…”We don’t know if Extra-Terrestrials are real, but according to you, there’s a fifty four percent chance…”
From Contributor Antonio Dell’Agio.
When we received this aircheck, we were contacted by the contributor who said that the creator of this piece (and legendary programmer) Les Garland wished to donate it to our site. We’re incredibly thankful and humbled that Mr. Garland would think enough of this site to have it placed here. Or, as our contributor writes,
“I got it from Les Garland’s personal collection. I’m Les Garland’s assistant. Garland was the one who asked me to contact you to post it. He’s asked me to contact you now as well to set the record straight haha.
Garland did indeed conceive and write the piece, and was awarded a Clio for it. And that is Paul Frees’ voice.”
This was aired sometime after Close Encounters became a blockbuster hit in 1977. Now, what station would DARE broadcast eight seconds of dead air – for ANY reason? Not today! Its a prime example of a creative promotion department doing something unique.
Breathtakingly close on the description for this one.
It actually aired before Close Encounters was released…as part of a promotion in which KFRC was giving away passes to the opening of the movie. So as not to detract from the drama of this piece, that was done in a separate contest that ran concurrent with the promo you hear here.
It also isn’t the work of the promotion department at all (and KFRC had one of the best).
It was conceived and written by KFRC Program Director Les Garland, who won a Clio award for it, and voiced by the late Paul Frees (who we’ve heard over the decades as Boris Badenov, the narrator at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, and half of the things you always thought were Orson Welles).
There were multiple versions, the only difference being the time at which the test would be repeated. This allowed KFRC to space it out through dayparts over the week or so that it aired.
Brilliant!
Mr. Ron Hummel, KFRC Production Director, produced/engineered the piece…he was the best THEN and he’s the best TODAY.