Las Vegas Radio History

Radio Bits and Bytes: The Age of Aquarius and a famous false ending from a studio on Industrial Road

As I chronicle the history of Las Vegas radio stations and their facilities, mention should be made of a little-known recording studio which was housed in the same building complex which was home of the studios of KLUC AM/FM in the 1960s and 1970s:  The Industrial Arts Building on Industrial road.  KLUC was on the second floor, while below on the ground floor United Recording Studios.

What makes this particular studio significant is that some of the giants in the industry recorded tracks there:  names like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.  Elvis Presley’s last number one single would be mixed down in this studio.  And the man who owned it was legendary recording engineer Billy Porter.

Industrial Arts Building ca. 1963. The now long-gone Stardust Drive-In screen is visible in front.

There was nothing to indicate a recording facility existed in this building, it appeared to be just another store located on the first floor with the small sign painted on the window, “United Recording Studios.”  Plus one would think it was odd locating a recording facility next to railroad tracks.  In recalling the recording of the Fifth Dimension’s “Aquarius” producer “Bones” Howe described it as “that horrid studio where you had to stop recording when the train went by.”¹ But, the studios were right next to the Strip.  Artists could easily get to the unassuming location from their hotels to recording sessions.

A good friend of mine at Las Vegas High School was Gerry Porter, who’s father was legendary recording engineer Billy R. Porter.  In one week of 1960, his recordings accounted for 15 of Billboard Magazine’s “Top 100,” a feat no one has ever matched.  Gerry had a key to the place, and showed me the studios — complete with a “real” reverb chamber–a room with a very high ceiling, speakers, and a microphone.  And yes, you could clearly hear the rumble of Union Pacific trains rolling by behind the building.

In a letter Billy Porter tells the story how he came to Vegas:

“I left Nashville in 1966, and purchased United Recording Studio in Las Vegas. In August, 1969 Elvis came to Las Vegas, where he was to appear at the International Hotel (now the Las Vegas Hilton). Elvis’ producer, Felton Jarvis, booked time at my studio on August 7, 1969, and brought in an 8-track tape (all 8 tracks full) and asked me to overdub the horns, after which he would take the “new tape” to another studio in Nashville or Memphis, and do the finished mix. I convinced Felton to let me mix the 8-track tape and overdub the horns at the same time for a finished master. This isn’t a normal process, since the producers want to experiment with different mixes, and the overdub/mix I created would not allow this flexibility. I did two overdubs: one for the stereo master and one for the monaural master. The horns played their parts twice: once for the stereo version, and once for the monaural version. “Suspicious Minds” was the last No. 1 record I recorded for Elvis, and the first I’d done for him since recording “Good Luck Charm” in 1962.”

“As a result of my Las Vegas involvement with Elvis, and his request for me to redesign the sound system at the International Hotel, I became Elvis’ Sound Engineer on his live performances from the beginning of 1970 until his death in 1977. The last “performance” l recorded for Elvis was his funeral service in Memphis in 1977.” ²

Billy Porter

Billy’s last recording session would take place in United Recording in Las Vegas.  Much like the soft-spoken engineer, the small unassuming studio would be the location where many legends would record.  It is in these studios Billy engineered the famous false ending to Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds.”  The next time you hear the Fifth Dimension’s “Age of Aquarius” know that the vocals and final mix-down were done in that little storefront studio next to the railroad tracks in Las Vegas.

A thanks to Gerry Porter for showing me around his dad’s recording studio when we were in high school.  Billy was often called “the nicest engineer to work with in the business”  I can personally attest to that from meeting him many times at his home.

¹http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb06/articles/classictracks.htm

² http://www.elvis-collectors.com/porter.html

Las Vegas’ first radio station also the first to have their license denied by the FCC

While searching online for more information on Las Vegas’ first radio station KGIX, I discovered the station has the dubious distinction of being the first license application denied by the FCC. The commission had only been in existence for one year and the denial was one of many roadblocks the 100-watt AM station faced in its very short history.

In his blog Radio Analyst Jose Fritz wrote,
“As broadcasting began to develop, it became obvious to lawmakers that some type of regulation was needed to provide for orderly use of the airwaves. To fill this need, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) was formed in 1934, the end result of the Communications Act of the same year. The FCC, now observing its 76th year, was officially established on June 19, 1934, when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the enabling legislation.”

“Within a year of that signature, the first license application was denied. It would have belonged to KGIX, Las Vegas for failure to complete its construction within the granted CP as required. It was deleted May 14 1935. These days that’s kind of an old story.”

“Eventually Owner J.M. Heaton re-files and eventually does bring KGIX on air. It becomes the first radio station in Las Vegas and starts broadcasting services devoted to the town’s foundation and to its early days. The enterprise flops and shuts down.”

