weekday morning.
Gary Chittim KING 5 News; left the station to work for LED Lighting company
Gary Crawford is working at KBCS; formerly with KPLU/KNKX Tacoma, KASY Auburn.
Gary Crow began at his hometown rocker KALE-AM, Richland, in 1969. “After six months, I was hired by Steve West to work at the new rock station KTAC-AM, Tacoma, I was fired for being arrested but I got hired by Stan Foreman at KGHO, Hoquiam. After eight months at the Grays Harbor station I went to work at the legendary rocker KOL-AM in 1972. KOL was the hipper AM, against KJR. We would play the longer versions of Top 40 hits. KJR jocks were more big voices and straight, KOL jocks were more “street wise” and psychedelic At the AM station I would sneak next door to KOL-FM. I was hooked on the progressive album rock format. “KOL eventually changed ownership and format. Most of the staff were let go.. “I was hired at KZOK in 1973 to do evenings, but ended up working mornings, afternoons and middays. I was also KZOK music director for three wonderful years. At KZOK, we believed the audience wanted to hear a large variety of Rock and we gave it to them. KZOK became the first FM station to defeat then unbeatable top-40 KJR in the ratings. “In 1977 I was hired at KISW by Bob Bingham to do afternoons. There were ten fantastic years at KISW, which originally was called “FM 100.” In 1978 we started playing hard rock, rocking right out of the gates in morning drive. It worked! “KISW “Seattle’s Best Rock,” became the first FM to beat the perennial ratings-leader “news-radio” KIRO-AM. I had wonderful years at KISW with friends and partners Mike West and Bob Hovanes. Great personalities like Steve Slaton, Robin and Maynard and Bo Roberts. “I left KISW in 1987 and helped form KXRX at “96DOT5”, with Robin and Maynard and Mike West and myself. Seven great years at KXRX — but I was let go for, shall we say, political reasons. I got hired at “The Mountain” KMTT. Four good years there, once again united with Mike West. My contract expired and I was offered afternoons at KZOK and a long-term contract. I jumped at the chance to go full circle and return to basic rock ‘n roll, and, again, Robin and Maynard and Steve Slaton. “Radio has changed immensely! Due to ownership. Working for a single owner like Lester Smith at KISW, we had a real family feel, everyone knew everyone. Now, with station consolidation we have four outlets in the same building competing against each other. Now you can see the enemy, if you want to look at it that way! But at the CBS Radio group, all stations realize their position in the market place and work towards one common goal: Winning your share of the total market. “What’s kind of weird is that it through all this consolidation, it’s still possible to have fun. I still do, and I think that is the single reason I am still around after all these years. I love being on the air — through one owner or a huge conglomerate. “The major difference between Mornings and Afternoons, or any other shift for that matter, is winning! The morning show jump starts your entire station and you’d better be great! Mornings set the tone for the entire radio station in posturing and attitude. You’d better be good! You’re getting people up and off to work and need a show that is fun to listen to, participate in and, I hate this word but I’ll use it anyway… compelling. The best morning shows are raw yet educated, rude but not crude, informative and innovative. You’ll age two years for every one year you do Mornings and, as Don Imus said, there isn’t enough money in the world to destroy your life by doing Morning Radio!
“Afternoons is a walk-in-the-park compared to Mornings. The same prep, but a different pace as people head home and want to unwind with their favorite friend and good music. (Adapted bio material posted on Soundrider.com, 2012) Crow’s final Pyschedelic 60’s show ran on 102.5 KZOK on March 25, 2023. The show continued its run on Internet station NWCZ Radio http://NWCZRadio.com The Pyschedelic 60’s is a once-weekly music history program.
Gary Hoffman [KOMO] has been at KFI/Los Angeles since 2004
Gary Justice grew up in Spanaway, Pierce County, graduated from Washington State University in 1965 and worked at KIMA-TV in Yakima and KING-TV before joining KIRO in 1972 as the station’s 11 p.m. anchor. He was sports director for a time, doing the first TV play-by-play of a Seahawks game and doing commentary for KIRO-TV’s broadcast of SuperSonics basketball games, working with Pete Gross. Justice left KIRO TV at the end of 1994 to work for James Feek Corp. of Seattle, an independent insurance brokerage
Gary Linton came from Utah to country-music KAYO as part of the morning team Ryan & Linton. The two also worked at KVI-AM and KMPS-AM.
The team became Ryan & Ryan after moving to hit-music KYYX, and sister-station KXA as it plunged into an automated oldies format.
Linton stayed with his air name Gary Ryan as he began fill-in work on KIRO-AM and KOMO-AM. His aggressive, conservative bent came out after KIRO, and in 2008 he moved to the “Megatalk” stations KITZ, Silverdale, and KGTK, Olympia.
“The Gary Ryan Show” was offered in syndication for a short while. Gary Linton on Facebook
Jeanne Lockhart News anchor at KIRO Radio since 1996, lost 5-year battle with breast cancer September 2013.
GARY LOCKWOOD–(Gary died in his sleep in April 2020.) Moving up from KGW/Portland, Gary Lockwood got his start in Seattle on KING-AM, (“L.J. the D.J.” had a long tenure there, but an even more formidable term at KJR, 1976 to 1991. He began as KJR’s afternoon jock, transferred to the morning shift in 1981. Lockwood had a number of entertaining bits, his most hilarious was when ‘Captain Lockjock’ teamed with newsman B.R. Bradbury for “Police Blotter” — detailing actions of stupid crooks. Other well-remembered features were “Hooray for Hollywood,” “Melody Matinee,” and “Royal News from Abroad.” Lockwood got newspaper headlines for reputedly being Seattle’s first million-dollar talent — in 1984 a station manager affirmed that Lockwood’s multi-year contract renewal would assure him $1.5 million total. Lockwood surely is a candidate for Seattle’s funniest disk jockey, making a name for himself despite running against a good looking movie star of the same name In September 1991 LockJock was “yanked from his early morning show” –another headline-grabbing event — as new owners at KJR plunged into its sports-talk format. (Seattle SuperSonics play-by-play announcer Kevin Calabro was pushed in as KJR’s interim morning host.) Although dumped at KJR, Lockwood was off the air for only a month. On November 22 1991 he start mornings at classic-rock KZOK, staying there until 1996. (Lockwood began in radio in 1964 as Sammy Carr in Saginaw, Michigan. He was brought to Seattle from KGW, Portland.) Lockwood confessed that his goal was not to stay in radio. His goal was to live on the beach, look at the ocean. In 2003 he reported “I am retired and living in Bradenton, Florida. I still do occasional voice work, but I haven’t done a radio show since I left KZOK.”
Gary Semro/Gary Clark signed on the Country music format on the Satellite Music Network (1981). He ran for Colorado House District 43 in 2010. He lost. He listed himself as president of West Point Energy, LLC and has worked at WCBS and at Dial Global Networks [2001-2010].
Gary Shalander – Gary Neil at KJUN Puyallup. A graduate of Ron Bailie School of Broadcasting.
Gary Shannon/Gary Burleigh – KJR radio personality in the 1970s, Ex-KOMO radio news anchor, usually heard Sunday afternoon/evening. Retired.
Gary Shipe – hydroplane sports announcer for KKNW 1150, host of Beatles Backbeat on 880 KIXI. Retired inNovember 2020.
Gary Spinnell/Gary Loving — DJ at KUUU and KOL, sportscaster at KIRO TV, now owner of Spinnell and Stwan Marketing and Media in Seattle.
Gary Todd – KOL (1961 and 1967-68), retired from WIBC in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1988. Later, in 2007 joined Seaview Radio in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Gary Vance – Air personality. KRKO, KAYO, KMPS. Died September 2014.
Gary West – (James Furrow) Newsman at KING AM, KOL and KAYO. Last reported to be a financial consultant in Bellevue
Gayle DeLaney became the “dream psychologist” on KVI in 1982. This was during KVI’s first brief attempt to become an all-talk station. She had the 4 to 7 p.m. timeslot. She joined a staff including Jack Morton as morning “conversational newsman,” Seattle psychologist Jennifer James, and notorious sports-talker J. Michael Kenyon.. Despite an incredibly short stay here, DeLaney had a long career in the San Francisco area. She has written six books on dream-interpretation.
Gene Collins – Gene Collins (Dr. Gene Huber Hostetter) left radio and became a professor in California. ++ Gene began working at Commercial Productions, an audio and film recording studio, when he began high school. There he met and worked with many of the recording artists of the era. After high school, he became a popular Seattle radio personality (as Gene Collins) on KOL AM and FM and several other Northwest stations. This financed five years of concurrent full-time study at the University of Washington where he received the BSEE and MSEE degrees. Following graduation, he worked for two years at Boeing Airplane Company, and two years as Director of Engineering at the Seattle Broadcasting Company. Following this, he accepted a position at the California State University, Long Beach, where he was a faculty member for 14 years, including service for two terms as Chairman of the Electrical Engineering Department. During two of those 14 years, he was also a Ph.D. student at UC Irvine. His last seven years were spent as a faculty member at UC Irvine. He died on July 30, 1988.
Gene Larson – KFKF and KAYO in the 1960s/1970s. His happiest years in radio occurred in Seattle while working for KAYO, a country music station. The station brought to town the super stars of the late 1960′s and mid 1970′s. Larson had free-run of the Seattle Opera house backstage, private busses, hotel rooms, and various live performance areas of the country stars. Among those he interviewed were: Dolly Parton, Marty Robbins, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Hank Snow…… some forty of them. His most memorable interview was with his childhood hero, Roy Rogers. Larson died age 79 at Miles City, MT.
Gene Lewis – During 8 years with KTNT in Tacoma, he served as news director and won broadcast journalism awards for on-the-spot reporting and for his news commentary.
Gene Wike – [KING 5 News]
George Boucher KBLE – George Wade BOUCHER Age 86, of Indio, CA, passed away August 21, 2010 in La Quinta, CA. He was born on February 27, 1924 He was in Broadcasting for 52 years. George was a car salesman and deal ership owner in St. Louis, MO, while at the same time pursuing a career in Broadcasting. George moved to Seattle in 1952, where he worked for a number of radio stations including KBLE for 40 years. He has been referred to as the “godfather” of Christian Radio. The Northwest Pioneer Broadcasters awarded him for being “the longest running, continuous manager of any Seattle radio station”.
George Edgar KQDE, KETO
George Fisher -George Fisher left radio in 2004 to work in corporate retail
George Garrett – George Garrett (George Ure) George Ure (a/k/a Garrett, KOL June 1 1970 – KMPS June 1, 1983) resigned as news director of KMPS in 1983. From his bio on George Noory’s website: George Ure was a news director in Seattle from 1970 to 1983. He holds a Masters in Business Administration with a focus on long wave economics. He is a co-holder on four patents related to battery state of charge instrumentation and has a patent pending on measuring user-friendliness of enterprise software. He’s been Senior Vice President of an international airline, a vocational school president, and has just wrapped up a two-year sales & marketing assignment for a major software company. His web site, urbansurvival.com focuses on long wave economics./font>
George Hayes [KQDE]
George Harris – KCBS Reporter George Harris began his broadcasting career in 1975 at KYXI Radio in Portland, Oregon which was his hometown. In 1978 Harris left KTXI for KGW which was the number one station in Portland. Locating to Seattle, Harris was hired at KING. Radio where he became News Director in 1986, also working as a weekend General Assignment Reporter. Harris was news director at KING radio in Seattle in 1986-87. In 1987 Harris moved to San Francisco starting his career at KCBS Radio working as a Reporter/Anchor, and in 1996 becoming the primary reporter working out of the Santa Clara County Bureau in San Jose. Highlights of Harris’ career include coverage of the Mt. St. Helens explosion, the Loma Prieta Earthquake, the East Bay Hills Fire and the riots in South Central Los Angeles. George was married to Delilah Rene back in the 80′s. And here’s my most fun fact: I introduced them. – Rich Johnson [from the Radio-Info message board]
George Heard pioneer Progressive Rock DJ at KLAY FM, arrested by Tacoma police while on the air. The arrest was for possession and sale of marijuana. [1973]
George Hicks, a Tacoma talent, was the announcer for “Death Valley Days” and will be remembered as a newscaster who reported from the deck of a landing ship under aerial attack during the invasion of Normandy on D-Day.
George Lester – George Lester left radio in 1991 and then wrote thousands of radio commercials. Spunky Flat and Beyond, Growing Up in Texas, Memoir by George Lester.
George Ray replaced Keith Jackson as Sports Director at KOMO 4 when Jackson left for ABC TV in 1964. George Ray went on to work in the publicity & promotions department for the Seattle Pilots’ baseball team in 1968. George Ray went on to volunteer and became a staff member at KCTS 9, retiring in 2012 after 30 years with that station.
George Richey, was a KAYO Radio music director and a record producer (for artists such as Bonnie Guitar.) Richey went on to write and produce songs for Buck Owens, George Jones and his future wife, Tammy Wynette. He was also a session player, working on recordings by Ringo Starr, Marty Robbins and Lefty Frizzell.
In the marriage of George Richey and Tammy Wynette, George Richey seemed to be the one in control. In fact, Richey (not related to Buck Ritchey) was Wynette’s manager. Ritchey controlled her career and the money. After Wynette’s death in 1998, there was plenty of controversy between Tammy’s family, her doctors and George Richey. Ritchey was sued by the family for $50 million of Tammy Wynette’s estate. George Richey married once again, two years after Tammy Wynette died. This final marriage to the former Dallas Cowboy’s cheerleader, Sheila Slaughter, ended about a year later (2001), when George Richey died, following a long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
George Shangrow [KING FM] deceased
George Ure (see George Garrett) was at KURB in 1969.
Gerry Gawne – station manager KING 1090, now: Gawne Creative Media in Bothell
Gil Henry KOIN/Portland (1957), KJR (1959), a KOMO 1000 personality and later worked at KLAC/Los Angeles. Last worked in the LA area at KGBS in 1972-73
Gilbert Jacobsen, passed away at his residence on Bainbridge Island on Friday, Nov. 14, 2014. He was 92. He was a proud graduate of the University of Washington and started working in radio as a DJ at the UW. He moved on to sales/advertising for KOL radio, and later became the national sales manager for KIXI Radio before retiring and moving on to become a very successful real estate broker and owner of Perlatti Reality on Bainbridge Island.
Gina Tuttle – KOMO Radio News reporter usually working 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – anchored Noon hour news program beginning 1981, co-anchor was Mike Hamilton.Lately, traffic reporter for Metro Traffic.
Gisela’s Original German Hour which, until it ended, was heard every Saturday morning from 9:00 to 10:30 over radio station KXPA-AM 1540 in Bellevue, WA. Over the years, the program had been carried by KAYE, KMO, KRPM, and KJUN.
Glenn Beck — (1980) this 15-year old Mount Vernon youth got weekend work at “the new 93.3” KUBE after sending an audition tape assembled at KPUG, Bellingham. He graduated to the 7-midnight shift by the time he had graduated from high school. Beck stayed two years before he started getting job offers. KUBE station manager Michael O’Shea tried to keep Beck in the First Media fold, transferring him to KFMY, Provo, UT (1982). as full time morning man. Beck loved imitating Charlie Brown’s audio character “Clydie Clyde” and eventually included that voice in his own repertoire. Offers came from Providence, RI, and Houston. Beck then discovered politics and grew a quick nationwide audience (2002) with his radicalized call-in talk show. Soon a Fox Network TV show allowed him to diagram intricate conspiracies on his chalkboard. His emotional political rants have resulted in headline articles in national news magazines and the Washington Post, to say nothing of the President of The United States, who has mentioned him often! Beck jumped from Fox to start his own subscription internet network, GBTV. Now as The Blaze TV, it has become a 24-hour network (but distributed to homes only on Dish TV satellite systems.) (VOS2012)
Glen Harris — His mother always said he should be in radio, and when Glen took a career aptitude test in high school, the top result was “Radio/TV Broadcasting”. He rejected the idea outright, saying he didn’t want to be “one of those smarmy FM rock jocks”. After years of going “the long way around”, Glen has realized his dream job… as a smarmy rock jock for an FM station.
After years as a professional musician (bass, if anyone is interested), he was in a band performing at the Kittitas County Fair. When the drummer needed to replace a snare, he was asked to talk for a few minutes. In the audience was the man who would become his first GM. Subsequently, Glen was hired part-time to voice commercials for KXLE, an AM/FM combo in Ellensburg. Later, he was hired full-time at KXLE as Production Director fro the combo, and – later – Program Director/Morning News Anchor for KXLE-AM, and Production Director and News Director for both stations.
Since then, Glen has worked at KLKI-AM, Anacortes (Program Director/Production Director/Morning News Anchor), KWLE-AM, Anacortes (Program Director/Production Director/Morning DJ – later Sales Manager and General Manager), KWDB, Oak Harbor (Program Director and General Manager).
Since 2014, Glen has been making scratch through an at-home voice-over business. Among his notable projects are numerous slideshow orientations for industrial factories, a “how-to” instructional series to teach the English language to Italian children, a riveting 8-CD collection to help people learn how to be a ship’s captain, and the occasional ad for Viagra in Russia.
He is, currently, at KBRC-AM/FM in Mount Vernon (Program Director and Morning Show Host).
Glen Martin/Glen McCartney -In his bio he said he worked at KLTX and KJR, Steve Randall remebers working with Glen at KPOI/Honolulu back in 1974-75. Here is what Glen said about leaving radio: Martin would stay in San Diego for almost ten years, before heading to Chicago (WFYR and WCLR), and later Seattle (KLTX and KJR). He left radio in 1993 to become a financial planner and investment advisor. “I think it wasn’t the same passion for me any more. My competitive urge had been greater than other management’s at the last two stations I was at. Programming was also a job only really well done if you committed to staying on it at some level of supervision 168 hours a week. I didn’t have that left in the tank anymore, didn’t want to miss my kids growing up and didn’t really relish leaving Seattle for the next big paycheck. I’m in financial services; connected to the same company I joined in 1993, but essentially working for myself consulting primarily smaller, closely-held businesses on financial, succession and estate planning.”
Gordon DeWitty [KZAM] -At 12, Gordon was dishing out R&B, Jazz, and Pop music over the local waves. Station KZAM FM in Seattle billed him as “The World’s Youngest Disk Jockey.” At age 20, Gordon took long bus trip to Los Angeles because Bobby Womak heard him working back home and said, “Come on down to LA, I got a gig for you.”
Gordon Otos – Owned KVAC AM 1490/Forks 1967-1975
Grant Neilsen retired from KSL in Salt Lake City in March 2015
Greg Aust (Austin) took over the midday shift at personality/MOR KVI in June, 1972, already having worked at stations in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco, including under the names Chuck Williams and Greg Evans… First thing Aust did in Seattle was rent a high-rise apartment two blocks from KVI’s home in the Tower Building. He then plunged into Seattle nightlife, as only a midday announcer living an easy walk to the station could. Restaurant meals every night. In fact his apartment refrigerator contained only “champagne and strawberries.” He shook up KVI listeners with funny phone calls, facetious announce that the station was changing to the All-Polka Sound, intentionally playing records at the wrong speed. He lasted but a year and a half, and moved to Boston and WVBF, where he became a near legend as “Austin of Boston.” Aust passed away in San Diego in 2015. See an article on GREG AUST HERE
Greg Connors DJ. KOL, KING, KMCS. Deceased
Greg [Grant Broadwell] Cook, 85 KTAC personality…Cook worked part-time at KSON San Diego, then mornings at KIFM San Diego. Parted ways with KIFM January 2016.
Greg Copeland KING 5 weekend morning news anchor
Greg Kay [KBRO]
Greg MacArthur is imaging/Production Director at CBS/Seattle
Greg McClure …more info
Greg Miles [KRIZ]
Greg Ogonowski [Engineer KZOK]- VP Product Development – Orban
Greg O’Neill left radio in LA in 1996 and is now a writer and involved in TV and film productions
Greg Palmer – Greg Palmer began writing unusual news vignettes on KTW-AM — example: boat horns, splashing water and a stuffy sommelier were used for a 20 second headline that alcohol could now be served on Washington State Ferries. Palmer and a cast of characters wrote and performed sketch comedy for radio station KRAB, a program called SUNDAY, in the late 1960s. In the mid ’70s Palmer became a writer, reporter and producer for KING-TV. He wrote five books. A Mercer Island native, his book “Cheese Deluxe: A Memoir” was a collection of short stories about teenagers at a burger joint on Mercer Island. It was published just before Palmer learned that he had terminal lung cancer. He submitted his own obituary to The Seattle Times — a promotional device for his 1993 TV documentary on death and dying in cultures around the world. His work also appeared at local theaters and various Park Department productions. He worked in television as a talk-show host and news reporter, among other jobs. In 1996, Palmer became a producer and writer for KCTS-TV. He contributed a weekly series of humorous commentaries. In 2002, Palmer published “Adventures in the Mainstream: Coming of Age with Down Syndrome,” a largely biographical journal about how a father and his son coped with the developmental disorder. He received a lifetime achievement award at the 46th annual Northwest Emmy Awards. He died in 2009, age 61. He was survived by his wife and two children. (VOS2012) – deceased May 8, 2009 Greg Palmer dies of cancer – Mercer Island Reporter
Greg Thunder [KMPS] Was working at KS95-FM Minneapolis, Now working at KILT/Houston
Gregg Hersholt – Newsman. – now morning anchor KOMO AM, 1973-78: KJRB. Spokane, 1979: KYTE Portland (fired on my birthday!), 1979: KPAM Portland, 1980-83: KJR Seattle,
1983-84: KVI Seattle, 1984-2010: KIRO Seattle (fired on my wife’s birthday!), 2011-12: KXL Portland, 2012-present: KOMO Seattle.
Gretchen Hart [KEZX]
Hal Lavers worked at Country KAYO Seattle
Hal Links left KTW in 1965 and went to work as an underwriter for Safeco Insurance
Hal Raymond [KAYO]- Hal Raymond was born in Illinois in 1932. KISN Program Director, 1959-61. KEX 1968-72. KGW 1964-68 died of ALS 08/08/05; [Hal Nettleship], FROM 440 Satisfaction .com: Hal Raymond WDZ [Decatur IL] 1957, WEEK [Peoria IL] 1958, KISN [Portland OR] 1959, KAYO [Seattle WA] 1961, KBOX [Dallas TX] 1962, WDGY [Minneapolis MN] 1962, KGW [Portland] 1964, KEX [Portland] 1968, WSBA [York PA] 1973, WOYK [York] 1995-1998, Hal Raymond died of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) August 8, 2005.
Hal Widsten [PD at KING AM 1972]
Halley Cole
Harmon “Rocky” Shay KETO, KOMO, KIRO
Harry Holland
Harry Jordan
Harry Sloane [KOMO AM News] moved to KOMO TV News 1972
Harry Smith/Bill Bray – deceased
Harry Smith/Rhys Berryman retired/living in Sun City, CA – [Tom, Dick and Harry] One of the oldest radio stations in Seattle, KTW (1250 AM) had a tortured history, including its beginning in a church loft, with a meager signal and a sunset sign-off. After being sold by the First Presbyterian Church in Seattle, the station suffered a series of owners and a bankruptcy or two. In late 1964, with the station still at 1250 AM and holding a construction permit for 102.5 FM, a new owner introduced a top-40 format with d.j.s “Tom. Dick, Harry, … and Sam.” The disk jockeys assigned names were Tom Morgan, Dick Jones, Harry Smith … and Sam Kelly. (Even their previous-station experience was made up.) The station’s rock format lasted 9 months and then was switched to the “Nashville Sound.” (KTW would soon endure other indignities in a three-way station-and-frequency shuffle to try to get rid of the sunset sign-off.)
Harry Wappler KIRO 7 meteorologist 1969-1994
Harv Allen
Hattie Kauffman – a member of the Nez Perce tribe, first Native American Indian to file a report on national tv news. KING 5 Seattle, later ABC and CBS. Now living in Seattle.
Heather Bosch – KIRO Radio News reporter, went on to CBS Radio in 2013.
Heather Graf KING 5 News reporter who previously worked at TV stations in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Heather Stark – Worked at Metro Networks; Past: Total Traffic Network/Metro Traffic and Westwood One
Heidi May knew from age 11 that she wanted to be on the radio. She held down the midday shift on KJR-FM, became assistant program director, then music director for the top-40 FM station. “I’ve been fortunate to work in an industry that I love so much for many years,” she said. She was interviewed in 2010 by Michael Easton for the website PugetSoundRadio.com. “I’ve worked for some of the top radio stations in Seattle. My voice reached nearly a million listeners weekly.I grew up in the 1970s listening to KJR (AM) and KING-AM. For career day in high school I visited KZOK and asked if there were any female disk jockeys. They laughed at me. Such a silly question. There were not any on the air in Seattle. Yet.” With the help of student loans, she enrolled in a broadcast school. “I was the only girl in my class. A sign of things to come,” Heidi May told the website interviewer. “One of the instructors urged me to drive from Bellingham to Aberdeen if I wanted a job. “He told me later that he had given that advice to every one in the class, and I was the only one who did it.” She ended up in Puyallup. “I got my first radio gig doing 10p-5a at KJUN; seven hours a night on the air! I was in heaven. They called me Chrissy Thomas. “After KJUN, I went by my real name, Heidi May. I went from Puyallup to Shelton and at the same time worked part time at KTAC, Tacoma. I then moved to KBAE (now KRKO) in Everett. In 1986 I got a job at KVI Radio. One of my instructors, Dick Curtis, hired me. He was worried that doing oldies would be a little beyond me. I was in my early twenties at the time. He quizzed me on oldies artist names and hired me anyway. I worked weekends at KVI for awhile. Dick Curtis was doing mornings at the time. Sky Walker came on board and did afternoons and later became Program Director. Curtis stepped down, but continued doing mornings. I’ll always be grateful to Sky Walker for giving me my first full time Seattle radio gig. I got the 7p-12m gig.” While at KVI she also worked for Mike Webb. “He was the PD there for awhile as well. I liked Mike. We used to pull practical jokes on Paul Thompson (another KVI alum). Paul worked with Ed Hume on his Saturday morning gardening show. Mike and I called in to the show a few times with crazy gardening problems. Mike would always play the elderly husband and I’d be his crazy wife – all the while trying not to pee my pants from laughing so hard. I was very sad to hear about Mike’s passing a few years back. “I left KVI in 1990 and got hired on at KBSG Radio. Another oldies station. I was the assistant program director, music director, production director at one point, and the go-to fill-in person. I spent 8 years at KBSG and made some great friendships. I left KBSG in 1998 and went to work for KJR-FM. It was a thrill to get to say those call letters. “Gary Bryan hired me to do mid-days. During my time at KJR-FM – the station has been through some changes. It was KJR-FM when I was hired, but then we became The New Mix 95.7. That was short lived. The Beat. That was short lived as well. We then became known as Superhits of the 70’s, Rock & Roll’s Greatest Hits and finally Classic Hits. “I’m a breast cancer survivor and have been active in raising funds for breast cancer. My lumpectomy surgery did not go well. I had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery early in 2010. I am now cancer free.” Heidi does voiceover work and public relations work, including for King County Komen Cure for Cancer. (VOS2013)
Herb Altschull- KING-AM personality
Herb Hall
Herb Koth – (December 27, 2020) Herb Kay Koth says: My 1st air job was at KLSN from 1968 to 1972. I worked as a fill in announcer when needed. We signed on at 8 AM and went until midnight. Many times I worked the entire day from 8 to midnight. During the day we did rip and read news every hour. Ampex tapes supplied elevator music until 6 PM when we did Trio which featured 3 pop artists for an hour. From 7 to 8 we played light classical. 8 to 10 was classical and 10 to midnight was announcers choice. The Clarks were great to work for and had a huge collection of music. When the station sold I went to KQIN and KEZX. Herb K. At age 82 my radio days are just a pleasant memory.
Herb Smiles was afternoon disk jockey on KAYE, 1450, Puyallup in 1966 — the format that week or so might have been R&B. He did some goofy things that would have drawn attention if he had been on a bigger station. One early evening he called Larry Lujack’s parents, in Idaho, and put them on the air. Lujack’s reaction? Unknown, but according to Smiles, the parents couldn’t have been more charming. Another time he shaved off one side of his beard just before a local appearance. Another time, he performed a 20 minute “sign off” speech, well before the actually sunset-sign off. He also did some small concert promotions and tried to help promote local bands. (VOS2012)
Howard Duff, tough-guy movie and radio actor, was born near Bremerton, graduated from Roosevelt High School in Seattle. He began acting in school plays after he was cut from the school basketball team. In World War II he was assigned to the Air Force’s radio service He first appeared as an inmate in the 1947 classic-prison movie “Brute Force.” In later films he often co-starred with his wife Ida Lupino. On network radio Duff played Dashell Hammett’s private eye “Sam Spade” from 1946 to 1950, a detective series appearing from time to time on ABC, CBS or NBC. In 1950, he lost all his radio work and had a difficult time holding on to movie work because he was listed as a subversive person. He later appeared in a number of TV episodes and a 1958-59 sitcom “Mr. Adams and Eve” again co-starring with his wife. He appeared in other short-run TV series, plus “Rockford Files” and as Detective Sergeant Sam Stone in “Felony Squad,” on ABC. In 1989, he was the grandfather to series star Tom Selleck in “Magnum, P.I.” Duff died of a heart attack in 1990 in Santa Barbara, Calif. Age 75. (VOS2014).
Howard Hall – Newsman at KING AM and KING TV
Howard Hoffman – is a Commercial Producer at the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, owner of Great Big Radio dot com, and Production/Creative Services Director at KABC/Los Angeles.
Howard Scott – KOMO 4 news anchor in the late 1950s.
Howie Castle roamed from Lynchburg, Virginia, to the English Channel from 1965 to 1967, Working at the top-40 pirate station Radio Caroline, he sometimes used the name Bud Ballou, a name he remembered from listening to the radio in hometown Syracuse, N.Y. After 5 more cities and stations in 1985, Castle landed at KQKD, at 1480, Seattle — only recently expanded to 24-hour operation.(Short term — in between the station’s names KYAC, KGAA and KARR.) Castle then continued through five more cities and stations, bouncing between San Diego’s KKYY, KJQY, KYXY amd KOGO where he was a newsman — and from 2006 to 2009 he worked at Metro Networks, San Diego traffic reporting service. When last heard from, under the full name Howard Castle he was doing voiceover and production work in San Diego.
Hubcap Carter [KBRO]
Humble Harve – From KBLA Los Angeles to KHJ, and later KIQQ, KIIS, KUTE, KRLA, KRTH, KCBS-FM, KZLA, WIBG/Philadelphia and KVI Seattle, legendary voice talent Humble Harve will long be remembered as one of the great radio jocks of our time. He might also be remembered for the murder of his wife. It has been said that Miller’s 35 year old wife had been unfaithful and taunted him about it. She reportedly said something along the line of “If you don’t like it, why don’t you get a gun and shoot me?” On the morning of May 7, 1971, Humble Harve Miller, now Mad As Hell Miller, shot and killed his wife Gladys in their Hollywood home with a .38 revolver, and fled the scene. Some days later, he surrendered to authorities and was tried for the crime. He would plead guilty to second degree murder, but in the end served less than three years at Chino Institute for Men, and then resumed his broadcasting career. Another account of the incident was that Miller caught his wife with another man, in the bed they shared, and Miller shot and killed them both. That was not true. Humble Harve Miller was 85 years old when he died June 2019.
Ian Furness KJR Sports anchor and KCPQ 13 Sports – Seahawks reporter. Looking more like his father Milt Furness as he ages.
Ichabod [Randy Hansen] Caine – recently took a run at Internet Radio with wildboarradio.com. Since then she has shut down the project.
Irving Clark Jr – Irving Clark Jr. developed an adventurous nighttime feature on otherwise contemporary-music KING-AM in the mid 1960s — a political call-in show. Clark, an attorney, was also involved as citizen or lawyer in the Seattle Arts Commission, music festivals at Seattle Center, renovation of the Pike Place Market. The talk program ran to 1967. Clark died in a surfing accident in Hawaii. Link to Clark’s days as a Harvard Law School in the early 1940s participating in the nationwide fad, swallowing goldfish.
J. Michael Kenyon’s radio experience at KING-AM, KVI and KLAY almost matched the hubris of his print career. He joined the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as sports writer Mike Glover just as the Supersonics were coming to town, He invented his new name to avoid conflict with another Glover on staff. He worked four different times at the P.I. from 1965 to 1980. He was noted for reporting a long, descriptive Mariners baseball game without bothering to include the final score. He began a sports-talk show on KING-AM in 1967. Because a Mexican superpowered station would intrude into 1090’s nulls after sunset, particularly io the Green River Valley, Kenyon played mariachi music under his conversations, “to get listeners ready.” He mysteriously walked away from the KING mike because of “management meddling.” Later at KVI, when placed up against KIRO’s juggernaut nighttime sports-host Wayne Cody, Kenyon was introduced as a sports-talker “with interests in darts, croquet and cricket.” He was a whiz at baseball statistics, had deep interest in wrestling and was an occasional amateur boxer. In 1991 he was on a sports-talk show at KLAY. After radio, he moved to several California newspapers, then, suffering from accumulating illnesses, moved to the Oregon Coast where through 2010 he became a significant wrestling historian. He died in 2017, age 73. (VOS2012)
J. J. Hemingway started off at an AM day-timer. “Throughout high school I hung out around oldies KQIN800 (Now KGNW, 820). Eventually they put me on the weekend schedule.” (Actually J.J. had pretty much made his career choice at age three while crawling under the consoles as his father Jack Hemingway worked shifts at KIXI, KING, KISW, KAYO and KFKF). “After high school I worked at beautiful music KBBX (later, KEZX), then went ‘cross-country,’ working iin Augusta, Savannah, Winston-Salem-Greensboro, Greenville-Spartanburg, then Dallas, Colorado Springs, Spokane (first time), Great Falls, Columbus and since 1998, back in Spokane. I have done mornings, afternoon drive, production and even put a couple of new stations on the air. I love AC, Hot AC and Classic Hits. It’s the music that I know and love the most.” Hemingway started Cascade Broadcast Services, a production house, in 1998 and did 10 years at ‘lite-rock Kiss (KISC-FM, Spokane) In 2007 he voice-tracked KJR overnights. In 2012 he became morning personality and program director of KACL, Bismarck, ND. (Yes, KACL, the fictional radio station of “Frasier.”) Hemingway owns a ’72 Volvo and a ’78 Beetle. He is single and has a son and daughter. Update— April 10, 2015: iHeartMedia has flipped Sports “Fox Sports 1280” KZFS/99.3 K257FX Spokane, WA to Christian AC “Up 99.3“. JJ Hemingway, who spent 15 years at sister AC “Kiss 98.1” KISC rejoins the company to host mornings. — Hemingway later went on to host evenings at KEEH, Spokane’s SHINE 104.9, a Christian music station. J.J. Hemingway died unexpectedly on Monday, June 18, 2019.
J.J. Jackson/see: Don Shorter – Pastor in Pierce County
J.J. Nite was a jock at KKFX 1250 AM back in the late 80’s. He did the 7-Midnight show called “The House Party”, along with Deacon Baker, Nikki Hill-Garret, etc.
J.J. Valley – Air personality at KJR, KTAC, KOL; resides in Eugene, OR
J. Scott Harrington of KPOK/Portland came to KIXI/Seattle [News]
J. Parker Antrim – Antrim is listed as working on KYA, San Francisco in December, 1983 on KYA KYA Radio 1260 – San Francisco – Airchecks and Jingles Antrim also worked at KGAL Lebanon, OR in 1972, WCOL Columbus, OH and KSJO, San Jose. J. Parker Antrim is retired from radio and living in San Francisco. Joel came to the San Francisco CA market from WCOL in Columbus Ohio but is not from Columbus. He started his radio career in his hometown of Missoula, MT.
J. Walter Beethoven (Wally Thornton) retired from radio and now works for All Star Casting Company and lives in Lake Lotawana, Missouri.
Jack Allen (Thompson) spent 36 years in Northwest radio, including five years as evening announcer and host of “Loveline,” a call-in-and-get-fixed-up program on personality-radio KVI. Here’s his track record; use your adding machine: First part-time radio job as a sophomore in high school in 1960 in Pendleton, Oregon. Then KIDO, Boise, in 1964, KTAC, Tacoma, in 1967, KRKO, Everett, in early 1968, KASH, Eugene, in 1969, KPNW, Portland, 1970, back to KASH in 1972 and finally to Seattle and KVI in 1974. KMPS in late 1979, KSEA (KIRO’s fm beautiful music station) in 1983, simultaneously doing mid-days at KFRE (formerly KRKO), Everett, (as J.J. Casey). Then to KWYZ, Everett, from 1988 to 1991, while track announcing at Evergreen Speedway on the side. KEZX, Seattle, in 1991 and including the format transition to “smooth jazz” KWJZ until 1996 when new ownership came in and dumped everyone. “I decided that was enough radio,” Allen said, “I partnered in VIP Studios, a Seattle audio-visual production company, and am still there, albeit now part time while caring for my wife who is a cancer survivor.” Allen jumped into hosting the long-running “Loveline” program in a compassionate manner, always willing to match up all the lonely people, some who were bold and adventurous, but most who were subdued and nervous about such a public venue. A weekend version was begun by Tam Henry and the station sponsored several big Loveline Valentine’s Day Dinner and Dance events. Allen calculates there were 350 KVI Loveline marriages. The program continued only a few months (under Clark Race) after Allen left. He eventually revived it at KMPS — who knew there were lonely country-music lovers as well? Another 200 marriages. “Among my favorite memories,” Allen said, “– being interviewed by Victor Stredicke at the Seattle Times building on Fairview Avenue. Among my worst memories, the cup of coffee Stredicke bought for me from The Times’ automatic coffee vending machine.” Far and away, the worst he had ever consumed. A digression: did you ever notice that a coin operated coffee vender supplies milk, a liquid, as a powder, and sugar, a powder, as a liquid? (VOS2012) —Jack Allen died July 15, 2019 after a long illness.
Jack Barton (newsman) KING, KVI
Jack (Bradley) Budnick – WSAZ Huntington WV, AVC and CBS radio sports, 1955 KJR program director. Later became news director at KOL.
Jack Eddy started at KIRO TV in 1965, before moving to KOMO as News Director/Evening News anchor in 1967. In 1976, Jack Eddy joined Alice Blanchard & Bob Robertson for the 10 ‘o clock News on KSTW Channel 11.
Jack Frost – KING AM; Jonathan B Frost retired in 1998, moved to Freeport, TX [2005] and does voiceovers for a video and documentary company in Houston.
