Charlie Van Dyke, 93 KHJ Los Angeles | January 24, 1972

From Contributor Bob Gilmore comes this exclusive Charlie Van Dyke recording of 93 KHJ from 1/24/72. Charlie says he’s the new kid on the block, leading us to believe that this might be CVD’s first show on KHJ.

This is typical of what KHJ was evolving into in 1972, away from the Drake sound that sent KHJ to the top of the heap in ‘65, and into what most RKO General stations were going to do. Its the sound, indescribable without just listening. KHJ is playing a lot of album cuts and lesser-ranking hits. Its been said that this West Coast sound was so completely different from the methodical, proven hits that were played on ABC O&Os such as WABC New York, that it made RKO stations so different, yet massively appealing in their own right.

Van Dyke sounds completely at home here, very loose, and so tight – he never misses hitting the post in this recording. Would go on to program KHJ before giving up the morning slot to Rick Dees in 1978… but this is ‘72 and Van Dyke’s pipes seem to be a little less deep than later airchecks… if that’s even possible.

This is a GREAT aircheck for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is to demostrate the evolution of KHJ into what it was for most of the 70s. They’re still playing the Johnny Mann jingles… but not for long.

QuickCheck: Russ O’Hara, KRLA Los Angeles | June 12, 1969

1969 was a good year for Top 40 radio in Los Angeles. KFWB was still around, albeit more like a Middle of the Road station, 93/KHJ was at the top of it’s game, and then there was KRLA. Never the powerhouse hit station that other AMs were, past or future, it was a warm and cozy station that played current music and featured warm personalities. You’d probably call it your parent’s music station.

Russ O’Hara is filling in for Rob Foster (KFRC) here. Russ is a laid-back jock, one you’d perhaps find on a late 70s/early 80s Soft Rock FM station. Its a cozy aircheck, and shows that KRLA was certainly not going to try and beat KHJ at its own game.

Barry Kay, 93/KHJ Los Angeles | 1972

The Johnny Mann Singers are still playing in between the records on 93/KHJ. This is 1972 and while Drake is on his way out, the Boss Sound is still present.

Listen now to Barry Kay, as he weaves in and out of commercials and records like a crotch rocket weaves through traffic at high speed. Its one spot, then a record, and it all seems so effortless. 1972 was not a kind year for KHJ, the station was on the verge of ending one era, and launching a new. But it does sound good to our ears, which are accustom to 6 minutes of commercials, followed by the same dozen songs heard the previous hour and the same liners said by the same under-paid voice track. Yes, it was so much better in ‘72, and Barry Kay was one of the good guys we remember.

Jim Davis, 93/KHJ Los Angeles | 1976

Forget about Boss Radio. KHJ had a LOT going for it in the mid-70s, if nothing else, the programming and voice brilliance of Charlie Van Dyke at the helm of an L.A. legend.

It’s difficult to outline the politics of radio in Los Angeles in this era. The staple KHJ jocks that listeners were used to in the Boss Era (1966-1970) were elsewhere on the dial, and that meant that a whole different group of professionals had to perform brilliantly. RKO management had told programming pioneer Bill Drake to take a hike a few years before this, so, this high-personality lightning fast presentation with it’s unique RKO style was in place at 93/KHJ in 1976. Van Dyke did mornings (until later that year when Rick Dees arrived from WHBQ Memphis), Beau Weaver had his time slot, and then there was this, lesser known jock fulfilling his dream of being on the by now world famous KHJ, at night, Jim Davis.

We don’t know much about Jim, so we hope listeners will fill us in on the details, and of course, we welcome any corrections in this description. Use the comment feature, or start a thread on our Facebook Wall.

Charlie Tuna, KROQ 1500 AM Los Angeles | June, 1973

A slice of L.A. Radio history is heard in this rare recording of the legendary Charlie Tuna (left) on KROQ-AM. A time before the now-legendary K-Rock on FM, this station started out as an original Top 40, KBLA, and after a number of format changes, returned to Top 40 from the ashes of Country station KBBQ in 1972. The next year (around the time of this aircheck), the former KPPC-FM 106.7 was added, and today’s KROQ-FM was born.

This is so unique. A tradtional, 70s-style, Rock-based Top 40 station on AM, with news and other full-service elements not found anywhere on music radio today. You will enjoy. You WILL.

Above: an old KROQ AM 1500 poster featuring Paul Oscar Anderson

Scott Fybush took this photo of the old KROQ-AM Antenna Array in 2006 during one of his antenna site trips.
Copyright 2006, Fybush.com

Hollywood Hamilton, KIIS AM/FM “102-7 Kiss FM” Los Angeles | October 1989

Cue the bloggers! Hollywood Hamilton is one of those truly great CHR jocks who found himself heard on Satellite Radio, so there are plenty of searches for him. Well, link to this. Here’s Hamilton on another famous outlet for hit music, KIIS-FM, which here is an AM/FM simulcast (with KIIS-AM 1150 AM Stereo).

Listen for Rick Dees and a recorded spot for Neutra-System about 5 minutes in. Dees was always known for his endorsements and here’s one of those longtime products that helped pad Dees’ wallet.

QuickCheck: The Real Don Steele, KHJ Los Angeles | 1971

“…You can trust your car to the man who wears the star”

So begins this all-too-short, rare recording of RDS on 93/KHJ. We join things right in the middle of a commercial break (Texaco). We’re listening to KHJ in ‘71, and while the Bill Drake era is all but over, the format is intact with all the familiar Drake formatics.

QuickCheck: Eric Chase, KIQQ “K100″ Los Angeles | July 18, 1975

K100 was L.A.’s first serious contender in the top 40 wars, and this short glimpse into mid-70s KIQQ sounds great. Eric Chase was better known in San Francisco at KFRC, and his personality is the same here. He’s an enormously talented jock and this aircheck proves it.

By the time of this aircheck, K100 was on the decline, its best talent, Robert W. Morgan, The Real Don Steele and Humble Harve having recently (at the time of this recording) having quit. This station was the first programming project for Bill Drake after leaving RKO General.

“Banana” Joe Montione Flashback Show on KIIS-AM/FM Los Angeles | Undated

Many of these “East Coast Airchecks” tapes came in undated, only labelled with the jock and station, thus we leave it up to our listeners to pinpoint when the aircheck was recorded.

This is the Banana Joe Flashback Show on Kiss-FM. Lots of promos for Rick Dees in the Morning, plenty of callers and tons of 80s hits are heard in this ultra high-energy scope that we’re guessing was probably made sometime around 1992 or 1993. CHR radio’s approach to an oldies show sounded incredible, especially since they only went back about 5-8 years. So, what hit station today bothers to do a live flashback show with local jocks? Anybody?

Thats what I thought.

Thanks to Robyn Watts for yet another great addition to the Airchexx archives!

The Real Don Steele, KRTH K-Earth 101 Los Angeles | Date unknown

Thanks again to the massive Robyn Watts collection, the late Don Steele is featured in this 7+ minute scope of K-Earth 101 from sometime in the early 90s, we’re guessing around ‘91 or ‘92. Charlie Van Dyke’s pipes are lower than ever in the incredible imaging, and the jingles…. well, KRTH has used a variation of nearly the same jingle sing for well over 30 years now so what does that tell ya?

Very few radio stations have had the same format or call letters, especially on FM, and with the exception of a small stretch of time in the early 80s when it was AC, KRTH has been blasting Oldies to Southern California. As of this writing, it still is.

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