Station: KLDE (KGLK/KHGC/KBTZ/KZFX/KGOL) Lake Jackson, Texas, USA
Format: Oldies
Featured Air Personality: Barry Kaye
Date of Posting: 08.31.2017
Total Time: 12:04
Airchexx Entry: 1,504
Curator’s Comments:
Judging by the number of call letters attached to the 107.5 frequency (according to fccinfo.com), format changes here seem to be rather frequent. This makes perfect sense when coupled with Contributor Tom Lawler’s comments about the frequency being fairly low powered compared to other Houston area signals, thus, probably no format was able to make the dent in ratings that management hoped. Still, listening to the aircheck, Barry Kaye is doing his best to get around the liners and constant contest promoting required each break and sounds great here in context. The imaging voice… while I can’t exactly tell, it SOUNDS a lot like the legendary Bobby Ocean (KFRC/KHJ)!
One last thing about this aircheck. The recording came to us as two, 45 minute unscoped files which I scoped down as tightly as possible. While I often leave the commercials in for historical purposes, in this case I scoped them out as well, because nobody likes sitting through 8 minute stop sets, unlike our airchecks from the 60s and 70s where it was common for stations to play a song or two and then a commercial or two and not chase away the audience… but I digress.
Contributor’s Notes:
Here is Oldies 107.5 KLDE on a November afternoon in 2002 with boss jock Barry Kaye behind the controls on a Motown Weekend – I recorded this after getting home from school on my boombox, so I apologize for the less than pristine fidelity. The other issue is that in 2000, KLDE swapped spots with KTBZ, with Cox acquiring the KLDE intellectual property, and the 107.5/97.1 rimshot signals licensed to Lake Jackson & Cleveland. This handicapped Oldies 107.5 compared to other Houston signals. The aircheck is a fine example of “Good Times & Great Oldies” honed to almost perfection with lots of 60’s hits, JAM & Tony Griffin Production jingles, superb production, and a local legend keeping it moving.
One of the best personalities ever!
Good ears Steve! Yes that is the legendary Bobby Ocean as the station voice (he replaced Charlie Van Dyke). Ron Parker (now at WLS-FM in Chicago) was the PD at KLDE during this time as well
The imaging voice is Bobby Ocean. Barry Kaye, of course, worked with Osh at KGB in San Diego around 1970. Barry replaced The Real Don Steele at KHJ. Lasted less than a year before going home to Texas, but actually improved on Steele’s ratings before bailing out….and beat Steele himself in head-to-head competition (Steele was at KIQQ at the time).
Wow-now that’s how it’s done, grasshopper! What a talent!
I had the pleasure of working with Barry in the mid 90’s at Oldies 94.5 KLDE.
I hired him to do Afternoons .He sounded great and his ratings were outstanding!