Jack Hemingway first worked in Ellensburg in 1945, then Port Angeles in 1946 and then KRKL, Kirkland, in 1948. Then two years at classical KISW, one year at rockin’ KRSC, and one more year as the station changed to country with the new name KAYO. Next he moved to another changing-format station KTIX (It became beautiful-music KETO in 1959) and then m.o.r. KING-AM. His longest run was five years at KFKF, Bellevue, and he concluded with a year at KIXI-AM, then KIXI-FM in 1968. He died in December, 1969. Jack’s son, NW broadcast personality, J.J. Hemingway writes: Got a little update on my dad’s bio. After 2 years at KISW, then he moved onto KRSC which became KAYO and they were middle of the road music until 1957, then they switched to Rock and Roll…Dad wasn’t a big fan of that, so he quit and for a short time in 1958 worked for Pacific Electronics. Then 1959 he worked with Hugh LaRue at KTIX and that became KETO around 1961. For awhile is was called “The Album Sound Of Seattle,” they would feature cuts from the latest albums by Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Perry Como and the other MOR artists of the day. He did the morning news for Hugh LaRue(“Mr. Music”) and did the mid-day show starting at 9am. KTIX studios were originally on Capital Hill, and then moved to the New Washington Hotel. Then in 1962 he worked at BOTH KING-AM and KIRO-TV(he at times got to throw water on J.P. Patches-as the unseen–except for the arm—weatherman.) I remember as a little guy seeing my dad broadcast live at the Seattle Center(now Key Arena) during the World’s Fair for the world to see. Then in 1963, he took the position as mid-day host and engineer at KFKF in Bellevue—studios right there at Bellevue Square, and he remained there until sometime in 1968. Kemper Freeman Jr–a real estate genius, wasn’t so good at managing a radio station–many people came and went through those door the time he was GM. It was an exciting time KFKF got 92.5FM(KZAM) and for awhile ID’d the station at KFKF/Bellevue KZAM/Seattle. Eventually getting the city of license changed to Bellevue, and the AM moved from a daytime signal of 1330 to a full-time signal at 1540. At that time some great people worked there—Jay Ward, Dick Stokke, John Forrest, Bill O’Mara, Jerry Holzinger, Larry Nelson, and Tom Hood. A very good staff indeed. Then after parting ways with KFKF, he turned down an offer from KOMO–a position that Larry Nelson snagged, and instead of KOMO dad moved onto engineering and 7-Midnight host on the simulcasted KIXI AM(910) and FM (95.7), he assisted Lee Hurley with projects and also handled engineering duties for KSND/1590 and KWYZ/1230 and he passed away from a heart attack December 13, 1969. I really wonder how my life would have been different had he taken the KOMO job vs. KIXI. On a bad note–he met some German cleaning lady at KIXI and got involved with her and that ended my parents 25 years of marriage and he passed away 6 months after that event. I’ll never forget when my mom sat my brother Jon and I down to tell us that she and dad were divorcing–I was stunned. IF she had to do over again, she said she would have forgiven him and worked things out. But–hindsight is always 20/20. My mom Alice, who worked with dad at KRKL and KISW passed away in 1999.
James Jay – On air at KTOL/Olympia 1984.
James Lynch – KCPQ 13 News reporter; from Dallas, studied at Grambling University. Took a job as Communications and Public Relations Coordinator at Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office (2016-2018). October 2023– began reporting for KIRO NewsRadio 97.3 FM.
Jack McDonald Promotion director, KVI and later KRPM FM. Deceased
Jack Morton – Air personality at KMO, KVI, KOL, KRPM and KIXI. Jack Morton died peacefully in Bellevue on June 1, 2016, from complications of a stroke. He was 81.
Jack Spencer (news director) KIRO radio and TV, KVI, KAYO and KIXI. Passed away May 6, 2015.
Jack Stine, Southern Cal talk host, moved into KIRO Nights time slot in March 2021. Conservative talk, Left KIRO July 2022.
Jack Tregellas KOMO- Air personality/read poetry on air CKMO Vancouver 1946-48
Jack Wade – announcer at KTNT 1400/Tacoma, late 1960s
Jackson Dell Weaver –November 11, 2011– In Astoria, Oregon, a reversal of the typical AM station “music-to-sports” pattern, as Ohana Media Group declares “game over” at all-sports KKEE (1230). On Monday, it’s going classic country as “The Spirit of the West.” And after nearly 11 years, the station’s returning to its original call letters of KVAS. Ohana’s ops manager Kris Edwards says “we get calls all the time for songs we don’t play on The Eagle 103.9, like Johnny Cash, George Jones or Patsy Cline.” Ohana GM Jackson Dell Weaver has easy access to the KVAS calls, since he’s using them on “Eagle 103.9”, licensed to Ilwaco, Washington. The classic country station will include Fox News Radio, local news and weather, University of Oregon Ducks football, and – when there’s an NBA season again – the Portland Blazers.
James Young
Jamie Garner – DJ at KRAB FM
Jan Chorlton (Peterson) was born in Seattle, attended school in Bellevue, graduated from the University of Washington and a few years later began a decade-long career at KIRO-TV as a TV producer, field reporter and then noon anchor. In 1985 she married Barry Petersen, a CBS News Correspondent, and they lived in San Francisco, Tokyo, Moscow, London, then back to Asia where they divided time between apartments in Tokyo and Beijing. Jan maintained her career in journalism, freelance reporting for CBS News, CNN, Voice of America and ABC News. Her ability to work was diminished by Alzheimer’s Disease In 2008 she was placed in an assisted living facility in Bellevue and in 2009, Denver. Her husband, plunged into the role of caretaker, wrote a book “Jan’s Story, Love Lost to a Long Goodbye” which later was developed into network-television documentary. She died in 2013, age 63. (VOS2014)
Jamie Tompkins anchor/reporter at KCPQ. Jamie Tompkins left FOX 13 KCPQ in May 2023 to join the Seattle Police Department as head of communications. In July 2023, she was been given a chief of staff position at the Seattle PD. Tompkins had been with FOX 13 since January 2014 following two years at KOMO 4.
Jane Shannon (Weaver Grey) — KXXO, KIRO, afternoon news at KOMO AM; passed away 8/20/2015
Janet Patjens, announcer for Beautiful Music KLAY FM (afternoons) in the early 1970s.
Janet Wilson came to KMPS-FM, working the all night shift, after four years at San Francisco stations. In 1985, a week after leaving KMPS, Janet got a weekend shift at KJR – “My dream station,” she said. She soon began fulltime on the all-night shift, “following Pat O’Day.” “And I even filled in two mornings for Gary Lockwood when he was on vacation.” KJR remains one her favorite stations. “It was an AC format with the emphasis on personality.” She left KJR in 1987. Next she was able to add a bit of personality to the “singer-songwriter AC” KEZX. Next was “Magic 108” KMGI, where everyone was reduced to reading liner-notes (“Boring!”) She worked at “K-106 Country” KYCW in 1990, offering morning and afternoon traffic reports (“A killer split-shift,” she recalled.) In 1994 she was hired to do weekends at KJR-FM, but shortly after, a new PD came in and put her on-call. “I think I may still be on-call,” Janet said, “and I am sure KJR will call me any day now.” Janet dropped out of radio to work for the Eddie Bauer company for 3 years, but a chance meeting with Dave Wingert of KLSY led her to apply at the Bellevue station. She worked weekends in their AC format and soon was host of the weekend edition of “Lights Out,” a love-songs dedication program. She joined the Sandusky sister- station KIXI for weekends and utility fill-in a few months later and remained for six years, until May 2006 when the entire air staff was dismissed. Janet had resigned from KLSY to concentrate on her KIXI shows. She stayed on as a receptionist/administrative assistant for all five Sandusky stations. She also applied to the Music of Your Life Network and was hired to do two weekend music shifts in 2007 — putting her back on KIXI, plus the 100 network affiliates across the country. Janet was welcomed back by many KIXI listeners. She received e-mails from all over the U.S. plus Canada and England which was “very cool !” Janet resigned from the M.O.Y.L. Network to concentrate on her full-time Metro Traffic reporter position. She did traffic on many Seattle stations, ultimately was the featured evening traffic reporter for “news-talk” KIRO-FM. She remained with Metro through July 2010, when she was retired from radio sooner than she had planned. Janet now runs Janet’s Pet Planet, a small pet-sitting business.
“I’m pretty sure I am the only pet sitter in the Puget Sound area who once received a dozen roses from Tony Bennett. (That came about when she mentioned to the singer that the San Francisco station she was at was the only one playing his new record. The next day the roses arrived!) Janet misses being an entertainer and telling stories. She occasionally does open-mike stand-up routines at the Comedy Underground in Seattle. (JW2012)
Janette M Veer – Randi Thomas was a board operator at several stations, including oldies KXA, “new-wave” KYYX and “classy” KLSY, in Bellevue. But Randy also had an on-air shift in the early 1980s at country-music KJUN, Puyallup. She stepped in as the second replacement host of “Lights Out,” the love songs and dedications show begun by Delilah Rene. Randi continued the program through the early 1990s. Mike Barer remembers her as having a sense of humor and an undying devotion to her craft. Randi died in May of 2011.
Jason Hughes is the co-owner of Sonic Boom Records/Owner, Sonic Boom Recordings, Seattle
Jason Prater – The Roanoke Times/roanoke.com
Jason Rantz [Antebi] – weekend show host at KIRO FM.
Jay Coffee [KJR] was doing weekends at WJPD FM Marquette, MI, now doing voice-over work.
Jay Lawrence
Jay Mack – James MacIssac died March 2, 2002
Jay Michaels – 07/26/12 – Former Sandusky Seattle personality Jay Michaels, who assisted with the development and initial launch of MOViN KQMV-FM 92.5, has been named PD and afternoon host at Indianapolis market i94 WRWM-FM 93.9
Jay Nelson (John Nelson) has been working as a traffic reporter and heard on several Sea-Tac stations and also is a freelance voice-over actor.
Jay Phillips last worked at KWJZ and is now at Total Traffic Network/Metro Traffic
Jay Philpott migrated east from St. Louis variety hits “106.5 the Arch” WARH and earned a promotion at Times-Shamrock’s “100.7 the Bay” in Baltimore. That’s classic rock WZBA, where Jay did afternoons/APD. In March 2015, Philpott moved to Cumulus Classic Rock WNNX (ROCK 100.5)/Atlanta, as APD/afternoon drive. Jay previously worked in Milwaukee, Dallas, Minneapolis, Norfolk and Seattle.
Jay Thomas [KRIZ]
Jay Ward — real name: Jay Ward Giesa. Jay Ward [morning DJ at KOMO] left the air in Dec. 1968 to devote his time to his job as station manager and he was replace by Larry Walker. Walker left KOMO after he was fired by Ward in Dec. 1970. Walker’s replacement was Larry Nelson. From Broadcasting Yearbook 1961 & 1963 Jay Ward, news director KFKF, Bellevue – From Broadcasting Yearbook 1965 Jay Ward, program director KOMO AM, From Broadcasting Magazine on June 24, 1968: Jay Ward, program manager, KOMO Seattle, also named assistant station manager. From Broadcasting Feb 19, 1973 Jay Ward had been named station manager by what he wrote: EDITOR: To set the record straight, KOMO-(AM) [not KJR(AM)] is number one in total persons 12+, Monday through Sunday, 6 a m to midnight, in average quarter-hour listening estimates (both total and metro areas), cume listening estimates, and on and on. Furthermore, in Monday through Sunday metro shares, KOMO is number one with a 13.1 to KJR’S 8.7.-Jay Ward, station manager, KOMO-(AM) Seattle .. From Broadcasting Magazine May 14, 1973: Jay Ward, station manager, KOMO(AM) Seattle, elected VP. From Broadcasting Magazine April 11, 1977: Jay Ward, VP/station manager, KOMO(AM) Seattle, named to additional post of corporate VP of parent, Fisher’s Blend Station.
These were the last listing of Ward at KOMO in Broadcasting Magazine. He was listed at least until 1979 as above in the Broadcasting Yearbooks that could be found online. Jay W. Giesa died [approx 2011]
Jaye Albright is a partner in country radio specialist Albright & O’Malley, Seattle.
Jaynie Dillon is best remembered from “The Overnight Clubl” on KOMO-AM in 1982. The first female disk jockey in the station’s 60 year history. (Not counting cooks and homemakers.) In Spokane, as in the Tri-Cities, she was only allowed to use a first name. “It wasn’t until the late ’70s in Seattle and Tacoma that I finally was allowed to use a first and last name. I decided to use my legal name, Prozora (my married name at the time) and the program director went ballistic. “It’s too ethnic!!!” She picked up a stack of 45’s and randomly matched various last names of artists with her first name Jaynie. “Jaynie Jo Royal sounded good,” she said, “so I used that — at least at that station. Many of my friends still affectionately call me ‘Jaynie Jo.’ ” At “kowboy” KKBY-FM,Tacoma, she was companion to Ichabod Caine in morning drive, but added all manner of announcing, DJ-ing, news reading, reporting and public-affairs direction to her skills. “Later a program director at a Seattle station wanted me to ‘sound more country’ so he named me Jaynie Dylan; then it occurred to him that “Dylan” might be associated with folk music, so he changed the spelling to Jaynie Dillon to have more of a connection to Matt Dillon in “Gunsmoke.” “While working in Tacoma at KTAC-AM/KBRD-FM, I was Jaynie Dillon on the Top-40 AM station and Jane Robbins on the FM, a beautiful music station. (The mantra was, “As beautiful as a bird in flight. K-Bird. K-B-R-D.” …Robbins, bird, robin, get it?) (VOS2012) Jaynie Dillon, at various stations during her career: KCYS-FM “Three Rivers” [Richland, WA] 1967 – 1968 Jaynie, KTWD-FM “The Pacesetter” [Spokane, WA] 1968 – 1970 Jaynie, KTNT “Entertainment 14” [Tacoma, WA] 1976 – 1977 Jaynie Jo Royal, KNBQ-FM “Q-97 FM” [Tacoma, WA] 1976 – 1977 Jaynie Jo Royal, KAYO “Country Music Radio” [Seattle, WA] 1977 – 1979 Jaynie Dillon, KTAC Top 40 [Tacoma, WA] 1979 – 1981 Jaynie Dillon, KBRD-FM “Beautiful Bird” [Tacoma, WA] 1979 – 1981 Jane Robbins, KOMO “Station You Can Depend On” [Seattle, WA] 1981-1990 Jaynie Dillon, KKBY-FM “The Cowboy” [Tacoma, WA] 1997 – 1998 Jaynie Dillon, KLAY “News & Information” [Lakewood, WA] 1998 – 2006 Jaynie Dillon – commercial voice talent.
Jean Enersen grew up in Seattle. After working as a lifeguard and swimming teacher, she left home to pursue what she called her “checkered academic career.” This included courses at the University of Washington, Swathmore in Pennsylvania, American University in Washington DC, and Pomona College in California. She worked in Washington DC offices of Senators Henry Jackson and Warren Magnuson. She wound up at Stanford, where she earned her master’s degree in political science and in film and completed course work for a PhD in political science. She then broke into television at KPIX San Francisco. She returned to Seattle in 1971 to work in the KING TV news room.
Jeff Aaron – KJR Sportsradio, KRKO Sportsradio – Lives in Arizona
Jeff Bach [KSCR] – Jeff Bach Productions
Jeff Baird – KRFE Everett, KATS Yakima, KRPM, KUBE, KHIT all Seattle and then KZDG FM Denver, KBUL Reno and KBUQ FM Phoenix (1996) [programmed by Bob Case]
Jeff Boeing is coming to KOL, that was part of the news for KOL’s new afternoon announcer in 1968. See, it was part of the schtick that KOL loaded with Bobby Simon and Dick Curtis, already had a morning personality Gary Todd. Get it? Shipyards. Airplanes. “KOL has acquired Boeing.” His name was Dick Haase (apparently pronounced with a long “a” ) which became Dick Hayes at his previous station,Toronto‘s CHUM .where he had been for three years. In New York City and Detroit he was known as Jack Hayes. (VOS2013)
Jeff Chase got out of radio not too long after the Gannett takeover of KHIT. Went into the sales side of things, had an ad agency and I believe he is now running his own insurance franchise & doing well. ***Note. This was posted on Radio Info Seattle board when someone asked whatever happened to Jeff Chase.
Jeff Conwell – KRKO, K103, KHIT, KUBE, KLSY, KIRO FM, and for the past seven years (2023) at Community Radio, KOZI, Radio Lake Chelan
Jeff French [KITZ]
Jeff Hanley – programs KZAM FM Pleasant Valley, TX KZAM – FM 98.7 – Pleasant Valley, TX
Jeff Heiman
Jeff McIntosh KRKO radio personality in the mid-1970s; later worked at KXA in the Pat O’Day OLD GOLD era.
Jeff Mitchell
Jeff Mosier [KKNW FM]
Jeff Probst was born Jeffrey Lee Probst in Wichita, Kansas., on Nov. 4, 1961. His family moved to Bellevue, Wash., near Seattle, when he was very young. The move was enough for Probst to call Seattle his hometown. He attended Newport High School. Probst discovered his love for communications and filmmaking while attending Seattle Pacific University. One of his first jobs out of college was as a producer for Boeing’s marketing department. Probst produced corporate videos, where he served as both creator and talent, narrating many of his films. At KIRO-TV he was the host of a weekly home-and-garden show. And though he’s best known as host of the TV show “Survivor,” Probst has been host of a number of television programs. In 1994, host of “Backchat,” then “Sound IX.” In 1998, VH1’s “Rock and Roll Jeopardy.” That was followed by the NBC-TV special “Dave Barlia: Extreme Stuntman.” “Survivor” began in 2000, He wrote wrote and directed an independent film about a man who discovers a wallet containing a lottery ticket worth $6 million. The film premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival where it won “Best Picture” and a “Best Director” award for Probst. Another of his projects, “Fish Out of Water,” remains in development. Familiar formula, but with the right amount of charm, Probst could make it look fresh and easy. Probst was named one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” in 2001. Probst is an Universal Life Church minister; he remarried his parents for their 35th wedding anniversary. As a souvenir, Probst keeps the tool he uses to quench the flames when a contestant is voted “off the island” on “Survivor.” In 2007, Probst founded The Serpentine Project, a non-profit that empowers youths with foster care histories. In 2012 he had his own syndicated daytime talk show, “The Jeff Probst Show.” (VS2013)
Jeff Randall – is the owner of Jeff Randall, LLC, Auctioneer/Emcee at Stokes Auction Group
Jeff Renner [KING 5 Weather]
Jeff Salgo – was last reported to be the IT manager for KROQ in LA
Jeff West (Baird) [KUBE] Yep….that “was” me! I left KUBE in ’91….to KMLE in Phoenix as APD/MD, then transferred to Denver to begin my programming. Have made stops along the way in San Francisco, Tucson, SLC, Phoenix (again) and since 2004….Eugene, OR where I put BOB FM on the air and also program KMGE. Mixed in there was a 2 year run doing sales at Broadcast Programming in Seattle. Also voicetracked a 7-mid show into KJR-FM when I was programming in Tucson.
Jefferson Kaye [Roger Dale] – died of cancer March 2010
Jennifer Michaels
Jennifer Wood [KMPS] now works at KYMX FM Sacramento, CA
Jerry Burling – [Engineer, KING 5] now a contract engineer in Long Beach, Calif., First Class Radiotelephone License (now obsolete), Senior Broadcast Television Engineer, Society Of Broadcast Engineers. MBA, Started in television at KEPR-TV, 1958, Pasco, Washington. Worked at KING-TV, March 1960 to April 1972 as master control engineer and cameraman. Two week stint at KJR, Seattle. KING-FM host, 1970 to 1972. Worked at NBC, Burbank, 1972 1989, video and audio editor. Freelance video and audio editor 1989 to present. Recently editor on Deal or No Deal game show.
Jerry Dexter – Jerry Dexter was personality-oriented KVI’s first morning man in 1959, for only a year. Even so, you’ve hear his voice no matter how old you are. After an early career in radio in Las Vegas, Seattle and Los Angeles, Dexter began acting in television shows (“Gomer Pyle” 1964) (“Dragnet” 1967) ventured into voice acting,.Jerry had many roles in TV cartoons, “Aquaman” “The Adventures of Gulliver” “Goober and the Ghostchasers” (1973), To say nothing of “Josie and the Pussycats” and big-screen “Tom and Jerry.” He lived in Hollywood until 1978. Last interviewed in Sonoma, CA, where he had a TV-distribution business. Went to work for Hanna Barberra as a voice actor. He now lives in San Francisco
Jerry Dimmitt – Talk-jock. KMCM, KLIQ AM/FM, KKEY, KAYO, KYXI, KAYO, KTNT, KPMA, KMO, KAAR, KKEY, KXL, KKEY PD, KVAN-1550, KXYQ retired and does a video blog on U Tube called “The Dimmitt Show” k6tpl’s Channel – YouTube
Jerry Geehan is remembered as the dean of sports broadcasters in the Pierce County area. He attended the College of Puget Sound for two years and began his broadcast career at Tacoma’s KVI in 1932. In 1937 he became the first broadcaster for the Tacoma Tigers of the Western International League. In 1938 he joined KMO, probably Tacoma’s first play-by-play broadcaster, handing WIL baseball and PLC and CPS games. He also had a daily radio sportscast. Geehan became KMO’s sales manager in 1943, and two years later became general manager. In 1953 he was general manager of Channel 13 TV. He was owner and general manager of KTAC Radio from 1952 to 1969. He also served as the chairman of the board of the Washington State Association of Broadcasters. Geehan was married for 62 years. He died in 2001, age 88. (CHBCenter, 2014)
Jerry Hart – worked at KUBE and now has “gone green” see hartofgreen.com
Jerry Hill [KNBQ] Steve Randall says: Jerry and I worked at KZOK in 1979 and I got him over to the Q in early 80. Jerry was one of us. He had the idea of the opera singer of the Crazy Steve open and many others ideas we used. I am so proud of Jer. I remember this day I taught him how to abuse trade outs we had with advertisers. Bought him his first expensive Scotch Malt. Jerry’s production and imaging were right up there with anyone and this was all analog no ProTools or Sound Forge. Jer was an artist with a razor blade and a grease pencil. Jer had a great ear and he constantly gave me critiques of my show whether I wanted them or not. A true pro,a gifted musician and a wacko you couldn’t help but love. Jerry has been West / Central Broadcast Support Supervisor at the The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication Washington State U university, Richland, Washington for a number of years and doing very well – doing what ever he does which is all very technical he says.
Jerry Holzinger was introduced as KOL’s morning personality when Goodson-Todman purchased the station in 1962. Game show owners restaffed the station with personality, upgrading from “standard and popular,” (a less specific description than radio now uses) to something close to top-40.. Holzinger pushed the limit on talk. He was transferred to the allnighter where his semi-talk format was more tolerated. In 1957 he was at KTIX, a pop-standards station at 1590 on the dial. In 1965 he was midmorning personality at KFKF, Bellevue. In 1969 he was at KOOD, “the Golden Sound” as it changed from KFHA “farm and home,” 1480 AM. Then he tried a one-hour talk show on KTW when it still was filled with religious programs. Sometime later he had a one-hour talk show on KTVW-TV — more like a single-camera version of his radio show. The fast-talking pipesmoker, full name Allen Jerry Holzinger, had an educated background — political science, journalism, and pharmacy, not all from college; lots of night school lectures. Before radio hung around KLSN, (the original FM station at 96.5). He pushed for more jazz. He served in WWII and Korea. He held an Actors Equity card from his appearances at Gene Keene’s Cirque Theater, in the Broadway district. He died in 1980.
Jerry Howarth’s time in the South Puget Sound region was short but vital to a sportscasting career that made him a tenured radio voice for Major League Baseball.
Howarth began his broadcast career in 1974 with The Tacoma Twins of the Pacific Coast League on KTNT. He added University of Puget Sound baseball and football. Howarth moved to Salt Lake City to take on play-by-play for the Pacific Coast League’s Gulls in 1976. He followed that with a double-duty stint, assistant general manager and play-by-play broadcaster for the Salt Lake City Prospectors in the Western Basketball Association. That led to the Utah Jazz.That led to the Utah Jazz and eventually a full time position with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1982. Howarth has done play-by-play for the Toronto Blue Jays for more than 30 years.
Howarth’s signature home run call, “Up! Up! Up! And there (s)he goes!” (CHBCenter, 2014)
Jerry Kay (last name was King) – Air personality at KOL, KJR, KSPL, KPLZ, KYYX, WLS, WCFL. Passed away in 2005, Seaside, Or.
Jerry Mason is reported to have retired in 1994 and is living on Camano Island
Jerry Miller was host and announcer of several brokered programs on Seattle radio stations. The newspaper salesman and advertising-agency executive, started with a Mondays-only three minute commercial purchase on KVI, where some of his time was touting the talents of Jerauld Douglas Miller, the other offering thoughts on political issues. He was active in civic issues an state Republican politics. He started a magazine and a radio program “Straight Talk” about addiction and recovery, and later with volunteer help produced “Republican Radio” an unafilliated program which bounced around on several radio stations including KKOL and KKMO.
After a six-year melanoma battle, he died in 2011, age 78.
Jerry Sweet
Jerry Van Dyke [KITZ]
Jesse Brandon
Jessica Gottesman [Ettinger] – In 2008 Ettinger moved to Seattle and joined 710 KIRO-AM, and Newstalk 97.3 KIRO-FM as a news anchor and talk host where she used the name Jessica Gottesman, [10] and worked with Dori Monson, Dave Ross, and the Ron & Don Show. She was also heard on The Bob Rivers Show, on KZOK-FM. A 2012 return to New York City brought her back to CBS and Anchor work at 1010 WINS, as well as the host of the 1010 WINS “Open For Business” reports; a post-Hurricane Sandy series.
Jesse Jones, longtime consumer reporter for KING 5, now at KIRO 7 [5pm evening newscast]
Jessica West – KXXO
Jill Kenly – works for Habitat For Humanity/Tacoma
Jill Taylor on the air @ KPLZ as midday host since 1994. She has also worked at KMPS and KMGI in Seattle. Taylor left KPLZ on December 1, 2021.
Jim Althoff – Jim Althoff started as a jazz host in San Francisco, developed afternoon talk radio in Portland and Seattle, with KING-AM in 1970. Altoff’s brand of talk was conversational, seldom confrontational. A weekly feature was “ask anything.” Althoff, off-mic staffers and a raft of personal knowledge and reference books would give instant answers to questions as diverse as how tall was Randolph Scott to why are editions of the Sunday newspaper called Bulldog? After KING, Althoff moved to the Minneapolis area, with time as a classical-music announcer. Althoff has been a writer and a substitute teacher. In 2011 in was a volunteer host at a St. Louis public radio affiliate. Married to Andee Beck, a writer who sometimes co-hosted his radio shows, they had two sons. (VOS2012)
Jim Arnold on the air @ KKZX/Spokane
Jim Babcock [KZAM]
Jim Bach – worked for KING AM and still does voice work in Bellevue
Jim Bee [KZAM]
Jim Bennett
Jim Blossey air personality at KVI, is retired from radio and lives in Edmonds
Jim Brady
Jim Breedlove – [KSND]
Jim Compton made a name for himself at TV stations in Portland and Seattle — and more. He was most familiar for the ten-year run of “The Compton Report” on KING-TV beginning in 1985. Born in Klamath Falls, he earned a degree in history at Reed College and a master’s degree at Columbia University School of Journalism. In 1969 he was a Fulbright Scholar. He first worked at an Italian newspaper, there learning Italian and Romanian. After KING-TV he became foreign correspondent for NBC again.in Cairo and London, learning Arabic to extend his ability to cover world hotspots. Compton was a TV newsman and producer of 40 TV documentaries. He was elected to the City Council in Seattle in 1999. He left the Council in 2005, In recent years he completed a manuscript for a book to be published on the 1873 Madoc Indian war — along the Oregon-California border. He died of a heart attack in 2014, age 72. (VOS2014)
Jim Dai moved to Seattle to help start The FM KVI in the mid 1970s. His first job was at KSEM, Moses Lake. “Next, I worked at KIXI-Light when Wally Nelskog owned it,” Dai said. Later Dai did a morning shift for KSEA, then-sister-station to KIRO-AM. That was followed by an afternoon show at KJR while it was owned by Ackerly. “It was an honor to work with Jerry Kay and Gary Lockwood,” Dai said. “I spent the remaining time in Seattle working for Sandusky Radio, first as the morning host on KIXI then the morning show on KWJZ. The best time I ever had in Seattle radio was working at KIXI with Jim Kampmann and Bonnie Brown. Tons of fun and great response from the listeners.” In 2012 Dai hosted a cruise to the Caribbean “and 80 people signed on who were listeners to KIXI’s “Jim and Jim Show”. We hadn’t been on KIXI for over 6 years!” “After ‘smooth jazz’ was dumped at KWJZ, I no longer had a passion for radio.” Dai moved to Lake Chelan. But he relented when the Chelan station, KOZI, offered him a position as program director. “It’s all community radio,” Dai said, “and no corporate bull.” Jim Dai blogs on www.winedripbib.com (VOS2012)
Jim Dever KING 5 News reporter and host of Evening Magazine.
Jim French – air personality at KING and KIRO, operated Jim French Productions. Deceased.
Jim Gearhart made almost no impression as the 1973 morning personality on KIRO-AM-FM. Blame it entirely on KIRO’s Bonneville management, because he was close to a legend at WPOP, Hartford, before and a legend in WXKW, Trenton, NJ, after Seattle. (Here’s the scoop: After six months on air, Gearhart was called in “for a meeting.” The station, management said, had $200,000 budgeted to promote his morning music-radio show. All Gearhart had to do was become tops in the market and the promotional dollars would follow. Without spending a dime to actually promote radio; the station instead spent its money on bus signs for station manager Lloyd Cooney’s editorial comments on TV. Not a very encouraging prospect.) Gearhart also worked at WCBS, New York, WNEW and WNBC in New York. He started at Roanoke VA, radio station.
In 1990 he settled down on the news-talk Trenton station, Gearhart became a force for education and reform in state politics. In 2011, as he approached his 21st year on “New Jersey 105.1” the owners, Millennium Radio, named their radio studio and office building the Jim Gearhart Broadcast Center. He retired from radio after suffering an injury in 2015, from which he did not completely recover. (VOS2013)
Jim Hammer KOL, KMCS, founder of “Penguin Records” – deceased
Jim Harriott, born William James Harriott, began his broadcasting career in Florida, and New York. He was onene of the WMCA Good Guy. [Thanks to Robin Mitchell for the tip!] Went on to do news at WNBC. Prior to arriving in Seattle, he worked as a national and international reporter for ABC News and Voice of America. Harriott joined KOMO TV 4 and later KING 5 News [in 1971]. Harriott left KING Newservice on May 23, 1975. In December of that year, he joined new public television station KCPQ 13, Tacoma, as director of public affairs programming. By July 12, 1976, Harriott was back in Seattle, this time at KIRO 7 News. On September 6 1977, Harriott became Executive News Director at KOMO 4. He celebrated a 25 year broadcasting career in January 1978.He spent 13 years in Seattle as a local newscaster. In the late 1980s he left Seattle for station WJLA in Washington D.C., where he became the evening news anchor. Following a successful career in television he served as the radio host of “Prime Time Focus,” a nationally syndicated program sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). He joined the program in 1993, serving as national host until his death in 2007 from stroke-related complications.
Jim Hartt was noon-to-6 p.m. announcer on jazz-formatted KBVU 1540, Bellevue, in 1961. Hartt was a relaxed announcer and relied on a number of folksy phrases to introduce the established musical artists, such as “..the Chairman of the Board…” the Velvet Fog himself…” He stayed with the station through its 1964 absorption into KBES-AM. Full name, James Kuenhausen. (VOS2013)
Jim Hewitt [Robin Sherwood] Air personality. KRKO, KGY, KQIN, KOL. Retired, residing in Palm Desert, California
Jim Johnston – the other half of the KING – AM morning team, Adkins & Johnston. (1970)
Jim Kampmann [KISW…KLSY…KIXI…KQMV] Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, 1950. Radio start as Veteran’s Hospital closed-circuit station volunteer in Walla Walla, Washington, 1968. First commercial radio in 1970 at KKGF-Great Falls, Montana before a six-year run in Spokane with stints at KREM, KXLY, KJRB. On several different Seattle radio stations since 1976 including KISW for 17 years. Local, national and international voice work for Boeing, Microsoft, AT&T, McDonalds, Outside Magazine. Recipient of numerous journalism and advertising awards. Full-time instructor in Broadcast Journalism at Green River Community College. 1999. Married Ann, 1989. Died in March 2015
Jim Keller – does copywriting out of his home in the Seattle area.
Jim Kelly [KING AM]
Jim LaMarca – now runs LaMarca Strategies in the Greater San Diego area
Jim Martin “Big Jim” [McMartin] – Air personality and newsman, KOL, KJR, KING and KIXI. Deceased.
Jim McGavick – 1330 KBVU (KFKF) personality (early to mid-1960s)
Jim Moore has co-hosted “The Kevin Calabro Show” since 2009. He also co-hosts “The Northwest Golf Show” with Shon Crew and writes weekly columns for 710Sports.com and for the Kitsap Sun. Jim spent 26 years as a reporter and columnist at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Jim Nicholls -Owner of KAYE Puyallup deceased
Jim Norwood [KZAM]
Jim Reed – KMCS, KBBX, KWYZ, KLSN, KETO, KOMO, KIRO – deceased
Jim Severn – Weekends at KPLZ; moved to Hollywood KBIG, 2004-05. Jim worked weekends at KBIG until late 2005.
Jim Sims – was at KJR in Oct. 1965 and in Feb. 1968 he was the PD at KGA Spokane By 1969, he was the PD at KSPO, Spokane. Then the trail goes cold.
Jim Stevens – KZAM et al Chief Engineer/Director of Engineering 1975 – 1998
Jim Trapp – JACK FM/Seattle
Jim Wilke – Retired from Jazz After Hours after 30 years and more than 3100 original shows. (1984-2014) The national award-winning program continues under Jeff Hanley. Jim is still producing “Jazz Northwest” for KPLU which includes many live, location recordings from clubs, concerts and festivals. His production company is Hatchcover Productions www.hatchcover.co
Jim Williams said in 2003 ” I drifted out of radio and into computer network technology. Dammit, then the tech crash hit! I should have stayed in radio,”
Jim Willis KIXI announcer.
Jimmy Anderson – worked for Real Networks in Seattle as the Security Operations Manager; “I actually retired from RealNetworks a few years ago, and now live in Kirkland, WA. Very cool website! Thanks -Jimmy”
Jimmy Darren the all-night disk jockey on KJR in 1962, was not the singer James Darren, even if it was meant to sound the same. Eventually the name was spelled Darin, but with his real name, James Hilliard was just as ambitious. Pat O’Day once supplied some background on Hilliard’s early career: “He was from Texas. He had been hired to take over programming of a station in Bellingham that was about to go on air. Puff! It was just smoke and mirrors.” “He was here with his wife but had left everything behind in Texas. He was somewhat desperate. “KJR had room for an all-night man. He wanted a new air name, so we quickly agreed on Jimmy Darren. He was funny on the air, great pace, great feeling, simply great is the word. “Next we sent him to Spokane (sister-station KNEW, eventually KJRB) as morning drive jock and program director.” Hilliard left Spokane for jobs at stations in Calgary, Winnipeg, Philadelphia, then Indianapolis. At Fairbanks Communications he acquired several Florida radio stations for the company. He became a full-time Florida resident and formed James Crystal Radio Group, eventually purchasing four stations from Fairbanks.
By 2002, Hilliard had concentrated on building a group of South Florida AM stations. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida auctioned off James Crystal Radio’s four stations on Monday, March 2, 2015. End of the James Crystal empire.
Jimmy Kimmel had a 10-month experience in Seattle at top-40 KZOK-FM in 1989. Kimmel was teamed with Kent Voss, a colorful talk-host-turned-newsman, in a morning show “The Me and Him Show.” This was Kimmel’s first real-pay job; previously he had been submitting funny bits to Los Angeles radio personalities. There was never an explanation for the team’s short stay at KZOK, but their parody song about the general manager of the Seattle Mariners didn’t help. Kimmel was unemployed for almost a year before signing-on as a solo morning personality at KCMG-FM, Palm Springs. Later, Kimmel had a five-year run as Jimmy the Sports Guy on KROQ, Los Angeles, and rejoined Voss in Chicago as a sports announcer.. Then Kimmel went to TV, hosting “Win Ben Stein’s Money,” co-creating “The Man Show” with Adam Carolla and in 2003 he began hosting ABC-TV’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” (Voss eventually joined up with Kimmel as a Las Angeles writer and TV producer before returning to Chicago radio.)
Jimmy Rabbitt [KJR] became Roger W. Morgan at KOIL/Omaha in the ’60s
Joanna Robertson, wife of veteran Northwest sportscaster Bob Robertson. Joanne and Bob married in 1951, shortly after graduating from Lincoln High School in Tacoma. She raised four children — Hugh, Janna, John and Rebecca — worked as a business woman, was secretary at KTAC Radio for a period in the late 1980s, sang in the University of Puget Sound’s Tacoma Civic Choir and danced in Ballet Tacoma. She passed away on Bob’s 82nd birthday in 2010.
Joe “Downtown Joe” Bryant – was on 95.7 KJR with Bob Rivers; teaches broadcasting at KMIH/Mercer Island High School.
Joe Coburn (2019 status): I started by answering phones for Burl Barer and Bill Ford at KOL in 70. On weekends I’d pick music with Big Al Helseth and Dennis on KOL FM. O’Day hired Lee Michaels to PD at KISW and hired me as KISW’s first full-time employee. We changed from classical to free-form rock. Pat fired Any Ebona, Roy Kioshee, and Ron Lundberg and we installed a new IGM machine to get the station going. The first year it was just Lee and I. Steve Slaton came on in 72. I was Program Director of the Heidelberg Jazz Show (I inherited it from Spencer Haywood) and made it the #1 Jazz show in the ten Western United States. I left KISW to become the general ticket sales manager for The Paramount Theaters in Seattle and Portland and the Warnors in Fresno. I did that for a couple of years and worked as Creative Director for May/Partners until taking over as Production Manager for KZOK/KUUU (later KZOK AM). From KZOK I moved to evenings at KOMO and stayed for 11 years. In ’91 I moved to Los Angeles to train and later teach at Playhouse West, one of the largest, most highly recommended Acting Schools in the motion picture business. I worked and trained with Jeff Goldblum, Ashley Judd, James Franco, and a great many more. I was a senior instructor there until 2001. From 94 to 98 I was also on KTWV The WAVE, in Los Angeles, the flagship Smooth Jazz station in the country. We were the #1, English-speaking music station in LA and for two years, always in the top 3 or 5, total persons, 6AM to Mid, Mon-Sun.
I did voice over for 24 years, including animation and motion pictures. I was in seven movies (according to my IMDB page). In 2016, I moved to the Philippines to feed malnourished preschoolers.
Joe Cooper/Joey Cooper Giannunzio WKNR/Detroit, 62 KGW/Portland, KING 1100/Seattle, 95 KJR/Seattle is retired from radio but he still dabbles in home building.
Joe Dawson said in 2005 that he is now in the sports marketing business in Atlanta, GA
Joe Fiala His career took him from Spokane to Seattle to San Diego, back to Seattle, then to Denver, Colo., Phoenix, Ariz., back to San Diego, and finally back to Seattle. He now is retired and living at Chelan, WA
Joe Fryer worked as a KING TV news reporter, 2010-2013, then went to NBC TV news Burbank.
Joe Jones [KZAM]
Joe Lyons was a nighttime talker at KVI in 1982, But the KVI format changed back to music. So, off he went to KMO, 1360 Tacoma. “Guest interviews were not that easy to schedule in Tacoma, so the format was all caller-driven.” Less than a year, he moved to the Riverside, CA. area and bounced around at several stations and appeared on a couple of TV and cable interview programs. For the past 15 years he has been at KSPA, Ontario, CA. where the format is business and finance news. He is regional sales manager and co-hosts a Sunday morning financial talk show. He has his own one-man production agency. Previously Lyons had worked at KXLY, Spokane.
