BARM Launches Classic KYA Online

If you were a teenager (or younger) growing up in the Bay Area back in the 1960s, you had a smorgasbord of choices -- KFRC (The Big 610), 1260/KYA, KEWB (Channel 91) and 1590/KLIV -- to suit your taste in Top 40 music, along with the great personalities that each station featured.

Out of that quartet, only KFRC remains forty years later, playing classic hits from the 1970s and vicinity at 106.9 FM.

As a vehicle of sheer nostalgic bliss, the Bay Area Radio Museum has launched Classic KYA Radio online, playing the great Top 40 hits of the 1960s (and vicinity), along with the 1260 KYA jingles that decorated the station so delightfully during that era.

The host of Classic KYA is Gary Mora (pictured here), who was a disc jockey at the original 1260 KYA during its latter period, and at the merged 560/KSFO and 93.3 KYA-FM. Gary also hosted the popular "KYA Oldies Road Show" live events for nearly twenty years, and is currently one of the best-known voice artists in the business.

Gary was born and raised on the Peninsula, and is a product of the College of San Mateo's vaunted broadcasting school, where he trained under the great Dan Odum, alongside classmates Dean Goss (currently weekending on KFRC) and Jon Miller (play-by-play voice of your San Francisco Giants).

In addition to the music and jingles, the flashbacks to the original KYA will continue with snippets of broadcast recordings from legendary KYA disc jockeys, including Johnny Holliday, Emperor Gene Nelson, Russ "The Moose" Syracuse, Tom Campbell, Bwana Johnny, Chris Edwards, Tommy Saunders and "Big Daddy" Tom Donahue. Classic commercials from the 1960s and 1970s are also featured, with Tom Campbell's well-remembered Mathew's TV & Stereo spots (complete with the famous "top of the hill, Daly City!" tagline) in heavy rotation.

The Bay Area Radio Museum controls the registered trademark to "KYA Radio" and has owned the rights to the kyaradio.com domain name since 2004. The newly-launched Classic KYA programming replaces the archival airchecks from the original "Boss of the Bay" that had been streaming previously on the kyaradio.com website. The revamped kyaradio.com features a continuous live feed of the Golden Gate Great Oldies, along with historic tidbits from the station's storied past.

The launch of Classic KYA Radio comes on the heels of the tremendous popularity of the Radio Museum's Classic KABL Music, which blends popular Adult Standards, Easy Listening and Beautiful Music, hosted by Radio Hall of Famer Bill Moen.

Mindless Meanderings...

Things that probably won't come true, but that are worth repeating fourth-hand...

• If KGO Newstalk 810 is looking for a first-rate talent with local connections, they needn't look any farther than Alex Bennett. If Karel, Len Tillem and Dr. Dean Edell can do it by long-distance telephonic hookup, so can Alex. Of course, if Citadel has the money to pay Farid, but not enough to pay the talent, scratch that idea...
  
  
• Dean Goss is back weekending on Classic Hits KFRC (106.9 FM). Dean is the prototypical morning man. A legendary voice of KFRC. Wonderfully, brilliantly talented guy. But KFRC already has a morning guy who fits all these qualifications, don't they?
  
  
• Along the same lines, Clear Channel recently blew out my friend Charlie Tuna at KBIG/LA, and he landed a weekend gig at Oldies monster K-Earth 101. Charlie Tuna is not a weekend guy; he's a morning guy. One of the greatest in the history of broadcasting. But K-Earth already has a morning guy...
  
  
• I hope that Clear Channel doesn't pull the same act on the great Don Bleu at Star 101.3 FM. (As Dr. Phil says, "The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior." Right Paul Robins?) But if they do, there would be no more perfect fit than "Bleu In The Morning" at KFRC. But KFRC already has a morning guy...
  
  
• Michael Zwerling has had his family-owned KSCO/1080 and KOMY/1340 on the market for several months. Both have significant transmitter repair issues that must be addressed. Simple solution: KLIV's Bob Kieve does an LMA-to-buy of KSCO, diplexes it through 1590's towers in San Jose...
  

  Oh, stop laughing, would ya.

McArdle Out At KKIQ; Goss, Friday In?

I heard this week that among those possibly lined up to replace Carolyn McArdle (quit? fired?) at Hometown Station KKIQ/101.7 over in Pleasanton are Dean Goss and Jack Friday, along with current KKIQ midday funny girl Faith Alpher.

Other names were mentioned as potential candidates, but these three are reportedly the strongest candidates.

...Which means I just guaranteed that somebody else will get the job.

Jim Hampton, who was KKIQ's morning man forever and ever, is filling in on the A.M. shift until a permanent morning host is brought on board.

Post your thoughts and comments by clicking here...