Every now and then it’s time to go way back, to before the days when FM was in vogue when AM was king of the hill, and disc jockeys puked their way to the top.
They also ripped off each other’s names in different markets.
This starts out with the Charlie Tuna show. Now, is this THE same Tuna who was a staple at KHJ in Los Angeles? You decide, but the voice is different. Processing? Charlie doesn’t puke, but the guy who comes after him does… yikes, did all the top 40s of the era sound like that? No wonder AM Top 40 got a bad rap.
We’re critical, yes, but overall this is an excellent aircheck for several reasons. First, this is PERSONALITY radio. Jocks using sound effects, shouts, special jingles and everything. And a warmth to this station that you can’t capture in today’s lumbering FM monoliths (and you sure as hell can’t pick up an Oklahoma FM station in Iowa – unless there’s an E-skip opening).
You listen, then comment on what you hear. Better or worse than today?
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Okay, before I make my comments, it might be important to point out that my introduction to AM top 40 radio began in the early 70s when the whole puking phenomenon didn’t seem to be as prevalent as it was in the 60s. so, whenever I hear 60s airchecks they generally sound kind of cheesy to me, but in this case, the cheese factor is multiplied by about 50. “Well hello there baby. this is the Weeba show with a hip-high stack of shellacs working for you until 7:00 this evening.” the line is cheesy enough, but when puked is even more tough to take. don’t get me wrong, I’d still take this style of radio over anything that’s out there today, but I wouldn’t take it over the fantastic AM radio that I heard in the 70s. That said, I may have been spoiled because the AM stations that I heard on a daily basis were WABC, WNBC, WFIL, and several smaller music stations which were also quite good. Yes, I know, AM radio was on it’s way out in the 70s, but remember that WABC (the primary station that I listened to every day) was still the #1 station in NYC until the later half of 1978.
finally, about Charlie tuna…I noticed that all of the songs seemed to be playing a little fast so, unless KOMA was speeding up the records at this time, the whole aircheck may be playing too fast. if it is, I suspect that slowing it down to the proper speed would make this Charlie Tuna sound much more like the KHJ one, so I don’t think that it is completely out of the realm of possibility that it could be the same guy.
According to 440 Satisfaction,KOMA was Charlies first radio station job.
AM radio seemed to hit the high-water mark around 1975, a year before most stations even thought of throwing in the towell and responded to FM competition by tightening up and streamligning their formats, in most cases leaving the talent and creativity intact. You were certainly fortunate to remember AM radio like that. I also grew up with 70s AM (mid-late 70s), and sometimes I’m astounded by what I hear from the 60s.
In many ways, today’s radio mimics the best of the way radio was presented in the 70s, only with most of the talent’s freedom to speak taken away (where there is ‘talent’). One thing is certain by listening to this aircheck… the 60s were further away from the 70s than the 2000s are from the 70s… at least in the way radio has matured. And I find that to be a very strange observation.
That is the real Charlie Tuna (whose real name is Art Ferguson — but of course you knew that). He started in radio at 19 years old, and he started at KOMA in OKC. And that is his voice. You could always contact him through his website (charlietuna.com) and ask him to confirm it. But it’shim. (Excellent site, incidentally — thanks for the airchecks.)
Charlie Tuna’s first radio job was in Wichita, Kansas. He was “Billy O’Day” at KLEO 1480 AM. He then went on to KOMA.
Trust me.
Charile Tuna was the best DJ I ever heard – period. Those days the DJ was an entertainer. We would get KOMA after dark where I was – Alpine, Texas.
Charlie certainly didn’t start on KOMA. He started on the night shift. I remember hearing him his first night on the air. I lived near Ft. Smith Arkansas and KOMO didn’t come in very well but I could pick it up from time to time.
Then Tuna went to mornings, was heard by Larry Lujack who was on his way from Seattle to Boston at WMEX and Tuna went there then KHJ.
Paul Bottoms
The way I understand it, the name “Charlie Tuna” was first used by Chuck Hanks (Chuck Dann – Chuck Riley) who was the News Director at KOMA but upon occasion pulled a relief shift at the station and so he used this “non de plume”. When Art Ferguson came to KOMA, he adopted the name.
By the way, Chuck Dann went on to the west coast to do VO’s.
Charlie Tuna (same one) is currently doing weekends on KRTH (K-Earth) in Los Angeles.
Sadly, Chuck Hanks passed away in May 2007 in Los Angeles after a terrific career as a voice over professional. His younger brother, Michael, is still in LA doing voice overs.
Nauseating! Horrible!
10 years ago, when I moved my vinyl & reel-to-reel collection to CDs, I could think of no reason to keep the ~30 7″ reels of airchecks I’d collected over the previous 40 years or so. Collected from my employers’ trash cans in Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle (ok…ok: KSWO 1310, KRLD 1310, KOCO TV5, KGNC TV4). Some from AFRTS (CSB-218 Lajes Field … Wiesbaden … Hofn … etc.) So I chucked the reels in a Dumpster. How very, very, very stupid of me. Lots of names I don’t remember, but some on this site’s “Featured Jocks”.
Hint: NEVER DISCARD ANYTHING! You people with 2″ quadraplex airchecks of newsreaders and weatherchicks … put it on blu-ray, etc. But don’t throw it away!
I don’t, any more.
I First heard KOMA in 1961 while traveling From Kansas to Colorado. was addicted until they went off the air in the late 90’s. nothing was better than KOMA in the 60’s Flat out nothing the best music great personalities/\. Nothing has been as Good since. Notice Please, All who thrive on FM now, Something called ‘THE NEWS’ every 20 minutes extended at the top of the hour. EVERY HOUR 24 HOURS A DAY EVERYDAY!!. Notice on this small sample, they announced someone having puppies to give away. NO!! how common! thats right itwas common & accesible to everyone. The market exists for this type of broadcasting today. the advertising dollars are there, Because WE ARE STILL HERE!! Think about that next time you have a meeting wondering where those hidden (?) markets are & how can we possibly increase our advertising revenue. Your sitting on & stiffleing a gold mine. & remember what history has taught you. Someone will be bold enough to take that step. Will It Be You? It’s not the past, It’s the untapped right now.