"Radio Day By The Bay" Set For July 5

The California Historical Radio Society (CHRS) will open the doors to its museum on Saturday, July 5, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. for its annual "Live! At KRE" celebration.

The event will take place at the historic KRE radio building in Berkeley, under the giant radio tower on Ashby Avenue near Highway 80.

CHRS has been refurbishing the KRE building into a world-class broadcasting museum, filled with classic radios and equipment, working studios and an authentic ham radio "shack," as well as the home of the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame.

The July 5 celebration is the perfect event for families seeking a day of entertainment close to home. "Live! At KRE" will feature a variety of entertainment -- including music and an old-time radio performance by the Broadcast Legends -- and a flea market and auction of great old radios, ham radio equipment, phonographs and test equipment.

Carter B. Smith, a member of the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame (Class of 2007), will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. Carter worked at KRE early in his radio career, before moving on to great success at KSFO, KNBR, Magic 61 and KABL.

Another special guest will be popular Oldies disc jockey Herbie Hancock (http://qmproductions.com), one of the most renowned Wolfman Jack impersonators in the industry. Herbie will spin 45s in the KRE studio -- the same studio used in the radio station scenes featuring Wolfman Jack in "American Graffiti."

Admission to the event is $5 for adults. Children are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

For more information, please visit www.BayRadioDay.com.

CHRS "Radio Day By The Bay" Coming July 21

We're only two weeks away from "Live! At KRE," the big annual open house and celebration of local radio thrown by the great people of the California Historical Radio Society.

You may have driven past KRE thousands of times over the years, but never had the opportunity to stop by for a visit — so here's your chance. I'll be hanging out at the radio museum table all day, so if you go, stop by and say hello.

Here's the details:

WHERE: The Historic KRE Radio Station Building, 601 Ashby Ave., Berkeley
WHEN: Saturday, July 21, 2007, from 10 AM - 2 PM. (Gates open at 9:30 AM)
ADMISSION: $5 (Children under 12: free)

The California Historical Radio Society is proud to present its annual open house with a celebration of local radio history on the grounds of the famous KRE Radio Station Building, located under the huge radio tower on Ashby Avenue near Highway 80 in Berkeley.

The KRE building, which stood as an abandoned eyesore for many years, has been lovingly restored by the volunteer members of CHRS and converted into a world-class museum of radio and television, including vintage broadcast and production studios, displays of classic radios and television sets, a research library, a working ham radio shack (W6CF), electronic theory school and repair shop, plus a museum store and archival audio transfer and restoration service.

The open house will include tours of the facility, live music, and performances by the Bay Area’s own Broadcast Legends, as well as an auction of rare and unusual radios to help raise funds for CHRS’ continuing effort to preserve the rich history of broadcasting in the region.

Popular Bay Area radio personality Carter B. Smith will once again be on hand to host the festivities.

The historic KRE radio station building is one of the first structures built specifically for broadcasting in the Bay Area, and has been transmitting for seventy years from this location; it currently houses the transmitters for stations KVTO/1400 and KEAR/610 (formerly KFRC).

In the early 1970s, George Lucas used this location to film the Wolfman Jack and Richard Dreyfuss scenes in his film, “American Graffiti.” CHRS is believed to be one of the only vintage radio societies to have an historical AM radio station building as its headquarters.

The building will also serve as home to the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame, with a “wall of honor” to celebrate the great men and women that have entertained local listeners on our airwaves for nearly a century.

Additional information, directions and photos of some of the items up for auction are online at http://www.californiahistoricalradio.com/photos72.html