Joe [Fleischauer] Michaels – is on Spirit 105.3 midnight-4am and does other voice-overs; was aka Coby McCloud at KJR in the late 70’s.
Joe Norris worked at several Puget Sound radio stations in the 1980’s and 90’s, including 1981-KMAS; 1981-82, 1990-95- KRKO; 1983-84-KJUN; 1984-85,1987- KVI; 1985-87-KIXI-FM (as Joe Thomas) Also worked at KTIX in Pendleton, Oregon from 1982-83.
Joe Sabo, KOL Public affairs director from 1966-1973. Sabo Passed away 03.06.20
Joe Salvatore moved from KREN/Renton to KQIN/Burien Joe Sargent — DJ at KAYO in 1982.Joel Block was a former flying KIRO AM traffic reporter
Joe Towey – Professor Weiner Von Brown, a character on the JP Patches show and also The Count on the late night monster movie show on KIRO 7.
Joe Withee – The voice of Longacres race track on many radio stations.
Joe Zaspel, a veteran television reporter who jumped in and out of politics, died November 4, 1988. He was 47. Zaspel, who also served in former Gov. Dixy Lee Ray’s administration, was driving to his Ballard residence after working at a political campaign headquarters when he suffered a heart attack while crossing the Ballard bridge shortly after 8:30 p.m. His car spun out of control and came to a stop. He was pronounced dead in Harborview Medical Center’s emergency room shortly before 9 p.m., according to the King County medical examiner’s office. Zaspel grew up in Parkland, Pierce County, graduating from Tacoma’s Franklin Pierce High School in 1959. He attended Washington State University, where he majored in communications, graduating in 1963. His first jobs were as a radio newsman for stations in Chehalis and Bremerton. Then in 1969 he joined KIRO-TV, where he worked off and on for the next 13 years, family members recalled yesterday. One of the ”off” times was during Governor Ray’s administration, in which Zaspel worked as legislative liaison, headed her Seattle office and directed a tourism program. He left the Ray administration to return to KIRO in 1979, then went to work for a Denver television station before joining KCPQ 13 and later the Cable News Network as a Seattle-based correspondent in 1985.
Joel Martin [KING} went on to KGW
Joey Randall co-hosted a morning show with Mark Christopher on KIXI-FM in 1983, Birth name Joyce Elaine Sylvia, she married Harris Mithoug in Spokane. She had a daughter and a son. She worked at stations in Oklahoma and Spokane, and at KDRK, Boise. She died December 2011 in Portland. Age 57.
John Bates – was last heard on WYCL/Pensacola FL part time
John Burgess KTNT, KIRO -Station Manager KNWZ Newsradio 1989 – 1990 (1 year) Palm Springs, CA; News/Program Director KSRO 1986 – 1988 (2 years) Santa Rosa, CA; Editor, Reporter, Managing Editor KING Radio 1981 – 1985 (4 years) Seattle, WA; Newsroom Assistant KIRO Radio / Bonneville Broadcast Media industry 1980 – 1981 (1 year) Seattle, WA; News Director KTNT Radio 1979 – 1980 (1 year) Tacoma, WA; Anchor/Reporter KSRO Radio 1976 – 1979 (3 years) Santa Rosa, CA;
John Carlson is synonymous with Washington State Politics. He is heard weekday mornings on talk radio KVI, 570 kHz. This isn’t a first. He at the KVI microphone in 1993 and has informed and entertained KVI faithful on and off for nearly 2 decades. John also did commentary on newsradio KOMO and before radio was a commentator on KIRO-TV for seven years, occasionally on KCTS-TV and he has written a newspaper column. John graduated in 1981 in the Political Science Honors Program at the University of Washington. John has led three successful statewide initiatives, including America’s first “Three Strikes, You’re Out” ballot measure in the early ’90s. John worked briefly in the Reagan Administration in the early ‘80’s before serving as Communications Director for the Washington State Republican Party. In the ’80s and ’90s, John founded and led a political think tank, The Washington Policy Center, (KVI2014)
John Chambless [KOL] was a UW professor in addition to his night time radio job, He organized Sky River in 1968 and on loan from the Seattle Parks Department produced Bumbershoot in the middle 70’s.
John Curley – [KING 5 TV evening magazine host] Now talk show host on KIRO FM
John Dayle [KTW talk host]John Erickson works at K-103/Portland Or
John R. DiMeo Sr. -Began as a newscaster-sportscaster at KPUG/Bellingham. In 1960 he became GM @ KPUG and then moved to KAYO where he remained for 20 years. While at KAYO, DiMeo became owner of KXLE AM-FM/Ellensburg, KENE/Yakima, KOHI/St. Helens, KBKW-AM/Aberdeen, and KBRD & KTOL/Olympia.
John Evans he is now with KCBS, San Francisco — This is from his LinkedIn bio: KISW Seattle April 1978 – June 1979 : I worked for Program Director Beau Phillips. I did weekday morning news on the Terry MacDonald show and hosted a current events talk show from 6-8am called “Saturday Morning Live.” We had a magic staff in those days including Gary Crow, Steve Slaton, Gary Bryan and a newsman we hired from the local R&B station KYAC. His name is Mike West. Mike became our afternoon news guy. He would eventually become teamed up with new morning man John Langan (Langan and West) and later Gary Crow (Crow and West). Under Beau’s leadership, KISW would begin a whole new era heavy on talent, personality and promotion. He was an excellent coach and a strong motivator. My work caught the attention of a talent scout from CBS in Los Angeles.
John Fisher – Fisher worked at 103.7 The Mountain (KMTT) from 1992 until 2013, when the station went from AAA to Rhythmic. From there he went to Hubbard’s Warm 106.9 (KWRM) for a few years. His last stop was at Audacy’s 94.1 The Sound (KSWD) until 2022. April 10, 2023, KPNW 98.9 middays, AAA format.
John Frost was last reported to be a broadcast consultant working out of Palm Beach, FL.
John Hinterberger – The Seattle Times Food critic is now retired
John Hopperstad comes to Q13 TV News from WGME 13 Maine
John Jarstad, KTVW TV 13 newsman in the 1960s. A former sports announcer, newspaper and broadcast journalist, and Tacoma city councilman and deputy mayor, died at age 78 in March 1999. Mr. Jarstad was born and raised in Bremerton, and after graduating from Washington State University he returned to his hometown, where he was sports editor of the Bremerton Sun and the radio voice of the Bremerton Bluejackets, a minor-league baseball team, in the late 1940s. He later broadcast live baseball on television for the Pacific Coast League’s Seattle Rainiers, and hosted an outdoors show on KOMO-TV for 13 years in the 1950s and ’60s.
John Komen, TV news anchor-reporter for KOMO 4 in Seattle and ABC network. Komen was also editor at the Tacoma News Tribune.
John Christopher Kowsky – Weekend personality at KPND, Sand Point, Idaho has enjoyed a rich and rewarding career, and covered a lot of territory since he first began broadcasting both radio and television at a very young age in his hometown, Bellingham, WA. Introducing audiences to his name and style in Wenatchee, Spokane and Seattle, WA, his journey ultimately led to his hosting of television’s “PM Magazine”, which in turn resulted in John’s appearances on NBC Television’s “Star Weekends” where he worked with some of the top Hollywood performers and producers of the time.
When he’s not on the air, John is involved with the Porsche Club of America, Golfing at Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club, and is a Lifetime Associate of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.
John Langan was part of Those Dudes, the “Langan and West” morning team at KISW in 1978. In 1983 Langan and partner Mike West moved to KMET, Los Angeles, but did not stay long — In four months they were back in Seattle, this time at KZOK Langan started in radio in 1954 in Winslow, AZ, moved to stations in San Diego, Houston, Jacksonville, and Los Angeles before coming to Seattle. After KZOK, Langan move to KZZU, Spokane, then to Kansas city, and back to Spokane, this time to KKZX. He uses the name C. Foster Kane as co-host of “The RadioMen” morning show with Jim Arnold on “classic rock” KKZX, and, under the name Toby Hitller, is apparently the dictatorial station manager.
John Lisle [KISW] @ KISS FM/San Antonio
John Andrew Lyman lost his job at KLAY before he even got it. Fresh from Ron Bailie’s Broadcast School in 1970s. John first got a job at top-40 KNWR-FM, Bellingham along with some fast food restaurants. “The radio job was nothing you could make a living off of,” he said. “I got a call that a station in Juneau was having a hard time finding “just the right person.” I learned later that mean no one wants the job. I went up to tiny KINY-AM and KINY-TV, Juneau. The TV station-was an NBC affiliate — operated from 3 p.m. to the end of Johnny Carson..(NBC programs would arrive by mail — big Beta cartridges from KING-TV, Seattle.) “Eventually I spent days working with the TV anchor putting news packages together and did news for the radio side, too. In broadcasting school I had sworn I would never be “a news guy,”
Through her political work, my mom knew Clay Huntington at KLAY-FM, Tacoma. I spoke with him two or three times and eventually he said he had a job if I wanted it. I got on a plane as soon as I could, but the position was filled. I ended up in construction — eventually owning a small contracting company. My broadcast career taught me a lot about work and life, so there was no loss. And I made a heck of a lot more building cement walls. And that’s no joke!” (JAL2012)
John Mangan – GM/PD of KVTI was cut loose during the switch to Northwest Public Radio’s takeover of the Clover Park station
John Marler KIRO 7 News; moved to WABC New York, later WAGA Atlanta; WHDH Boston [most recent]; Now (2024) John Marler
EVP of Marketing and Communications at Bay Equity, LLC; previous to that he was executive director of the McGovern Family Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Foundation Lake Oswego, Oregon
John Maynard – That other half of Robin & Maynard that worked mornings at KZOK and KISW. Now works at KPLU FM.
John Morrow – KING 1090 DJ
John Moug – Former co-host of Moug & Angie morning show on KPLZ FM. Angie Morales, longtime friend and cohost at Boise station moved west for KPLZ gig also. January 2022-August 2023.
John Murphy – Emmett Allen Jones III produces and directs TV specials and DVD documentary features
John Napier – last worked at KZOK in 1998
John Nelson has stayed in step with the broadcast industry locally, as well as freelance voicework, since his start at Green River Community College’s KGRG FM in 1980. Deleted from the KISW lineup [we have run out of words for “laid-off”] KZOK, Nelson has been fill-in news anchor/traffic reporter at 1090 KPTK, DJ at KMPS, [2008], traffic reporter with Metro Networks, airborne traffic reporter on King 5 News, morning news anchor on AM 880 KIXI and AM 1300 KKOL – and he counts KKWF, KMTT, KEZX, KJRB, KDRK, and KTAC among the other stations he has worked. Since he left KZOK in April 2015, John has been working at Total Traffic again.
John Nixon – on the air @ Movin’ 92.5/Production Director
John Porterfield
John Posey – National Sales Manager for Lamiglas
John Pricer (from Wikipedia “John Pricer was the recorded voice … “From Vancouver to Vancouver, this is the all northwest sound of stereo 105, KBIQ in Edmonds.” He also worked at KIRO, but before that, he was John Spring at KING-AM, leaving KING for KIRO in 1969. After a short time at KIRO-Am, Pricer became the voice of KBIQ, Edmonds.
John Rody was last on KZEW. Media czar John Rody wears many hats during his ventures across airwaves and the web. His voice is recognizable from years spent on KZEW, a station considered by many to be the greatest rock radio station to ever come out of Texas. More recently you can catch him lording over the Internet by way of Downtown Fort Worth on Mambo’s WebCast
John Ross – –Former Air Personality 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s: KASY-AM Auburn; KAYE 1450-AM Puyallup; KMO 1360-AM Tacoma (with Buzz Barr); KTOY-FM Tacoma; KTNT AM-FM Tacoma-Music Director; WRTL-AM Rantoul, Illinois; KXLY AM-FM-TV Spokane-Mid-days; KUUU 1590-AM Oldies Seattle-Nights with RC Bannon; KPUG-AM Bellingham-Program Director & Afternoon Top 40 Drive (replaced Randy Evans AKA Ichabod on his departure to KJRB); KMO-AM Tacoma (with Chuck Ellsworth); KXRO 1320-AM Aberdeen-News Director; KIXI AM-FM Seattle-Morning News with Dean Smith-Afternoon Drive; KXA-AM Seattle-Production Director; KQIL-AM/KQIX 93-FM Grand Junction, CO-Afternoon Top 40 Drive; Back to KIXI AM-FM Seattle; KHIT-FM Seattle Oldies (with Andy Barber & Jerry Kaye under Bingham BCSTG, then Morning Top 40 Drive under Gannett with Steve Weed); KNBQ 97.3-F
John Rydgren never had a radio job in Seattle even though he grew up here. He created a national syndicated radio program occasionally heard on Puget Sound radio stations. After graduating from Pacific Lutheran University he became an ordained Lutheran minister. In 1958 in a Minneapolis basement he created “Silhouettes,” a rock-music program for religion-based radio stations. He worked at KRLA and KRTH, Los Angeles, several times between 1972 and 1988. “Brother John” had a unique place in Southern California radio as an expert at using rock music to convey a religious message. He headed the TV and film department of the American Lutheran Church, and was the voice of an ABC Network album-oriented program service “Love Format” in 1968. Shortly after a stroke, he died of a heart attack in 1988. He was 56.
John Sebastian – Now in Phoenix, AZ and starting new consulting group called “Sebastian Secret Sauce”
John Stone – Here is what Pat O’Day said about John Stone was hired by Chris Lane who was PD [KJR] in 1959 (for about 60 days) and then replaced him in the PD slot also doing afternoon drive. Yes, he hired me and Dick Curtis. Me from KAYO and Dick from KBRO Bremerton. Stone got himself fired over a few things, namely asking talent to come to Seattle at no charge to play at a Concert he put on. John had come from WTIX New Orleans where I guess the rules were different. This is likely what made him think he could record his own band, “John Stone and The Adventures,” make it the pick of the week, and move it up the charts, unsupported by sales or requests. (Hiring John and his band for my dances was also required of me.) Anyway, Johns dismissal in late 1960 brought in Bill Stewart of midwest radio fame as the new PD. He instantly clashed with GM Galen Blackford, leading to his firing and Lee Perkins took the PD chair for a period of time. I’m forever grateful to Bill Stewart as it was he who awarded me the afternoon drive slot that I occupied for eight years until becoming KJR GM. Did Stone require I share my Spanish Castle revenues with him as a token of appreciation for his hiring me? YES. Again, probably different rules in New Orleans. 🙂 All of these happenings at KJR slowly led us to a formula that prevailed. Once named PD I guiltlessly copied Chuck Blores’ formula at KFWB Los Angeles. Personality plus, powerful cutting edge news, great promotions, total total local involvement, break new hits, and have fun fun fun! Oh, equally important, it had to be the same 24 hours a day. Sadly, todays button down minded PD’s fail to understand these are radios basics. AM remembers this, leading to it’s resurgence, albeit with talk programming! Thanks for reading this. Our industries history is a treasure that needs to be preserved. Like it’s been said, “It’s hard to know where your going if you don’t know where you’ve been or how you got there.” Pat O’Day
John Todd – announcer at KTNT 1400/Tacoma, late 1960s
John Thomas
John Trimble – Big John Trimble started in radio at the ripe old age of fourteen, in his hometown of Paintsville, Kentucky. From those humble beginnings at 250-watt AM Station WSIP, he has built a career that has culminated with a nomination to be included in the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame. Long before he was Big John, he was called ‘Jolly’ John Trimble, and he played original Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rockabilly music–including the likes of artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Platters, Carl Perkins, Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. After completing high school, Big John moved on to WTIP Radio in Charleston, West Virginia, where he broadcast from the original Shoney’s Drive Inn six nights a week. From there, he went first to WDOC in Prestonburg, Kentucky, and then into the United States Army, where he was sent to Ft. Lewis, Washington, to work with the Little Theatre and the Ft. Lewis Entertainment team. After leaving the service, Big John moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he worked for KMYO Radio. A short time later, he became the Program Director and Afternoon DJ of a brand-new, full-time Country Music station, KBBA. This was the first time Big John was directly involved with the Country Music scene. Two years later, he was the Program Director and Afternoon DJ for the world’s first full-time Country Music FM Station, WVHI in Evansville, Indiana.
While John was there, he started his own live Country Music show, The Country Castle Show, which aired each Friday night on WVHI. This show operated much the same as Big John Trimble’s East Coast Opry in that it featured a local and regional cast and brought in artists from Nashville. A year later, Big John moved to station KMO in Seattle / Tacoma, where he was once again the Music Director and Afternoon DJ. John also owned and operated a talent and promotions business, booking most of Nashville’s top acts. In 1972, Big John started an overnight trucker’s show, the first like it on the West Coast. His voice and music played everywhere from Alaska to California and all points in between. Two years later, he moved to 50,000-watt station KGA in Spokane. Now he was heard throughout the west and into parts of Canada he had never reached before. Big John became a top name in Trucker’s Radio and was offered a job with KWKH, another 50,000-watt station in Shreveport, Louisiana. For three years, Big John broadcast from Kelly’s Truck Stop near Shreveport on the Texas border. One night, Walt Williams, the program director for WRVA in Richmond, Virginia, dropped in and offered him a job. Several months later, Big John started broadcasting from Jarrell’s Truck Stop in Doswell, Virginia. The show ran for eighteen years and made Big John into a national radio personality. He was named the nation’s favorite Country DJ in a nationwide poll of truckers conducted by Open Road Magazine.
John Tucker from KOAQ Denver became PD of KMO Tacoma in 1979.
John Welch DJ at KTAC
John Williams – on the air @ Oldies 106.7/Portland
Johnny Carver — Air personality at KVI (The Carver Clan) and KOMO.
Johnny Clark KRPM dj. Johnny Dakota [KKMO]
Johnny Forrest – Newsman at KIRO, KOL, KFKF, KNX, KFI – deceased – John R. Forrest, known as Johnny (born in 1908, died in 1971), was a multi-talented Northwest celebrity. He was an announcer/newscaster, disc jockey and program director of Seattle’s KOL radio for over three decades and a producer of a free-lance newscast on KIRO. Among his many achievements are his Suspense Theater plays, “Mission Completed” (starring James Stewart) and “Daisy Chain.” A songwriter, he composed “Blue Tears” (sung by Lola Sugia) and “Weathervane” (Lola Sugia), recorded and engineered at Joe Boles Recording Studio in Seattle and released on the Golden Crest Record Label. He composed many popular Northwest radio jingles, including a long airing, catchy tune (with Lola Sugia’s vocals) for “G.O. Guy Drugs,” and a musical, produced by the University of Washington, called, “Johnny Appleseed.” John was also a writer-performer for Lux Radio Theater and Creeps By Night, in Hollywood (between 1939 and 1945), and was known in Seattle as sportscaster for radio KOL’s broadcast of the Seattle Seafair Hydroplane Races (broadcast from Bob Gilliam’s boat, the “KOLroy”) during late 50’s and early 60’s. Johnny’s final radio gig was as morning news anchor on KFKF / Bellevue, from 1968 to 1970. (Johnny’s daughter Maia Santell)
Johnny Hayden — Early air personality at KAGT (Anacortes).
Johnny Knight
Johnny Novak [Jack Boulton] Came from KGA, Spokane in 1969 and was at KVI in Feb. 1970 and was fired as PD in Dec. 1972. He showed up as PD and a radio personality at KOL less than a month later. He was at KOL as PD and on the air until Sept 1974 when he left the air to become a KOL salesman. The next and last time he shows up in The Times is in June 1982 when he is now working for Wood Specialty Products of Mountlake Terrace as the assistant sales manager-administration.
Jon Ballard – (LINKED_IN bio) A passionate, dedicated, and creative citizen in the world of radio, I’ve been fortunate to work at some legendary stations, including KISW / Seattle, KZZP / Phoenix, and DC 101 / Washington.
I’ve worked alongside, and picked the brain of, many of the greats in broadcasting, giving me a unique perspective of both the radio industry, and the world around us. I’ve been part of award-winning teams, cutting-edge promotions, and trend-setting developments . . . And I’ve loved every minute of it. I hope to continue to learn, and evolve, as radio continues to change, and grow into something bigger than Marconi (or Tesla, if you prefer) could have ever imagined, while at it’s core, it remains the most effective, immediate, intimate way to communicate. Specialties: Brand Management, Talent Coaching, Promotional and Marketing Strategy, Audio Production, Copy Writing, Comedy Writing, Music Scheduling, On-Air and Online Content Creation and Delivery, and, being from Seattle, I make a pretty good cup of coffee. Awards: 2001 A.I.R Award – “Best Afternoon Show: Washington, D.C. | 2016 Nominee – Radio Contraband Medium Market Rock PD of the Year | 2017 Nominee – Kilpop Radio Awards Medium Market Rock PD of the Year | THIS JUST IN: I’ve been “Sainted” by the Universal Life Church. So, I’ve got that going for me . . . which is nice.
Jon Ballard became the after-midnight disk jockey on KISW just as the whole daytime staff escaped to a competing station. He stayed for nine years. Previously he was “but a lowly intern at KZOK,” but had been on the air in Palm Springs, CA. (“Seriously, I had really forgotten that.”) What he does remember is attending an event in Seattle as a youth, seeing a disk jockey. Not just a disk Jockey. It was KJR’s Emperor Smith. “He wore a toga and carried a scepter. I told my mom I wanted to do that. It took 20 years to realize not all disk jockeys wore togas.” Ballard now is afternoon guy & PD at 105.1 ‘THE BLAZE’ Fresno Calif. Previously he worked at WBIG and WWDC, both Washington DC, and KZZP, Phoenix. “I hope to continue to learn, and evolve, as radio continues to change,” Ballard said. “I’m flexible. And, being from Seattle, I make a pretty good cup of coffee.”
Jon Jensen – last at KWHT/KTEL Walla Walla, now “on the beach” as of April 2011
Jon Jussero – Emmy award winning KIRO-TV Seattle photojournalist (8+ years), moved to KOTV Tulsa in November 2021.
Jon Kertzer – has moved to Edmonton, AB to direct the Folkways Alive! Project
Jon R. W. Wailin – KUUU, KYYX Jon lives in San Leandro and is doing airborne traffic reports for KGO, San Francisco.
Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth and Poverty. Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy.
John Spring left KING AM to become John Pricer @ KIRO AM
Joni Balter – on the Seattle Times Editorial Board
Jordin Silver – Now at KYSR Los Angeles
Josh Goodman was morning host in 2003 at “80’s alternative” KYPT, “the Point” 96.5. until it became “K=Rock” He has worked at stations in North Carolina, Vermont, New York and Colorado. He currently is at KTCL Denver.
Joyce Taylor KING 5 News; previously worked at KIRO 7
Jude Noland works at NewsData, Inc. Seattle as a Senior Contributing Editor
Judy Griffin aka Judy Kuneman at KAYE/KJUN -In 1958 I started working at radio station KAYE as JUDY KUNEMAN. The station later became KJUN. For two years I sang with the Bar- K Gang at local remote broadcasts most Saturdays. This is also the same band Buck Owens went to work with when he came up to this part of the country. Unfortunately, when Buck was here I was no longer in the band. I never met him until he had several records out.
Judy St. John [KBSG] Judy St John was an announcer, briefly, at oldies KBSG in 2003. But she gravitated to commercial-traffic manager — did that for nine years — and with other administrative skills became employed for two yeas at KZZU, Spokane, and then got on at Northwest Cable News.
Previously she had been a legal assistant at the state Attorney General’s office and later at private law firms. She has also been a “shoe-fitter” at stores in Seattle, Bellevue and Federal Way
Kaci Aitchison successfully transitioned from supporting cast member of Bob Rivers radio show on KJR to News at KCPQ TV [Q13 News]
Kacie Sommers was a first for KJR in 1976 — a female with enough savvy and energy to spin the platters all-night. The next year she was at rocking KTAC. Then KIDO, Boise. She returned to Seattle for KIXI-FM in 1979, then KRPM-FM and finally returning to the new “oldies” KJR-FM in 1994. She later did a year at “oldies” KBSG and then a year at the “adult contemporary” KSWW, Aberdeen. After radio she enrolled in college to become a patient advocate in the medical field. In 1997 KING-TV’s “Evening Magazine” pointed out she has a black-and-yellow tattoo of the KJR bumper sticker on her right shoulder. She maintains a Facebook page about “Seattle’s Radio Greats.” (VOS2013)
Karen Denard
Karen Wild, Music Director and Assistant Program Director at KUBE FM and afternoons at KBKS 106.1/co-owned station.
Kasia Wilk was a disk jockey at KZAM 92.5 Bellevue, from 1978 to 1983. Her father owned a retail bakery. She now is a decorating consultant at Lucks Food Decorating in the Greater Seattle area and has been certified to teach commercial baking at the college level. (VOS2013)
Kate Yeager Q13FOX KCPQ Tech News reporter
Katherine Wise was the “house name” for Seattle’s first radio home economist. She was a fixture at KOMO-AM-TV from 1947 to 1974. Katherine in real life was Ruth Pratt. In 1952 she had a noontime radio program “Lunch With Katherine” and after KOMO-TV signed on in the 1950s she had a TV show “Cookbook Quiz,” in which she might cook up a feast and the studio crew were beneficiaries of the bounty. She retired in 1974, but the radio station used her name on a recipe phone-line well into the 1980s. She died in 1995, age 88.
Kathi Goertzen – KOMO News anchor – Goertzen passed away on August 13th, 2012 after a dramatic struggle with tumors in her brain, lasting over a decade. After any surgery or chemotherapy, Goertzen would always make every possible effort to return to her career at KOMO-4, showing her extreme loyalty to both those around her, as well as her sense of professionalism. [flowplayer src=”http://qzvx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Dan Lewis News _ Tribute to Kathi Goertzen.mp4″ poster=”http://qzvx.com/wp-content/uploads/images/poster.jpg”]
Kathy Magda -(Kathy Phillips) was last heard from as PD at KNLT FM in Anchorage. She was laid off during budget cuts. Twitter link
KC O’Hara had the 1 a.m. air shift on top-40 KAYO 1150. in 1959.
Kearney Barton [KTW] Barton was an engineer for Quincy Jones, Ann Wilson, Bonnie Guitar, and garage rock icons The Sonics. He recorded the The Wailers, The Kingsmen, The Frantics, The Ventures, Little Bill, Stan Boreson, and thousands more. In 1959, he was an engineer for the Fleetwood’s “Mr. Blue” – one of less than a half-dozen songs by Seattle-area artists to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “He created a sound that is still reverberating today,” said Matt Sullivan, Light In The Attic Records founder. “In a lot of ways he was the godfather of the Northwest sound.” Barton and others – including Joe Boles of Seattle, Wiley Griffith of Tacoma and Lyle Thompson of Commercial Recorders – were top engineers who helped form Seattle’s sound before the early ‘90s grunge era. And Barton’s collection of tapes showed his range: jazz to classical, grunge to bluegrass, high school bands to radio jingles. Died January 17, 2012 …more info
Keith Black [News Director @ KCIS]
Keith Jonasson KOMO
Keith Shipman writes: “I’ve been in Bend, Oregon for almost 13 years where I’m a part owner/operator of Horizon Broadcasting Group. I enjoyed my time in Washington (KPUG-AM Bellingham ’78-81, KREM-AM Spokane 1982, KOMO-AM Seattle ’83-’85, KJR-AM Seattle ’91-’93 and KCPQ-TV ’86-’99) prior to co-founding Horizon Broadcasting Group in 2000.”
Kelly Bridges was air personality at KUBE 93 Seattle and KRPM-FM, 106 Tacoma in 1988 and 1989. Now Kelly Bridges-Studer, since 1990 she has been Creative Services Director at Rincon Broadcasting, a firm which owns a half dozen California stations, including KSBL Carpenteria (“Santa Barbara K-Lite”)
Kelly Franson came to KIRO 7 from WBTV Charlotte in 2014. Franson Left KIRO in December 2017 and started at KOAT Albuquerque in April 2019.
Kelly Stevens was part of the morning team on “magic 108” KGMI, the new commercial radio station that bought out noncommercial KRAB at 107.7. (Now KNDD). But that team-up lasted only two years as new owners, new formats came in. Stevens moved to Kansas City, then Denver, and finally to “B98.5” Tampa. He held forth on the WSB morning show with Alpha Trivette, a companion from his days in Seattle. That lasted 10 years, ending in 2009. He is back on WSB, now teamed with Vikki Locke on the “Vikki and Kelly” morning program. In late 2012 he was injured in a fatal automobile accident, As the year ended he was “phoning in” segments to partner Vikki, but his long recovery caused him to rethink his life so far: So he proposed to his fiance Katie from his hospital bed. (VOS2012)
Ken Carson is owner of Ken Carson Creative in Bellevue and currently the entertainment and halftime host for both the Seahawks (12th season) and the Sounders FC (7th season).
Ken Copper – voiceover work, see his website @ kencopper.com
Ken Heman now mornings on KCRX, Seaside, OR
Ken Kager was station manager at KUOW. and was one of the pioneers for public radio. Graduating from the University of Michigan in the mid ’30s, he wrote radio scripts in Hollywood and worked as a sportscaster before serving in the Army While studying communications at the University of Washington, he joined KUOW, an early public radio station. In 1955 he was named station manager and also taught in the UW’s communications department. He worked to expand public broadcasting, working with other public stations and helping write the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, which provides federal funding. During the Vietnam War student protests disrupted business and the UW campus. Kager gave angry student protesters six hours of programming to vent their issues on KUOW. Not everyone was happy with this; he received threats.
He retired from KUOW in 1978. He died in 1992.
Ken Keigley — A direct descendant of Ezra Meekers older brother John Valentine Meeker, was born September 28, 1911 in Eatonville, Pierce County, Washington to Harry and Edna (Bean) Keigley. He passed away June 9, 2012, just months short of his 101st birthday… “Saturday, October 7, 1916. Ezra arrived in Tacoma and stayed over night at the home of my uncle and aunt. We lived nearby so we all went up to see “Uncle” Ezra. I was five years old. Ezra loaded my sister, my three cousins and myself into the Pathfinder, and we went for a ride out to South Tacoma to Ludwigs Drug Store where we all had ice cream sodas.”… Ken married Rose Marie Handel in 1940. He worked at the Todd Pacific Shipyards in Tacoma through World War II, and after the war, taught electronics at Bates Technical Institute.
Ken Levine is a writer/director for many of the top tv sitcoms. He hosts a Dodger post-game show and a Sunday evening sports talk show and occasionally works a Mariners game on KIRO
Ken Mattler [news] KOL – deceased
Ken Moultrie Managing Partner Broadcast Partners | The New BP November 2008 – Present; Jones Radio Networks January 2002 – November 2008; January 1975 – December 2001 Various Radio Stations around the Northwest including KPAM-FM (Portland’s first Top 40 FM) KFLY, KYTE, KGON, KCNR, KFAT, KDUK, KSND, KRPM, KYCW, and KMPS and to quote Dr. Johnny Fever, “Other than that it’s all a blur.” –
Kenny Jay was PD at KMPS-FM 94.1 (now KSWD-FM) from January 2016 – December 2017. Jay joined consulting company Albright & O’Malley & Brenner as a VP/ Consulting Partner, October 2021.
Kenny Mayne – A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne was an honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley College in Wenatchee, WA. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1982 with a degree in broadcasting. After beginning his television career with a brief stint as a reporter for KLVX-TV in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mayne spent seven years (1982–89) at KSTW-TV in Tacoma-Seattle. Eventually he became a weekend sports anchor and weekday news reporter. Mayne resigned from KSTW in 1989. ESPN hired Mayne in 1994 after Mayne had sent ESPN a note inquiring whether the network would hire him. The note simply asked to check a box, including one option that read, “We’ll hire you when there’s an ESPN5.” — Mayne was asked by ESPN to take a 61% pay cut during contract negotiations in 2021. That offer was declined. Mayne signed off ESPN on May 24th, 2021. Officially, his last day was May 31, 2021.
Kenny Noble Cortes – retired from Air1/K-Love networks in 2016 after 44 year radio career, including mornings at WARM 106.9 KRWM. Cortes wrote a book “Culture Jock,” published by XULON PRESS. The book tells of his early days in radio, including surviving a personal promotional disaster at KTFM/SAN ANTONIO — a hot air balloon crash in the mid-’70s to his Major Market Air Personality Of The Year Award in 1977 following his experiences at KRWM Seattle and other stations.
Ken Sethney – I got my first paying radio gig at KTAC-FM, I think it was in ’73. Weekends only, minimum wage. It just about covered the gas from SeaTac, but I loved working for my pal, Robert O. Smith!! — aka “Seth Buchanan” [from Facebook KTAC page]
Ken Southern
Ken Speck retired from radio, now co-owner of Cherie L. Lindholm Real Estate, Eastsound, WA.
Ken Stuart was named News Director at KIXI, succeeding Martin Tobin
Ken Vincent was pretty much “the voice of KUOW” for 18 years. He started with the station in 1984 hosting Seattle segments of NPR’s “Morning Edition.” In turn he engineered daytime programming, edited and read news updates. He was sometimes described as a perfectionist. He quit KUOW in 2007 over changes in station presentation.
He eventually found his way to Palm Springs, CA. He works for R R Broadcasting, producing and anchoring news segments for a group of Coachella Valley station formats, from conservative news-talk, to progressive new-talk and “oldies” Vincent has been hosting a Saturday-morning program on one of the stations, KPTR-AM, which reports on gay-friendly businesses in the desert-resort area.
Kent Phillips Program Director/afternoon host departs KPLZ after 35 years, at the end of December 2021. Phillips joined CHR “Z101.5” as PD/morning co-host in 1986 alongside Alan Budwill. The “Kent & Alan Show” ended with Budwill’s retirement at the end of 2018. Phillips moved to afternoons with co-hosts ‘Super Jen’ Pirak and Marina Rockinger. Phillips leaves KPLZ to join research and consulting firm FMR Associates as a partner. He also serves as President at his own TCCP Radio consultancy and is a co-owner of Eastlan Ratings.
Kent Voss introduced Seattle to Jimmy Kimmel, yes, that Jimmy Kimmel!, on KZOK-FM’s morning show “Him and Me Show,” in 1989. They both were let go after 10 months. Voss returned to Tampa, then several other cities, including a brief session re-teaming with Kimmel in TV production in Los Angeles, but he moved to WLUP-FM, Chicago, first as a morning sidekick, then as the station’s morning personality. IMDB: Kent Voss is a writer and actor, known for The Man Show (1999), Never Been Thawed (2005) and Crank Yankers (2002). Trivia: In October 2000, he lost his job at WWDB-FM in Philadelphia when the station changed format and released all of its personalities.
Close friend and former roommate of Jimmy Kimmel, Fan of Warren Zevon, Anchored the news segment of Jonathon Brandmeier’s morning show on WLUP-FM in Chicago. [November 2005]
Kerry Loewen – early 1980’s KZAM-FM, was last PD @ KCMU FM 1983-1985
Kevin Bonnay/Marlin Spear has just joined WABQ, Cleveland –
Kevin Calabro has hosted “The Kevin Calabro Show” since 2009 on KIRO 710. Kevin spent 21 seasons as the radio and TV announcer for the Seattle SuperSonics and is a six-time Washington Sportscaster of the Year. He continues to do basketball play-by-play, calling NBA games on NBA TV and ESPN Radio and NCAA games on ROOT Sports and Westwood One.
Kevin Cassidy [KMGI]
Kevin Cole – Started with KCMU in 1999 and stayed on as the station became KEXP in 2001. Now the KEXP drive-time DJ and Station Content Manager.
Kevin Hammond on the air @KZOK
Kevin Huffer [KGY-FM] – Kevin “The Brit” Later: Kevin Huffer Radio Announcer / Voice Over Artist / Journalist KELA / KMNT Radio (Bicoastal Media)
Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kiehl -Former operations Assistant at KTAC/KBRD Radio; Studied at Clover Park Technical College; Studied Radio Broadcasting at Bates Technical College; Lives in Everett, Washington (2021)
Kevin McCarty KIRO TV news reporter based in Tacoma, covers the South Sound.
Kevin O’Brien – [Kevin Metheny] a kid at 95 KJR in the ’70s, O’Brien has programmed WNBC and WGN. He was hired January 16, 2013 to program Talk station WJR-AM Detroit. His last gig was as PD at Cumulus-owned KGO San Francisco – Metheny died of a heart attack on October 3, 2014.
Kevin the Busman on the air @ KNBQ 102.9
Kimi Kline is traffic reporter for KIRO FM
Kim Marriner has been in broadcasting for over 35 years. Marriner, formerly with KIRO 7 Seattle News, joined KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO, Los Angeles in 2005. Kim’s career started at a 5,000-watt radio station in Denver, Colorado back in 1965. Along the way there were stops in Palm Springs, California, Tucson, Arizona and Seattle. As a general assignment news reporter and broadcast anchorman, Kim has been honored with a half dozen Emmy Awards, several Golden Mike trophies and countless plaques and certificates for journalistic excellence.
Kim Monroe is now Promotion Manager at Sony Music/Red
Kim Shepard KIRO Radio news reporter
Kim Wilson (Dalgarn) DJ at KBSG, broadcast information officer, Washington State Legislature.
Kip Johns [KCMS]
Kirby Wilbur held down the local-conservative post at “hot-talk” KVI-AM for 16 years. But he was unceremoniously dumped in 2009 with no notice, no reason, no goodbye. Earlier, the new competing station KTTH had scored a corporate coupe by stealing away syndicated conservatives including Rush Limbaugh There were rumors of a KVI format change. Instead, the syndicated Laura Ingraham show was Wilbur’s replacement, and then briefly Brian Suits stepped in. Still there were those rumors. Just wait until November 2010. A real-estate appraiser by profession and a one-time unsuccessful candidate for public office, Wilbur was a frequent caller to Seattle talk-radio stations when, in 1993, a producer at KVI-AM asked him to audition for an on-air position. He became a substitute host, then began weekday evening broadcasts in 1993. A graduate of Queen Anne High School and the University of Washington, Wilbur did not have a trained radio voice, but he was an eloquent conservative political advocate. In 2011 Wilbur was elected state chairman of the Washington State Republican Party.
Kirsten Joyce [Q13 News]
Klem Daniels – Klem Daniels Productions in Seattle
Kris Carpenter – KAYO
Kristin Geong – midday DJ at KHTP 103.7; previously with KBKS
Kylee Brooks [KISW] writes, “working with horses, selling houses (Realtor). Did some brief Part time at KRXQ upon my return to Sacto– the first year I was back in ’03 or ’04.” Kylee lives in Sacramento.
Lady Jay Davis – [KPLZ]
Lan Archer KOMO; was last heard at KIRO
LAN ROBERTS (Lanny Lipford) was one of Seattle’s best-known disc jockeys in the heyday top-40 AM radio. He ruled behind the KJR microphone in the 1960s with child-like imagination and his desire to communicate. On the air Roberts could be many characters, including Clydie Clyde the Cow’s Outside, Mr. Science and Jimmy, The Hollywood Reporter and Phil Dirt. Roberts grew up in Bonham, Texas, a small town about 90 miles northeast of Dallas, and had been on radio ever since high school. Roberts attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, then worked in towns such as El Paso, Waco and New Orleans, before landing in Seattle. Roberts reigned at KJR from 1962 until 1968. He was lured away by competing top-40 station KOL, but was kept off the air for an extended period of time because KJR enforced its no-compete contract.
