Station: 930 KHJ Los Angeles (KHJ/KKHJ)
Format: Top 40
Featured Air Personality: Charlie Van Dyke (WLS/KHJ/WRKO/others)
Contributor: Bob Gilmore
…with Charlie Van Dyke, the new kid on the block…
Comments
It’s possible 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.
This is CVD’s first day at KHJ.
Robert W. Morgan had returned from WIND, Chicago the previous Monday (1/17/72), displacing Charlie Tuna, who moved to morning drive when Morgan left (10/2/70).
Tuna was offered 9-Noon, but declined and by spring was doing mornings at KCBQ, San Diego.
Even so, KHJ made another change, cutting Pete McNeal (who’d been doing 9-Noon) loose and replacing him with Charlie Van Dyke.
Van Dyke, who’d done mornings at KFRC, San Francisco in 1969 and 1970, had been PD at Drake-consulted (but not RKO-owned) KGB, San Diego from summer, 1970 until just before this aircheck.
Charlie only stayed at KHJ six months before going to WLS, Chicago for mornings. He returned to KHJ in August, 1973 to replace Robert W. Morgan, who’d walked out with The Real Don Steele and Bill Drake the month before.
Van Dyke’s run in morning drive at KHJ was from August, 1973 to May, 1977. He added PD duties in January, 1975.
Michael Spears (from KFRC) replaced Charlie as PD when Charlie left for KLIF.
Charlie Tuna (from KIIS) replaced Charlie in mornings.
When Tuna left in fall, 1978, he was replaced by The True Don Bleu.
Rick Dees didn’t arrive at KHJ until April, 1979.
As for Van Dyke’s voice….he was 24 years old at the time this was recorded. And he’d already been at KLIF, CKLW, KFRC and KGB.
I remember that morning when CVD debued on KHJ. Robert W. Morgan introduced him before the top of the hour ID by saying “Charlie is one of those born radio guys, with great pipes. When he was born, he said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen ….'”
Charlie was one of the great ones on Drake radio, and can still be heard doing voice imaging in the Drake style on KRTH-FM, Los Angeles (as well as hundreds of other stations.)
Charlie Van Dyke is still voicing Channel 12 in Phoenix.
WOW…at 24 !!!!!!