Frequent visitors to smays.com know that my pop was a radio guy. He was an announcer, news guy, sales rep and station manager during his 33 years. That always seemed like a very long time. A few days ago it occurred to me that I have been in or around the radio business for that long. Not quite, if you count the year I spent in Albuquerque trying to get a radio job (I do count that year). It’s really harder to count the last 5 or 6 years doing web stuff (for a company that provides programming to radio stations). If dad were still with us, I belive I could take him into a radio station and he’d still recognize what was going on there as radio. I wonder how much longer that would be true.
Tag Archives: KBOA
Bill Fischer died this week
Bill Fischer worked with my father during the early days of KBOA and they remained friends after Bill moved to California many years ago. According to an article in the DDD, Fischer died this week at the age of 84. In addition to his stint at the radio station, Bill owned the Log Cabin Drive-In; was projectionist at Tommie’s Drive-In Theater; and ran Calton’s Donut Shop. Kennett landmarks all.
KBOA Studio C
I love this photo. It was taken by Johnny “Mack” Reeder, probably in the late ’40s or early ’50s. Studio C was the big “live” studio at KBOA. Lots of gospel, country and hillbilly bands performed in this studio. The door was used for sound effect. How much fun was radio back then?
KBOA listener remembers
Yesterday’s post about the percentage of people who say they “love” over-the-air radio (19%) has been stuck in my head. I’m sure there are lots of people who dearly love their local station but do they (can they) love it like we used to?
“I listened to KBOA on the farm in Arkansas. My grandfather bought me a transistor radio when they were first available as pocket size. They were very expensive and would use up a battery in no time. KBOA was the main choice in the cotton fields when we would chop cotton. Everyone chopped with me so they could listen. My dad demanded that I chop cotton very fast, so everyone would work hard to keep up!” — Larry Jones, Kennett, MO
In all fairness, radio in the late 40’s and 50’s was pretty much the only game in town so perhaps loyalty was easier to come by. Do I love my satellite radio? I do. Do I love my little mp3 player (not an iPod)? I love the idea of being able to easily record and listen on the go. Do I love any of our local radio stations? … I’m thinking, I’m thinking!
KBOA Trivia Bowl
Some Canadian guys developed the concept for Trivial Pursuit in 1979 and released the board game two years later and the game’s popularity peaked in 1984. But we had been playing trivia on the air at KBOA for a number of years by then and it was about as much fun as anything I ever did on the air. While cleaning out a closet this afternoon, I found a tape of a show (first half-hour) we did in May of 1981.
[Download/listen]. Team members: John Robison, Jeff Wheeler and Tom Colvin. Good friends, then and now.