After two years as KOL morning man and program director, Roberts returned to KJR in 1970 for a three-year stint, When KJR acquired KISW, management tried to transfer him to KISW, After one day, Lan stopped showing up for work because he affirmed that (in the early ’70s) it was a demotion to go to the FM band. He later worked for a AM station in Honolulu, then at an English-language station in Taiwan. He returned to the United States and appeared briefly on a new Seattle FM station, KYYX, then worked in San Francisco, before moving back to homestate Texas. He considered running for sheriff there. Roberts kept up his connection to his former listeners and colleagues through a website on which he posted commentaries, including railing against cigarette smoking. His own smoking had already done its damage. He also wrote about politics. On his Web site, he recalled his move to Seattle: “The day I arrived in Seattle it was raining hard and the radio station was a dump. I remember asking myself, ‘What have I done?’ ” The next day was a different story. “When I awoke I looked out the hotel window to one of the most beautiful scenes anybody could ever hope to see. To the south in the mist was Mount Rainer, looking like a giant bowl of ice cream. The view to the west was the snow-covered Olympic Mountains. Down below were ferryboats moving back and forth on Puget Sound. It felt like home from the beginning. “Over the next 12 years the Seattle radio audience was wonderful to me. Their sense of humor was just about the sharpest that I had ever experienced. It was a natural place to be creative.” One of those creative inspirations was the Lil’ Green Thing: “In 1964, as a joke, I mentioned on the air that if listeners would send me a letter then I would send them a ‘Lil’ Green Thing With a Picture of a Duck on It.’ ” In two days he received over 10,000 requests. “I figured I had to do something quick, Lan wrote. ” bought a block of green cloth, cut it up in small pieces and stamped it with a picture of a duck. Just so there would be no confusion, I also stamped ‘Lil’ Green Thing’ on it.” Roberts was constantly on the lookout for flying saucers — after all, they had first been seen over Mount Rainier. He offered to shut the station down if any aliens wanted a frequency to communicate with earth people. Roberts died of complications from lung cancer in Texas in 2005. He was 69. (VOS2014)
Larry Bailey – KGY/Olympia, Program Director KVAS Forks and KDFL Sumner
Larry Bern worked at the pioneer “classical” KISW from 1968 until 1971 — when the station was but a small studio at 92nd & Roosevelt Way NE. “At the end of my time there,” Bern said, “I had the unfortunate experience of meeting new owner Lester Smith and then KJR manager Pat O’Day. “Our owner Elwood Lippincott let the station go for a mere $75,000,” Bern said. “I saw the documents.” After that, Bern moved to KLSN, 96.5, in the University Village Shopping Center, until it was sold in 1972 and it became affiliated with KYAC-AM. “After three years with the American Forces Radio & Television Service, in what was then called West Germany, I came back to Seattle,” Bern said. He spent three years at KBLE, 1050, shepherding the brokered-religion features. Bern became operations manager of KEZX-FM, (which had recently changed from the Marketcasters’ call letters of KMCS and KBBX.) He later spent Sunday mornings playing country music at KWYZ, Everett. “In 1986, it was time to go,” Bern said. “It wasn’t fun anymore.” (VOS2013)
Larry Braxton
Larry Brown from KUJ [as “Mason Dixon”] Walla Walla to 1560 KDFL Sumner [1973] – Larry [Brown] was born on February 25, 1953 in Vallejo, California while his father was stationed there with the Navy. The family returned to the Tacoma area, living in Parkland. Larry graduated in the first graduating class at Washington High School in 1971. He also graduated from Clover Park Technical College at the same time from the television and broadcasting program. He went on to be a disc jockey for radio stations in Walla Walla, Pendleton, the Tri Cities, Tacoma, Sumner and finally at KIT in Yakima. Larry loved being on the radio and was known as Mason Dixon and Charlie Brown on the air. Larry died February 6th (2019).
Larry Lomax started at beautiful music KKMI, in 1984. He has worked at stations in Boise, Harrisburg, PA, Norfolk, VA, but in 1993 migrated back to KXXO, Olympia, and in 1996 to KLSY, Bellevue. In 1997 he moved to “contemporary-Christian” KCMS, Edmonds. He is host and producer of “Spirit Music Countdown,” a weekly program at 7-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on KCMS. (VOS2012)
LARRY LUJACK – Larry Lujack became known for his world-weary sarcastic style, He worked at several radio stations, including KJR, Seattle, from 1964 to 1967 and twice before that at KNEW/KJRB, Spokane. He also appeared briefly on KOL, Seattle. But he is better remembered for his antics on WLS and WCFL, Chicago. He was also referred to as Superjock, Lawrence of Chicago, Uncle Lar, and “King of the Corn Belt.” ****Gary Burleigh says: Lujack went from KNEW (KJRB) Spokane to a short stint in I believe San Bernadino to KJR Seattle to on to Boston in late 66 and then on to WCFL/Chicago.**** *We are reminded that Lujack was fired from KRPL in Idaho, early in his career. “one door closes, another is opened.” **** Born in Iowa and raised in Arkansas, Larry Blankenburg first changed his name to that of a football idol, Johnny Lujack. First job at age 18 at KCID, Caldwell, ID, while attending college. He eventually retired in 1987 after a WLS format change — paychecks continued for multiple years under a no-compete contact. In 2003 he re-teamed with Tommy Edwards (Little Tommy), for a morning show on WRLL, Chicago, In 2006, Lujack was among those in a group firing after a format change. The broadcast duo were on the air once again when WLS returned to “music-radio” programming. After several decades in Chicago radio, Lujack was inducted into the Illinois Broadcasters Association’s Hall of Fame in 2002 and the National Broadcasters Radio Hall of Fame in 2004. With Daniel Jedlicka Lujack wrote a 1975 autobiography, “Superjock.”Lujack retired to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He died 12/18/2013 from esophageal cancer at age 73.
Larry Nelson – KBBX, KFKF, KOMO, founder “Nite Owl” records – deceased
Larry Rice KOMO News.
Larry Schick – former KSTW 11 weather man
Larry Sharp, KZOK-FM 102.5 Seattle PD from 1988-92 and PD of KISM-FM 92.9 Bellingham in 2010-11. Sharp became Audience Development Manager for the Napa Valley Register, beginning June 2012 — and later Circulation Manager there. In December 2012, Larry Sharp was named GM of KVON AM 1440 and KVYN-FM 99.3 Napa CA.
Update from Larry Sharp: 1975-77 KWYZ – Everett- Overnight DJ (First job out of KTOY at Bates in Tacoma), 1977-78 KIKI – Honolulu – Overnight DJ, 1978-80 KLAY – Tacoma – Evenings, mornings, PD, 1980-83 KISW – Seattle – Middays, 1984-92 KZOK – Afternoons, PD 88-92, 1992-95 KUFX – San Jose, CA PD, 1995-2000 KSEG – Sacramento, Station Manager, 2000-08 KSAN (The Bone) San Francisco, PD 2010-11 PD of KISM. My title at the Register was Audience Development and Circulation Manager the entire 6 months I was there.
Larry Snyder, KZAM-FM, KXRX, now Manager of KSBZ Sitka, AK
Larry Wade
Larry Walker Air personality. KOMO, KVI
Laura Dane – Program Director/Music Director @ WARM 106.9/KRWM [left KRWM in August 2012.]
Laura Lee hosted a call-in psychic show on KING-AM in 1990, when “fortune telling” was frowned upon according to F.C.C. rules. (Stay tuned — Laura Lee knew things would work out.) She was helping a friend get placed on some radio talk shows. She dialed. A station manager answered. She quizzed him. The manager said the program was canceled. But he was looking for another program host. “I was offered a job,” from this first phone call Laura Lee said. “I thanked him and explained that as my Dad was in radio I wanted to talk it over with him first.” Who’s her daddy? Lester Smith, then-owner of KXL,KJR, KJRB, KISW. Laura Lee arranged “a chance meeting” with “talk radio” KING’s program director Brian Jennings. He remembered Laura Lee as knee-high-to-a-grasshopper tagging after her dad at KXL Portland, Jennings’ old station. Laura Lee asked great questions: How talk shows work. What station managers do. She asked how a radio personality could best connect with station listeners. Then at the end of the conversation, Laura Lee asked for a weekend show. (A “chance encounter”, she called it — Jennings was bushwhacked!) Jennings scheduled a three-hour weekend show — with the proviso that it begin the next Saturday. Jennings confessed there was a new station manager on his way, and it would be easier to put on an experimental program before the manager arrived. (Jennings had also just signed on for a little-known syndicated feature just being offered — “The Rush Limbaugh Show.” Strong listener reaction is hard to get on mostly bland weekend-radio programming. Laura Lee got a reaction. Her test program was on the topic “Near Death Experiences.” Laura Lee stayed. Rush Limbaugh was dumped, at upper management’s request. Jennings next moved to KVI; The Laura Lee Show moved to KVI. By 1995 Laura Lee decided to try syndicating the show — maybe producing her own program at home. “I took my wish-list of equipment to my Dad,” Laura Lee said. Dad had just upgraded KXL. He ordered a station engineer to bring old KXL equipment to Laura Lee’s apartment and set up a production studio for her. “It does help to have connections,” Laura Lee said. “Then it was just a matter of lining up satellite time. I was off and running. My home station, KVI, became my first affiliate. KXL was my second. KJRB Spokane was my third. And it grew from there. I’d just call up program directors and sweet-talk them into taking my show. The program’s ratings didn’t hurt – I was getting a 30 share in some markets, and double-digits in most. We were on our way to grow our affiliates to over 100 top stations in the top markets.
Her reputation was firmly established in the psychic field and she modified the name to Medium Laura Lee to avoid confusion with a couple of other pinups and models named Laura Lee. Her last national exposure was “Spirit Salon with Medium Laura Lee” on the defunct CBS Radio psychic network, NewSky Radio. She contemplates national syndication again, perhaps establishing her own radio network. Medium Laura Lee maintains a website for folks wanting psychic readings and career advice. (VOS2014)
Lazlo was host of “The Church of Lazlo” and program director and afternoon disk jockey on “The End,” KNDD. He transferred from an Entercom sister-station, KRBZ in Kansas City. At first, his wife Afentra, host of “Afentra’s Big Fat Morning Buzz,” stayed in Kansas City, but eventually moved here and supplied her program to the Kansas City station via satellite. In November 2006, Lazlo and Afentra reunited on air as “The Church of Lazlo,” which was broadcast from Seattle on KNDD and simulcast on the Kansas City station. The Kanas City station altered the service four months later. On July 17, 2008, Lazlo, Afentra, and SlimFast announced plans to end “The Church of Lazlo” run in Seattle. A few months later, KRBZ was originating both “Afentra’s Big Fat Morning Buzz” and “The Church of Lazlo” on its station alone. And The End had a new station manager.
Lee Askervold – Air personality at KVI, KING, KTAC, WQUA (Moline, ILL). Deceased
Lee Callahan exited iHeart (lay-off casualty 11/13/24) as morning host at Variety Hits “96.5 Jack-FM” KJAQ after nine years in the daypart. She had been with the station since 2007 and also served as a news anchor for Liberal Talk 1090 KPTK, morning producer/co-host at AAA “103.7 The Mountain” KMTT and producer at 1000 KOMO. Callahan produced public affairs features and has also worked at KZOK and KMPS.
Lee Chase – KUUU, KOL
Lee Duncan is retired from Los Angeles and lives in the Seattle area.
Lee Hall – Lee Hall now works for Scripps Networks in Knoxville. TN
Lee Hurley – Engineer at KJR during the 1960s
Lee Knudsen, a former KING-FM announcer, later did the 6-to-midnight shift at KTAC — at the time the jocks did their shows from a ramshackle studio at the base of the transmitter site near the Puyallup River. (VOS2014)
Lee Matthews – KVAC/Forks air personality, on-air & PD KUEN-AM & KYSR-FM Wenatchee, 1982; on-air & PD KGAA Kirkland early-mid 1980’s, stayed on as OM when station changed to KARR, left in 1985; weekends & fill-in on air KEZX-FM, 1985; production, weekends & fill-in on air KLSY, pioneered “Smooth Jazz” format in Seattle via “Sunday Brunch”, a program that premiered on KLSY in 1989. The program originated as counter-programming competing for the audience of the popular “Musical Starstreams” airing on KEZX. Exited KLSY late 1989. Currently living in Seattle.
Lee Perkins was morning announcer at KJR in 1959 and became program director as well in 1961, following Pat O’Day. He was educated in New Mexico and previously worked in San Antonio and Houston. TX. In 1965 he was KJR’s all-nighter. After KJR, Perkins went to KXL, Portland, and then to WIFE, Indianapolis. He returned to Seattle in 1967 to be morning personality at the rocker KOL-AM. Perkins taught radio courses at Elkins Radio School and at Bates Technical College. In 1984, Perkins and his wife started KWVR-FM, “The Voice of Wallowa County.” Oregon. In 2010 he was living in Ocean Shores, WA. Lee Perkins died March 6, 2024, he was 91.
Lee Rogers retired after leaving KUPL. Portland, OR-
Lee Smith was crowned “Emperor Smith” at KJR as he took over morning drive time in 1969. Previously he had worked as “Good Morning Smith” at sister-station KJRB, Spokane. Earlier yet, he had worked at stations in Phoenix and Tucson. Smith came to town dressed in a crown of laurel leaves, gold sandals and burgundy toga. Smith wore the shtick well, with warmth and humor. The gimmick had been appropriated from “Emperor Hudson” of San Francisco (where they really once did have an emperor.) But it worked well with teens and preteens who listened intently to the music and flocked to The Emp’s many personal appearances in the Seattle area. He made his appearances in a burgundy toga, gold sandals, with a crown of green leaves. And he carried a scepter. The pageantry seemed necessary to fill the space left by legendary Lan Roberts (and briefly Bwana Johnny.) Smith’s own style made the promotion a rating success. “His wit, charm, energy and totally local emphasis was just what the town wanted,” Pat O’Day, KJR program director, said. “The Emperor retired prematurely,” O’Day said in 1973. Smith wanted to transfer to the KJR sales department. Another success. But Smith eventually returned to the air as 9-to-noon personality at KSFO, San Francisco, then returned briefly to Seattle for KYYX, with a contemporary hits format. Joel Leroy Smith died in Riverside, CA, in 2001 from cancer complications. He was 59. (VOS2013)
Leilani McCoy had already worked at four Honolulu and Hilo radio stations before jumping from Hawaii to Seattle as disk jockey and news director of progressive-rock KZAM, 92.5 Bellevue, in 1975. She was a little haole girl with curly blonde hair and a Scottish last name (informally hanai-ed by a Hawaiian family as her father inspected island farms and her mother taught school). But then — “I wanted to live in a place that had snow — just for a year,” Leilani remembers. She attended the University of Washington and worked at KZAM, then KEZX, KQIN, and finished her disk jockey career at KZOK-FM in 1986. “I have since discovered that cold weather is no fun. I’m glad I hadn’t chosen Detroit or some other really cold place,” she said. Leilani began specializing in marketing and promotions, including a stint as audio marketer for Muzak, and off-air work at KPLU, Tacoma. Hawaii’s first female broadcaster, Seattle first female FM news director, has been doing sales and marketing for the Queen Anne News for the past 20 years and is on the board at the Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce. (VOS2014)
Len Beardsley, radio and television announcer and actor , 92, died December 2020. A trail-blazer of early radio and television, his Seattle show “This Is Jazz” was followed by a 3 decade career including ABC’s “Monday Morning Headlines” and “Farewell to War” with Chet Huntley. KJR, KOMO
Len Higgins – KTNT radio and television, announcer and program director. deceased
Leo Minton – see: Tom Morgan
Leo Rumsey – Leo Rumsey March 8, 1909 – August 1, 1970 … 1937 through 1942 Leo was the PD at KGMB AM in Honolulu. In 1962, Leo Rumsey, a member of the announcing and news staff of KIRO-TV, was appointed news director of KETO-AM-FM Seattle.
Leonard Barokas – Leonard is the producer for Kent and Alan’s morning show on KPLZ. Before that, he produced Mike Siegel ‘s show on KVI.
Leroy Ray [KZAM]
Les Bagley on the air at KITZ and KWYZ where he filled in for several years in the 1980s. Bagley was also on the air with John Lynch for several months doing evenings when Bagley was GM at KBRO. In the past he worked at WPOC and WLIF in Baltimore, MD.
Les Beigel – started at Renton’s daytimer KREN in 1965. In 1966 he was one of the hot jocks at rocking KOL. He later worked for KIXI-AM and KAYE, Puyallup. He had a small band which he sometimes used for station events. .Later in life he moved to Los Angeles. Les Beigel Jr. died April 2012. (His father Les Beigel Sr. worked for several Los Angeles radio stations in the 60s and late ’70s and did TV and radio production work. The father, who played in early big-band orchestras, later ran music schools in Seattle and Issaquah. He died in 2005.)
Les Cole — Program director at KMO (Tacoma), KOMO radio newsman, later went to KBRC (Mt. Vernon).
Leslie Nielson – Slim did not divulge a more formal name on KPLZ 101.5, in 1979. She went on to WLS Chicago, KFRC San Francisco, KKHR Los Angeles.
She previously had worked at KNBQ 97.3 Tacoma, 106.3 KLAY FM Tacoma, KODL The Dalles, Or. In Chicago, she worked under the name Leslie “The Slim One” Nelson — note the changed spelling of the last name, to avoid confusion with the Regina-born, Chicago-reared comic movie actor Leslie Nielsen. A “Star 101” website reports Slim is retired and living in Arizona. (VOS2013)
Les Keiter, spent 50 years as a sportscaster but was best remembered for his three imaginative summers in a Manhattan radio studio recreating San Francisco Giants baseball games for abandoned fans from the Polo Grounds years. Beginning in 1958, the Giants’ first year in San Francisco, and continuing for the next two seasons, listeners to WINS radio in New York heard the refrain, “Hi there again baseball fans, this is Les Keiter with Giant baseball.” The Giants had gone west along with the Brooklyn Dodgers, but they lingered on Coogan’s Bluff and elsewhere in the New York area through Keiter’s booming voice and excitable embellishments, aided by his Western Union ticker reports, his taped crowd noise and a drumstick and wooden block alongside his microphone. When the Giants and the Dodgers departed, Keiter was the sports director of WINS. He was broadcasting Knicks and Giants football games and doing pregame and postgame Yankee broadcasts. As Keiter told it in his 1991 memoir, “Fifty Years Behind the Microphone,” the owner of WINS, J. Elroy McCaw, asked him to do re-creations of Giants or Los Angeles Dodgers home games. “Listen, Elroy, you’ve got to be out of your mind,” Keiter responded. “Sports fans in Manhattan, New Jersey and Westchester are too sophisticated for re-creations.” But McCaw persisted, and Keiter chose the Giants, which had Willie Mays and a host of talented young players, over the aging Dodgers. Keiter monitored telegraph reports bringing the essential play-by-play into the WINS studio and filled in the rest, offering descriptive flourishes based on his best guess as to what was actually happening.
A native of Seattle and a graduate of the University of Washington, Keiter began his sportscasting career in Hawaii in the late 1940s. Keiter later worked at McCaw’s KELA Centralia. He did radio broadcasts for most Knicks games from 1955 to 1962 and Giants football from 1956 to 1959. He also provided the blow-by-blow for heavyweight championship boxing matches on ABC radio, with Howard Cosell as his color commentator.
Les Metro [KKFX]
Les Parsons [news] KISN, KJR. Retired, living on his sailboat in Hawaii
Les Williams [KQDE/KUDY Renton 1959-1960] Les Williams: one of the Seven Terrible Tigers, 9 to noon on KOL; KJR in the early 1960s…KNBR San Francisco overnite in the 1970s, KBLX 1979 – 1992 morning drive
Lia Knight – On the air @ Dial Global
Libby Denkmann – producer @ KIRO FM News, went to KFI April 2015
Lily Jang [Q13 News]
Linda Cohn – In the year 1988, she joined the Sports Channel America Network as a reporter. Cohn moved to KIRO-TV in 1990 as a sports anchor. Cohn was hired by ESPN to work on its SportsCenter in the year 1992.
Linda Thomas – The News Chick @ KIRO FM
Linda Weaver was sales executive at KQEU, 920 Olympia, and through five years became station manager. She has worked in sales management at radio stations in New York and Miami and a TV station in Kentucky, Among her career changes, director of marketing at ATT&T Advertising Specialties in Detroit, TCI cable company in Olympia and Kansas, plus Comcast Spotlight. She currently works at a medical sales company in Troy, Michigan.
Lisa Brooks – news anchor at KMPS and free-lance at other stations, KIRO FM…Anchor/Reporter at KUOW Public Radio KUOW Public Radio
Lisa Foster KOMO Voice Over Acting, Voice Over Coaching, Demo Production, Audio Production, Radio Imaging and Copywritin’! I’m a former California Girl, ( aka Lisa Kalmbrum / Lisa Haggerty ) and moved to Seattle in 1991 to pursue my radio broadcasting career. I’ve had many radio personas in the Seattle broadcast market including Kendall Elliott, Danielle Clark, Muffy The Traffic maiden, Christine Russell, and Lisa Hunter. I still dabble in radio a little bit (when they let me in the building) but I currently work for myself doing voice overs and audio production. Her website a href=”http://www.fosterchick.com/index.php”> Lisa Foster: Professional Female Voice Over Talent For Radio, Commercials, Character Voices, Narration, Events, On-Hold Phone
Lisa Walker went back to college and got a second degree and now teaches high school and college classes in audio and video production. She also runs her media relations company ToThe Max
Lisa Wood and her husband ran “Big Ass Sandwiches” in Portland, Or. which closed in 2016.
Liz Rocca Managing Editor/Investigative Reporter KOMO TV [left this position in December 2013] Now Managing Editor KCPQ 13 News
Liz Dueweke – Liz Dueweke spent 9 years at KCPQ 13 and was at KOMO 4 previously (2013-2014), KOKH FOX 25/Oklahoma City (2010 – 2013), Flint, Michigan and Yuma, Arizona earlier in her career. While at KCPW 13, Dueweke was a news anchor and co-anchor of Good Day Seattle. Dueweke left KCPQ 13 in July 2023 for an anchor position at Sinclar’s KFOX 14 in El Paso, TX..
Lloyd Allen was chief announcer at KXA in 1968 and midday announcer at M.O.R.-format KOMO-AM from 1969 to 1980. He frequently used the sign-off “Be good to yourself.” Before radio, he was an actor. He died in 2010, age 86. (VOS2012)
Logan Stewart Newsman at KOL, KIXI
Lois Matheson came to KOMO TV in January 1973, as a production assistant on Channel 4’s “This Morning” show. By May, she was a film editor. She joined the new staff in September. By April 1974, she had become a production assistant for Channel 4’s early-evening newscast. By the following November, she assumed responsibility for the 11 PM weeknight newscasts. Matheson continued producing news until November 1978, when she left KOMO TV to become program manager for WCAU TV in Philadelphia.
Matheson felt that the atmosphere and WCAU was cold, impersonal. At KOMO TV she always had friends. “I don’t worry about news turning into entertainment. I really don’t think that will happen. But I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with making news entertaining, in the sense of making it watchful. You can’t inform anyone if you can’t get them to watch in the first place.” In September 1980, Matheson was back in the Northwest, working for KOMO TV on a free-lance basis. She joined the station’s public-affairs department in 1981. In January 1982, she was named News Director of Channel 4. At 31, a woman in charge all-news production at a major television station, Matheson was a rarity. “One of the good things about this job,” Matheson concluded, “is that you get a chance to start over every day. Some evenings I think we’ve done a lousy job and go home feeling low about it. But I always remember that tomorrow is another chance to do it better.”
Loni Smith (Mrs I.C. Demarest) – Loni Smith was likely the first female disc jockey in the Pacific Northwest. Wikipedia claims other female disc jockeys nationally, dating as far back as the 1930s. Loni Smith was a radio personality at KMO/Tacoma for 6 years in the 1950s, early 1960s and a writer/producer for the television education department of Tacoma Public Schools, working through the facilities of L.H. Bates Vocational Technical school and Channel 62 KTPS/Tacoma. She produced a public affairs program featured on KTNT TV 11. In the course of her career, Loni Smith wrote a column for a newspaper in Auburn, Wa., and worked in the display advertising department of the Tacoma News Tribune. She was listed in Who’s Who In The West and Who’s Who In America in 1962. She was a one-time guest on the popular television quiz show What’s My Line.
Lonnie Bell – Lonnie Bell started at KAGT radio in Anacortes in Feb 1957 as the evening DJ from 6pm to 8pm, playing a Country Format during that time slot. He worked with both Jim Bailey and Bill Gates at KAGT. Lonnie worked there until the Spring of 1960 when the format of the station changed. During that time period, he organized and ran the dances at the Fredonia Grange Hall in March of 1959, when he met and employed Loretta Lynn and other local singers. From 1 Jul 1961 to December 1961, Lonnie worked the 10pm to 6am shift playing some of the earliest country music. After leaving the Puget Sound area, Lonnie went on to DJ positions in Spokane and eventually Billings Montana where he worked at KOYN, KBMY, KCTR and KGHL radio stations from 1964 to 2018. Lonnie Bell was inducted into the Country Music Radio DJ Hall of Fame in Nashville in 2005 and is currently 97 years old and still sliding along. http://greatermontana.org/legacyproject/lonnie-bell http://musicranchradio.com/show/lonnie-bell-dj-hall-of-fame/
Lonnie Williams [KZAM]
Lou Coaston [KZAM]
Lou Gellos KING 5 News; Corporate Communications Director at Microsoft
Lou Gillette was KVI newsman during the station’s personality-radio heyday, and then some, Early in his career he had worked at KPQ, KHQ, KPOJ, Portland. But let’s digress. In 1937 Louis F. Gillette was station manager of KMCM, McMinnville — in the Portland listening area. The station had nine employees and was equipped with little more than a turntable, an Echotek reel-to reel tape recorder and a phone line for Associated Press news headlines. The format was local block programming augmented by syndicated features. “We were mostly country music,” Gillette recalled. “Howdy Radio we called it. I was Old Slim, foreman of the ranch,” In a side project he produced one phonograph record, “I can’t remember the title, I can’t remember the artist.” Much of KMCM’s programming was from Capital Records Transcription Service, which supplied 16-inch phonograph recordings to stations not affiliated with a radio network. Transcription titles included “The Jan Garber Show,” “Tex Ritter’s Country Show,” “Music From Hollywood” (to air only between 7:30 and 8 p.m.) and “The Alarm Clock Club,” a morning program which offered the time-of-day every three minutes. (The idea of producing a day’s programming from phonograph records was not yet taken hold.) “In 1937 I had hitchhiked to Seattle from Pullman,” Gillette told a newspaper reporter. “I fancied myself an accomplished announcer.” He worked at several Portland stations, even was an announcer on the just-emerging ABC Radio Network. Then, briefly, to Spokane and then to KAYO Seattle. One of his first tasks at KAYO was to broadcast a ball game. “I didn’t know a thing about football!” Gillette said. In 1953 he was morning news announcer at KOMO where he was drafted to report a hydroplane race. “I had seen a hydro race!”. But it was KVI in 1959 that his no-nonsense, commanding voice really took hold. But not without a hitch. On his first day at KVI he slipped, saying “this is KAYO News”. The next morning the broadcast booth was papered with wall-size posters from station manager Bert West: “This is KVI you dumb S.O.B!” In the next 40 years Gillette reported the news at KVI and trained dozens of future radio newsmen. Gillette died in 1999 at age 86 in Anacortes. (VOS2012)
Lou Robbins joined the staff at KBRD FM in 1987. The Beautiful Music station was just down the hall from Tacoma’s KTAC 850. When Bobby Simon left KTAC, Lou Robbins was chosen to take over the morning show at the Soft Rock station. When Entercom management chose to scrap the Beautiful Music FM, switching format to Alternative Rock in 1991, Lou Robbins was asked to stay on, as KTAC began simulcasting the new KMTT “Mountain” sound. He continued a few courses at Pierce College and made the nightly trek to Metropolitan Park West, for an all-niter at the new home of KMTT. All while working full-time daily at AT&T. In 1993, he moved to Phoenix, where he picked up a weekend & fill-in gig at KOOL FM, the heritage Oldies station. The format was based on the personal record collection of programmer Jerry Osborne. Some programs were voice-tracked and syndicated nation-wide, to other stations copying the “KOOL” format and moniker.
It was in Phoenix that he began blogging. The site was Phoenix Radio Dial (a history of Phoenix Radio). Upon returning to Washington 15 years later, Remington developed SeaTac Media, a site that became qzvx.com and now, QZVX.COM— Yes, the one you are looking at right now. Lou Robbins is retired and resides in Olympia, WA.
Luke Burbank – KIRO talk host, now co-hosting with Dave Ross @ KIRO FM [had popular evening show TBTL Too Beautiful To Live] and podcast while between gigs that was very popular.
Lynn Benson now concentrating on voice-overs as an independent producer
Lynnette Morgan [KCMS]
Lysa Dufourc [KITZ]
M. J. McDermott – Did you know? M.J. McDermott has 2 degrees… one in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Washington and a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Maryland. MJ has worked in New York City as an actress, in fact, she had a scene in the 1980s on “All My Children” with the lovely Susan Lucci. MJ says she had a terrible perm that day. Because of a bad hair day, she feels kind of embarrassed by that scene. She probably gave a stunning performance, because she keeps us all entertained and informed each day with her forecasts on Q13. You may also remember an early TV appearance MJ made daily on KSTW 11, a children’s TV show with Rosco T. Raccoon. Roscoe usually had bad hair days. MJ won an Emmy for that show! Born in Florida, as an “Air Force brat” she moved a lot and Seattle has been her home longer than anywhere else. MJ is married, has two teenage boys and lives in north Ballard.
Marcus Najera KBKS, now at Alice FM San Francisco
Madman Moskowitz had a fascination with weird, crazy music, airing selected works, usually in late-night hours on KMPS-AM, KMPS-FM, KKBY, KYCW — and finally noontime Saturdays on KSER, Everett. He started on a whim at noncommercial KRAB in the middle 1970s. Moskowitz held forth as “the maniacal maestro of malodorous melodies” for 20 years on Seattle radio. His material was carefully selected from a huge personal record library of 50,000 records and tapes. He played novelty tunes, comedy routines, and sometimes items that where unintentionally funny. “Music With Moskowitz” was the only place to continue hearing novelties such as “Godzilla Ate Tukwila” and “The Aroma of Tacoma.” Other standard fare was from favorites Tom Leher, Weird Al Yankovic, Alan Sherman and Spike Jones. As Robert Baron, he was as an Edmonds school teacher. He pulled his air name from the 1960s poster, “American Rabbit,” by Stewart Moskowitz. A native of Pasadena, Calif., Baron got an early start in entertainment as an uncredited extra in “Rebel Without a Cause.” He died in 2006 after a brief illness. As Baron, he had completed 35 years teaching in Los Angeles and Edmonds. He was 61. There is a minimal Yahoo Group for Madman Moskowitz listeners. (VOS2013)
Mal Garham [KETO]
Marco Collins recently at KEXP; now at JET CITY STREAM Internet radio: Collins worked at a number of radio stations along the West Coast including KYSR 98.7 in Los Angeles, KCR and XTRA-FM (91X) in San Diego, KITS (Live 105) in San Francisco and KWOD in Sacramento. However, Collins is best known as the flagship DJ and Music Director at Seattle’s 107.7 ‘The End’ during the 1990′s grunge explosion. In the 1990′s, he launched Stampede Records which released Silkworm’s 1993 EP “His Absence is a Blessing” and Muzzle’s “Free Trampoline/Come On Down” (7″ single). Collins was instrumental in breaking artists such as Nirvana, Beck, Weezer, the Presidents of the USA, Foo Fighters, Garbage and Harvey Danger. In addition, he did radio promotion and A&R for numerous record labels and worked as Director of Music Programming for VH1. Collins is currently a music programmer for Slacker radio, leads the curation of the “Face the Music” series for the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and is considered one of the great tastemakers when it comes to breaking contemporary music.
Margaret Ellsworth was the first female radio voice Victor Stredicke fell-in-love-with. Smooth and competent, she was the female voice on classic KING-FM in 1966. She hosted a daytime segment of classical music but also a weekend folk- music program.
Margaret Larson former NBC Today reporter, morning show host at KING 5
Margo Myers – KIRO 7 reporter/anchor 2005-2009
Marie LaMarche/Marie McCallister [KXLY] left KEZE FM Spokane in Feb 2010 – Marie McCallister is now middays at KPND Sandpoint, ID Started radio in 1977 in a small Idaho town and more to a slightly larger Idaho town shortly thereafter. Moved up to the big city of Spokane to KREM AM/FM, then to KJRB/KEZE. Moved to Seattle and worked weekends at KISW. From there, down south to Los Angeles for a weekend gig at the infamous KNAC. Later to Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Pocatello (as PD), then back to Spokane to KXLY. Currently, PD at KPND Sandpoint/Spokane.
Marina Rockinger -News for KOMO stations –
Mario Briones [KTOY FM – Variedas Latinas]
Marion Seymour was afternoon personality at KZAM (the second KZAM — the punk/new wave/alternative one at 92.5.) She became music director after Jon Kertzer and when an AM signal was added, helped program director Paul Sullivan launch “Rock of the ’80s” at the 1540 dial position. “Programming music for two distinct formats was quite a challenge,” Seymour said. “But great fun.” Her first job at KZAM in 1975, however, was on the engineering side, fresh from a Tacoma’s Bates College. Her engineer-boss suggested she might be more comfortable on the programming side. She added an art degree from Monmouth University and film/screenwriting post-grad degree at the UW. She also hosted a music segment for the KCTS-TV show “Steppin Out.” Ater moving to KJR in 1982 for a midday program, she was hired to write and produce and host “Rev,” on KING-TV. “We videotaped bands at Astor Park and I interviewed visiting artists like AC/DC, Talking Heads and Billy Idol. Later I did a music and-arts talk show on KING-AM.” She did a midday shift at “The Mountain” KMTT during its early years. Seymour grew up in New Jersey. She now lives in New York. “It still feels like home. High energy, subways, creative people. It all suits me. I still love music and the city is full of it.” Nowadays, Seymour leads a creative group providing consulting with a focus on music and the arts. She also is a Wedding Officiant. “Not a wedding coordinator! I’m an inter-faith minister who writes and performs custom ceremonies,” she said. She marries folks, including same-sex couples and people from all over the world in New York State. She also works with Well Rounded Radio, a net podcast, where she helps with music and web projects. She still owns a house in Seattle. Her son Hamilton Boyce leads the band Song Sparrow Research, based in Seattle, and plays with the band Country Lips. “A little bit of my heart remains in the Northwest,” Seymour said. Another son Harrison Boyce is a director and designer in NYC. “…And I’m also finishing up my first novel.” she said.
Mark Allen – [KING] left for KGW/Portland, KWIZ, 1976-80. Mark is now an attorney living in Seattle. He serves as the President of the Washington State Broadcasters Association.
Mark Andrews (Mark Carlson) works for Pinnacle Media Worldwide, Fallbrook, CA
Mark Benecke – After graduating from Seattle’s Franklin High School 1968, and Ron Bailie School of Broadcast in 1969, I landed my first radio job at the age of 19, as the all night disc jockey at Seattle’s easy listening/pop station, KETO FM. Our format was two pop vocals (Tom Jones, Dionne Warwick, Sinatra, etc.) followed by one instrumental, which was often a light jazz artist, i.e., Wes Montgomery, Charley Byrd, Ramsey Lewis, etc. I later worked evenings for the station. Following a format change to a beautiful music format, I moved to Moses Lake to work weekends at top forty KSEM AM in January of 1972. After two months of weekends and working during the week for free, I became the morning D.J. and Program Director and later worked afternoon drive before returning to KETO FM in 1974 as their evening D.J. The station had just introduced a new contemporary country format. I later worked afternoon drive before going back to Moses Lake, as Program Director & morning DJ for pop country KWIQ AM/FM. We played a lot of Willie & Waylon, Charley Pride, Barbara Mandrel, The Oak Ridge Boys, Kenny Rogers, etc. I also became the voice of Big Bend Community College Basketball and Baseball. In 1978 I left KWIQ for an account executive position with KPQ AM/FM in Wenatchee. I voiced a lot of the commercials and also did play-by-play of Wenatchee and Eastmont High School Sports. After exactly 5 years at KPQ, I returned to Moses Lake in 1984 as General Manager of KBSN AM/KDRM FM (formerly KSEM AM/FM). The station was now under new ownership. We were an ABC affiliate and had a full service sound on AM with Paul Harvey, lots of news and sports, including the Cougars & Seahawks and high school sports. Following three good years as G.M. at KBSN/KDRM, I was offered a regional rep position with KING Broadcasting in Portland in February, 1987. I was now 37 years old, had gotten married and had two beautiful daughters in elementary school. It was a good time to return to a metro area and Portland was a perfect fit. I covered the Portland ad agencies for many great Northwest stations including KING AM/FM, KUBE FM, KORD AM/FM in the Tri Cities, Magic FM in Eugene, KICE FM in Bend, KOZE AM/FM in Lewiston, KBSN/KDRM in Moses Lake, and worked the Eugene agencies for KGW/KINK in Portland. When KING Broadcasting was sold 1991/92, I moved over to KUPL AM/FM to be their national sales manager, Led by artists like Garth Brooks, country was more popular than ever. KUPL AM/FM became Portland’s most listened to station with Adults 25-54 and number one in revenue too! After three very successful years our ownership (Scripps Howard) decided to sell us….and I didn’t fit in with the new owners so I moved over to The Columbian Newspaper in Vancouver, selling ads for three years and followed that up with a very successful 12 year run with Portland cable selling commercials on ESPN, Fox News, HGTV, CNN, etc., before retiring in 2008. From 2000 – 2010, my wife and I also owned and operated six Curves franchises in Clark and Cowlitz counties. We sold our last one in 2010. I’ve met so many great people along the way, – Jim Dai at KSEM in the early 70’s and Jim Davis in the 80’s at KBSN/KDRM & Matt Kearny at KPQ. Special thanks to Todd Bitts, Don Oylear, Stan Mak, Greg Obata, Bill Bradley, Ed Hardy & Lois Petrik for giving me a chance. Life is sweet!
Mark William Collins is an American radio personality, featured in an exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Collins rose to prominence in the early 1990s as a disc jockey on alternative rock station 107.7 FM “The End” in Seattle, with the popularity of grunge.
Mark Jeffries Bolland: Pacific Empire Radio Corp. President-CEO/Owner Pacific Empire Radio Corp. 1997 – 2007 10 years Lewiston, ID. Built profitable small market radio group of 15 stations in four markets in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The stations purchased were either negative cash flow or ground-up new construction.
KMGI-FM, KSEI-AM, Pocatello,ID; KBJX-FM, KGTM-FM, Idaho Falls, ID; KRXK-AM, Rexberg, ID; KBKR-AM, KKBC-FM Baker, OR; KUBQ-FM, KRJT-FM, KLBM-AM La Grande, OR; KQZB FM, Moscow, ID; KCLK-AM/FM, KVAB-FM, Clarkston, WA, KATW-FM Lewiston, ID. –Woodcom, Inc Owner Manager KATW Woodcom, Inc 1990 – 1997 7 years KATW-FM, Lewiston, ID.
