93/KHJ
93 KHJ – “The End” – | January 31, 1986
Dave Sebastian has asked me to announce that I am not running the board… Please scroll down to read an important message Curator’s Notes: I’ve been hanging on to this classic for something like 14 years. Donated to us in the early days of Airchexx by Big Apple Airchecks, this aircheck illustrates perhaps the best format change ever recorded! Apparently, the two-year-old “Car Radio” format of recurrent hits and recent oldies just wasn’t selling well, nor was it affecting ratings as owner RKO General had hoped. In fact, apparently, the results were downright dismal (despite the fact that, especially by today’s standards, the format kicked serious ace in the sound department!). RKO’s idea was to blow the whole station up, and install the KRTH ca...
“Position 93” Sampler, KHJ Los Angeles | Early 1978
“Position 93, your California JAM Station…” Please scroll down and read an important message Curator’s Notes: Contributor Mike Donovan sent this in about 7 years ago, but it’s as relevant now as it was then. Legendary Top 40 station 93 KHJ still had it’s array of 1970s high-powered jocks, but “The New Sound of KHJ” was trying to compete with L.A. area FM stations and their more music, less talk approaches (specifically, the two major Album Rockers that gained much of the AM audience by 1978), and unfortunately, those now legendary personalities were muted, for the most part; relegated to liner cards and a format that restricted as to when they could speak at all. Just like today, right (speaks volumes as to where the business was headed even ...
Lee Sherwood, 93 KHJ Los Angeles | January 23, 1981
Station: 93 KHJ Los Angeles (Wikipedia) Format: Country Branded: “The New 93 KHJ” Featured Air Personality: Lee Sherwood Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Total Time: 34:48 Aircheck #1,595 I mentioned a few moments ago that Humphrey Bogart was born on this day... Curator’s Notes: Fans of “Boss Radio” will surely be disappointed with this, COUNTRY aircheck of KHJ. There is a bit of history mentioned on the news (read by Lee Marshall) with the story of the Iranian Hostages being released this particular day. That day in history, “Gone With The Wind” was released. Country or not, I *LIKE* Lee Sherwood. Great pipes, knowledgeable and topical, Lee puts on a good morning show. Better, in my humble opinion, than a lot of modern radio people. If you enjoy t...
Dr. John Leader, 93/KHJ Los Angeles | July 1, 1977
First published on this website eight years ago. An original recording obtained by contributor Daniel Coulombe, here’s the great Dr. John Leader… on KHJ! 1977 was still a good Top 40 year for the AM band, and KHJ was still in contention, even if K100 was the hot FM at the time, and with KTNQ was about to hit… Leader was also heard at WQXI Atlanta (See graphic) and KSTP in the Twin Cities, but surely never better than here on KHJ!
The Real Don Steele, 93/KHJ Los Angeles | January 8, 1970
Date of Recording: 01.08.1970 Station: 930 KHJ Los Angeles Format: Drake Top 40 Featured Air Personality: The Real Don Steele (Donald Steele Revert April 1, 1936 – August 5, 1997) Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Date of Posting: 11/18/17 Airchexx Entry: 1,524 Sockin’ it to ya! Three Oh Nine with the Real Don Steel and Johnny Nash! Curator’s Notes: There are those in this audience who know the Real Don Steel Personally…. or at least did while he graced our radios with his presence. Here’s a typical RDS show scoped down from 35 minutes unscoped to keep us legal. Comments: Please, reply to this post below!
Robert W. Morgan, 93 KHJ Los Angeles | August 8, 1970, Part 1
Date of Recording: 08.08.1970 Station: 930 KHJ Los Angeles Format: Top 40 Featured Air Personality: Robert W. Morgan Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Post Date: 11/10/2017 Airchexx Entry: 1,524 Curator’s Notes: The evolution of radio, television and now the internet as means of mass communications often reminds us of how rapid the general public embraces new technology. Consider that from the time KHJ debuted it’s now legendary Top 40 format until roughly 1971, KHJ was the single most listened to radio station in Southern California. Fast forward just nine years, and ratings were so low (impacted by FM) that the station changed to Country, then to Oldies, and by 1986, disappeared altogether. FM radio was king in Los Ange...
John Lennon sits in as Guest DJ: 93/KHJ Los Angeles | September 27, 1974
Date of Recording: 09.27.1974 Station: 930 KHJ (KRTH/KKHJ) Los Angeles, California, USA Format: Top 40 Featured Air Personality: John Lennon (The Beatles) Contributor: Daniel Coulombe Airchexx Entry: 1,494 Comments: Given the intense popularity of John Lennon, both as a major recording artist and his status as an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War, this appearance on the might 93 KHJ should be well documented. At the time, this was included in on-air promos of what was known as “Superstar” week at KHJ. And yes, obviously, recordings were made of the event. Yet, all these decades later, there’s not much historical information written online about this one time appearance in Los Angeles. There are a few references on Wikipedia (Curator’s note: Not everything printe...
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...
“The Boss is Back!” Dick Whittington’s 1st Show as 93 KHJ Returns | April 4, 1983
93 KHJ returns as an Oldies station after a two year run playing Country music! Dispite the on air promo which mimics KHJ’s original Boss Radio launch in 1965, the first Dick Whittington show is kind of awkward, probably due to the fact that Mr. Whittington is unfamiliar with KHJs control room – and he makes mention of it repeatedly on the air. We know virtually nothing about Dick Whittington’s career but generally, former listeners have fond memories of him. The formatics are in place, however, and one can easily understand where KHJ was going with this in 1983. The bright spots on this recording are the original KHJ Johnny Mann Jingles, and the news department (although the first newscast features AP Network news instead of the local news team). Despite the technical gl...
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.
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.
Machine Gun Kelly, 93 KHJ Los Angeles | November 7, 1975
Date of Recording: November 7, 1975 Station: 930 KHJ Los Angeles, California Featured Air Talent: Machine Gun Kelly Contributor: Robyn Watts Aircheck Entry: 1,420 Comments: This recording was recorded HOT! Hot recording levels to almost distortion levels, the tape ran very fast and I slowed it down as far as I dared (and still ended up with a bit of gurgle at the end of this 11 minute scope). There are some radio historians (yes, there are others besides myself) who feel that KHJ’s best era was during the 1965 launch of “Boss Radio” by PD Ron Jacobs, and Consultant Bill Drake. Certainly that particular format was a ‘first’ for radio, but best? Ask New Yawkers if they really thought KHJ in the 60s was better than Cousin Brucie or Dan Ingram on WABC? Its all in ...
