The History of Idaho Broadcasting, Inc

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March 20, 2009 Meeting

Meeting update: We will not have a meeting April. Art is trying to get a meeting set for mid-May. As we say -- Stay tuned!

(Since I missed the March meeting due to the flu, and Frank was unable to attend, we do not have pictures from this meeting. I had intended to add more historical photos here, but have not had the time to do so. I will, however, be adding more photos and documents to the KFXD pages in the near future. -- Webmaster)

Meeting Audio: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

The History of Idaho Broadcasting Foundation, Inc.

held its March 2009 Meeting on Friday March 20th from 11:30 A.M. until 1:30 P.M. at Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta on Parkcenter Blvd. in Southeast Boise. The focus of the meeting was to celebrate “the Glory Years” of 580 KFXD-AM from 1970-1980 when “The Big 58” ruled the market. During this 10 year period when KFXD was playing top-40 music, they routinely achieved 20+ audience shares and even as late as 1978 had an 18.6 share and a Cume of over 100,000 listeners!

A capacity crowd attended including Foundation President Art Gregory, who acted as host for the event and for the program. Vice President Frank Aden Jr. unfortunately could not attend due to work commitments. Sadly, Webmaster Rockwell Smith was ill the day of the meeting and could not attend, but made special arrangements to get the Master Tape of “Nampa Nampa That’s My Hometown” to Art who played it to the delight of all who attended! Thank You Rockwell, and we wish you a speedy recovery and hope you are feeling better soon.

Members attending included Cindee Scholfield and Lucas Babin, both Senior Account Executives with of Peak Broadcasting. Also attending were members Jon Adamson, Mike Pullin, R.W. Egelston, Kitty Fleishman, Vee Cederstrom, and Members Don Morin, General Manager of the 6 Boise Citadel Radio Stations, and new KBOI Sales Manager Tom Newman of Spokane, who has relocated to Boise.

Guests of honor included former KFXD AM/FM General Manager Ron Grisham who managed KFXD from 1976-1981, former KFXD-FM Operations Manager Tim Pace, who is now co-owner of Donahoe-Pace, one of Boise’s most successful advertising agencies, and Carrie Cornils, daughter of former KFXD President and part-owner Wayne C. Cornils. Also attending was former KF-95 (KFXD-FM)Announcer Dave Arthur who made a late entrance and surprised everyone in the crowd! Dave now works in Portland, Oregon was in town for Spring Break visiting family. Thank you for attending Dave, we are honored you stopped by. Also attending was former KGEM/KJOT Announcer Byron Paul (Defenbach) now with Intermountain Gas.

Joining the Foundation at Friday’s meeting was Francisco Santiago as a new “E-Member.” Also joining on Friday (and staying for the entire meeting) was Merlyn Knight of Boise, former KFXD-AM listener whose comments inspired the theme of our March 20^th meeting with this email:

I just read your comments about the KFXD switch and it brought back great memories of growing up in Boise in the 50's and 60's. In 1966-67 I was working for McDonald's on Orchard St and many times I would close it at night and then go in the next morning at 6 AM to peel the potatoes(fresh fries in those days) and do all the other things to get ready for the day. I would listen to KFXD until sign off and then Wolfman Jack on XERB as I drove home. In the morning I would have the radio on when KFXD signed on and they had this little song they played. I can still remember parts of the jingle "Nampa, Nampa, thats my home town.". Do you know If that sign on songs exists in anyone’s archives? There was something magical about late night when a lot of the stations went off the air or switched to their nighttime pattern and a whole big world opened up to this small town Idaho boy. Ira Blue at the Hungry Eye on KGO in San Franscico, KFI Los Angeles, WHO Des Moines, WSL Chicago and it was all about how good you were at tuning it in. The 100KW Mexican stations particularly XERB. They had crazy radio preachers on until midnight and the Wolfman came on and he was advertising his "Big 40"record collection. " Send FIVE dollars cash, check, or money order, no COD's accepted to XERB Chula Vista , California" and the he'd howl. Thanks for listening and triggering great memories.

Merlyn Knight

After a delicious lunch expertly served by Smoky Mountain’s Tenneyson Jacobs, the program begin, narrated by Art Gregory. Topics covered included:

1. “Nampa Nampa That’s My Home Town” Thanks to Webmaster Rockwell Smith for locating the Master and duplicating it onto CD for the meeting.

2. Tom Scott Comments about the sudden rise of KFXD as Boise’s # station in 1970 and how that changed the Boise radio market.

3. 1967 KYME Flashback Jingle into “She May Call You Up Tonight” by the Left Banke.

4. KSPD Jingles 1970-1972

5. KBBK-FM 92.3 Jingle into “Hey Big Brother” by Rare Earth

6. KFXD TM Voice Tracks with KFXD Jock’s names. Produced in 1974.

7. KFXD-AM Editorial by Wayne Cornills about KFXD-FM’s sign on in January 1975. Jay Donovan West comments about “Ralph” the FM automation system.

8. KFXD Shockwave Jingle Package with singing jock intros.

9. KFXD jingles into various “songs of the day.”

10. KUUZ-FM (“KWZ”) The First Contest promo 1977 voiced by Fred Lillge Jr (Fred Novak) and Art Gregory (David Olgelvie Jr. on the list of prices).

11. Discussion of Fred Novak, Drew Harold, and Jay Donovan West by Ron Grisham.

12. Final Comments and Adjourn.

During the meeting, we also saw a selection of rare KFXD photos showing the KFXD staff dating back to 1965 through 1980. All photos were displayed in protective plastic covers and were passed around for all to enjoy. Thanks to Member Tom Scott for supplying the new photos, which will be posted soon.

We also passed out two “handouts” that explained the history of the PAMS song-length jingle “Nampa Nampa” sung by Terry Lea Jenkins, and a listing of KFXD-AM’s 12+ Arbitron Ratings from 1970-1980. KFXD peaked with a 26.0 share in 1973 and a Cume of over 100,000 listeners in 1978! Everyone was impressed KFXD’s unbroken string of double-digit 12+ ratings which were achieved from 1970-1979.

The entire program is posted above in 4 audio segments of 15-20 minutes each. Listen to the entire meeting and be taken “back to the 70s!”

Thanks to all who attended and to Tom Scott, Tim Pace, and Rockwell Smith for their help with the program. See you next month for our April Meeting. Watch this site for meeting details and time and date.

Art Gregory

Foundation President