Purchased 30% of single FM, with annual sales of $145K. Increased revenues to over $1M in less than four years. Purchased all controlling shares in 1994. Sales Manager KXRX Shamrock Broadcasting 1987 – 1990 3 years. Hired, trained and coached sales and support staff. Our team achieved the highest ratings to revenue share ratios in the Company. == Kaye-Smith Enterprises 12 years, Account Executive KISW 1980 – 1987 7 years KISW, Seattle. Led Sales Team with over $1M annual sales. Top producer; highest in Local Direct sales, highest Average Sale and highest Average Unit Rate. Created, Developed, Sold and Implemented numerous successful Marketing/Advertising/Promotional Campaigns for Clients. Air Personality KJR, KJRB 1975 – 1980 5 years KJR, Seattle; KJRB, Spokane KJR, Seattle 1976-1980; KJRB, Spokane 1975. Achieved top ratings in both markets. MC’d numerous events in Paramount Theater, Seattle Center Arena, Seattle Coliseum, Seattle Kingdome. Interviewed numerous Recording, TV and Movie Artists and produced a syndicated weekly show. Various Air Personality KFXD, KASH, KOZE- 1970 – 1974 4 years KFXD-Boise, ID / KASH-Eugene,OR / KOZE,KRLC-Lewston, ID KFXD – PM Drive, KASH – PM Drive, KOZE – PD, AM Drive
Mark Bronson [KJR FM] The following was excerpted from “The Best of Western Washington” website: Mark was born in Minneapolis, MN. Ever since he was 12 years old he wanted to be on the radio. He moved to Bellevue, WA in 1993 and graduated from Bellevue High School in 1996. Mark excelled in the radio program there on 89.3 KASB. He hosted his own show on Wednesday nights where his friends and family would have to park in the parking lot just to hear him! : ) When Mark was 18, he went Bellevue Community College and studied communications. Soon after, joined KJR-FM as an intern for Dave Yates’ 7-Midnight show. Mark learned the ins and outs of business from the entire staff and loved what he saw! After a few months, Mark received a phone call from then Program Director and PM Drive host Norm Gregory. While on the phone Norm offered Mark the overnight shift Tuesday thru Friday, 12Mid to 6AM and 4AM to10AM on the weekends. (YIKES!) So, there went Mark’s social life for a while, but he enjoyed every minute of it! Mark likes long walks on the beach and is currently at 3% body fat. Just kidding… he paid us to include that in his bio. Actually, Mark is an avid golfer and loves to spend time with his family and friends. You can tune into Mark Bronson weekends on KJR-FM playing Rock ‘N Rolls Greatest Hits!
Mark Christopher (Thelen) KBSG, KVI, KOMO……Longtime broadcaster of hometown Seattle and the Northwest. Attended Queen Anne High on the tails of Kirby Wilbur (KVI) and Kathi Goertzen (KOMO). At age 9 he spent a summer with his sister in Libby Montana. Mary worked at KLCB as a copy writer-receptionist. During a visit he witnessed the crises of a no-show afternoon jock. The owners son was at football practice and the only backup. A bucket of KFC and six-pack of Coke would seal the deal. Watching the guy playing the hits and enjoying eats planted a seed for Mark. His break came while doing weekends at KIXI FM. Robert O Smith departed the morning shift for a gig in Canada. Robert O’ insisted owner Wally Nelskog to simply grab his recent hire and watch what happens. Soon after Robert had Mark join him for lunch with Radio Beat Reporter Victor Stredicke who right away asked why this kid? Robert O’ replied, ” Mark has seen the mole on the tummy of Merrilee Rush”. During the next 5 years Mark’s positive and fun attitude would bring duties of Production Director and Program Director . A station sell to Ackerley Billboard would find Mark as the only staff member to make the move as well. Adjustment would place him on KJR among the fun of Gary Lockwood, Marty Reimer and Ross Shafer. The Sports/Sonics move on KJR pushed him out the door to KLSY FM for only two weekends. Mark recalls there was a call on the request line on Seafair Sunday as “Chip” (Budweiser period here) was just grabbing another win on Lake Washington. The caller asked “Are you Mark? Hours later Mark was meeting PD Jim LaMarca of what was soon to be KBSG 97.3 in Seattle. Mark would soon hit some of his most successful achievements as Midday host for the next 20 years at KBSG. The Ventures Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame campaign, Two consecutive wins as First Place- Commercial Boat-Decorated in the Opening Day Boat Parade, The “Across The Universe” John Lennon Tribute ( w/ Yoko Ono -Elliot Mintz) coordinating a nationwide simulcast airplay of the song marking ten years of such a loss in music, and creating the most ever one of a kind “Seattle Sea Gals Cheerleaders” appearances w/Mark on stage over a two year period (Concerts, Festivals, Parades, Fairs and Grand Openings.) Oh, and during his time on the mysterious KMCQ Covington Station many believed he owned it as the caller letters K-Mark Christopher-Q was a given? He did not. WARM FM would be next for two years (Mark Christopher Claus) On Jan 2, 2015 The Amazing Kreskin was to join Mark on-air at WARM to announce a “Comeback as Master Of “Magic and Illusion”. Kreskin would be a no-show. A week later a publicist confirmed Kreskin cancelled as he got inner thoughts of Mark no longer as morning host. Kreskin was right. Mark was excused from his duty at WARM just 30 minutes after the scheduled interview. Yes that’s Mark you often see on KCTS 9 cooking and pledging various music shows. His home now is News Anchor-Host weekend mornings on KOMO News Radio and Mon-Fri as Tech Director and side mic for longtime Radio Host, John Carlson. Many roles among Seafair over the years has him as Co-Producer/PA-Sound of “The Boeing Seafair Airshow” during Race Weekend every August.
Mark Coleman – Q13 KCPQ TV reporter for several years, now Director of Marketing & Communications
Development for Food LifeLine.org
Mark Dolan, graduated from the radio broadcast technician class at LH Bates Vocational-Technical Institute, 1972-1973, DJ’d at KVAC/Forks.
Mark Edwards says he works for Horizon Air at Sea-Tac Airport
Mark Ellis [Mornings at KPLZ circa 1979]
Mark Holland [was at KCMS, now at Praise 106.5]
Mark Kaufman was doing radio and head of media at Longacres. He has passed away. There is an award given out in his name by the Washington Thoroughbred Horse Breeders’ Association
Mark O. Marks – [KSND]
Mark Pierce – KNBQ, KXXO; retired from radio, lives in Tacoma
Mark Richards, former Program Director at KRPM FM and KMPS FM, most recently at Country WKHX-FM (101.5 Kicks FM)/Atlanta as Program Director, exited that station in January 2013 after 10 years there.
Mark Roberts
Mark Wayne (Mark Weijanen) was a talkative disk jockey at middle-of-the-road KING-AM, 1090 khz, in 1963. He held forth on “The Night Owl Club” from midnight to 6 a.m. and eventually moved to middays on the “Mighty 10-90” where he had considerable topical freedom, bookended by Frosty Fowler in the morning and Irving Clark Jr talk at night. Mark was a military kid from Greely, Colorado, growing up in a number of schools across the country. He earned a University of Washington degree in communications. He appeared briefly on KUOW but got his first big gig on KQTY, 1230 kHz Everett. After KING, in 1969 he moved to news-talk KIRO-AM, 710 kHz, with a daytime air shift and added production duties. His voice was frequently heard on area-wide commercials and Mark was the title character in Jim French’s radio drama series, “Rocky Waters, Private Eye.” In 2010 he was reported to be in an Everett nursing home. He died in March, 2014. age 77. (VOS2014)
Mark Wright worked at KXLY tv/Spokane and later came to Seattle and worked at KCPQ 13 and KING 5.
Marlin Spear (Kevin Bonnay) has just joined WABQ, Cleveland
Marni Hughes joined the Q13 FOX News team in September 2011. Marni got her start in TV news right out of college at WBNS in Columbus, Ohio. She also worked for WISE in Fort Wayne, Indiana and KSTU in Salt Lake City. Marni’s most recent stop was in the Twin Cities working for KMSP where she covered a number of national stories, including the tragic and deadly Minneapolis 35W Bridge collapse in 2007 and the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul. In addition to her work in TV news, Marni is a passionate advocate for the American Heart Association and works to raise awareness and funds to fight our nation’s number one killer, heart disease. 2021–Anchor of Nexstar TV network news from WGN Chicago.
Mary Lee-Came to KING 5 from KPRC in 2013. Left KING 5 in 2016. In 2018, Mary Lee became a meteorologist at KPIX/San Francisco.
Mason Halligan was active in civic and sports events in Tacoma In 1953. His passion for the city prompted him to run for political office. He broadcast midget car races from Athletic Park and wresting matches from the Armory and worked in the press box in the late 1940s doing commentary for Tacoma Tigers baseball games. He was a promoter of Tacoma’s Soap Box Derby and pro wrestling in Tacoma. In 1946 he co-published Spot Light Review, a sports free sports newspaper. By trade he was an insurance agent. While working for KTAC Mason conducted numerous interviews with visiting sports icons, even getting Gorgeous George to chat and Bob Hope to joke. He had health issues and died in 1972, age 49. (CHBCenter, 2014)
Martha Hadley on the air @ KCMS
Martin Tobin [news] – CBS newsman before KOL and KIXI. Moderator of Success Story, KING TV – deceased
Martin “Marty Party” “The Thriller” Mandles
Marty Riemer – early 1980’s afternoon drive on KJR-AM, was on the air [again] at the Mountain 103.7/Seattle — Later, KJR FM
Marty Wyatt retired from KGO as the sports anchor in Jan 2007
Mary Fain’s dulcet tones were added to KING-FM in 1987. She previously worked at KFAC, Los Angeles. Here’s how Jim Wilke, program director, described her.
“We tried to find the most qualified person for the opening,” Wilke said. He enumerated her schooling, Vienna Academy, her Masters in music at Berkeley and muttered something about her having been an accompanist for Pablo Casals. “And I can type!” Ms. Fain yelled in the background. (VOS2013)
Mary White — KUBE, KMPS, KKWF, KUBE, KMPS, KKWF (26 yrs) morning show co-host & newscaster Sep 1985 – Nov 2011 — I had a wonderful 20-some years doing morning radio in Seattle. During that time I also got to work at KOMO TV, as well as do lots of commercials, voice work, and corporate videos. I’ve even been in a couple of movies, which is really fun in a bizarre way. Now I get to teach people how to cook, one of the most gratifying and hilarious jobs I’ve ever had! https://maryjwhite.com/
Mary Whitish – traffic reporter for Metro, heard on many stations over the years. Signed off traffic duties 9/23/2014 — Former radio traffic reporter. Independent Avon sales rep. Just tryin’ to live the good life!
Matt Alan – Matt started at KRKO, Everett doing a Sunday night talk show at the age of 15, then went on to 7-midnight. Matt was at KJR for a year before moving to KNBQ. After KNBQ, KFI, Los Angeles, KRBE Houston, WHTZ Z100 New York, KIISFM, Los Angeles. XM satellite radio and “Outlaw Radio”
Matt Case – 2003-2006 On air Evenings KLSY 92.5, 2006-2007 Morning Show Producer / On Air KKWF 100.7, 2008-2012 On Air KCMS Mid Days / PM Drive, 2012 – On Air PM Drive KRWM 106.9. 2019-present KJR FM; released from KJR-FM 2021.
Matt Lorch Q13 News – Matt returned to his home state after spending five years at WHDH in Boston. He previously worked for stations in Miami, Baltimore, Boise, Idaho and Quincy, Illinois. Matt, a UW alum, is eagerly looking forward to catching Huskies games on Saturdays and Seahawks on Sundays. When he’s not rooting for one of his favorite teams, Matt likes to ski, hike and hang out with his wife and two children.
Matt Markvich – reporter for KCPQ FOX 13 as of 2022 — previously at KOMO 4
Matt Riedy Former KJR dj — From his IMDB file: Moving to Atlanta in October 2019 after 14 years in L.A., he began filming a Top of Show recurring part on Imagine TV’s Swagger. Other recent work includes the film Book Club and TV shows Shameless, This Is Us, Hawaii Five-O and The Last Tycoon with Kelsey Grammer. He is the narrator of IDHD channels popular show Murder Among Friends. He has done skits on Jimmy Kimmel Live! 18 times, 11 times on Conan and 7 with Spike Feresten. Not bad for the busy actor who started his on camera career after many years as a successful stand-up comedian and disc jockey. Born in Buffalo, New York, he graduated from West Seneca East High School, where he kept a low profile until a successful senior English class presentation on the sport of golf convinced him that he could perform in front of people. As luck would have it, a family friend complemented him on the quality of his voice, which led him to the radio club at Erie Community College. After just six weeks, he was a disc jockey, a job he held for ten years in Buffalo, Miami, San Francisco and Seattle. He took up stand-up comedy on the side in 1983, he left radio and hit the road full time from 1986-1997 when he got back into radio til 2005. All told, he did stand-up for 23 years, while working in radio. Riedy always considered acting “an impenetrable bubble,” but in 1998, while working in Seattle, he won a small part opposite actress Margaret Colin in the television movie, Hit and Run. He soon landed a starring role as Plastic Man in the independent film Carried Away, which played in the Seattle International Film Festival. He scored several national commercials and a starring role in another independent film, Lover’s Lane. While doing a guest appearance on the TV show The Fugitive, he was advised by director James Frawley to move to LA, where he could blossom as a character actor. Frawley was right and Riedy has been a busy working actor ever since. He moved to L. A. With 7 credits on imdb…at publication he has 117. Once got to play in the LAPD Celebrity Golf Tournament when Ron Pearlman had to drop out. A few years later while working on Sons of Anarchy he thanked Pearlman for having to drop out and for giving him the opportunity to play. Pearlman said “How’d you finish?” Riedy said, he got 2nd place…Pearlman’s response was…”I would have won!”. Is a frequent guest cast member for Jimmy Kimmell Live (16 appearances) and Conan (10 appearances). Director Todd Phillips gave Riedy a job in a web series for Mini Cooper cars that also starred Bryan Callen. Riedy was the bad guy who went by Silverfox. Big Time Rush creator Scott Fellows saw Riedy in the video series and gave him the part of Griffin on Big Time Rush. When The Fugitive with Tim Daly was filming in Seattle, director James Frawley hired him to play a sheriff. During the shoot, Frawley asked him if he worked in Los Angeles at all. Frawley went on to say he thought Riedy would be very busy if he did. A couple of years later after much ruminating, Riedy did make the move and has been pretty busy since. He ran into Frawley when the director was casting Grey’s Anatomy in the same office where Riedy was auditioning for Private Practice. They caught up, Riedy thanked him for the inspiration and they parted ways. The very next week Riedy walked into a room to audition for Dirty Sexy Money and there was Frawley in the director’s chair. He gave Riedy the job. Was a competitive body builder while living in Seattle. Competing in the 1998 Weider Washington NPC and getting 4th. In 2001 he competed in the same show for men over 40 and and won 1st place. That show earned him a second place finish in 2002. He also got a 2nd place in the 2001 NPC Max Muscle Washington State Championships and a 2nd place in the same competition in 2003. His last show was the 2003 Emerald Cup in Seattle where the men over 40 category had 20 contestants both natural and not natural. He got 11th place. In 2005 he tore a calf muscle jumping out of a sand trap while playing golf on a very cold Seattle day and that was it. His name appears on the Bally’s marquee in the film Honeymoon in Vegas starring James Caan, Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker. He was the comic opening the show for headliner Jeff Dunham. Was cast in the film Savages by Oliver Stone to play a character named Seven who was Uma Thurman’s husband but the film had to be cut due to length so they eliminated the storyline with Uma and thus his scenes. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York. Was a disc jockey in Buffalo, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles. An avid golfer who plays at about a 10 handicap, he and his brother take annual trips to play famous courses like Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straits, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Sawgrass, Arrowhead in Colorado, Sea Island and Chambers Bay. Is the voice of the California Milk Advisory Board TV commercials. Does voice work for NASCAR promos on Fox Sports 1. Is the narrator for Murder Among Friends on Investigation Discovery channel. Was the voice of The Daytona 500 commercials that aired during The Superbowl in 2014 and 2015. Was the voice of The Overland Hotel commercial during the 90th Academy Awards.
Matt Rogers- Matt Rogers joined the KHQ news team in 1997. Matt is a 1996 graduate of Central Washington University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Matt’s first TV job was at a CBS affiliate in Boise, Idaho, where Matt was a news photojournalist. He became a news photojournalist with KHQ in the Fall of 1997. In 1998, Matt became the KHQ Local News Today “Action Cam”. In February of 2009, Matt’s position at KHQ evolved once again, when he was offered the opportunity to cover Sports.
Most recently, Matt Rogers anchored the news at KHQ. Fired from KHQ on 10/29/2020.
Maura Gallucci – KIRO FM News
Maureen [Mo] Matthews was last heard as PD at KNUA
Maxine Sartori [KOL FM] later at WBCN/Boston
Maynard Cohen SVP Programming at Clear Channel Media & Entertainment; formerly at Movin’ 92.5 Seattle
Mel Scott [KBRD weekends]
Michael Buzgo
Michael Medved – local Seattle talk show host, syndicated nationwide.
Michael O’Brien – retired, restores antique radios, lives in Gig Harbor
Michael O’Shea Vice President and General Manager of the Cascade Radio Group with stations in Bellingham, WA
From Dallas-Fort Worth 1960s KLIF 1190; KZLA/KMPC Los Angeles, KVI/Seattle; 1978-1981 VP Programming Golden West Broadcasters, Los Angeles, surpervising the legendary Gene Autry-owned stations: KMPC, Los Angeles; KSFO, San Francisco; KVI/KPLZ-FM, Seattle, KEX/KQFM, Portland, and WCXI/WTWR-FM, Detroit.
Later he was the General Manager of KUBE-FM, Seattle, with oversight of WUSN-FM, Chicago; KSLX-FM, Phoenix and KFMY, Salt Lake. He was a founding partner of New Century Media which acquired KUBE-FM, KJR-AM and FM, Seattle.
From 1998 until 2003 Michael O’Shea was President/Founder, New Northwest Broadcasters, Seattle, which acquired and consolidated 43 AM and FM radio stations in small and medium sized markets in Washington, Oregon, Montana and Alaska.
In 2003 he became the President and Founder in Hollywood of All Comedy Networks and the Creator and programmer of world’s first national all-comedy radio format and network, now on-air in over 20 major radio markets. [info compiled by BurntOutRadio, member of Radio-Info.com] ALLACCESS LINK
Michael Schuett watched machines take over from humans in 1986 to 1988. “I was news director of KBSN-AM/KDRM-FM,The AM was a live, local, full-service station with personalities, music, news and sports. The FM played soft-rock, adult-contemporary music off of huge reel-to-reel tapes all day and night. The only time the music was interrupted was for pre-recorded commercials (four an hour),e breaks or my own prerecorded newscasts. Frankly, KDRM-FM was boring to the listener but cheap to operate.” In 1889 he worked at “Radio 123” KWYZ, Everett. “I was also my own “pit reporter” at nearby Evergreen Speedway; I was also the track announcer, ‘Saturday night rain or shine’.” Schuett now operates his own broadcast service. Website: http://www.totalbroadcasting.com. The sight and sound of an AP teletype machine punching out world headlines with factory precision was all it took. The news bug bit Michael Shappee at age 17 at a half-day high school program at a vocational FM in Tacoma, Washington, circa 1977. While attending college, Michael played elevator music for KBRD FM Tacoma. Next up, KBBY in Ventura, California as the one-man-band “News Director”. There were stints with L.A. based Money Radio, Financial Broadcasting Network and Metro Traffic before landing at KFWB in May of 1990. Growing up in Tacoma, Michael never really dreamed he’d one day cover floods, fires, earthquakes, riots and even the entertainment industry in Southern California.
When not on the radio, he spends a lot of time on the back of a Harley.
Michael Soto – Michael is vp/director of national sales and marketing for GST Corporation (parent company is the NYK Steamship Line) based in Los Angeles
Michael Stein – Afternoons on KGY FM (2022) — Moved to Seattle in 1980, and got a degree (in Communications and Journalism) at the University of Washington. While there, Michael was on-air at KCMU, the predecessor to KEXP. Also helped start and host ‘Audioasis’, a local music/ performance show there…and it’s still on the air today! KYYX-FM, Seattle was his first full-time radio job. Using the name ‘Damien’, Michael did the afternoon show (with news-partner Debbie Paine) up ’til about mid-1984, when the station got sold and changed format. Then, did nights for a couple years at ‘K-Plus FM’…which is now ‘Star 101.5’. Michael did promotion for Geffen Records in the mid-late ’80s, Polydor Records in the early ’90s. Now doing voiceover work
Michelle Ludtka is a reporter/sports reporter for Q13 FOX; resigned her gig at KCPQ in the Spring of 2021.
Micki Flowers – KIRO 7 news reporter/anchor 1973-2004
Mike Altman Worked part time at KLAN,KGY,KASY,KTNT-AM-FM,KETO,KOL,KXA,KIRO
Mike Bell now at 98.5 THE FOX Bakersfield, CA
Mike Bettelli [KOMO] formed a company called Broadcast Partners; Partner/Consultant; KOMO AM 1000 -1982 – 1990 (8 years); prior was PD and morning show host for KISM-FM. Programmer/Consultant/ Broadcast Programing/Jones Radio Networks/Dial Global 1991 – 2008 (17 years);
Mike Brody [Bob Glasco] Mike Brody — “I have not used the name Mike Brody since leaving KING-AM in 1973. It was actually assigned to me by program director Buzz Barr. We were “The Big Eleven.” My real name: Bob Glasco. “I have been a country-radio programming consultant for the past 20 years. (With 40 years experience behind the mike, programming and consulting I can help diverse clients.) “My first on-air job was at KNIX Phoenix, then Syracuse and Kansas City. I moved to Seattle as KING-AM was changing from M.O.R. to top-40. After KING, there was Akron, Dallas, Jacksonville, with stops in Columbus, Phoenix and the L.A. Transtar Radio Network. I came back to Phoenix and worked with Rusty Walker Programming Consultants. I started Glasgo Media, Scottsdale, in 1991. (hotlink www.glascomedia.com. ) Glasco’s client list has included stations in Chicago, Tucson, Salt Lake City and San Francisco, plus Citadel Broadcasting’s country stations. “All of my clients are heroes,” Glasco said. “They put up with me.” “My last task was to launch “Country 108” KMLE, in Phoenix. “And as you could have guessed, all four of my daughters were born in different cities.” (VOS2012)
Mike Clover
Mike Curto, the long-time Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster, has stories to tell about minor league baseball He grew up listening to San Francisco Giants broadcasts, and the dream of being a baseball broadcast was etched in his brain. First there were campus-radio broadcasts at University of California Berkeley and spring-training games for the Oakland Athletics in his senior year, Then several minor-league assignments. (Remember the Lafayette Leopards in Indiana?) He finally got a good gig, two years with the San Diego Padre’s Class A affiliate, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. That led to the Tacoma move in 1998, Throw in a couple of fill-in Mariner’s broadcasts and the 2001 Pacific Coast League co-championship team to round out his experiences
Curto’s style is to focus on the players. He believes listeners want to hear about the men on the field, not the men in the broadcast booth. This year he returns for his 16th season with the Rainiers. (CHBCenter, 2014)
Mike Dalton – KJR
Mike Ford – is at KOOL 97.3/Anchorage
Mike Forrester – [KBSG] retired, Owner and voice over artist at my own studio, also doing a little woodworking as a creative outlet at my own shop. Started in radio while still in high school in Oregon, 1968. Worked in Oregon, California, Alaska and Washington. Part time at KBSG AM-FM 1994-1996 and again 1999-2001. The Research Group, Seattle, 1995-1998. Oldies Programmer Part time at KJR-FM 2005-2008. Currently: apartment maintenance supervisor in Seattle. (Mike Forrester)
Mike Garland – Started his career at KOZI Lake Chelan… along the way he was News Director at KTAC/KBRD…KJR/Klite/KUBE …KIXI-KLSY …retired from radio after 34 years, KOMO 1000/KVI 570 were his last stop in 2006.
Mike Gastineau, 25 years at KJR, started as a producer and weekend fill-in host and became a weekday host in October 1991, moving to afternoon drive in 1993.
“When I came rolling into town on a beautiful JUNE afternoon in 1991, I couldn’t have imagined the journey I was about to begin… I’ve had the privilege to watch and talk with fans and participants about SEATTLE sports. To say I’m lucky is to vastly understate how I feel,” said Gastineau. Mike is known as “The Gas Man.” — retired from KJR in December 2012.
Mike Jones – KIRO
Mike Kaplan is pd at KMTT
Mike Lehnen can be found at Emvoices
Mike Lonergan – morning news and talk at 1180 KLAY/Lakewood
Mike Luchino
Mike Moran’s afternoon shift at KQIN 810, Burien, gave him the chance to do sunset sign-offs each day in 1970. Next he became morning man at “oldies” KUUU. No sleep for the weary. “Those were fun years for a young 20-something,” Moran said. In 1971 he became program director at KTNT-AM, Tacoma. He lost that job, but a hired consultant brought him back a few months later as morning personality. Moran later moved to KIRO for five years as afternoon news host during the station’s “news-radio” years in the middle 1970s. He also worked at KIRO’s FM sister-station KSEA. “My late wife and I co founded Spiritual Life Center in Sacramento in 1998,” Moran said. “It’s been quite a ride. I just retired from my second 27-year career as a Unity/Interfaith minister.” He had hosted a radio program “Vision for a Better World,” funded by the John Templeton Foundation. “I have traveled the world working for peace and reconciliation among religions, cultures, and countries. Now that I am retired I have time to revisit past lives.” (VOS2013)
Mike Morgan [KJR]
Mike O’Connor – KMPS, KNBQ – 03/31/12 – After 31 years on the air in Centralia/Chehalis, Mike O’Connor retired Friday (03/30) from KITI AM/Live-95.1 KITI-FM Centralia, where he began broadcasting in November, 1980. Most recently he hosted the morning show on oldies 1420 KITI. Prior to joining Premier Broadcasters, Mike was a fixture on KOL Seattle.
Mike Phillips was middays two years at top-40 KJR and then, in 1969, the morning man. A short time later he was at top-40 WWDJ, Hackensack, NJ. He was the first morning personality at KFRC as a Drake station. He was the “architect” who tightened Los Angeles’s “gold” K-Earth into adult-contemporary. Phillips started in radio as weekend announcer at KISN, Portland, soon moved to middays. He became program director at KGW, Portland, and took similar positions at San Francisco and Los Angeles. He became a vice president for programming for NBC Radio and worked for the radio industry’s Research Group. He retired in Santa Monica in 2001, soon moved back home to Portland. He died from pancreatic cancer in 2006, age 64. (VOS2012)
Mike Preston PD at KKWF
Mike Purdy [KRKO and WARM 106.9 suffered a stroke after leaving WARM 106.9. Recovered well and is now a screenwriter.
Mike Ricker | last at KUFO Portland, now the station has been blown up
Mike Salk has co-hosted “Brock and Salk” since 2009 on KIRO 710. He also hosts “SportsCenter Saturday with Mike Salk” and is the regular fill-in host for the “Doug Gottlieb Show” on ESPN Radio. He lives in Phinney Ridge with his wife Heather, daughter Avery and french bulldog Wendell.
Mike Siegel – Talk-show host at KING AM, KVI, KXL; Also did a talk show on KITZ/Port Orchard-KGTK/Olympia.
Mike Trochalakis still lives in the Seattle area.
Mike Webb – Talk-show host Mike Webb — a staunchly liberal, openly gay, gun-toting iconoclast — inspired loyalty and antagonism with equal ferocity during two decades on the radio in Seattle. Webb’s badly decomposed remains were found concealed in the basement of his Queen Anne rental home, and the King County Medical Examiner’s Office said that he was a homicide victim, killed by stab wounds. While Seattle police investigate who might have had enough enmity to kill Webb, friends grieve the silencing of the rabble-rousing on-air personality, best-known for his 10 years as a KIRO-AM (710) radio host [Seattle Times]
Mike West/Vince Lerner KISW
Milo King – [KSEA]
Milt Furness worked at KOMO-AM from 1967 until 1982, serving as newsdesk manager, reporter, and in the early 1970s anchoring the morning news block and the evening news. When KOMO’s parent company, Fisher Communications, launched its own cable network Fisher Satellite News, he became news director and anchor. When the system was sold to CNN, Furness followed — briefly.
He then became public relations director for the Boeing company. He is now retired.
(His son, Ian Furness, himself a former sports producer at KOMO-TV, now hosts a sports-talk program on KJR 950 AM.)
Moe Shore is married, living in a suburb of Boston. Two daughters, as I recall. He works for one of the big movie film camera companies (forgive me, Moe, I forget which). I talked to him about a year ago, maybe a little more. I started the conversation with “Is this Moe Shore of the Show More Moe Shore Show? This is Agent Hanratty of the FBI.” He went for it. [Brian Lord] “I traveled to Seattle to join Tom Corddry, Jon Kertzer, Paul Gregutt and Vito Perillo at KOL-FM. After we were all canned to make way for automation, I came back east to WCAS – The Cambridge Station – where I did mornings and eventually became Program Director. This little AM station was saved by the community, at least for a little while, from sale to religious broadcasters.”
Monica Gayle CBS News anchor; KSTW (CBS) evening news anchor
Monique Ming Laven – KIRO 7 reporter/anchor 2006-present
Moose Moran says “I Graduated from Nathan Hale High School in 1973 where I did sports play-by-play in a Howard Cossell voice..after attending Ron Baillie School of Broadcasting began career in Great Falls Montana at KMON/KNUW where my air name was Crash Holland..moved to Lewiston Idaho and KRLC from 1976- early 1982 as Moe Holland..then Pat O’day called as I was on vacation in Seattle and hired me as Moose Moran from 1982-1984 at KYYX…worked a few months at KNBQ in Tacoma then worked in Everett Wa at KRKO till 1994 as Moose Moran, in Oak Harbor Wa at KWDB for about 5 years in the early 2000’s..was voice for TV home shows around the country including Seattle on KIRO”s Prudential Sunday Morning Home Show, I have been a mobile D.J. since 1985, also have voiced commercials over the years (would love more) I have lived in Coupeville for 14 years and own & operate Moose Mobile Music, playing wedding music for over 25 years at schools, birthday parties etc. I live on Whidbey Island – “The Moose Is Still Loose”
Mr. T (Mike Trochalakis)
Murray Morgan – Tacoma-born Murray Morgan [1916-2000] was many things, including journalist, political commentator, theater and arts reviewer, political activist, freelance writer, and college history teacher. More recent arrivals knew him mainly as an author. Morgan considered himself to be, in addition, a history reporter… Regularly reported for KMO-KTAC-KTNT radio stations and the Tacoma News Tribune [HistoryLink.org]
Myles Cameron – afternoon drive on “KQ96” 96.5 KQKT, Raconteur Of News & Traffic at KOIT Radio -News Anchor / Reporter at Comcast Networks
Nancy Walton – KMTT [1991] Currently in Missoula, Montana area: Voice Talent/Commercial Production & Broadcast Professional Jannuary 2013 – Present
I voice and produce radio spots, do voiceovers for television, film, industrials, audio books, etc., voice track radio shows, produce and record radio shows and am set up to do live radio shows, all from my new, state-of-the-art home studio.
Nate Connors on the air @ KZOK
Nathan Lee [KGY-FM]
Neal Barton – KSTW 11 weather man during KSTW’s CBS affiliation (1995)
Neal Darrow –Luckily I found your new website this morning. My brief radio history began in 1965 at Tacoma Vocational Institute and Chuck Ellsworth. A few brief board shifts on KTOY then Chuck referred me to Dakota Williams who “produced a Country Western program” at KGO. That lasted about a month….and I never got paid. I only had the 3rd Class license with element 9 which sent me to KAYO in Seattle, nights to sign the transmitter log while Ron Dini, a canadian, dejayed CW.
KDFL in Sumner kept me going until uncle Sam called.
Three years later I hookedup with Dale Gunderson at KDUX in Ocean Shores then 3 plus years at KXRO.
I sense that once radio is in your blood you are hooked.
Neil Richards
Neil Scott now hosts Recovery Coast to Coast Radio and is a sports update anchor at 950 KJR
New York Vinnie Richichi – recently left the air at KDKA – He is no longer at KDKA Current; Talk Show Host/On Air Personality-Producer/Writer at Drivetime-Radio/Golden V Media Greater Pittsburgh Area
Nick Alan, otherwise known as Nick At Nite – Nick is a music lover, baseball fan and loves a cold beer every now and again. Most importantly, he’s now a husband and new father. On the weekend, find Nick umpiring high school baseball or DJing weddings all over the Northwest.
Nick ALexander, former KZOK news man, [1977] went on to the newly formed ABC FM network, a public relations firm, hosted a radio talk show in New Jersey in the mid 1980s and now works at “A start-up strategic media company, initially serving the DC area real estate industry.”
Nick Anthony owns Nick Anthony & Associates, Visalia, CA (public relations, marketing, market research, event marketing; had previously owned radio station KSEQ Visalia, which he sold to Buckley Broadcasting.
Nick Diamond
Nick Freeman – Longtime announcer at KIRO TV and KTVW TV
Nick Lacey KQTY, KOMO – retired Seattle
Nick Morrison works at KPLU FM
Nick Reynolds [KJR]
Nikki Hill-Garrett [KKFX]
Nils Von Veh lives in Seattle is owner of Cloudbreak Enterprises
Noreen Smith – KJUN, KRPM, KGAA, *Brandi Walker-KKFX See Sunshine Smith (VOS2012)
Norm Abel
Norm Bobrow – a well-known Seattle impresario and champion of Seattle jazz, died on April 13, 2008, at age 90. Norm Bobrow’s Colony was the name of his night club. He discovered Pat Suzuki. (Dick Ellingson) A disc jockey, Seattle Times columnist and singer/bandleader who presented Fats Waller, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Parker, among others, Mr. Bobrow had a career in popular music and jazz that spanned seven decades. [Maia Santell]
Norm Flint [KZOK] now doing radio spots in San Diego
NORM GREGORY — Who Is Norm Gregory? Norm grew up in Seattle, Washington, USA. Went to Roosevelt High School in Seattle and graduated college at Western Washington in Bellingham. Norm’s first full time radio job was at KBRC in Mt. Vernon, WA in early 1967. Two months later he was at KPUG, Bellingham, WA; nine months later Norm was in Spokane, WA at KJRB. – Norm’s Seattle Radio History – In early 1969, Norm arrived at KJR AM, Seattle, first doing early evenings and then afternoons. In 1975, Norm went to KZOK AM/FM; at the time the station was less then a year old. Norm served as KZOK Program Director from 1976-79. Then off to Portland (KQFM/Q100) for ten months. Back to KZOK in early 1980 as station manager. That lasted until August 1981. After a brief two year return stint at KJR (again doing afternoons), Norm landed the afternoon full service program at KOMO, Seattle (1984 to 1994, being Program Director 1989-92). In July, 1994, Norm joined the new KJR-FM, as Program Director and afternoon air personality. In September, 1997, as the station was sliding out of The Greatest Hits of The ’70s, Norm slide out of the PD job and filled in on the morning shift following the departure of Charlie (Brown) & Ty (Flint). Between early March, 1998 and late April 2000, Norm did the weekday afternoon shift at KJR-FM. His last shift (3 p.m. – 7 p.m.) at 95.7, KJR-FM, was on April 24, 2000. [ See Bill Virgin’s April 27, 2000 column in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ]
Norm Since 2000
After 33 years of being on the air, in April 2000 Norm found himself not on the radio. He didn’t go looking for another radio job, but continued working on several web projects, including maintaining a couple radio station webs site full time. During the summer of 2001 Norm was approach by an Olympia Washington station and on November 1, 2001 Norm returned to the air . . . doing the morning show on Classic Hits For The South Sound,” 97.7 The Eagle. [ See Bill Virgin’s November 21, 2001 column in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ] The show was done on his home computer! Wow . . a dream come true for Norm: doing an air shift and not messing up his lifestyle.
Norm Retires
The remote gig lasted until October 2003 when The Eagle folks finally realized the benefits of having a morning man actually located in the market (Olympia is some 60 miles south of Seattle). Norm couldn’t argue. Norm, now completely retired, says: To tell you the truth I can’t image any circumstances that would draw me back to a radio job.”
Norm In 2011 and beyond
It’s been more than ten years since his last Seattle radio gig. In 2008 Norm got hooked into Twitter and he is enjoying the entertainment and information coming from being tied into a world wide network.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 —-Norm Gregory died this morning. He had suffered a punctured lung from a fall, and had prolonged complications with Diabetes.
Norman B. [KEZX] Left KXRX rocker in August 1989 for Talker KGW/Portland and was the first to exit in January 1990 as KGW decided he didn’t fit the format.
Norm Rice worked as a reporter at KIXI-FM and at KOMO-TV after graduating from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a Masters of Public Administration. Eventually he entered city politics and was elected to the Seattle City Council in 1978. He ran for mayor in 1985, but lost to Charles Royer. Rice ran again in 1989; he was re-elected in 1993. (He held office 1990 to 1997.) During the technology boom of the 1990s, Rice led the rejuvenation of Seattle’s downtown. He also served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In 1997, Rice ran for governor, but was eliminated in the primary. Rice made an appearance as himself on an episode of the TV series “Frasier” entitled “The 1000th Show.” (VOS2013)
Paige Claire, KISW and also a bit of a pop music star, having appeared on TVs Virginia Graham show and others.
Parella Lewis [Q13 News]
Paris Jackson – Formerly with KOMO TV news
Pat Cashman – commercial voice-over production, his voice frequently heard on Seattle radio
Pat Hughes [KCMS]
Pat Lewis Air personality at KING AM
Pat Wright [KYAC]
Patrick McDonald He started at the P-I as a part-time file clerk. At age 18 he stated writing music reviews and In 1969 he became one of the 4 new disc jockey at KOL FM. After a change of format, he quit on the spot. Eventually, he ended up at the Seattle Times as their music critic.
Patrick Quinn, former KOMO 4 Seattle reporter, rejoined KIRO 7 as a freelance reporter in November 2021. He previously held that position with KIRO in late 2017 before joining KOMO for three years, starting in April 2018.
Patti Par (Norwood) began in 1974 at KGA, Spokane, reporting as “Peppermint Patty” on the all-night trucker show. In 1977, Patricia Jane Parlavecchia became weather gal and disk jockey for KHQ-AM-TV. In 1979, she joined KMPS-AM and shortly thereafter married the program director, Ron Norwood. She was part of Phil Harper’s morning show and later was with Ichabod Caine’s Waking Crew. After KMPS, the Norwoods moved to Salem, OR, but Patti returned to Seattle in 1992 and Norwood stayed in Salem.
