For many, The Big 13 KYNO, is where it all began. In the 1960s, KMAK was the big Top 40 station in Fresno. Gene Chenault, owner of KYNO thought his station could beat KMAK. He knew KMAK was good, so KYNO had to be even better. Chenault, along with program director, Bill Drake created a fun, fast pace, promo intensive, Top 40 format, and they called it Boss Radio. It had fast talking jocks, over the top radio contests, and played the hits in a tight rotation. Thus began the “Battle for Fresno.” It didn’t take long for KYNO to become the Top 40 leader. Shortly after KYNO declared victory in Fresno, Bill Drake hired K-Make’s Program Director, Ron Jacobs, Midday guy Robert W. Morgan, & afternoon host Frank Terry. These four future radio programming giants took their combined talent to Southern California, where it wasn’t long before KHJ and “Boss Radio” were #1 in Los Angeles.
In addition to KYNO being the testing ground for the “Boss Radio” format that would be adopted at such stations as KHJ, Los Angeles; KFRC, San Francisco and CKLW, Windsor, Ontario, KYNO was also the station that originally produced “The History of Rock & Roll” radio special. Originally a 48-hour radio documentary produced by Drake/Chenault in 1969, the History of Rock & Roll was expanded to 52 hours and updated in 1978 and again in 1981. This aircheck features Johnny Scott on KYNO in 1968.
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