“Las Vegas didn’t have a radio station until Entrepreneur Max Kelch came in and bought KENO in 1940.”

Las Vegas broadcasting veteran Bob Stoldal is currently researching KGIX and plans on writing an article on the station’s history.  Bob states,

“Heaton, was the station agent for the railroad, an important position as he was basically the number one railroad guy in Las Vegas for a long time.
Appears to have been a well paid position, he bought a ranch in paradise valley, did not appear to make a go of it.
Well respected, he and his wife as hard workers.
After he died, she tried to keep the radio station license, but just could not get enough support.”

Many thanks to Bob for his complimentary words on the site, and for his help in finding information about this little-known piece of Las Vegas broadcasting history.  Bob is also trying to pin down the location of KGIX… an index of photographs in the UNLV Library Special Collections reveals one of the wife of J.M. Heaton, it states there were grand plans for the station with studios on Fremont Street but they landed at the corner of 9th and Mesquite.  An interview with George and Ed Von Tobel conducted by Frank Wright quotes George as remembering the station being somewhere near 10th and 12th streets.  There’s no evidence today of a broadcasting facility, except for the large tower on Ogden and 10th Streets.  I doubt if this was ever used by the station, if I recall correctly it was erected in the 1960s or 70s with its purpose being an support structure for signs and advertisements.  The venture ran out of money and the cost to bring this structure down is quite high.

KGIX memories from the NEVADA STATE MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY here:
http://www.knpr.org/lvir/VonTobel.txt

Source: Arcane Radio Trivia
http://tenwatts.blogspot.com/2005/10/first-license-denial.html

Radio Bits & Bytes: The First Radio Station: KGIX

Some people don’t even consider it a real radio station, so it does not get much respect.  But federal documents and industry trade publications acknowledged it and old-timers remember it.  What could also be Las Vegas’ shortest-lived radio station was the first to broadcast from the tiny town September 2, 1930.

KGIX only had a power of 100 watts at 1420 on the AM dial, but considering the size of Las Vegas in 1930 this was more than adequate to cover the city limits.  To give you an idea of of what those limits were, the “old” Las Vegas High School downtown on 7th and Bridger was at that time considered “too far out of town.”  Veteran Las Vegas broadcaster Bob Stoldal wrote, “(Owner J.M.) Heaton was a real pioneer.   Only broadcast parts of the day, mainly at night.  But he had newscasts, supplied by John Cahlan at the Las Vegas Review Journal, and lots of local live music, and just about anybody with ‘guts’ enough to go on radio.”  Bob is still trying to locate where the studios and facilities were located.

The photo below was taken right after Las Vegas High School was built at 7th and Bridger in 1930–notice the LDS Church near the center which is still there today.

Heaton struggled to keep the station afloat but had a difficult time doing so, and he lost the battle when his construction permit expired and was deleted May 14, 1935.  Las Vegans would have to go back to static-filled reception of stations in Los Angeles and other big cities.

Five years later KENO would sign on and become a permanent beacon on the AM dial.  Their first location was even further out of town, near the corner of Mojave and E. Charleston.

The Western Historic Radio Museum website has information on this and other pioneer Nevada radio stations

Vegas Bits & Bytes: Nevada’s “First” FM Stereo Station-KRGN

Many thanks to Allen Sandquist "Roadsidepictures" for providing the ad from the 1964 "Nevada" Magazine. Click the image to check out his photostream on Flickr.

One may surmise after looking at this display ad from the Centennial edition of Nevada Magazine in 1964 that Nevada’s first FM station to broadcast in stereo was at 101.9 on the dial:  KRGN-FM.  The point is debateable but in later years KRGN-FM would be the first to broadcast in Quadraphonic (”QS Quadraphonic”) in the 1970s, a point Casey Kasem brought up in one of his American Top 40 shows. 

KRGN-FM signed on the air March 22, 1963 with studios and transmitter on East Sahara next to Commercial Center, the original owner was Mrs. Ernie Cragin, Cragin Park off of West Charleston was named after one of Las Vegas’ early mayors.  The call letters paid homage to it’s original owners, who also opened the El Portal in 1914. 

Gilday Brodcasting acquired the station in 1968 and began an evolution to a more contemporary format, by 1973 the annual Broadcasting Yearbook listed the format as “Contemporary/Country/Pop/MOR.”  