Patti devoted time to the American Red Cross and was an advocate for the disabled. She was also an avid gardener. She had a degree in horticulture and in broadcasting. She had two children Alexis Victoria and James Patrick. She died in October, 2012. (VOS2012)
PAT O’DAY – KAST Astoria, KLOG Longview, Yakima (KUTI/KLOQ), KAYO/Seattle, KJR, KORL Honolulu, KYYX, KKMI, KXA — At one time, O’Day owned the afternoon airwaves, averaging 35% of the after-school and drive-time audience at a time when traffic was growing dramatically. Teenage car culture was in its heyday. Around the time the Lake City branch of the legendary Dick’s Drive-In opened in 1963, O’Day’s listenership peaked at 41%. And his company, Concerts West, was one of the major concert-booking agents in the nation. The son of a coal miner turned preacher, O’Day was born Paul Wilburn Berg in Norfolk, Nebraska, in 1934. When he was 7, his father accepted the pastorate of a Tacoma church. The Rev. Berg soon landed a regular radio ministry show on Tacoma’s KMO 1360, one of the state’s pioneer stations. He didn’t pound the pulpit, but he could move people emotionally,” O’Day remembered in a 2018 Seattle Times story. I knew then that I wanted to be on the radio. Every night I’d go into the bathroom and practice announcing into the bathtub because it made my voice resonate.” O’Day graduated from Bremerton High School in 1953. When he enrolled in broadcasting school in Tacoma and began perfecting his delivery, he says, he realized the secret to his father’s success as a broadcaster was being one-on-one” with his listeners. Whenever I was on the air, I’d look at the microphone and envision one person and talk to her or him,” O’Day said in that same 2018 interview. As Seattle’s highest-profile DJ of the 1960s and the region’s dominant dance promoter, O’Day ran Northwest rock ‘n’ roll for nearly a decade and is credited with bringing the Seattle music scene to national prominence. He is probably best remembered as the afternoon drive personality at Seattle’s KJR, where he would eventually become program director and general manager. He owned KYYX in the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Starting in 1967, O’Day served as race announcer and commentator during Seafair for various radio and TV stations, most recently KIRO TV. The television station, however, announced it was parting ways with O’Day in 2013 and he would not return to broadcast the race. In 1998 a plaque featuring Pat O’Day with a photograph of him was added to the permanent disc jockey exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1964 and 1965, the national radio industry acknowledged his power, voting him top Program Director. In 1966, O’Day was voted “Radioman of the Year” and was also honored (along with a select few other iconic radio men) with his own volume of the popular Crusin’ LP series that featured his powerhouse patter wedged between compiled period hits. As Seattle’s highest-profile DJ of the 1960s and the region’s dominant dance promoter, Pat O’Day ran Northwest rock ‘n’ roll for nearly a decade. O’Day’s name became synonymous with KJR, the station he ran for a decade and built into an empire. To really understand his impact you’d have to consider the power of that station back then — it was not uncommon for KJR to boast of a 37 percent rating, an unheard of dominance by a radio station. Today that rating would be more than the market share of the top seven local stations (KMPS, KUBE, KVI, KIRO, KBSG, KRWM, and KWJZ) combined! O’Day, KJR’s star DJ, was eventually promoted to Program Director and, by 1968, to General Manager. He oversaw the production of each week’s Fab-50 play-list — inclusion on this list was virtually the only way a record could become a hit in this area. Additionally, O’Day produced or engineered numerous recordings by many of the top bands on the KJR play-list including the Wailers, the Viceroys, the Dynamics, and the Casuals. And if that wasn’t enough, he also ran an extensive teendance circuit across the region — which was the most profitable part of his empire and perhaps the most visible. By 1962, O’Day was making more than $50,000 a year just from throwing dances. By the mid-1960s O’Day and Associates were presenting over 58 separate teen-dances a week throughout the state. When it came to Northwest rock ‘n’ roll Pat O’Day had his finger in every pie. And there were more than a few local bands and promoters who wanted some of that pie. In 1967, three local businessmen slapped a $3 million federal anti-trust suit on O’Day charging that he held a monopoly on the Northwest rock ‘n’ roll scene and suggesting that he had been involved in payola and kickbacks from the bands that KJR aired. The legal actions took more than three years and included a highly publicized trial at which several local musicians testified (Merrilee Rush told the court that she and O’Day only exchanged Christmas gifts — a bottle of Jack Daniels for a smoked turkey). Eventually O’Day was exonerated of all charges and given a clean bill of health by the FBI and other investigators. Still, O’Day’s power-base was weakened and he departed KJR, the station he had brought to prominence and dominance, in 1974 to develop his concert business. “The federal investigations cost me about $150,000,” O’Day says today. “But I’ve never been further behind than when I started out because I didn’t have anything when I started.” The trial was not the first or the last time O’Day was involved in a financial controversy. Though his reputation was hurt by the charges, he wasn’t down for the count. He sold his teen-dance business (just when teen-dances were fading) and formed Concerts West, one of the world’s biggest concert promotion firms. O’Day had promoted the Beatles in 1964, and in 1965 he had local garage rockers, the Wailers, open for the Rolling Stones, and the Northwest’s proto-punk cult legends, the Sonics, sharing the bill with the Kinks. By 1968 Concerts West was booking all the U.S. dates for the Jimi Hendrix Experience and O’Day was on the road with Seattle’s guitar legend. O’Day couldn’t give up radio though and after selling Concerts West he parlayed his considerable wealth into ownership of a string of stations including KXA, KYYX, and Honolulu’s KORL. But by 1982, O’Day was once again the center of controversy when his empire fell on hard times financially and The Seattle Times ran a feature story outlining his woes. By 1983, he was facing bankruptcy, squeezed by a $5 million bank loan. He almost lost everything he had once had. But adversity seems just another everyday challenge for O’Day, and the saga of his long career in the radio industry is always adding new chapters. The opening chapter sees the radio legend’s birth in 1934 as Paul W. Berg, the son of a preacherman. His father for years had a radio ministry on Tacoma’s KMO, introducing Pat to the medium. He was raised in Bremerton and from his early youth he had only one dream: to be the afternoon man on KJR. He attended radio school in Tacoma and in September of 1956 landed his first job at a tiny Astoria, Oregon station. There, in between reading Lost Dog Reports and funeral home ads he eventually developed his “Platter Party” concept, which meant broadcasting rock hits from remote teenage sockhops on weekends — thus turning the previously sterile medium of radio into an “event.” The young radio talent moved to Seattle in 1959 lured by station KAYO and only there did he adopt the O’Day moniker, taking it from the name of a local high school, O’Dea. By the fall of 1959, he moved to KJR and only then did his dynasty begin. That November, O’Day virtually turned the local rock ‘n’ roll scene (sleepy up until that point) upside down. First he hired the Wailers — then riding high with their national hit, “Tall Cool One” — to play at what was the first rock ‘n’ roll dance at the Spanish Castle, an old ballroom just south of Seattle. Before long the Castle emerged as the region’s premiere dance hall and O’Day had his hand in almost every show there. On the radio, O’Day was also shaking up the scene. For if radio is, as has been said, the “theater of the mind,” then Pat O’Day was surely the greatest mind-bender to ever grace Northwest radio. Almost single-handedly, he transformed what radio was and helped mold the perceptions of thousands of teenagers into what it could be. Working with a bottomless bag of impromptu tricks and stunts, O’Day — who was blessed with one of the all-time archetypal radio voices — proceeded to capture the imagination of Seattle’s teenagers by mixing rock ‘n’ roll hits with a never-ending cast of zany on-air characters including “Granny Peters,” “Mr. KJR,” and “Wonder Mother.” The concept sounds old hat today but back in that day it was innovative, cutting edge, and fun. O’Day can also fairly claim credit to being one of the first DJs in the nation to experiment with an “Oldies” format. That was partially because back in the late 1950s rock ‘n’ roll was still so young few stations concerned themselves with yesterday’s hits. But O’Day was quick to understand that a classic song will always be a classic and he exploited this programming technique to its fullest. But he also established KJR as a station that could — and did — make hit records (think: the Ventures’ “Walk — Don’t Run” and the Tijuana Brass’ “The Lonely Bull”). But perhaps more importantly, O’Day was one of the first DJs in the Northwest to realize the talent of the early local bands. Though O’Day has more than his share of detractors, one thing he cannot be faulted on was his commitment to local music — no other station in history has played as many local discs as the O’Day-fueled KJR. Pat O’Day died August 4, 2020 (Obit: Seattle PI, KIRO 7, KOMO Radio)
Patty Payne (KMPS FM) works for Puget Sound business Journal
Paul Oscar Anderson – (Paul E. Brown) [KOL]. He died June 5, 2009
Paul Brendle [KIRO Air-borne Traffic] Deceased — [Seattle PI – Aug 8, 2002] Paul Brendle, a former KIRO traffic reporter who was once dubbed the “guru of gridlock,” has died of carbon monoxide poisoning. He would have been 56 on Wednesday. Police found Mr. Brendle inside his car in the parking lot of the Woodinville library Wednesday afternoon. A King County Sheriff’s Office spokesman said that Mr. Brendle died sometime after midnight Tuesday. A hose inserted into the car’s interior was attached to the car’s exhaust pipe. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a suicide. Mr. Brendle was a helicopter pilot who worked for KIRO Radio from 1978 to 1997. No one from the station would comment further. A spokesman for his family said yesterday that they had no further details of his death. Mr. Brendle ran his own company, Puget Sound Helicopters, while flying for KIRO on a contract basis. He was known for flamboyant, yet informative, descriptions of traffic patterns and problems during the region’s daily commute. He also covered big news stories from the air, such as the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980. During one of his most famous broadcasts Mr. Brendle vividly described the sinking of the old Lake Washington floating bridge in 1990, capturing dramatic breaking news and beating his broadcast competitors. “It looks very much like some sort of damaged ship, a large ship rolling on its side, groaning, gasping for air, then slipping on its side to the bottom of the lake,” he told listeners. He had a candid broadcast persona and held sway over traffic when he recommended commuters take certain routes to avoid an accident or a tieup. Others in the pilot community had commented over the years about Mr. Brendle’s proclivity for dangerous stunts and getting into trouble.
Within a 10-year span, Mr. Brendle miraculously walked away from three helicopter crashes. But the second, in Kent in 1983, caused him to collapse shortly after walking away. His love was helicopters, but he also became a developer, owning a drywall company and running a Redmond firm specializing in high-end homes.
In 1996, a court ordered Mr. Brendle to pay an Eastern Washington company $305,000. The company said he had defrauded it. Mr. Brendle had a contract from the U.S. Forest Service to reseed part of the Wenatchee National Forest, but did not pay the seeding company and used the government’s payment to pay off $100,000 in back taxes. Mr. Brendle, whose father was in the Air Force, was born in Oak Harbor and moved about the world. After graduating from Mount Vernon High School in 1964, he was drafted into the Army in 1965. He found his love for helicopter flying serving in Vietnam. He was awarded a Purple Heart and left the Army as a captain in 1970.
“Paul’s connection with radio listeners demonstrated just a small part of his ability to touch people’s lives,” his family said in a statement. “We will miss him beyond what any words can express.”
Paul Carlson
Paul Chambers
Paul Christy/Eric Chase now is a voice actor at Paul Christy Productions in the Houston, Tx area
Paul Coburn: in the 50’s on KOL with a mid-morning two-hour show called Coburn’s Caravan and a mid-afternoon show called Coburn’s Carousel with two hours of separation.
Paul Cutchlow [went to KYAC in 1966 right out of Ron Bailie School of Broadcast where we were classmates. *Dick Ellingson]; KOL, Worked for KQIV Portland in the mid-1970s
Paul Greggutt — I moved to Seattle in 1972. Worked with Tom Corddry, Moe Shore, Jon Kertzer, Davidson Corry etc. at KOL-FM. Most of us moved on to KZOK, then to KZAM. I began working in triple media: radio on the weekends, newspaper during the week, and some freelance TV work in the early days of ENG, which got me into public television (KCTS) and ABC-affiliate (KOMO) as a producer/on-air talent. [Writes on subject of wines for Seattle Times and has published a few books on the subject of wines]
Paul Hagar – Weather man for KCPQ 13 circa 1982
Paul Nelson [KMTT]
Paul Richards (Stave) says: “While I never made a name of myself in radio, I did enjoy it — and can’t quite get it out of my system.” He grew up listening to KJR, KXOK, KISW and later KXRX. and in the late ’80s got on at KWYZ, Everett, “I quit KWYZ to get a real job.” Stave said. “Later I did spend a few months at KRKO, in 1990, filling in for Dennis Arlington, who had died. The only recent radio work I’ve done was a handful of guest DJ/co-host appearances in 2010 and 2011 on “The River,” KEZE, Spokane.” Stave lives in Cheney, WA. (PRS2011)
Paul Scott- KAYO in the mid-1960s
Paul Thompson on the air @ KPLZ
Paul Walker – Seattle KING am 1979-81, KIXI fm 1982-1985, KPLZ/KVI 1985-1990, KIOK Tri cities 1990-1996, KGOT Anchorage 1996-1998, KDUK/KODZ Eugene 1998-2005, KLCE Idaho Falls 2006-2013, now semi retired in the desert oasis of Tri Cities.
Paul Watson was on KUGS in 1977 and with KBFW in Bellingham from 1977-1982 during the SRO years. Served at KBFW in various roles including on air personality, production director, news, and traffic. Moved to Washington State Senate Communications radio in 1983. Periodic voiceover work from 1983-2008.
Paul Wescot [KCMS weekends]
Paula Wissel – Started as a KPLU host during the All Things Considered segment (1989). For many years, she was the law and justice reporter. Paula also created the series “I Wonder Why,” “The Meaning of Work” and co-produced the six-part podcast “Forgotten Prison.”
Paxton Mills – died 6/25/2001
Pedro Bartes, Producer/Joke Writer for the Bob Rivers Show, was born in Santa Fe Argentina and came with his wife, Luciana, to the USA to study broadcasting and speak English at the same time. They enrolled in Green River Community College and they started going on air in KGRG, where they hosted La Revolucion and Minority Report. Pedro was host of Antes de Medianoche in the then only 24-hour Spanish radio station in the Puget Sound. Antes de Medianoche has historically been the highest rated show in Spanish in the Puget Sound. After that Bob Rivers stepped in and decided to hire Pedro as the Bob Rivers Show 8th member and Associate Producer. Eventually, Bob made Pedro realize he was funny and could write jokes for fun.
Penny Tucker [news at KRPM] known as Penny Coin at KYCW
Perry Allen air personality at KVI, died Jan 31, 2007 (75, heart attack, Los Angeles)
At the age of 59, on Dec. 9, 2014 at 3:11 p.m., Perry Rocco Luigi Farinola Damone was released from his valiant battle with lymphoma. He was surrounded and held by his closest family members and friends as he departed.
Perry Damone (KESZ/Phoenix) Perry was born in Los Angeles, Calif. on Aug. 21, 1955 to singer Vic Damone and Italian actress Anna Maria Pierangeli. As a young child, Perry grew up in Italy with his mother, Anna Maria Pierangeli, and his first language was Italian. In his teens, he later came to Los Angeles to live with his father, Vic Damone, where he got to know his three younger sisters and came to love them very much. He learned English from listening to American radio shows and decided that he wanted to become a radio personality. He achieved that dream with hard work and determination and became one of the most beloved personalities in Phoenix on 99.9 KEZ Radio. His favorite part of being a radio broadcaster was being able to speak with his listeners, not to them. He always answered his phone and spoke to people, and cared about what they needed and what they had to share. He felt that radio should serve the community. Working for KEZ for almost 15 years is a lifetime when it comes to radio. Perry Damone died at the age of 59, on Dec. 9, 2014 at 3:11 p.m. –Likely the finest midday air personality I have ever heard. -Lou Robbins (KOOL FM)
Peter M Lukevich [KLSY]
Pete Stacker [KZOK] At KZOK in 1979 through the early 80’s. Did production at one time and co hosted the morning show later on. I think he also worked at KMPS in the 80’s before moving to Chicago where he started a VERY successful voice over career. His best known work is the Bud Light Real American Genius” ads with David Bickler of Survivor. I heard him last January as the stadium announcer at Soldier field in Chicago for da Bears when the Seahawks tried to advance past the Bears in the NFL playoffs. [submitted by Jerry Hill]
Peter Boam or Peter B. listened to all the lonely people” in a nightly call-in program on KVI. (He borrowed his Loveline” concept from Russ Syracuse’s all-night flight” on KSFO, San Francisco.) Loveline” was one hour of Peter B’s two-hour evening shift (preceded by either Theater of the Mind” old-radio or the sprightly religion rants on The World Tomorrow,” with Herbert W. Armstrong. Peter had proposed calling the feature Audio Affairs,” but was cautioned that was too racy.” The hour feature was kind of a Dating Game” of radio where single listeners called in, hoping to meet other singles — some looking for a serious relationship, some looking for compatibility, some just looking for fun. Despite being exposed on the air waves, there was a feeling of anonymity — first names only, time for only four participants who had been briefly screened during the religious hour. Women were given the option to complete any off-air relationships — and phone numbers of the female participants were never given out. After about a year the station extended the show to two hours. Some features of Loveline” were legendary, especially Valentine’s Day meetups at Benaroya Business Park, Peter B. eventually moved to an afternoon shift at KVI, but Loveline” continued at night. I am still in touch with the first couple to get married as a result of the show, Dot and Jeff Newkirk. They live in Pullman.” —began his radio career in Sacramento at the campus radio station while studying mechanical engineering at Sacramento State College. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree, Peter went on to work at radio stations across the country. Peter was a popular radio personality at stations across the nation. In Madison, WI., the readers of Madison Magazine voted Peter “Madison’s Best Radio Personality” five times. After his broadcasting career, Peter moved into financial services management where he became the Marketing Services Training Manager for Discover Card in Utah. Peter returned to college in the late 90’s in Salt Lake City where he received a Masters degree in Business and Professional Communication from Westminster College. This led to another career opportunity when he was offered the position of Communication and Compliance Director for California Harley-Davidson in Los Angeles. Peter then did volunteer consulting with the Center for Volunteer and Non-profit Leadership of Marin County and serves as a board member and Director of Communications for the Mill Valley Philharmonic Orchestra. Peter then became the Public Address announcer for many local high school football and basketball games during the school year. Peter later returned to broadcasting as an announcer “on the air” on an Internet radio startup, www.bossbossradio.com. He was given the nickname, “Mr. Smooth” by his colleagues. **** PETER BOAM died in May 17, 2019
Peter McLaine is on evenings at Dial Global Networks “Kool Gold” format
Peter Newman [KING FM]
Peter Talbot [KTAC FM]
Peter Vail After KOL FM went soft rock he went back to being a jazz guitarist.
Peter Weissbach, Former Vancouver, Seattle and San Diego talk show host died November 11th, 2017 following a vigorous battle with cancer. He was most recently on air at KVI Seattle in 2010.
Peyton Mays spent 18 years in radio and then swapped a mike for a keyboard as Senior Editor, MSN Shopping
Phil Cogan was the News Director in 1974 when KTW AM went head-to-head with KIRO in a News-Talk battle.
Phil Harper gets the award for all around radio-genre hopping. He did top-40 on KING-AM, then country at KMPS, more country at KRPM-FM, adult-contemporary on KBRO, Bremerton, and his last full time gig at classic-country KYCW-AM — all the while moonlighting for jazzy KPLU and alternative KEXP. He was also the voice of KTZZ-TV (Channel 22) in the ’80s. His hallmark work was as morning man with Carolyn Duncan and Don Riggs (and later with Patti Par and Don Riggs) on KMPS. The best morning team(s) Seattle ever had! Harper, openly eccentric, commandeered a relaxed, conversational, but outrageously funny, morning show. You might never know he was wearing farmer overalls, ruffled hair, shaggy beard and was barefoot. Harper quit radio because he could make just as much money voicing occasional commercials, and he didn”t have to wake up before 6 a.m. “Occasional” wasn’t quite the right word. There were times Seattle listeners could hear three-out-of-four commercials with Harper’s voice. Then there was the phone company — a big expensive Hollywood actor was hired to sell a service, but it wasn’t working. A disparate producer hired Harper to voice the commercial and had the trained actor, Cliff Robertson, match the pace, the inflection and the emphasis that Harper supplied so naturally. And then there was “Harry Nile.” Harper played the title role of the world-weary private eye in Jim French’s radio serial “The Adventures of Harry Nile,” for more than 27 years. The series began on French’s home station KVI, then KIXI-AM, and on radio stations all over the nation. Harper grew up in Illinois, got into radio in the Army, was a disk jockey in Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon before snagging the morning job at KING-AM. In his “home laboratory” he crafted things — from soap to stamps to stained glass windows. Harper once explained his delight in portraying Harry Nile for the program syndicator: “I’m grateful beyond imagination to be cast as a continuing character in a radio drama. … My fantasy is that 300 years from now, when the station which plays the real oldies talks about the ‘Golden Age of Radio’ they willl play an old Harry Nile episode, and each of my descendants will receive 7/16th of a New Ruble.” He died from heart trouble in October, 2004, age 64.
Phil Johnson Newsman at KOL, KIXI, KIRO
PJ Kirkland (Phillip Pearl) — Air personality, KGY (Olympia). Worked for a number of years as a session broadcast information officer for the state House of Representatives. Retired, residing in Olympia.
Phil Roger – Phil Roger sales executive
KLYK Magic 94.5 & 97.9 FM
KRQT Rocket 107 FM
KPPK 98.3 FM The Peak
KEDO 1400 AM Classic Hits Radio
KBAM 1270 AM Real Country
www.ThreeRiversRadio.com
R.C. Bannon worked at “countrypolitan1590” KSND in 1969, through its change to “Oldies” KUUU. He picked the name “R.C.” thinking folks would tie that in with his country band “Ice.” His birth name was Dannie Shipley. He previously had a term at KMO, Tacoma. Later he worked at “county 800” KQIN. Bannon went on to Los Angeles for a successful songwriting/recording career, including house band at TV’s “The Barbara Mandrell Show” He was married to Louise Mandrell until 1991. They had several hit duet recordings. (VOS2012)
R.P. McMurphy – morning adult contemporary music program KXXO FM/Olympia
Rachel Belle – Feature reporter for KIRO FM
Ralph Heyward – KOMO-AM, KING-AM, KMGI FM,
Ralph Steadman an early host of the 950 KJR Sports Radio format. Died December 2014.
Randi Thomas [Janette M Veer] KJUN…KLSY Mike Barer reported on his blog…”Randi (her radio name), started about the same time that I did at KYYX, the early 80s. We were board operators playing music for the Seattle on-air personalities, who taped their shows. Randi also had an on air gig with KJUN, a country station out of Puyallup. Over time, working the odd hours that encompass working in radio, we would go out for drinks usually with Rosemary Smith, another good friend. With the burden of her other job, Randi would often call me to fill in for shifts that she was unable to or too exhausted to pull off. She was a happy, outgoing girl with a deceivingly sharp sense of humor and an undying devotion to her craft. Many years later, I crossed paths with a colleague who, by coincidence knew of her. He told me that she was working at KLSY, an adult contemporary station in Bellevue. My friend Garry and I went over to the station and joined her for breakfast at The Keg.
My wife is an AC radio fan and when we were dating in the early 90s, we would listen to “Lights Out” on KLSY, which Randi was hosting at the time, she would play love songs and read listener dedications, I believe it was the show that earlier rocketed Delilah to radio fame. I think my last contact with her was by e-mail sometime in the late 90s. I told her that I had gotten married and she e-mail the reply “you should have me dedicate a song to your wife”.
Randy Dixon retired from radio in 2008
Randy Lundquist – last at KJR FM, currently off the air
Randy Roadz – Started at KPEC FM Clover Park Tech school, rockin’ Shelton at Oldies KMAS [Program Director] – let go from KMAS when format changed to ALL-News. Then, the afternoon-drive guy at KOZI, Lake Chelan, WA. Roadz put together KZAL FM (Country) for Icicle Broadcasting. Now Program Director and mid-day host at KOHO (Wenatchee Valley) after Icicle decide to sell off KOZI AM/FM & KZAL FM.
Ray Briem -Longtime Los Angeles talk show host Ray Briem worked at KING-AM and KING-TV in the late 1950s. He was KING’s afternoon disk jockey and from 1958 to 1961 hosted the weekly teen-dance TV show, “Seattle Bandstand,” patterned after the Philadelphia original. When he left Seattle to return to Los Angeles, Frosty Fowler took Briem’s place. In 1947, Briem’s Army duties included recording New York City concert performances by Glenn Miller and other big-band groups for military distribution.
At KABC he became the quintesential all-night talker, with a rather conservative bent peppered with occasional in-your-face political stances. He retired from KABC in 1994 but returned in less than a year to host an afternoon program on KIEV-AM. He retired again in 1997. He died December 2012 in Malibu CA at age 82
Ray Brown 1450 KJUN/106 KRPM FM/104 KBRD-850 KTAC/KXXO Mixx 96
Ray Court (Courtmanche) was host of a daytime segment on KING-AM, hit-heavy “King’s Open House,” in 1962. It briefly translated into a television program on KING-TV. One of Ray’s projects was to call someone from every state in the union to promote the Seattle World’s Fair. He became even more familiar as a genial midday disk jockey on personality-radio KVI. After KVI changed owners and format, Court acquired a small Puyallup radio station, KAYE, and eventually added the beautiful music KLAY-FM, 106.1 mHz. He combined them into KRPM-AM-FM, and changed the format to country music in 1981, In the early stages of ownership he “resurrected” Ray Court disk jockey for his station’s morning drive show, broadcasting from a shack under a tower alongside the Puyallup River. “I searched for the best disk jockey I could afford,” he said. Court started writing poetry about 1970 or so and had promised to write a mystery novel (VOS2014)
Ray Golden KAYO/PD and announcer from Stockton, CA in Jan, 1960. By Feb, 1961 he left to be General Manager of KPON, Anderson, CA. By 1962 he was back as PD of KSTN.
Ray Hutchinson – Air personality and newsman. KOL. Newsman at XTRA. Business editor, KCBS, San Francisco – deceased
Ray Ramsey was Hayhead Ray while rocking at KOL in 1964.A year later he dropped the hay but none of the corney to become KOMO-TV’s fast-talking,plaid-coat wearing weatherman for 20 more years. He was energetic, had funny patter and one-liners galore, even for his replacement Steve Pool (who now incidentally has been at KOMO for 27 years.) Ramsey died in 2011, age 87. (VOS2012)
Ray Willes worked for KAYO in 1962, retired from radio in 1999 and then did voice-overs for several years. He died Feb. 23, 2010
Rebecca Stevenson – Meteorologist @ KING 5 Media Group Jan 1999 – Sep 2007 —- Chief Meteorologist KIRO 7, Journalist Cox Media Group 2007 – 2013 — Meteorologist, Environmental Journalist Al Jazeera Media Network 2013 – 2015 —- Meteorologist Tribune Media KCPQ 13 2015 – 2018 —- Meteorologist KING 5 Media Group 2019 – Jan 2022 —- Meteorologist, Weather Forecaster KOMO 4 TV Jan 2022 – Present.
Reed Wacker at Seattle P-I.com
Reino Alfred Moisio passed away Saturday, July 28, 2012. Reino was born on December 31, 1934, in Tacoma, grew up in Tacoma’s south end and graduated from Lincoln High School, where he started singing and gained experience in percussion and playing the bass, acoustic guitar, and piano. Reino graduated from the College of Puget Sound (CPS) with a degree in music and education. While attending CPS, he met his future wife Mary Catherine; they married in 1956. Reino worked for Tacoma Public Schools for 36 years, most notably as Mr. Music. Mr. Music brought the joy of music to hundreds of local elementary school children via a weekly, Emmy-winning television show that was broadcast through KTPS from 1969-1989.
Renae O’Keefe (wife of Moose Moran) KRKO
Reverend Adumb Green says ” I don’t miss it too much but I still wish I was on the radio (107.7 the End). I recently started a new band called “The Guns of Nevada” but I am a family man now so no pipe dreams of geting famous and no more graveyard shifts on the radio.”
Rhett Hamilton Walker had an authentic accent to guide listeners through the pop-music world’s British Invasion”. (Don’t even whisper that he was Australian, sort of. He was born in New Zealand. His mother was American. His father was British.)
He began his radio career in Australia, moved to the new top-40″ KOL in 1965, then he worked at several West Coast stations. There is some minor obfuscation, by jove — because at various West Coast radio stations, including KRLA, Los Angeles, and KRUX, Phoenix, there have been, count ‘em: Rhett Hamilton Walker, Rhett Hamilton Walker I, Rhett Hamilton Walker III.
He returned to Australia at the end of the 1960s where he became an academic –a professor of business at La Trobe University, Victoria, Norm Gregory, his former program director, reports that our Rhett Walker died in Victoria, Australia in December 2012. (VOS2013)
Rhys Berryman retired and living in Sun City, CA – Worked at KTW in 1964
Ric Austin – KQKT left Seattle in early 1986 to return to Dallas, TX for family reasons.
Ric Knapp/Dick Jones retired
Ric [Richard Mattson] Hansen – KJR [also KJRB-KNBQ-KTAC-KBSG-KVI] owner of Hansen Entertainment Radio Parties [Wedding DJ & Events]
Ric Thomas was a KOL disk jockey in 1958, and briefly at KJR in 1957. Before Seattle he was a popular air personality and, in 1952, pioneering program director at KLIQ, Portland, as it dropped network programming to focus on music programming. A year later he moved to KXL, Portland. In a few years KXL was acquired by Lester Smith, a San Francisco business man who would soon own a number of Pacific Northwest radio stations. Still at KXL from 9 a.m. to noon, Thomas also appeared on a Portland TV station for a Friday-night program called “Stump the D.J.” Les Smith acquired KJR and in 1957 Thomas moved to Seattle. But KOL snagged him a year later. After four years at KOL, Thomas returned to Portland where he did middays on KEX, from 1963 to 1967. (VOS2013)
Rich Ellis [KTAC…KMGI] is Director of Sales & Client Services at Go Productions in Portland, OR
Rich Fitzgerald left KOL FM in 1972 after a dispute over programming (he was the PD). He next worked in record distribution at Seattle One Stop and at Capitol Records. In July 1977 he became vice president of RSO/Island Records. In 1986 he was appointed vice president of Reprise Records. Richard Mario Fitzgerald died Aug. 15, 2011 after a nine month battle with espohageal cancer.
Rich Germaine has been in the radio and TV business for more than 30 years. His on-air” radio gigs have included Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Rich’s voice is heard everyday on award-winning KPLU, one of the world’s finest jazz stations. (2012) Rich and his family live on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Rich narrates audiobooks for a living. More than 25 years experience, Radio & TV, commercials, Radio Show Producer & Talent, Voice for TV Commercials & Documentaries, Voice actor – character voices.
Rich Johnson – Was a newsman at KING radio (was also one of the airborne “Traffic Twins” at KING, along with Sarah Johnson), and was an anchor and reporter at KIRO radio. Johnson became Dir./News Content at USA RADIO NEWS, based in Las Vegas. Johnson anchored and reported for FOX NEWS RADIO, ABC NEWS RADIO, AP, and WTOP/WASHINGTON.
Rich Osborn came to Seattle from KORD (Pasco), was one of the Country Gentlemen at KAYO before heading to WJJD (Chicago), along with Chris Lane and Don Chapman. When Rich returned to Seattle, he did middays at KOMO, and also had gigs at KIXI, KSEA (KIRO’s FM), KBES, and KZAM when KBES reverted back to those call letters.
Rich Marriott – Meterologist at KING 5 News
Rick Austin – KTAC -said to have left the radio business in early 1986
Rick Donovan – Rick Oldenburg/Rick Oldenburg (Donovan) is Director of Development for the Annie Wright School in Tacoma
Rick Evens
Rick Mauser – [KING AM]
Rick Miller talked his way out of Seattle — lasting less than a year at KING-AM and only two months at KOMO. He started in Portland and soon moved to Spokane where he became the hottest talk personality in town, first holding his own against the competing syndicated Rush Limbaugh, and later moving to the competing station and taking Limbaugh’s time slot. Of course some of that was because management was stocking another radio station with all-day conservative talk. He also attracted attention at “King Talk 1090” KING-AM with late-evening talk. Full of wit and sarcasm, he was a cap to the day-long talk from KING staffers Bob Hardwick, Jim Althoff and John Hintererger. That didn’t last. Back to Spokane– for five years at KXLY and/or KGA. Then Miller was dragged out of Spokane in 2000 for KOMO’s second or third attempt at nighttime talk. KOMO never offered an explanation for why Miller’s tour of duty was so short. Miller said “It was a match made in Hell!” Miller returned to Spokane in 2002, joining KXLY again, and apparently promising at one opoint to discuss whey he was dismissed at KOMO. He soon soured on talk radio. Miller was quoted in The Seattle Times.”My daughter asked “When are you going to stop arguing with imbeciles?” “It hit me like a ton of bricks.”
Rick Nordlund – KTOY FM; KTAC FM
Rick Reynolds [KUBE]- Now at KKJO St. Joseph, MO
Rick Riley/Rick Shannon – Rick Riley -Wife: Carin Riley. Former Miami Dolphin Cheerleader. – Rick’s First Radio Job: 1973 – WKXY, Sarasota, Florida Recently: WIOD
Rick Robertson was but a sidekick on “The BJ Shea Experience,” mornings on KISW. The Bellingham lad did some radio in Los Angeles and New York, but blossomed into a true radio personality in 2000 as BJ’s foil “Double R.” He suffered audio abuse from Producer Steve, accepted the rants from B.J. Shea. He also contributed warm and humorous bits, including “Outpick Little Mick,” in which he fed sports predictions to his precocious son. He was fired or suffered a reduction in forces in 2010. He has since done some internet radio.
Rick Scott – [KING AM} is President of RSA Sports International, Bellevue
Rick Schaeffer
Rick Stuart now at KFOX 98.5 San Jose/102.1 San Francisco
Rick Van Cise – Radio program director KNWN & KVI Seattle. News anchor, TV meteorologist & freelance writer.
Rip Collins Newsman at KVI
Roall Ericksen Newsman at KTAC, KVI. Roall Erickson, age 95, long time resident of Federal Way passed away on November 6, 2018 in Bellingham, WA. He was born on January 5, 1923 in Bronnoysund, Norway. Roall was a radio announcer and personality for 40 years with stints in Alaska, Tacoma and Seattle.
Rob Conrad at WMJJ Birmingham, AL
Rob Femur is at Gabba Babba Hey Radio @ LIVE365.com
Rob Harder, former PD of Clear Channel’s 98.1 KISC and 103.1 KCDA [you’ll remember him from MusicRadio KING 1100/Seattle], now PD at KOOL 107, KPKL Spokane, as well as teaming with his longtime partner Mark Holman for mornings there.
Rob Sherwood [KTAC] and blogging all about life now
Robert E. Lee Hardwick – see: Bob Hardwick
Robert L. Scott landed his first radio job at age 14, hosting a weekend jazz show on KUOW. Within a year he secured a weekend job at Black-owned R & B station KYAC-AM-FM. By the time he graduated from Rainier Beach High School, age 17, he was entrenched as the station’s morning host. A 30-year radio career followed, including time as KYAC music director and news director. He was a newsman at KOMO, a disk jockey at top-40 KJR, and general sales manager at KKFX. He also sold air time for KING-FM and for KNWX. And, even before radio he ran a newspaper stand at 23rd and Jackson. He died in 1998, age 44. (VOS2012)
Robert Mak was host of the Emmy-award winning “Up Front,” KING 5 political program which ran 11-years. The program was one of the region’s best known and most in-depth TV programs covering politics and government. Mak regularly interviewed top elected leaders and other newsmakers, and moderated candidate debates.
ROBERT O. SMITH worked at KJR (1967) , KSND (1967), KOL (1968-71), KTAC (1972), KVI (1977), KIXI-FM (1980) and CFMI. Vancouver. He was the zany man of a thousand voices. He recorded several novelty tunes, including Walter Wart, the Freaky Frog” and DJ At The End of The World.” He also was a cartoonist and a champion weight-lifter (pressing 420 lbs). He enjoyed mispronouncing his own name, Robert Doe, Robber Dow, Rubberdough….and what did the O stand for? “..it stands for occupant. I get more mail that way.” Robert Doe began at his hometown station in Auburn, Calif., moved through stations in Reno, Las Vegas and Monterey before jumping to Seattle.
His move to CFMI-FM required the station to justify hiring someone with “skills not available in Canada.” He passed that test. Robert O. explained his radio career to a Vancouver newspaper: “I was morning man for a while, then I was night man, then I was the dishwasher.” “CFMI wanted a morning man who was somewhat animated, so they listened to me on Seattle radio for two weeks and offered me the job. I always loved Vancouver, so I moved. “Then as soon as I got here they said, ‘Ahhh, you didn’t sound that animated down there. Could you be kinda calmer? Don’t be so far out, please.’ I said ‘You want me to be like the guy you just got rid of?’ ‘Well, kinda.'”
He stayed seven years, then had brief segments at CISL and CKMA. In Vancouver he voiced a number of commercial accounts, supplied goofy voices in computer games and was in a “G.I. Joe” TV animated series. He died in Vancouver of pancreatic and liver cancer in 2010. Age 67. (JR2012)
Rob Tepper, one of Seattle’s most notorious, scandalous, shocking radio personalities — the T-Man of KUBE 93.
Robert O’Brian KRKO – KWYZ “Hey guys…You can update the Robert O’Brian name with Left Radio in 1993 and sold for Trader Publishing Company. Retired in 2001 and traveling a lot. Still live in Everett.” [Thanks Robert!]
Robert Wikstrom: see Bob Summers
Robin Eickerman “on the beach” in Montana; Formerly, partnered with John Maynard [Robin & Maynard]
Robin Lee Noll played Ranger Charlie on an afternoon kids show on KSTW 11. She went on to Hollywood, appearing as characters in programs such as King of Queens.
Robin Mitchell – KOL
Robin Sherwood [real name: Jim Hewitt] Air personality. KRKO, KGY, KQIN, KOL. Retired, residing in Palm Desert, California
Rockwell Smith – DJ at KASY (1960s); Radio Engineering Manager, Journal Broadcast Group – Idaho, KJOT, KQXR, KRVB, KTHI, KGEM-AM, KCID-AM
Rod Belcher [Sports] is retired
Rod Hammett KAYO 1960, KOMO 1962, KTAC, KJR, KOL, KING, KOMO TV – “Lynne Beaudreau (Hammett) says:
March 20, 2022 — My father Rod Hammett started in radio at KTAC in Tacoma with his on air singing canaries. He then went to KOL in Seattle where my brother Ryan and I recorded our own 45’s. After that he went he went to KJR and the midnight shift. He brought home the Fab 50 every week. All of our closets in our Des Moines home were filled with 33’s and 45 records. He was an incredible father and husband. He was hilarious always cracking jokes. He passed away just before his 96th birthday. Our mother Genevieve is still alive in Buckley at 100 years old. We had Arabian horses, dogs and cats, chickens, one cow, a red fox named Margo he brought home from either KOL or KJR. Dad worked with Bob Salter and Pat O’Day. Best father ever!”
Rod Jeffries worked at KHIT, I believe his real name is Ron Ronquillo and is an insurance agent in Seattle. [Wade Fisher]
Rod Simons KSTW 11 Sports – Rod most recently served as a lead anchor for KSTP-TV (ABC), joining the Hubbard owned station in October 2003. Prior to moving to Minnesota, Rod anchored the launch of FOX Sports Net’s “Regional Sports Report” in the Pacific Northwest and Detroit Regions while also hosting KOMO-AM sports in Seattle. In all, Rod spent 18 years as a lead news and sports anchor at KSTW-TV (CBS/UPN) in Seattle; KOIN-TV (CBS) in Portland, Oregon; KJR-AM in Seattle and KVI-AM in Seattle. Rod’s body of work as Sports Director at KSTW included award winning reporting from Rose Bowl’s, Seattle Mariners’ A.L. playoff runs from 1995-2001 and the Seattle Supersonics’ 1996 trip to the NBA Finals against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Rod also worked at KIVI (ABC) Boise, Idaho and KVEW-TV (ABC) Tri-Cities.
Roger Nelson KOMO radio
Roger Pasquier | KTNT, KNBQ
Roger Dale (Pederson) was morning disk jockey on rocker KOL in 1975 and adapted easily to overnight disk jockey as the station became country KMPS-AM..
As a teen from Connel, WA, Roger recalls regularly droving to the top of Snoqualmie Pass to tune in Seattle radio stations. His first job was at top-40 KALE, Richland.
Dale’s added interests were hypnotism, pondering astral projections and attempting dream analysys. He later appeared as Jefferson Kaye on KTAC, Tacoma. – (VOS2014)
Romie Cole is on the beach living in Vancouver, WA
Ron Bailie was an affable afternoon disk jockey on top-40 KJR, offering the “Bailie Bash,” from 1955 to 1958 and later, briefly, at KOL. Back at KJR in 1963, he started Ron Bailie School of Broadcasting in his garage. He soon built a small broadcast studio on Denny Way. The enterprise blossomed into a multistate phenomena — schools in Seattle, Spokane, San Francisco, San Jose, Phoenix and Denver. Bailie’s ads promised “high pay, prestige and security” in the radio biz. One student recalls that one of the keys to success was “dia-phram-atic breathing.” Bailie and a staff of instructors, usually selected from local radio stations, created and moulded more than 17,000 students. A good number of those used federal money for some of their tuition. Bailie even bought an FM station in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Something went wrong. Bailie, then age 60, and his wife and daughter were charged and convicted of improper use of federal student loan repayments. Embezzlement, they called it, from the Perkins Loan Progam, once known as the National Direct Student Loan Program. After a three-year prison term, Bailie did not return to the prestigue and security of the radio biz. (VOS2014)
Ron Callan, former KIRO-TV/Radio sports broadcaster and Seattle Seahawks press box announcer, became ply-by-play voice for the Arena Football League Portland Thunder on The Game KXTG AM 750 Portland [March 2015]. He was with KIRO-TV and Radio from 1981-2002. [NWBroadcasters]
Ron Chavis [KISW] is a veteran Radio and Television artist, whose career began in Pittsburgh on the set of Mr. Rogers over two decades ago. His broadcast career spans 25 years in radio and TV. Ron is the voice of numerous highly prominent clients in the United States, Ireland and England. Ron is a recipient of the prestigious Silver Microphone Award; and a two time Telly Award Winner for his work as a TV Commercial Director and Producer. Chavis can be heard online at The Touch – Today’s R&B and Old School
Ron Crowe is a color commentator, teamed over the past 20 years with Carl Lambert broadcasting local sports events on, variously, KUPY, KMO and KLAY. Crowe had a lengthy career resume as a high school and college athlete.in the late 1950s, including freshman basketball and the varsity squad before transferring to Western Washington University in his final collegiate season. Crowe owns an insurance agency and has spent several terms as mayor of Puyallup. (CHBCenter, 2014)
Ron DeHart was one of those early Sterling Rec. Organization radio guys, hired by Fred Danz when he bought defunct old KENY radio in Bellingham. The station became KBFW and DeHart was its first News Director, fresh out of the U.S. Navy. “Fred was perhaps the most gentlemanly broadcast owner I ever worked with in my 10 broadcasting years. Boeing’s infamous early ’70s economic downturn re-directed my broadcast fortunes to the mid-west (reporter/producer/anchor in Minnesota and Indiana). But I returned a decade later to become the face and voice of the U.S. Forest Service in Seattle as Public Affairs Director, a job I richly enjoyed until retirement in 2006.”
Ron Dini 1968, Ron Dini leaves KAYO for WJRC, Newark NJ. Todd Bitts replaces him on KAYO. According to Broadcasting Magazine: In 1981 Ron Dini was PD at WSVT Smyrna, TN. 1991 He was a Country Large Market Market Music Director Nominee at WSIX, Nashville, TN and was promoted to Operations Manager at WWTN, Nashville, TN.
Ron Ericson/Ron Hoon KTAC DJ, TV news anchor [FOX 10 News/Phoenix]
Ron Harris As of October 2010, Cherry Creek Radio promotes Ron Harris to operations manager of the Tri-Cities, WA cluster, succeeding Doug Daniels. Harris remains PD/morning host on Creek Creek’s classic rock KRKG (93.7). He joined the company eight months ago. Harris was previously ops manager for Clear Channel’s Yakima stations and worked at modern rock “107.7 The End” KNDD, Seattle.
Ron MacArthur [KIRO, KFKF] went to KOA/Denver in the 1960s
Ron MacDonald Air personality at KNEW (Spokane), KIRO, KVI. Worked for many years as a broadcast information officer for the Washington State Senate. Retired, residing in Olympia
Ron Magers [KAYO] now @ WLS TV
Ron Norwood – now produces popular syndicated Doo-Wop Oldies show “Doo-Wop Express” and works at KBZY/Salem-Or
Ron Reagan tested the waters as a talk show host on KIRO in 2006-7. He was squeezed into the noon hour between the well-established Dave Ross and Dori Monson.
In 2006-7 he joined the new political-talk syndicate, Air America. His three hour program aired daily nationwide, but only the single 8 p.m. hour aired on the newly named “progressive talk” KPTK 1090. The program was originated from KPTK studios. Reagan has lived in Seattle since 1994. In 1991 he was host of the brief late-night TV program, “The Ron Reagan Show.” (It was no competition up against Johnny and Jay and Arsenio.) The son of former president Ronald Reagan got better national exposure while broadcasting a series of reports from the 2008 Republican National Convention. Air America saw his ‘biting commentary” and his unique storytelling ability as his primary assets. Earlier, he co-hosted or was a scheduled guest on several MSNBC, Fox, and CNN political-discussion programs and contributed articles to such magazines as The New Yorker, Playbook, Los Angeles Times, Esquire and the internet’s Salon.Com. His political thoughts were frequently in opposition to his family, including his stepbrother Michael Reagan, a dyed-in-the-wool conservative talk show host. Ron Reagan is also an advocate for stem-cell research, encouraging research and federal funding, and an active member of the Creative Coalition, a First Amendment rights group. With the collapse of the Air America network, Reagan’s radio adventures disappeared. In 2003 he published the book “My Father at 100: A Memoir.” He has appeared on MSNBC political discussion TV programs, including “Hardball with Chris Matthews.” He has a website www.ronreagan100.com. (VOS2013)
Ron Reynolds retired in 2005 after working at KCBS, San Fancisco
Ron Rogerson, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Kitsap Credit Union, announced his retirement after 14 years with the company… Before joining Kitsap Credit Union, Rogerson worked for KBRO AM and FM radio as a station manager and was the play-by-play commentator for local high school sports for more than 10 years. He has also been a local business owner and a member of the Silverdale Rotary for more than 20 years. My over 14-year tenure at Kitsap Credit Union has been the most gratifying, rewarding, exciting and fun experience of my over 40 year professional career,” Rogerson said in a statement to the centralkitsapreporter
Ron Upshaw – half of the talk show team Ron & Don on KIRO FM The Ron & Don Show started at KJR-AM in 1995. Other stations they have worked at during their career include: KCTC-AM/San Francisco, KZZP FM/Phoenix, KYNG FM/Dallas, KQBZ FM/Seattle, WKLQ/Grand Rapids, KKND FM/New Orleans & finally settling here at KIRO. Now selling real estate.
Ross McGowan – McGowan’s broadcasting career began while attending San Jose State University. He worked summers for KBMX in Coalinga, and later worked as an announcer for KSJO and KLIV radio in San Jose, KYOS radio in Merced, and KIRO radio in Seattle before joining KING-TV, where he hosted “Seattle Tonight,” a live nightly talk show. Retired from KTVU San Jose-San Francisco after many years hosting their morning show. McGowan came to San Francisco in 1978 and for 14 years was the popular co-host of “People Are Talking” on KPIX-TV.
Ross Shafer KING 5 host of “Almost Live” sketch show, KJR disc jockey, from stand-up comic to motivational speaker, and once owned a Stereo & Pet store in Puyallup. rossshafer.com
Roy Curtis – announcer at KTNT 1400/Tacoma, late 1960s
Rudy Perez- KIXI 910 Personality
Rudy Schroeder – I was part owner in Waco UPF-7 N29300. I flew it a few times over Seattle in 1965 when I was a traffic reporter for radio KOL while my Beach Musketeer was getting its 100 hr. I was promoted as “The KOL Sky Spy”. I was 35 at the time. I wish I still had it. I have pictures. In 1968 I joined KOMO TV as TV engineer/camera man and producer of “Exploration Northwest” with Don McCune. Won 10 Emmy’s for KOMO and two personal Emmy’s and five Sigma Delta Chi awards for writing. I retired in 1988.
Russ Norman had long-running “KING’s Stardust Time”. KING had a format change and he went to KAYO with “KAYO’s Stardust Time. Sold time at KFKF around 1970. (Dick Ellingson)
Russell Lee [KMGI]
Russell Neil [KBRD]
Russ Rebel/Russ Stringham KRKO
Rusty Humphries, nationally syndicated talk-show host, has roots in the Northwest: He was a DJ at KJR-AM, KING-AM and KUBE-FM (as “Hollywood Humphries”). He was also the first producer for the Kent and Alan show on what is now KPLZ-FM.
Ruth Prins – (Wunda Wunda) KING 5 Seattle TV pioneer died at age 101 in November 2021. She hosted and played the role of Wunda Wunda on KING from 1952-72. Prins was an actor and drama teacher at the University of Washington in 1949 when KING recruited her to help them develop quality children’s programming. The popular show was also the first local program to receive the prestigious Peabody Award.
Ryan & Linton at KAYO and Ryan & Ryan at KKMI. See Gary Ryan and Bobby Ryan listings.
Ryan & Ryan – According to Fastlane Philips, Bobby Ryan is now in Real Estate for John L. Scott in Kent.. Gary Ryan was last reported to be working for KITZ/KGTK in 2008. He no longer is there.
Ryan Castle on the air @ KISW
Ryan Yamamoto, KOMO 4 Seattle news anchor joined KPIX-TV San Francisco (2021). He was with KOMO for five years.
Sabrina Register has worked in TV news at a CBS affiliate in Albuquerque, and KOMO 4, KCTS 9 and NorthWest Cable News in Seattle. She is currently on-camera for special reports for Comcast, which are broadcast during local breaks on cable channel HLN.
Saint Bryan KING 5 reporter, often seen on Evening Magazine.
Sally Rae [KWYZ]
Sam Kelly [Tom, Dick and Harry…and Sam] One of the oldest radio stations in Seattle, KTW (1250 AM) had a tortured history, including its beginning in a church loft, with a meager signal and a sunset sign-off. After being sold by the First Presbyterian Church in Seattle, the station suffered a series of owners and a bankruptcy or two. In late 1964, with the station still at 1250 AM and holding a construction permit for 102.5 FM, a new owner introduced a top-40 format with d.j.s “Tom. Dick, Harry, … and Sam.” The disk jockeys assigned names were Tom Morgan, Dick Jones, Harry Smith … and Sam Kelly. (Even their previous-station experience was made up.) The station’s rock format lasted 9 months and then was switched to the “Nashville Sound.” (KTW would soon endure other indignities in a three-way station-and-frequency shuffle to try to get rid of the sunset sign-off.)
Sam Lawson – Student engineer at pioneer Nathan Hale radio station KNH 1210 in 1970 (prior to KNHC). Also attended North Seattle Community College and L.H. Bates in Tacoma. Sam’s career began as a KJR request line operator in 1970, with his first on air job at KRKO in 1972. In 1976 he segued to overnights at KTAC as Cory Landon, then weekends at KING. In 1978 he moved to Lewiston, Idaho for afternoons on KOZE and KRLC. Throughout the ‘80s he was an announcer and/or engineer at “the best mix and biggest variety” of Spokane radio stations; including 97KREM, KKER (The Sam & Pam Show), KZZU, KISS-FM, PD of KJRB, and the voice of KAYU-TV. In 1989 he moved to Los Angeles as Assistant Chief Engineer and weekends at KZLA/KLAC. Also engineered for KBIG, KFI, Premiere Radio Networks, CBS Radio, and others. After avoiding any actual work for nearly 45 years, now happily retired and very appreciatively back in the great Pacific Northwest! Sam Lawson Airchecks | Articles by Sam Lawson
Sam Rinaker [KIRO TV News 1958-1960] resigned from KIRO TV in April 1960. Rinaker, 91, died in a crash in La Jolla, CA/March 2014. Rinaker was a former San Diego newsman who hosted a nightly news program in the 1960s. He was the passenger in a 1993 Mercedes sedan when the driver lost control and slammed into a 2014 Mercedes and then a power pole on La Jolla Scenic Drive near Soledad Mountain Road. Rinaker died at the crash site.
Sandy Hamilton says: I mostly worked in Seattle stations after getting some top 40 in Yakima. Went right to KOL, Then, KJR. I worked (at KASY) twice for a total of ten years. Spent some time at KLSY, the smooth jazz station and finally weekends at WARM 106.9 I still have nightmares about radio…coming into a station with nobody there and can’t find the appropriate records…don’t know the call letters…don’t know what to say….wake up sweaty. (September 2019)
Sandy Hill – She was the host of Dialing For Dollars which aired during the afternoon on KIRO 7. She later joined the news team as the weather person, later becoming a news anchor along with Clif Kirk. Sandy joined ABC News and was co-host of Good Morning America with David Hartman from 1977-1980.
Sandy Keys – KONP Port Angeles air personality (also a high school vice-principal)
Sandy Louie – KNBQ
Sara Johnson [KZOK] last worked for KOMO and is now on the beach
Saul Krakovski, became actor Steven Hill [Dan Briggs of the original “Mission: Impossible”] but was a Seattle native who was an announcer at KOMO radio in the ’40s.
Scott Burns @ Voice123 (picture)
Scott Burton was program director at “personality” KVI in 1984 but it wasn’t long before he shuffled the lineup — switching air times for Bob Hardwick and Jack Morton, squeezing down the sports talk and dumping the syndicated Larry King Show. As vice president of program management Burton eased in the “oldies” format at KVI.
He began in radio in 1958 at KFRC, San Francisco. Stations in Cleveland, Minneapolis, Washington DC and St. Louis followed. He returned to San Diego and San Francisco, and in 1980 became an owner and general manager of KSTM, Phoenix. After KVI, he returned to Phoenix, to become program director at KTAR-AM. Beginning in 19992 he operated Scott Burton Media, in Scottsdale, AZ. Scott Gary Burton died in 2008, age 71 in Maricopa County (Phoenix)
Scott Campbell real name Robert Lee Campbell died about 1989
Scott Forrest Disc Jockey/Music Director-KJR/KING Broadcasting June 1978 – January 1985 (6 years 8 months)Seattle; KSFO/KYA Broadcasting June 1986 – March 1992; KISN-FM Radio March 1994 – November 2006 (12 years 9 months)Portland, Oregon
Scott Hodges came to KUUU as news director in 1972. His first job was in Shreveport, LA, and he worked at stations in in New Orleans, San Antonio and Fort Worth.After two years in Seattle he tried WXLO, New York, but soon bounced back (as Tucker Simpson) to KMO, Tacoma. His recollection of the Northwest? “Seattle restaurants don’t have hat racks.” After a year in Tacoma, it was back to Shreveport, He started a consulting service, incitefully named “Scott Hodges, An American Communicator, LLC., Shreveport, Louisiana.” He eventually brokered several three-minute morning newscasts on a station which did not have newscasts. He sells his own time. “I’m making much more than I did in Seattle,” he reported in 2012. (VOS2012)
Scott Ingram [KUBE] / Scott Tom Oldies 106.7/Portland
Scott Mitchell
Scott Paisant – The monosyllabic Scoot was a morning talk-show host in Miami before moving to KOMO, 1000, during a rudderless transition year for the “One Grand station.” KOMO was trying to be an all-news station on a talk-show budget. (KOMO zipped through a number of talk show hosts in short order. They should have kept Scott Paisant.) Scoot could tell the Seattle audience ratings hadn’t jumped much, particularly not the needed “younger audience.” “If there was a negative, it was KOMO that hired me for my talent,” Scoot said, “but did not invest in the time it takes to really move an audience. “I was not fired,” he said. “I left on good terms. I loved Seattle, and I loved KOMO.” First he lived in a Belltown apartment, then Issaquah, then bought a home in North Bend “overlooking Mount Si. . . beautiful” and “20 minutes away from Snoqualmie Pass ..snowboarding!”” While on-air in Seattle Scoot did a show for a week from Tokyo, Japan. That show caught the attention of KEWS, Portland. Scoot got a job offer, and he took it, “But the same thing {efforts to change him} happened to me in Portland,” he said, “and then Denver!” Soon he was back in hometown New Orleans. “It takes time to move an audience,” he said. “There is no doubt in my mind that if I had been in Seattle for a period of time and if I had continued to evolve into the host I am today – I would be dominant in the market.” He is that at the long-lived talk station WWL “I can best be described as a ‘radical moderate’ who has strong opinions about whatever I talk about – ,but I will not view political and social issues through the myopic perspective of ‘right’ or ‘left’ – which inevitably leads to hypocrisy. If you are a conservative and the foundation of your ideology is less government and more power to individuals – then how can you support the government making moral decisions about what goes on in the privacy of a citizens life – example: same-sex marriage.” “I loved Seattle weather – the rain and the misty conditions with the clouds hovering over the mountains and evergreens. I have lived all over the country and Seattle was so beautiful and comfortable to me. I knew I loved the city the first time I landed there — when the plane broke through the clouds and I saw the evergreen-covered hills and mountains during our descent, I felt something special about the city. The waterfront was so picturesque and the Pike Place Market is a unique spot on this planet! “One of many great moments on the air was during a conversation about the homeless in Seattle – I walked out of the studio with a wireless mic and invited two homeless men to join me in the studio. Otis and Billy spent a hour on the air – I asked them why they were homeless and why they couldn’t find jobs. One of the things they said was that they didn’t have a place to shower and clean up for interviews and it was tough living on the street. The program director, Paul Duckworth, called out of the studio during a break and said the station would put them in a hotel for a couple of days to help them find a job and then they would come back and join us on the air. “We set up several days at a nice hotel in downtown Seattle – each with a room – they came back on the show several days later and nothing had changed. In face, one talked about how they both fought and argued over something about sleeping in the room. They had both checked into one room, when we had set up for each to have a room. That made me realize how many people in that position in life don’t always think about reaching for the best of a situation. It was great radio and a brief, but interesting experiment about how being homeless may be the result of one’s own doings, but it also pointed out that being on the street can alter goals and ambitions.” Through the years 2010-2013 he has been doing “The Scoot Show” nightly on WWL (His frist job was at age 17 was a producer at WWL. That lead to an opportunity to do an on-air segment on the FM side “when nobody listened to FM at that time of day,” thus began “Scoot in the Morning.”) And now, a little more Scoot to boot: “I realized a long time ago that 49 per cent of this country can hate you and you can still become President. This is America. “Life on the radio would not be as interesting if we all agreed. “The first definition most people want of a talk show host: “Is he conservative or liberal?” Why should that even matter? This is America. It’s not wrong to be either…or both. “I know it doesn’t make sense considering my career, but I am shy. Anyone who really knows me understands this. I love my son, Sean, and am so proud of the person he has become! There were times that I thought I wasn’t the best father, but I’ve come to realize that if he turned out this way, then there were no mistakes. I hope you come to that wonderful moment with your children. “I’ve been asked by many listeners, ‘Why did you leave?’ here and ‘Why did you come back?’ Though it’s personal, I’m happy to share my experiences. In 1986, the radio station I worked for was sold and the format was switched from talk to music. With no opportunities in New Orleans at the time, I had to make the tough decision to leave for a station in Philadelphia. That began my journey to some great cities around the country. In Denver, I gave up radio for a person I had been with for 14 years. I was asked to return to New Orleans, but having traveled around the country with me, she didn’t want to move. So out of respect for our relationship, I gave up radio and I started writing and producing TV commercials in Denver. Two years later, after our lives had become a challenge, we decided to part after 16 years of a wonderful relationship. Then it was obvious that I need to come home. I will always love the woman I spent 16 years of my life with and we still care about each other. I’m proud of that.” WWL in New Orleans is owned by Entercom. “Entercom has great stations in the Seattle market,” Scoot said. “This is also a very good company to work for. And I invite everyone to read my daily blogs on the WWL website.”
Scott “Fastlane” Phillips [KBSG] on the air & Program Director @ KGHL FM/Billings MT –
Scotty Brink had the ability to talk to anyone, the breathless top-40 delivery, a good track record, a memorable name. But just reviewing his employment record makes one wonder about the stability of a radio career. WTKO Ithaca (1959), WIBG Philadelphia (1960),WOR-FM New York (1968), KHJ Los Angeles (1968), WCFL Chicago (1970), WLS Chicago (1970), KJR Seattle (1970), KELP El Paso (1971), WRKO Boston (off-mic duties) (1972), KUAM Houston (1974), KUPD Phoenix (1976), WNBC New York (1978), WCAU Philadelphia (1981), KING-AM (1982), KHOW Denver (1982), WLAC-FM Nashville (1983), WSIX Nashville (1983), WGFX Nashville (1987), KSDO San Diego (1989), KOAI Dallas (1992 ) KYCW Seattle (1994), KXGL San Diego (1997-2002 ), WRLL Chicago (2004-2006). After 2004, owner of Brink Media Productions, Oklahoma City.
Scott Terry – see Steve Lawson
Scott Thunder [KCMS]
Scott Vanderpool – KZOK
Scotty McKay- KTAC DJ
Sean DeTore – producer KIRO FM
Sean Lynch had an air shift and programmed KYYX in Seattle, KNBQ, Tacoma, KKRZ, Portland, and KROY Sacramento. He also worked in the record business, for Interscope and EMI. In some jobs he used the name Dan Curvo..In Hawaii he programmed KDDB, Honolulu, and helped launch KQMQ. “Radio is super competitive in Hawaii,” Lynch said.”The caliber of the local talent is great.” He worked a morning show with Lisa D. “….a legend in this market.” “She has been on the radio for many years,” Lynch said.”I learned her first job was on Pat O’Day’s KORL, I asked about her early influences, and discovered that her very first job in radio was working with my old PD and mentor Lan Roberts.” Leaving the land of paradise, he moved to Las Vegas where over a four-year period ended up programming six stations in Nevada, (“greatest hits” KKLZ-FM, “hot AC” KFRH, “coyote country” KCYE, “rhythmic AC” KOAS, “Bob FM 97.3” KVGS & a new KFRH — “top-40” NOW FM). In 2012 he was living in Rancho Mirage, CA. and “prospecting for my next radio adventure.” he said. “In the meantime, I continue to do voice-over and consulting work for various entertainment industry clients.
Sean Michaels Was at KRWM
Seth Hughes-WARM 106.9 KRWM Morning man Seth Hughes was promoted to Music Director in June 2021. Seth Hughes had been with KRWM since April 2019. Hughes previously worked at sister station 98.9 KNUC Country, 94.1 KMPS Country and 100.7 The Wolf KKWF, also Country.
Seth Thompson – KIXI evening personality; I grew up loving two things… Computers and Radio. When I had a chance to meld the two professionally, it was as exciting as the first time chocolate got on my peanut butter!
Seth’s LINKEDIN profile:
I’ve been lucky to work in Radio since 2006 and spent 5 years crewing in Film and Television shoots before making the full time move over. I’ve progressed in talent and responsibility since 2005 working in just about every field radio has to offer… Promotion Assistant, Board Operator, Graphic Designer, Voice Over Talent, Show Producer, On Air Host, Social Media Director, Digital Program Director and even an Application Support Analyst II (least sexy job title ever…) for iHeartMedia as a national level admin for all digital properties.
Currently I enjoy a position with Hubbard Brocasting as their Digital Director working across all departments. I also have recorded and produced 30+ narration projects for Audible, so if you’re too busy to read then leave the reading to me! I also host the podcast Tall Man, Short Stories which you can hear on most any podcast platform.
Seth Wayne – August 2012 –KVAL chief meteorologist Seth Wayne is leaving the ABC-affiliate in Eugene, OR for KOMO, the ABC-affiliate in Seattle. Wayne will replace Paul Deanno, who is leaving KOMO for KPIX, on the weekday morning newscast. His last day at KVAL is August 17.
Shannon Drayer – KIRO 710 Mariner reporter, talk show host
Shawn Stewart -Once at the Mountain KMTT 103.7, now at KIRO FM hosting a program called Raining Cats and Dogs.
Sheila Kay [KRIZ]
Shellie Hart after 20 years at KUBE, Shellie is now at WARM KRWM 106.9, she has worked in Phoenix as well.
Siemny Kim joins KIRO-TV Seattle as an anchor/reporter. She spent the last two years at KXTV Sacramento, CA where she worked as a weekend anchor/reporter. Kim graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a double major in Political Science and Mass Communications
Slim – see Leslie Nielsen
Skip Marrow stepped radio broadcasting because he really liked music All kinds of music. In 1995, after establishing a career in marketing and mailing, he bought his own AM daytimer, “for the price of a pickup truck,” Morrow once recalled. The station was first known as KLDY, then changed in KBRD, 680 Lacey. Skip’s major partner, a Moluccan Cockatoo, liked the call letters, too. Starting with two CD players and a microphone in his living room, Morrow only occasionally announced music titles in the morning hours. Otherwise no talk, and that could be vexing due to the range of his record, tape and piano roll collection. It wasn’t until 2008 that Morrow would acquire “Y2K compliant” computers to keep the music going nonstop. KBRD still has a limited reception area, and a suset signoff, but it does come from the tallest structure in Thurston County, its 400-foot transmitter tower. In 2003 Morrow was diagnosed with cancer. He died in 2005, but not before he set up a foundation to keep the radio station going just as he wanted, forever. (VOS2014)
Skip Piper while part-timing at Kountry KAYO, was also at KURB Saturday afternoons for a while in 1970 with “Skip Piper and All That Jazz”. . . also traveled as sales rep for Pepper-Tanner. (Dick Ellingson)
Sky Daniels was afternoon disk jockey and program director at KISW in 1987. This was a hectic time for the station due to competing stations honing-in on its classic rock format. Further, the previous KISW program director had drawn away 20 staff members, on-air and off, to the new competitor KXRX. Daniels expanded the KISW playlist, aiming for a more inclusive Adult Album Alternative after attending several “hot band” concerts at Seattle clubs and concerts. Previously he worked at key radio stations in Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh. After Seattle, Daniels moved to KFOG, San Francisco, then a “very short time” at progressive KMET-FM, and then began seven years as a record-company executive. He spun that into music specialist for Best Buy stores. He returned to radio as program director of KCSN, noncommercial station at California State University Northridge. Daniels changed the format from classical to adult alternative which he calls “smart rock.” He became station manager in 2012.
Sky Walker – KJR, KEARTH Los Angeles
Smilin’ Jay Andrews – former KGY/Olympia jock now at Live 95 FM
Smokin’ Joe Dawson – [from his Facebook page] I am a FORMER disc jockey, and radio program director who has worked in Chicago, Providence, Seattle, Columbus and everywhere in between.
Sonia Fredrickson [KBRO]
Sonny Buxton – [from the original KZAM/R&B and KYAC] is alive and well hosting mid-day Saturday jazz on Bay area public radio station KCSM 91.1
Sparky Taft – The Taft family name has been heavily involved in building great radio stations in the Pacific Northwest for over six decades. Sparky Taft has owned 8 radio stations, has been heavily involved in the development and promotion of dozens of others and is involved in the creative, sales & marketing aspects of business [including radio] – has written several books on advertising/marketing -find out more at SparkyTaft.com
Spike O’Neill – Was co-host mornings on the Bob Rivers show at 95.7 KJR FM until Rivers retired. Still with his band Spike & the Impalers
Stacy Hansen, traffic reporter at KJR, with newsman Chuck Knopf, became an important part of Gary Lockwood’s morning radio show in 1989 and 1990. A former schoolteacher, she decided to devote several months as a volunteer in an orphanage in Bucharest, Romania, after seeing the ABC-TV program, “20/20.” She found “thousands of children, several with AIDS, several with handicaps, nearly all of them with minimal care at best . . ” She wrote a series of reports, “Holding the Babies,”‘ in The Seattle Times in 1991.
Stacy Ireland on the air @ KZOK
Stan Naccarato – [KLAY FM] – deceased
Stan Orchard formerly with KTNT, KOMO, most recently working at Pacific Science Center
Stan Warwick – [KOMO 1000 – ’64 from KOIN/Portland]
Stas Loutas
Stephen Norby – died 5 July 1989; was an announcer at KLSN; Steve Norby was at KURB around 1969.
Stephen Rabow KYYX
Steve Akrish says that he works for Verizon and ” Moved to Phoenix in 2004. No longer in the business. I’m now on the other side of the speakers.”
Steve Alexander [KING 1090 News]
Steve Avery
Steve Becker
Steve Chapman is a Programmer/Music Director at Dial Global Netrworks Steve Chapman |(picture)
Steve Blackburn – ex-KMPS
Steve Cooper works for Dial Global’s Rock 2.0
Steve Davis
Steve George – Was News Director KGY-FM. He is listed as news director at KELA AM and on the air staff at KMNT FM
Steve Goetz sales manager at KTAC/Tacoma, KFOX/Seattle and General manager at KJUN/Puyallup
Steve Knight was news director of KIRO radio until he became a weekend anchor for WCBS-AM, New York City, and in 2001 reporter for the CBS Radio Network. His Pacific Northwest experience included KING-AM, KING-TV, KGW-TV, KTUL, and KUTI, Yakima. He is now heard nationally on Fox Radio newscasts.
Steve Lawson/Scott Terry – KING-AM, KSPL 1150 — operates a social media marketing firm in Bellevue
Steve Lloid – KING-AM Steve Lloid sells real estate in Clark County, WA at Windermere
Steve Michaels [KOL] left KOL all-nighter for mornings at KTAC, replacing JJ Valley who moved to KPOJ/Portland.[all this in 1970]
Steve Montgomery – Before starting a Seattle ad agency (Montgomery Marketing and Communications) in the late 80’s, Steve Montgomery’s broadcast career traveled back and forth between air work, sales and management starting at KIMA Yakima in 1962. After graduating from WSU in 1966 he was a booth announcer at KREM TV in Spokane for a short time before going back to Yakima and joining the sales dept at KIMA TV. Moved to Seattle in late 1968 to work with Pat O’Day, Tom Hulett and Lester Smith at Concerts West. Then spent some time managing Seattle rock groups (partnered with Jerry Dennon) before returning to radio. Did some on air at KIRO AM in 1970 before joining the sales department at Kemper Freeman’s KFKF AM & FM in Bellevue. Later left the sales dept and became program director. Station was sold to Stu Ballinger and became KBES AM & FM. Steve developed a new MOR format. Also did PM Drive. Became program director and mid-day guy at KIRO AM early in 1974. Later that year, changed the station from MOR to all news and was first afternoon drive news host. From 1967 to 1988 was in sales and management at KAYO AM and KISW FM before going into the agency business. Still active in media buying and broadcast production as well as marketing and public relations and freelance sports announcing for ESPN, SPEED Channel, CBS Sports Network and other channels. Anchored broadcasts of the Seattle Seafair race on KJR, KVI, KISW and AM 1090. Also did PA announcing for teams including the Seattle Sonics, Sounders, Cascades (tennis) and Smashers (volleyball).
Steve Nicolet grew up in Van Nuys, Calif. Shortly after graduating from high school, he landed his first radio job in Glendale, at KUTE, in 1961. Next he went to KPOI, Honolulu. . In 1972, Nicolet moved to KKUA, Honolulu. He held court on the aloha airwaves for a decade Next, back to the mainland for rocking KISW, Seattle. In 1975, still at KISW, he also did a shift at KJR. He went solely to KJR in ’78. In 1981, he moved to “Kicks” KYYX-FM & and oldies KXA. Nicolet opened a record store on Bainbridge Island where he made his home. In 1982 he moved to the ill-fated KSPL (1150) first in afternoon drive including “Three O’Clock Rock,” then held program director and general manager positions until the station came to an end in August, 1984. He worked briefly for KBRO-AM, a Bremerton community station. He retired from it all in June, 1987. Steve runs a travel marketing company in Seattle. (VOS2012)
Steve Norby [KISW]
Steve O’Neill [KZOK] Voiceover productions at AirTalents.com
Steve Pool started at KOMO as host of Inner City, a weekly news/interview program. He was then given a daily 30 minute program called Window, which followed Good Morning America on KOMO. In 1979, Pool became weekend anchor on KOMO News [Co-anchor was Greg Forge. Jim Paymar replaced Forge in 1980.] When Paymar left, Pool was paired with Tony Ventrella. Ventrella moved on to KING 5 and Rick Meeder joined Pool as co-anchor. Steve Pool replaced Ray Ramsey as the KOMO weather man when Ramsey retired in September 1985. Steve Pool’s talent has also been recognized by the network bigwigs, Pool has been featured on Good Morning America [ABC] filling-in as weather forecaster there.
Steve Rabow – retired in Florida, writes travel books
Steve Raible – Former Seahawk and KIRO 7 reporter/anchor 1982- 2020, radio play-by-play for Seattle Seahawks
Steve Randall – KYOS Merced, KMEN San Bernadino, KYNO Fresno, KISN Portland, KGMQ Honolulu. KROY Sacramento, KNBQ Tacoma, KUBE Seattle, KISW Seattle, and KHIT Seattle.
Steve Scher – popular KUOW announcer; resigned from KUOW after 30 years in June 2014
Steve Schilling KIXI and KBRO announcer.
Steve Schy [KSEA]
Steve Sibulsky – After being at KBRD from 1982 to 1984, moved back east of the mountains with my wife and 3-month old daughter. Landed at KXLY AM/FM/TV as audio production talent and TV studio crew. In the fall of 1985 I began 8 great years as Operations Manager of KVNI AM in Coeur d’Alene, where we built 94.5 FM, first as a class-A country station, then a class-C rocker. (There are only two FM stations that originated in Coeur d’Alene, and I helped build both of them!) Left full-time radio for other interests, then opened my VO project studio in 1995. Now retired to sunny southern Arizona, where I still do occasional voice work.
Steve Slaton – ex-afternoon drive at KJR FM, KZOK and very early in his career, a stint at progressive rock KLY FM Tacoma
Steve Sorenson was an announcer at KTBI, 850 Tacoma, from 1949 to 1951. He was frequently called upon to do nightly remote broadcasts from Tacoma’s Music Box Theater.
Steve Suplin was a teacher at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo
Steve Swan
Steve Ward –
Steve West KJRB, KJR, KTAC The following bio is from Marketing Immortals
Growing up in the logging seaport of Grays Harbor County, and working Summer jobs in the mills, prompted Steve West to seek a slightly less-dangerous way of making a living. Borrowing from his high-school experience (always the one with the 45s for the school sock-hop), Steve became a disc jockey and began his radio career in 1962 at a small, daytime radio station, KHOK in Hoquiam. His career branched into teen-dance promotions, highlighted by the night he brought the Beach Boys to Hoquiam High School. After a short stint on active duty with the Washington National Guard, Steve became a morning jock at KPUG in Bellingham. Steve and Sharon were married there in 1967, and Steve was fired while they were on their honeymoon. This helped Sharon understand that it is what it is—and led to 50+ years of togetherness. It also opened the door for a job interview—and a job—with Pat O’Day (now a fellow IMMORTAL) at legendary KJR in Seattle. In 1970, Steve left KJR to move into program management. With a team of young radio personalities, he transformed KTAC/Tacoma into the South Sound’s Top 40 leader. Steve was then invited back into the Kaye/Smith radio group as program director at top-rated KJRB/Spokane. Following four successful years in the Inland Empire, it was back to Seattle, this time as program director at KJR. And then came FM! As the decade of the ’70s came to a close, FM was finding a toehold with young radio listeners. Steve decided to move up the dial and accept the general manager’s position at KJR’s FM sister station, at a time when disco was the rage. With personalities like Langon & West, Crow & Hovanes and Steve Slaton, KISW, Seattle’s Best Rock, rocketed to No. 1—becoming the first FM station ever to gain the top position in the Seattle-radio ratings. Following the sale of KISW in 1986, Steve launched a new FM station in 1987 for Roy Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting. Some of the KISW staff joined the new KXRX, allowing 96-dot-5 to become an immediate and dominant force in the Seattle market. In 1996, Steve and a partner acquired the 850AM frequency in Tacoma and converted the station to news/talk KH2O, the Voice of the South Sound. The station was sold to the Ackerley Group in 1998 when they realized that Tacoma wasn’t yet the City of Destiny. After selling KH2O, he formed the Steve West Group (SWG) a marketing company specializing in retail advertising. As a consultant with a customer viewpoint, SWG has helped businesses improve customer service and deliver their sales messages through both traditional and digital channels. Now in its twentieth year, SWG enjoys long-standing relationships with its clients. Steve, and the radio stations he’s managed or owned, won numerous national awards for ad campaigns and promotions and twice were named Radio Station of the Year by the National Association of Broadcasters. And he was a recipient of the prestigious PSRBA Crystal Soundie Lifetime Achievement Award.
Steven B. Williams, who jocked at KYYX-FM Seattle in 1977 was found dead by a passing ship’s captain, floating off the coast of Catalina Island. He was 59. [06/08/06]
Steve Wray KQDE, KREN/Renton, KQIN/Burien
Steve Young [KISW] died 12/8/08
Steven Hill [real name: Saul Krakovski, became actor Steven Hill] appeared as Dan Briggs of the original “Mission: Impossible”, but was a Seattle native who was an announcer at KOMO radio in the ’40s.
Stevie Ager – The Zodiac Lady at KOL in the 1970s, she was also the Promotions Director and announced the Women’s News nid-days.
Stitch Mitchell – Account exec at KRKO “On the Road with Stitch and Maury Show Co-Host-Account Executive at KRKO | •Night Guy @ B97-3 FM in Seattle at Bonneville International | •Morning Co-Host at KXL-Star 95.5, Portland, Oregon | •Morning Co-Host at KMZQ-KLASSY 100.5 (Vegas) | Mid-day host, Research Director at KMGI, MAGIC 108, Seattle WA | On Air Talent at KUBE, Seattle, WA | PM Drive Host at KPLZ, Seattle WA | On Air Talent; Music Director at KXIC/KKRQ, Iowa City, IA | On Air Talent at KCII AM & FM, Washington, Iowa | On Air Talent at KTPR/KICB, Fort Dodge, IA
Stu Collins [KING] Before Seattle he was at WOWO, Ft. Wayne, IN from May 1969 to Aug. 1973. Here is an aircheck. He says he left WOWO for KING and was only there for 6 months and he was hired away by WIND AM in Chicago. He worked there until 1993 and then retired. He became semi-retired after he moved to Wisconsin working in radio there.