The following year the ownership changed with Broadcast Associates taking control December 1, 1974.  “The Best on Record” became the station slogan, and the call letters were changed to KFMS.  KFM-102 would became a full contemporary format, the automation equipment for this largely-unmanned station were in full view through the windows of neighboring Garwo0od Van’s Musicland at 850 E. Sahara.  Steve Gold and BVroadcast Associates would move the facilities to 1555 E. Flamingo and the transmitter moved to atop Black Mountain toward the end of the decade.  Additionally, the station began broadcasting in QS-Quadraphonic during this period, the automation equipment was retired and live announcers took over.  Doug Shane, Lark Williams, and Jay Ford were among the first on-air crew. 

Down the dial Lotus Broadcasting lit up 92.3 FM with an Album Oriented Rock format in 1977 and KFM answered going head-to head with “K-92″ “KFM Rocks Las Vegas!”   The line-up was Doug Shane, morning drive;  Jay Ford, Middays; and Russ Ryan, afternoons.  Rick Diego was recruited from competitor K-92 KENO-FM to handle evenings, and in 1979 this author was hired to replace Doug Shane doing morning drive…a stint which only lasted two months.  Big Marty would come on board to do mornings the following year.  K-92 would change to a more pop format by the end of the decade and KFM would continue to rock Las Vegas until 1981…when a dramatic change would occur. 

The change was Country, and KFM started honkin’ the howdy hits — a change which proved to be very successful for the station.  But the change did not come without protest.  Program director Jay Ford recalls, “The day the station flipped to a Country format was one of the darkest days of my life.  What a drag it was showing up to work with protesters in the parking, on the roof with banners, tv crews, eggs thrown on the windows, disturbing calls to the switchboard.  It was unbelievable!”   Bill Gardner would take over morning drive,  Teddy Brown handled middays, Shari Singer Noon-3pm, Dick Riley afternoons, Joe Farmer evenings, and Richard Sainte overnights.   For the rest of the decade and into the 90s KFM remained a market leader with its country format.

When the station signed on the air in 1963 it was listed in the Broadcasting Yearbook for that year at 909 E. Sahara, which is on the southeast corner of the main entrance to Commercial Center.  When Gilday Broadcasting acquired the station they moved across the street to 850, next to Garwood Van’s Musicland.  Gilday also owned the Las Vegas franchise for Muzak which transmitted on a subcarrier of KRGN.   After Broadcast Associates’ purchase of the property in 1974 they moved to 1555 East Flamingo, the “1555″ office complex would later also be home to KMZQ-FM 100.5.  The station would relocate to the Valley Bank building on Convention Center Drive until Regent Broadcasting took control in 1995 and a former First Western Savings branch at 1130 East Desert Inn Road would become home, the location used for filming the bank scenes in the movie “Casino” also housed Regent’s other Las Vegas acquisitions:  KEYV-FM 93.1, KSNE-FM 106.5, and KWNR-FM 95.5. 

Another ownership change occured in the late 90s when Jacor bought out Regent, Jacor (now Clear Channel) relocated to 2880 Meade Avenue.  After 19 years as a country station in early 2000 the format flipped to CHR and was rebranded “KISS” and carried Rick Dees in the mornings.  In 2003 they went from “KISS” to “Wild” and changed call letters to KWID.  Clear Channel sold the property to Lotus Broadcasting in 2004 the format became Spanish Oldies ”La Preciosa.”

Whether 101.9 was the first Nevada station to broadcast in stereo is a point subject to debate, but as far as I know they were the only facility in Las Vegas to broadcast in Quadraphonic.  The station was launched by a pioneer Las Vegas family in 1963 and now joins the growing rank of Spanish-language signals in Las Vegas.

Many thanks to Allen Sandquist aka “Roadsidepictures” on Flickr for allowing me to use the display ad for KRGN and El Portal Theatre, which appeared in the Centennial Edition of “Nevada” Magazine in 1964. 

Jeff Colson, The Hullabalooer!

Sharla and Jeff Colson and his Hullabaloo Horn ca. 1966

 Jeff Colson started in radio right here in Las Vegas doing nights at KENO-AM 1460 in 1963.  On KENO he rode the popularity of the TV show “Hullabalo” in 1965-1966 and adopted his own “Hullabaloo Horn” as his trademark.  As a kid I would listen to Jeff and Coffee Jim Dandy, Don Adams, Scott Morgan, Harry Miller and more of the “KENO Good Guys” which evolved into the “Boss Jocks” of the later 60s. 

That horn accompanied every time-check on his shift as one of the original “KENO Good Guys.”  As his career progressed he was Jay Stone  on KRUX, KRIZ, and KUPD in Phoenix and built a legendary reputation in the business. 

Jeff returned home and worked at KMZQ when the station signed on in 1983, he also put in time at then-oldies KUDA 107.5, and Doug Shane at Broadcast Associates hired him to image “Hit Kickin’ Country Y-93″ when they acquired 93.1 FM under a Sales Marketing Agreement around 1994.