Stubbs (Lorraine Galbraith) KMPS DJ, grew quite a following on the Country station, earlier had worked at KBFW Bellingham
Suds Coleman
Sue Romero is a reporter for the Sinclair group of radio stations
Sunshine Smith (Noreen Smith) worked through three Puyallup station transitions– from KUPY to KJUN to KRPM-AM-FM [four years in all], and as Brandi Walker at KKFX. Noreen Smith used the name Sunshine Smith on country-music KJUN; when the station changed to KRPM in 1987 she became the more subdued Sundown Smith. By 1985 she became Sunrise Smith. Later she worked as Sunshine Smith at KGAA, Kirkland and KKFX, Seattle. (VOS2012)
Susan McKenzie
Suzanne Strickland/Suzanne Thunder worked at KCIS and KCMS from 1985 to 1992, sometimes under the name Suzanne Thunder. She was morning news anchor at “Smooth 99” KWJZ in 1994.and did news fill-ins at KJR. She moved to Nashville, but now, under the name Suzanne Duvall, is afternoon news anchor on WHAS-AM, Louisville, KY
Susie Wendel offered one-minute Hollywood “gossip reports,” apparently from Seattle studios, twice a day on oldies KUUU, 1590, in 1973.. Station owner disagreed with station manager. So Susie lasted only a month or so. Real name Sue Sartoris, but that sounds more like a pseudonym than the air-name. Anyway, here’s her picture.
T. J. Killorin [KZOK] previously from Boulder, CO
Tad Jones -KAVR AM Havre, MT in 1950; director of engineering/disc jockey at KAYO in 1956-1966 deceased; August 8, 1966
Verle (Tad) Jones, 43, director of engineering for KAYO Seattle, died July 26 of apparent heart attack at Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Tall Paul Fredricks [KMPS]
Tam Henry started at KVI weekends, began program director of KYAC (and through its tortured progression to KKFX), then joined KMPS-AM weekends. Tam went on to WDAS Philadelphia where he remained for about 15 years. Tamlin Henry died in June 2020.
Tammie Bennett -DJ’d at The Mountain 103.7, moved to 1240 KGY/Olympia
Tammy Mutasa KXAS 5 Dallas, WLWT-TV, Cincinnati’s NBC station, and KOMO Seattle
Tana Beebe [TV news] went to work in the 70s for a government agency in Washington DC]
Taylor Van Cise KOMO Radio news anchor
Ted Bryant – deceased; Co-host of mid-day cooking/lifestyle program on KTNT 11 in the 1950s; former KJR & KING TV newsman, KOIN AM/FM/TV News Director, KOAP-FM News Director, died Nov. 20, 2003 at age 74 in Portland.
Ted Clark [KBRO]
Ted Garlatz Sr., was KOMO Radio’s “man in the sky” for two decades. The garrulous Garlatz experienced two crashes during his traffic-reporting career. Larry Nelson, KOMO’s morning personality, recalled a hoax he and Garlatz pulled after it became clear that competing radio stations were using KOMO’s morning traffic reports. On a prearranged signal from Nelson, Garlatz reported over a two-way radio (but not over the air) that a truck full of oil barrels had overturned on the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge. The sting worked. KING sent news cars to the scene, and KOL and KJR both put traffic alerts on air, Nelson recalled. Garlatz was born in Seattle, attended Cleveland High School, became a sheet-metal specialist in Glendale, Calif. He worked for Boeing during World War I and later joined the Navy where he fixed bullet-damaged planes. He began solo flying in the 1940s and obtained his commercial pilot’s license in the early 1950s.. Garlatz and his son Ted Jr,. ran Seattle Air Charter, a flight and air-taxi operation at Boeing Field. He left KOMO in 1983 after some illnesses, He died in 1993, age.73. (VOS2014)
Ted Hikel – I worked at KURB in Mountlake Terrace in 1968-1970 and at KBRO in 1967 and 1968. I could add more info about these stations if you are interested. Bruce Bartley owned KBRO and was a former law partner of Warren Magnuson. During the depression he owned the Olympic Hotel and Troy Laundry. He was the most unforgettable character I have ever met. KURB was the idea of businessman Pat McMahan who wanted to promote Mountlake Terrace with a radio station even though Lynnwood was the commercial center. He wouldn’t consider making the station a Lynnwood/Mountlake Terrace station. There were actually 10 owners. Bruce Bartley warned me not to go to work for 10 owners. He was right.
Ted Knightlinger – KTNT newsman, program director, assistant manager; deceased
Ted Potter – KAYO and KOMO Air Traffic reporter – Deceased
Tee Alexander [KZAM]
Terry Gangstad – Production Director for KTAC from 1983-1985. Production Manager for KISW from 1988 to 2002. Currently, writing and producing for Chuck Woodstock at Woodstock Media Group in Tacoma.
Terry MacDonald is reported to be doing voiceover work in Washington DC
Terry McManus – KFKF-KOL-KVI – deceased
Terry Rose now residing on Whidbey Island, was the long-time production manager and movie critic at KIRO Radio.
Tessa LaVergne is a producer/writer for Q13 FOX KCPQ
Texas Jim Lewis performed with (or organized) cowboy bands for radio stations in Texas, Michigan and California, and briefly in 1950 at full-service network-programmed KIRO, 710 Seattle. He appeared on the station’s weekly cowboy-music program, “Rainier Ranch,” sponsored by Rainier Beer. But Texas Jim Lewis is most fondly remembered as he was snatched away by KING-TV to become the joke-cracking host of the first afternoon-TV kid show, “Sheriff Tex’s Safety Junction.” Lewis was “the nation’s first country-music disk jockey” in Los Angeles. But he skipped over the obligatory 1940s phenomena of radio-station affiliations like KVI’s “K-Six Wranglers,” KMO’s “Rhythm Riding Wranglers,” KBRO’s “Arkie Shibley and the Mountain Dew Boys” and Spokane radio’s “Charlie Ryan and the Montana Range Riders.” Lewis was the son of a sheriff and starting in the late ’30s toured the nation, performing at chatauquahs, tent-revivals, taverns and minstrel shows. One of his key engagements was at the gangster-owned basement speakeasy, The Purple Gang, in Detroit. He appeared on the Mutual Radio Network, the Fred Allen comedy show, and in 40 or more low-budget cowboy movies. In 1936 he had a hit record, “Who Broke the Lock on the Henhouse Door?” featuring a musical contraption he called a hootinanny. Other records followed. During World War II while Lewis was stationed at Fort Lewis, his band was morphed into a band led by Spade Cooley. KING-TV retired “Safety Junction” in 1956 and “The Sheriff Tex Show” aired on KTVW, Channel 13. He performed through 1962 and the Seattle World’s Fair. He continued working area nightclubs into the 1970s but wound down thereafter. He died in 1990, at age 81.
Thane Phelan 106.1 KRPM- I started there as an intern then was Research Director and did just a little announcing on weekends. I was there for a year and worked with some Seattle greats! Jack Morton, RP MacMurphy and Mark Pierce, Ryan and Ryan, Lee Rogers. Left with Morning news Penny Tucker to work and run a Yakima station. I have since been the programmer and morning man on many Yakima stations. left radio last year and now do multimedia with the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce.
Theron Zahn KOMO 4 anchor, weathercaster and field reporter.
Tim Burgess started at KJR in 1967, right out of Lincoln High School. Armed with a simple tape recorder, he was something of an “ambulance chaser,” looking for actualities to phone-in for freelance sale to the KJR newsroom. Dedicated, Burgess’ first-date with his future wife Joleen was waylaid by a quick trip to a murder scene. Eventually Burgess became a regular beat reporter, from 1967 to 1971, given the title “outside reporter” and became a familiar figure in the Police Department, Sheriff’s office and City Hall. He left KJR for a brief run at news at a station in Aruba, Netherlands Antilles. Burgess returned to began at the Seattle Police Department as a patrolman, then a speechwriter, then a detective until 1978. He ran for City Council and has served there since 2007. (VOS2012)
Tim Edwards – KRPM, KNBQ
Tim Hunter served 17 years at KLSY, 92.5, drawing second billing in the morning show “Murdock, Hunter and Alice.” He was first drawn to radio in high school when he and a buddy talked the principal into launching “KTHS” on the school’s P.A. system in the pre-school hours. Complaints from neighbors ended the show four days later.
While attending college at the University of Washington, it came to Tim’s attention that he hadn’t decided on a major yet. When one of the guys in his dorm mentioned he was working at KCMU, the school’s student-run radio stationlater purchased by , now affiliated with the Experience Music Project with call letters KEXP), he soon became a radio and television major. During his final year in college, Tim interned at KING AM-1090 under Production Director Steve Lawson. That’s where he met future morning show co-host, Bruce Murdock. After graduating from college, Tim headed over to Yakima to KQOT, an AM daytimer, where he did afternoons and soon became program director. As small market restlessness set in, Tim jumped over to KMWX /KFFM for a year before getting a career-changing phone call. One day, while playing a recorded message of job openings, Tim decided to enhance it by putting “The Tonight Show” theme behind it. While in town visiting family, KOMO radio news anchor Bob Gillespie heard the bit and decided there was some creativity there. Upon his return to Seattle, Gillespie passed along Tim’s name to management at KOMO, where they were searching for a producer for morning show host Larry Nelson. Tim got the phone call from Larry, came over for an interview and was hired. After four years working with Larry Nelson and the KOMO morning show, budget cuts introduced Tim to the classic radio game, “Now you’re working, now you’re not.” After a couple of months on the beach, Tim managed to nab a copywriting/production job at Classy 92.5FM. Tim went from behind the scenes to a weekend air shift, to afternoons and then morning show co-host with the “Murdock, Hunter and Alice Show.” The trio woke Seattle with fun and Alice Porter’s loud laugh that still echoes throughout the Northwest. In the summer of 2002, Murdock announced he was not going to renew his contract. After months of promising a decision and interviewing possible replacements, Murdock, Hunter and Alice were notified their contracts were not going to be renewed backstage at their annual Christmas show at the Village Theater in Issaquah. Their last show together was on Friday, December 17, 2003. Tim is currently the Creative Director at Destination Marketing, a full-service advertising agency in Mountlake Terrace, WA. He writes, directs and does voice-overs for clients in several North American markets. Tim continues to provide morning shows with material as a contributing writer to Radio Online’s Daily Show Prep. For ten years, Hunter was a freelance writer for submitting frequently to Jay Leno and the Tonight Show. Tim also writes material for ventriloquist Mark Merchant, as well as political cartoonist Steve Kelley. He and Frank Shiers have teamed up to create a cartoon of their own, Ima Norwegian. In September 2018, Tim started doing the morning show at KRKO 1380 Oldies in Everett.
Tim Joyce – KCPQ weather – Joined WGN Chicago in June 2021. Before joining WGN-TV, Joyce was a meteorologist and reporter for Q13 News (KCPQ-TV) in Seattle for almost ten years, which included duties as Chief Meteorologist for their Portland sister station, CW32 TV (KRCW-TV). He also reported on environmental, transportation and quality-of-life issues. Previously he held various meteorologist positions at KIRO 7 News in Seattle; KOIN Local 6 News in Portland; and KTMR NewsSource 16 and KVAL 13 in Eugene, Oregon. Joyce got his first taste of broadcasting from the NewsScene television program at Oak Park & River Forest High School where he was a writer, producer and on-air commentator.
Tim Kammer’s first paid gig (lasting one graveyard shift) was at KRKO, Everett. He was “The Hammer” at “97rock” KXRX, Tri-Cities. He was a newsman and talk show host in Reno. He managed KHCV-TV, a nondescript Seattle UHF station (now the jewelry channel on Comcast systems) for eight years.
Tim Lewis – Sportscaster at KOMO 4 TV – son of KOMO News anchor, Dan Lewis. Tim began sports coverage at KOMO [July 2012] after serving at KREM TV/Spokane.
Tim Robinson
Tim Shook [KGAA, KBRD, KTNT, KNHC] [deceased]
Toby Ryan – on the air @ 101X Austin, TX
Todd Baker – moved to Hollywood and then on to Sacramento
Todd Mitchell (KTAC) Senior Vice President of Programming iHeartMedia | Bismarck + Dickinson, North Dakota
Todd Shelton/Richard Goodman [KEZX…KBRD]
Tom Church [KRPM 770]
Tom Connors – Lee Richardson “Tom” Connors, 64, was a leading Seattle DJ from 1967 to 1976. He worked at KJR-AM, KING-AM, KIXI, Everett’s KRKO, and most notably at long-gone rock station KOL. One of Connors’s KOL colleagues, Buzz Barr, told the Post-Intelligencer, “Tom’s style was not a funny jock, but sincere, fun, always positive, with the greatest laugh in the business. People in the business then and now call him the nicest guy in radio; he was as sweet as a big bunch of cotton candy.” After Connors got out of the broadcasting grind, he and his wife Pam ran a real-estate appraisal firm. Connors died July 2 from a sudden heart attack [The Stranger–Seattle/2002] This is from a Bill Virgin column on July 10, 2002: Lee “Tom” Connors, who died last week, was a well-known figure in Seattle radio in the 1960s and 1970s. He had stops at such local stations as KJR, KING, KRKO, KMO and most notably as one of the “Magnificent 7” at rock station KOL. Buzz Barr, who was also in that group at KOL, remembers Connors this way: “People in the business then and now call him the nicest guy in radio; he was as sweet as a big bunch of cotton candy. Tom’s style was not a funny jock, but sincere, fun, always positive with the greatest laugh in the business.” Barr also recalls that Connors spent some time in the news department at KIXI where he opened his newscast with “All trains, boats and planes are on time.”
Tom Corddry — I’m living in Seattle. After Brown University, I moved to Seattle to attend graduate school at the University of Washington, in communications, and made one documentary film before slipping back into progressive radio, as Program Director of local station KOL-FM. Staff there included Vito Perillo, Jon Kertzer, Moe Shore, and Paul Gregutt. I also was part of a team that launched KZOK in Seattle, and then KZAM. Dave Corry was part of KZAM, as were Kertzer and Gregutt. My radio career ended in 1979.
Tom Cross – KGFJ, 1968-74. Tom is a motivational speaker, consultant, counselor and business coach. Cross left KYAC in 1968 for KGFJ Los Angeles (another Soul station at the time.)
Tom Dahlstrom [KING FM] now at Jefferson Public Radio
Tom Franklin [KING AM Newsman] wrote a book in 1972 “Broadcasting The News”
Tom Glasgow is in his 12th year as sports director on KOMO-AM. He is also the lead announcer play-by-play announcer on college football and basketball games on Root Sports. Glasgow, a Tacoma native, began his broadcast career in 1981 at KIRO-AM as producer for sports broadcasts headlined by Bob Blackburn, Wayne Cody and Pete Gross. After serving as reporter, sports anchor and talk-show host, Glasgow became sports anchor on KIRO-TV. He co-hosted Northwest Sports Report and Pac-10 Tonight.
Earlier he spent two seasons as play-by-play voice of the Vancouver Grizzlies, before the team moved to Memphis. In addition he has hosted pre-game and post-game shows for the Washington Huskies, Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners. He lives in Issaquah. (CHBCenter, 2014)
Tom Henning KBLE, KJR, KMO, KOL, KING – retired
Tom Hood a.k.a Tom Kelly – from 440 Satisfaction: KBRO [Seattle WA] 1961 | KBRC [Mt. Vernon WA] 1963-1965 | KOMO [Seattle] 1967 | KJR [Seattle] 1969 | KURB [Seattle] 1970 | KFBK [Sacramento CA] 1971 | KNX [Los Angeles CA] 1975 | KAYO [Seattle] 1980-1983 | KING [Seattle] 1985-1988 – News/Talk consultant … Now: Tom says (1/06), “I am now a p/t physicians asstistant in Tacoma, Washington. Not much radio for nearly 20 years; miss it, but not the hassles … any way we can make it a civil service gig? (smile). I went back to school and graduated in metallurgy; it’s since served to whet my appetite and tripled my income (if you don’t count the cleaning bill) to dumpster-dive for buried treasure; such a deal…” dftdrummermmiv@yahoo.com
Tom Hutyler – now at KOMO AM & FM – Sports
Tom Kelly see: Tom Hood
Tom Larson – Tome Allen, retired from radio/KVET FM – Austin, TX Sept 2010
Thomas Mailey [Commander Tom] KMPS == Hey! Just stumbled on your website. Not even sure if you still update it but I did evenings (7-mid) at KMPS from 1990-92 under the awesome name of “Commander Tom”. I went to work for sister station KRAK (later KNCI) in Sacramento in late 1992 and have been here ever since, co-hosting the morning show with Pat Still. LOVED my time there, working with Tony Thomas, Stubbs, Tall Paul Fredericks and Ichabod. Tim Murphy was the PD then, and Becky Brenner the APD. That’s all! Tom Mailey, Roseville, CA
Tom Layson is KBTC’s Managing Editor and comes to the job with more than 30 years of experience having worked as a television news reporter and anchor in Yakima (KIMA), Terre Haute (WTHI), Louisville (WAVE), Sacramento (KOVR), Columbus (WSYX), and New York-New Jersey (News 12 Network). Tom anchored 13 hours of wall-to-wall live coverage in the NY/NJ market during 9-11 which won the N.J. Associated Press’ station award for best 9-11 coverage. But 9-11 and its aftermath is just one example of the many thousands of hours Tom has been on the set delivering live coverage, interviewing Presidents and Governors, leading election and political coverage and guiding viewers through many hours of breaking news from hostage crisis’ to airplane crashes to natural disasters. As an on-scene reporter, Tom was at Camp O.J., in the Bay Area for the aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake, in the East Bay for the Oakland Hills fire, and at the scene of thousands of top stories and events in the markets where he worked as a street reporter covering crime, courts, the environment, state and local government, social issues and breaking news. Layson is the past president of the New Jersey Associated Press Broadcaster’s Association, a prodigious winner of journalistic awards and recognition including an Emmy for KBTC’s Northwest Now, and is a recognized thought leader in public affairs having served a columnist for local newspapers, a commentator on local talk shows, a current media analyst for CBS radio, and a consultant who teaches the effective marriage of shooting, writing and editing to those working as one-man content creators. When Northwest Now is in hiatus during the summer months, Tom shoots, writes and edits special projects which have their own page on the station’s website at http://www.kbtc.org/northwest-now/nwn-special-projects/ Readers of the QZVX.COM website might find Tom’s interview with Northwest radio legend Pat O’Day particularly interesting. The show is in season nine of the Northwest Now drop down menu on the http:www.kbtc.org website, or you can just link to it on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8fapsRw540 In addition, for the sake of the historical record on this website, Tom hosted the Friday and Saturday late night Jazz Mosaic program on KPLU 88.5 from December of 1980 to the spring of 1984. Tom is the answer to a radio trivia question having (according to KPLU’s engineering staff at the time) played first CD to air in the Seattle/Tacoma market. His nightmares of not having a record cued-up finally stopped in the 2000’s. Tom grew up in Maple Valley and is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, currently residing in the Puyallup area and you can follow him on Twitter (@TomLayson) and Facebook (Tom Layson). To learn a little more about KBTC and the station’s mission, you can watch this nicely done “who we are” video produced by former PLU intern Joshua Wiersma: https://youtu.be/F1ypg3rx13g
Tom McCarthy (Noller) KOMO, WARM 106.9 KRWM, WGY, WHO-AM
Tom Morgan/Leo Minton [Tom, Dick and Harry] One of the oldest radio stations in Seattle, KTW (1250 AM) had a tortured history, including its beginning in a church loft, with a meager signal and a sunset sign-off. After being sold by the First Presbyterian Church in Seattle, the station suffered a series of owners and a bankruptcy or two. In late 1964, with the station still at 1250 AM and holding a construction permit for 102.5 FM, a new owner introduced a top-40 format with d.j.s “Tom. Dick, Harry, … and Sam.” The disk jockeys assigned names were Tom Morgan, Dick Jones, Harry Smith … and Sam Kelly. (Even their previous-station experience was made up.) The station’s rock format lasted 9 months and then was switched to the “Nashville Sound.” (KTW would soon endure other indignities in a three-way station-and-frequency shuffle to try to get rid of the sunset sign-off.)
TOM MURPHY – “World Famous” Tom: KISN/Portland, and KJR/Seattle (1960s), KRLA, 1971; KGIL, 1976-77; KIIS, 1977-81; KPRZ, 1981-85; KIIS, 1985-86; KFI, 1987-88; KJQI, 1993; KGRB, 1994-95. Tom worked for DMX Music as a music programmer until the summer of 2003. He is still doing voicework from Los Angeles but essentially retired.
Tom Olson [KING FM]
Tom Phelan [KOL] was born December 22, 1923 in Missoula, MT. After leaving KOL, he went to KWLL, KEX, KISN, KPOJ/KPOK, and KGAR all in Portland/Vancouver. He died at age 79, May 29, 2003 in Portland.
Tom Read – owns a network of Christian/Information stations in Eastern Washington
Tom Reddick KTOY, KYAC…was on the air @ 92.9 “The Bull” Toppenish, WA and then Cherry FM KARY – let go from KARY March 2015 – (picture)
Tom Tangney – co-host of KIRO Radio’s Seattle’s Morning News and resident enthusiast of…everything. He loves books, movies, TV, art, pop culture, politic, sports, and Husky football.
Tom Watson [email link] was let go as Director of Operations & Programming for Classic Hits KJLL FM Thousand Oaks. Currently: A.C.C. Consulting & Marketing International, and Cumulus Media
Tommy Hough – worked weekends at KINK FM/Portland, now at Public News Service, 102.1 KPRI-FM and Compass Radio Group, Brunch With Bob and Friends.
Tommy Vance – The name Tommy Vance came about for Richard Hope Weston when he was offered a job at top-40 KOL. A disk jockey by that name failed to show up and the jingles and ID’s were all ready done. Thus “Rick West”, born in Oxford, England, took the new name and exploited his birthplace during the “British Invasion” of rock ‘n’ roll. After Seattle he moved to KHJ, Los Angeles, then avoided U.S. military service by jumping back to Britain. He joined Radio Caroline and later Radio Luxembourg establishing himself as a heavy metal pirate broadcaster. He worked for other European operations including BBC Radio 1. He recorded several records (under a variety of names.). He died in hospital in 2005.
Tommy Woolridge [KZAM]
Tony Brooks
Tony Coles – VP/Programming & Operations at Clear Channel Radio
Tony Marcus
Tony McCullough
Tony Minor has been a radio newsman in Seattle more than 30 years. Minor has been on several stations, including KING-AM, KVI, KOMO and KZOK-FM, anchoring, newscasts, filing reports and producing occasional travel-show features. (VOS2013)
Tony Thomas recently laid off from KMPS
Tony Ventrella — Tacoma News Tribune: In 1972, chasing his dream of sports broadcasting, Tony began hosting a local New England Sunday night radio show. His career pursuit led him to sportscasting in Fort Wayne, Ind., before he arrived at Seattle’s KOMO 4. In the early 1980s, Tony moved to KING 5, where he was Sports Director and main sports anchor for 12 years before taking the lead sports broadcasting seat at KIRO 7 and KCPQ 13 (now FOX 13).
Following his on-air TV career, Tony served as Digital Media Host for the Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Sounders. Beyond his broadcasting career, Tony was also a gifted motivational speaker and author; an entertaining community theater actor; and enthusiastic host of countless fundraising events. —
Ventrella came to KOMO 4 from a Connecticut tv station in 1981. Ventrella was the sports director at KING 5 from 1982 to 1994 and is regarded as a sportscasting legend in the Pacific Northwest. He also worked at KIRO TV from 1994 to 2002 before he became a digital media host with the Seattle Seahawks. Ventrella had also worked for FOX 13 KCPQ during his tv career. On October 20th 2024, Tony Ventrella’s son, Peter, posted the bad news on Facebook that Tony had died. “It is with a very heavy heart that it was my Dad’s time to go do the great sportscast in the sky. He was loved by many, and passed away peacefully last night surrounded by loved ones. I will miss you Dad.”
Among the outpouring of online comments about Ventrella:
Chris Egan/King-5 TV posted on X: My heart is breaking this morning. We’ve lost a sports broadcasting legend. He was a great mentor, my friend and loved by many. I’m sad to report that former @KING5Seattle sports director Tony Ventrella passed away last night at the age of 80 with his family by his side.
Radio sports talker Dave Grosby posted: Legend is right. One of the all-time good people.Made a positive impact on everyone who came across him. Was a true pro in every sense of the word.
Essex Porter, retired, formerly with KIRO 7: A wonderful colleague and true gentleman whose heart embraced far more than sports.
Tracey Miller came from KOB, Albuquerque, to KOMO Radio in 1981. She was a radio personality first, but also TV reporter, columnist and newspaper editor. Most of her career was in Southern California. While in Seattle one of her assignments was to cover the Mount St. Helens eruption for radio and TV. A gender complaint surfaced. As a female she was denied the opportunity to fly over the mountain in a helicopter. She had to do her reports from a distance away in front of a Richter scale.
After two years she moved back in Los Angeles. At KFI she had an eight-year run as consumer reporter and film reviewer. Then she co-hosted “TNT in the Morning,” with Terry-Ray Elmer. This was the first morning radio show in a major market to feature two women in lead roles. The station described the show-structure as “something different.” “I thought women would find me threatening and men would find me obnoxious,” Miller told The Los Angeles Times in 1991. The program lasted three years.
Then Miller teamed with Robin Abcarian in 1997 for “Two Chicks on the Radio” on KTZN-AM. Her third husband, Bill Edelstein, read a poem and proposed to her on-air.
She died in 2005, from complications due to brain cancer. She was 51. (VOS2013)
Tracy Mitchell KJR= retired [2015] after KTHI FM gig
Tracy Steele – deceased – Tracy Lynn Smith enrolled at Bates broadcast-training school after graduating from Vashon High School. First job in Sunnyside, then Raymond, WA. Soon he set his sights on Seattle radio stations. (Recounting the cumulative list now, his Seattle-station jumps seem pretty significant — he worked at the top stations of the day.). All-night shift at contemporary-music KING-AM, then evenings at country KAYO, then the new progressive rock station, KZOK-FM, just long enough to appear naked in a station poster spoofing “streaking.” At KVI, a personality-filled KVI he changed his name to Tracy Steel” (too many jocks already named Smith.” ) The eveng shift at MOR KOMO, allowed him time to spruce up the morbund International Fountain. Lapses between jobs thereafter were diverse to day the least. New-car salesman, hydraulics sales, boxboy at a Safeway, rig in Alaska and for a short time, a telemarketer for Time-Life books.
He died in 1991 on Vashon Island. Age 48. Longer bio under Radio Notes. (VOS2111)
Tracy Taylor began her Seattle career with Sportsradio KJR, with Mitch Levy and Jeff Aaron in 2001. After leaving the station for stints in Spokane and North Carolina, she then returned to KJR to resume reporting on traffic. She joined KING5 and KONG 6, in January 2010. Later moved to KIRO 7 and KIRO FM. Retired from TV & radio traffic reporting in 2022. Joined the (Stephen) Kilbreath Auctions company.
Travis Mayfield joined Seattle Fox affiliate KCPQ in February 2014 as the director of audience engagement. In his new role, he oversaw the station’s social media and digital strategy. Mayfield joined KCPQ after 7 years at Fisher Communications, the former parent company of Seattle ABC affiliate KOMO. He worked as a television and radio reporter and was eventually promoted to community network manager, executive producer and director of digital social strategy for the Fisher Interactive Network. Before Fisher, Mayfield worked at stations in Yakima and Spokane. He began his career at NBC’s “Today” show. Mayfield became a reporter and then news anchor for KCPQ, eventually anchoring the early morning newscast at 4:30 a.m. Mayfield was given an option to stay with the FOX 13 as a field reporter, and declined. Travis Mayfield left Q13 on 10/29/21.
Tucker Simpson aka Scott Hodges An American Communicator LLC – Voiceovers for “on-hold” services
Ty Flint, newsman at KGY, Olympia, and KVI, Seattle (in 1974) and KEX Portland. Was Charlie Brown’s longtime sidekick on KUBE. Now retired, living in New York. (picture)(JA2012)
Uncle Wynn/Wynn Richards says “I am out of radio, working with some great salespeople at AT&T Wireless.”
Ursula Reutin – KIRO FM News, previously a reporter for CBS Radio & TV
Val Vaughn [KGY-FM]
Veltry Johnson, KYAC announcer, was a spokesman for the Washington State Department of Corrections and now is in Atlanta, GA
Veronica Weikel was a sidekick for Bob Hardwick on KVI in 1983 and 1984. She set out on her own, got the midday shift at R&B KKFX, 1250. After radio she became a commercial voice teacher.
Vic The Dude – on the air weekends @ KZOK
Vic Orlando – KBSG — Voice-over talent @ vicorlando.com
Von Williams – weekender at KNBQ circa 1985 became fulltime 7-midnight August 1986
Wade Fisher – Fisher entered the commercial broadcast field as a part-time personality at KGHO in Aberdeen, and soon found fulltime employment at nearby KBKW, also in that Grays Harbor city. He also spent ten years working in radio in the Seattle Market at stations KBSG, KLSY, KRPM and KHIT. “I really had set out to spend my working life in radio broadcasting,” Fisher reported, “but just a few years after I started, the industry changed.” He cited examples of large corporate takeovers of small, independent radio outlets that created uncertainty and mass turnovers of personnel at many broadcast operations. “I had really appreciated the community-service character of most stations in the early days,” he admitted, “and the new, tightly formatted station operations kind of took the fun out of it.”
Wally Beethoven – J. Walter Beethoven (Wally Thornton). KISN, KJR. Retired from radio and now works for All Star Casting Company and lives in Lake Lotawana, Missouri.
Wally Nelskog was president of Everett High School’s Radio Club in 1938 and he worked part time at KRKO, Everett. He also had his own ham radio operation. Walter N. (Wally) Nelskog enlisted in the Signal Corps, Alaska Communications System and transferred to Army Air Corps. He graduated from Yale as an Air Force communications officer. His broadcast career was extensive. In the late 40’s and early 50’s, his disk jockey show “Wally’s Music Makers” featuring the new genre of rock and roll hits, was a top-rated feature in Seattle, first on KRSC 1150, then KJR 950. His teen-dance format on Channel 13 TV, predated “American Bandstand” by two years. He promoted teen dances and concerts at Eagles Auditorium, giving him seed money to start his own radio empire. He built his first station from scratch in his garage in West Seattle He bought a used transmitter, moved it to Yakima and started KUTI in 1954. Over time he built, operated and sold more stations, generally assembling a “cutie” network — KORD, Pasco, KQDY, Minot, ND; KQTY, Everett; KUDI, Great Falls; KUDE, Oceanside, CA; KYNG, Coos Bay, KYXY, San Diego, and KZZK, Tri Cities.
Nelskog owned Edmonds Cablevision and Everett Cablevision. He also built and sold a music-syndication service. In 1959 he built KIXI, Seattle; formerly KLAN, Renton. Wally Nelskog’s KLAN became “Cutie” KQDE Renton, then KUDY Renton before it became KIXI Seattle in November or December of 1961. Entered the Miss Cutie Radio (U1230-910) unlimited hydroplane in the Gold Cup Race on Lake Washington. (Dick Ellingson) KIXI: Nelskog increased power and licensing to Mercer Island..The name KIXI, in addition to being pronounceable, included the Roman numerals IX and I. for the frequency “910.” He eventually changed to 880 mHz to get a full 50,000 watt power boost. (Dick Ellingson) In 1986, Nelskog was named WSAB “Broadcaster of the Year”. That same year he sold his last station, KIXI-AM-FM and retired. “I still have eight sticks on my boat,” he said –that’s radio talk for transmitters such as ham radio, marine band, CB radio, He died in February 2012, age 92.
Walt Bjerke – DJ at KLAN Renton
Walter Kelley [Q13 News] KCPQ weather guy moved (June 2020) to Phoenix where the weather seldom changes. Walter had been with KCPQ since they started doing newscasts.
Ward Lucas – KJR News [early 1970s] Ward has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He began his broadcasting career at the age of 16 hosting radio talk shows in Seattle, Washington. In 1973 he made the move into television broadcasting, first at KIRO-TV in Seattle and then at KUSA-TV in Denver Colorado.
Warren Reed of KTNT radio and TV was the voice of Crazy Donkey, sidekick to Brakeman Bill on the afternoon, children’s cartoon show. Warren Reed was alao booth announcer for the station.
Warren Wilson KFKF
Wayne Bryant died in 1997
Wayne Cody moved to Seattle to rebrand his career as a sports announcer in 1967. He began at all-news KTW-AM, but soon moved to news-talk KIRO-AM where he spent the next 21 years as sports reporter and sports-talk host He also appeared for 14 years on KIRO-TV. Bearded and rotund, he became a celebrity, mixing radio sports, ballgame appearances and TV broadcasting. Cody’s father and mother were vaudeville musicians and actors; his father Wendel (Wayne) Cody had a popular TV program in Philadelphia. Young Wendal (Wayne) Cody Jr. decided to pursue a career in acting and radio at age 16. After high school he worked in the mailroom at a Nebraska radio station. He had to fill in for a vacationing weatherman and within a few months was a staff announcer. In 1965 he moved to Hollywood, but his acting career was limited. He appeared in summer stock musicals, got involved in a TV pilot that did not make the airwaves, and had a single appearance on “The Red Skelton Show.”
He had done play-by-play for the Indiana Pacers and in Ohio was a spokesman for the Professional Bowler’s Association. His first job in Seattle at all-news KTW-AM included co-hosting the weekly Bill Russell sports program. Alternately he was the original sideline reporter for the Seahawks, a court side reporter for Supersonics broadcasts and play-by-play announcer for both the Seattle Sounders and the UW Huskies, In the late 80’s Cody had a stake in a chain of sports-themed restaurants.
In 1991, he appeared as himself in the movie “Singles” interviewing Supersonics player Xavier McDaniel during a dream scene. He might also be remembered for his on-camera promotion “Watch Wayne Disappear” in which he agreed to lose weight, an unfortunate underline to his life-long struggle with obesity and diabetes. Twice married, he had a son and a daughter. He died from complications of a heart attack in 2002 at age 65.
Wayne Cordray said in May 2008 Wayne says (5/08), “I am living in a 30-foot travel trailer in Manhattan, Montana; this thriving town of 1400 people is located 25 miles from Bozeman; came down to Big Sky country in 2003; remarried in 2005 to a South Carolina redhead who has experience in country music and TV; I’m working at the Holiday Inn Bozeman as a shuttle van driver; have met several guests who recall listening to my radio shows — cannot have a better tip….”
Wendell Niles was a former band leader in Seattle who became an announcer at KOL. He then went on to Hollywood where he became an announcer for such programs as Lum & Abner and Bob Hope.
Wendy Christopher – KUBE FM – Now working for Microsoft
Wendy Mann KSTW 11 News anchor
Wendy Robbins KGY News
Wes Longino – [KEZX]
Whitney Knoerlin – Whitney “Red” Knoerlin did mornings at KNDD
Will Dixon on the air @ KZOK
Will Johnson Was an air personality at 100.7 KKWF. Previously at KRWM. In 2014, KSNA Pocatello, ID named him PD/Afternoon drive DJ.
Willie Kelley was an instructor for Bates Technical College. Willie Kelley graduated from 1974: Mount Tahoma High School, Tacoma, Bates Technical College, Tacoma, Radio Broadcast Technicians, graduate and is a member of Society of Broadcast Engineers. On-Air Work History: 1975: KDFL-AM Sumner, WA, 1975 KVAC-AM Forks, WA – 1976: KBKW-AM Aberdeen, WA 1976-1979: KOHU-AM/FM Hermiston, OR 1979-1999: KGY-AM/FM Olympia, WA (1994-1999 part-time) Other Work History: 1979-2013: Freelance voiceovers and pictures/video production – 1994-2013: Bates Technical College pictures/Sound Technologies, faculty, operating KBTC-FM (91.7) until 2004 when the station was sold and the educational course changed to audio production/engineering –October 2013– Retired and living life on the Kelley World Tour: kwtour.wordpress.com (retirement is not overrated–it’s great!)
Willie Nelson, the country music star, was a disk jockey at country-music KVAN, Vancouver.” That was 1956 to 1958. (So what if Vancouver is not really within QZVX.COM’s primary area? So what if city of license was, even then, a subterfuge for covering Portland? So what if KVAN 910 “the station with a sense of humor” no longer exists? It’s still an inspiration for contemporary disk jockeys with whimsical names like Wingnut, Spuds and Cornbread.)
Nelson’s primary radio segment was a one-hour afternoon program, “Western Express.” Nelson also appeared as a singer at area night spots, including The Wagon Wheel Skating Rink and Dance Hall, in Camas.. He wrote and produced his first release, “No Place for Me” backed with a song written by a fellow disk jockey in a basement in Portland.
Win McCracken KLAY FM announcer/newsman, production director. KMO, KTNT
Here’s an update on the entry for “Carl Dombek.”
Carl Dombek joined KING-1090 as a weekender in 1983, willing to fill in for anything. After a noteworthy assignment to cover the funeral of Senator Henry Jackson, he won a permanent spot, but as one of the Sky Twins — offering aerial traffic with reporter Sara Johnson. (He had already done traffic reporting for radio stations in Phoenix — and he had a pilot’s license.) He then became one of KING’s street reporters. supplying a variety of Northwest news events and feature stories. He provided a quick fill-in when the talk host J. Michael Kenyon stormed off the air in a huff in March 1988. In 1989, he spearheaded KING-1090’s coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake, traveling to the San Francisco Bay area to provide live coverage on KING-1090 and for the NBC Radio network. On January 5, 1993, he was one of 12 media eyewitnesses to the execution by hanging of admitted child-killer Westley Allan Dodd and filed numerous reports for KING-1090, KING-5 television, appeared on major networks CBS, ABC, NBC, and CNN and was a guest on an episode of Geraldo! where capital punishment was the topic. Ten days later, he and fellow reporter Sherry Walsh, the station’s last two street reporters, were laid off. Dombek moved to to Sacramento where he started his own public relations agency but did occasional freelance work for KFBK, KGO in San Francisco and KFTV TV-50 in Santa Rosa, California. He also covered the January 1994 Northridge Earthquake for his former station in Seattle. Subsequently, he did public relations for the U.S. Small Business Administration in the wake of declared disasters (both natural and man-made) and was a Public Affairs Manager for a division of General Electric.
“Next, I joined a power-grid operator in the Midwest,” Dombek said, “and spent five years talking about wholesale high-voltage electricity.” In 2010 he and his wife moved back to Seattle. “Semi-retired,” he writes his travel blog (www.TheTravelPro.us), and volunteers with his town’s police department. (VOS2014)
Thanks, Carl! This has been updated. Thank you for checking in with us!
Hi
I noticed my golfing buddies, Greg MacArthur and John Nixon are listed here but I’m not. Here’s my entry if you can use it.
Terry Gangstad – Production Director for KTAC from 1983-1985. Production Manager for KISW from 1988 to 2002. Currently, writing and producing for Chuck Woodstock at Woodstock Media Group in Tacoma.
Thanks
Terry Gangstad
Thanks, Terry. Added your info. Thanks for checking in.
I’m remembering Bob Summerize.
Do you have information about him or recordings of his voice?
No voice recordings exist, to my knowledge. Here are links on our site that mention Bob Summerize. https://www.qzvx.com/?s=bob+summerise. The AM RADIO page has a pic of Bob in the KTAC booth – Here is a mention on louielouie.net with pics https://www.louielouie.net/blog/?p=3787