Many thanks to Sharla Maule-DiVarmo for sharing this classic photo taken before a concert in Las Vegas.  Stay tuned for more on the great “Top 40″ wars in Vegas radio:  KENO battled it out with KRAM in the 50s and 60s. 

Bumper Morgan has a collection of Jeff Colson aka Jay Stone’s work on his site.

Radio Bits and Bytes: 1956 KRBO signs on

The Reno Gazette  in 1956 carried a story announcing the seventh radio station to sign on in Las Vegas:  KRBO.  The call letters stood for “Rainbow Broadcasting Company” and was owned and managed by Joe Julian.  The 500-watt daytimer broadcast on 1050 AM and later would move to 1140.   Staff lineup:

J. (Rick) Richardson - Ops mgr.
Brad Bennett - Commercial Manager
Dave DeSoto - PD
Mary Julian - promotions manager
Greg Gelhart, chief engineer

In 1956 every radio station licensed to Las Vegas was on the strip, The El Rancho had KENO 1460-AM, The Thunderbird KORK 1340-AM, The Desert Inn housed KLAS 1230-AM, and The Riviera KRAM 920-AM.  Two other signals - KBMI 1400-AM and KTOO 1280-AM - were in Henderson.  Actually, there were no singals which radiated in the city limits, as the Strip lies south of the city border at Sahara.

KRBO would continue to be owned and run by Julian until around 1962 when it was purchased by Meyer “Mike” Gold, a construction permit was issued in that year for an FM station at 98.5 and once it signed on the air the new AM-FM Combo had new call letters:  KLUC

Radio Bits & Bytes: The Federal Communications act of 1996

The Las Vegas radio market changed forever when one of, if not the most dramatic changes in regulation occurred: The Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. In the 1930s rules were set in place which were meant to ensure radio would serve the public interest and to prevent domination of the new medium by large national monopolies. A single person or corporation could own no more than 2 stations in a market and were capped with the amount they could own nationwide, with no more than 14 or 7 AM and 7 FM. The rules eased up a bit in 1984 with the total upped to 12 of both, and in 1992 it was raised to 18 of each.  That changed dramatically in 1996 when these ownership restrictions were removed entirely.

In Las Vegas, as was the case in most markets, that two-station limit was an

Klassy 100 Living Room Suite - Jaycee State Fair 1986

AM/FM combo.  Nationwide Communications had KLUC-98.5 FM and KXNO-1140 AM.  Lotus Broadcasting had KOMP-92.3 FM and KENO-1460 AM.  Donrey owned KYRK-97.1 FM and KORK-920 AM, in addition to the Review-Journal newspaper and KORK-TV3. Plus, they were about the only billboard company in town at the time, Donrey billboards were everywhere (thanks for reminding me, mailman Ron!)  Lotus picked up 97.1 FM in 1993 under new more relaxed ownership regulations, a changed the calls to KXPT and format to AAA (Adult Album Alternative.) In 1996 TV3 was owned by Valley Broadcasting Company, who also owned KVBC-105.1 FM.  The other time a newspaper-broadcasting cross-ownership occurred was when KLAS-1230 AM signed on the air in 1947, one of its owners was Sun publisher Hank Greenspun.  Donrey Media Group at one time had the greatest media ownership, with one FM, AM, and TV station, and the local newspaper.

Lifting these restrictions, companies started on a buying spree. Then bigger companies bought the smaller companies. Regent Broadcasting, headed by Jacor founder Terry Jacobs, purchased KFM-102 from Broadcast Associates, then added KSNE “Sunny 106.5″ and later 95.5 KWNR. Under a Sales Marketing Agreement (SMA) they took control of Young Country Y93 while ownership of the license remained with Broadcast Associates.  Not long after these four stations consolidated in the old First Western Savings bank building on Desert Inn Road (it’s the bank they used filming the movie “Casino.”)  Jacor then purchased Regent. Jacobs had been forced out of the company he founded in the early 90s; he said it was one of the most difficult things he ever did in dealing with Randy Michaels and Jacor when they acquired the company. There was another round of the bigger fish swallowing the big fish when Clear Channel merged with Jacor.

Across town American Radio Systems was consolidating, acquiring 94.1 “94 Jamz”, 98.5 KLUC, 107.5 KFBI, and Lite 100.5 KMZQ, along with AMs 840 and 1140. Then bigger fish CBS swallowed ARS. Privately-owned Lotus also added to their portfolio of KOMP 92.3 and KENO-AM 1460 with KXPT 97.1 and KORK-AM 920. They’ve since added AM-1100 and 101.9 FM to make their cluster a six-pack. Beasley Broadcasting was the last to consolidate signals under one roof, with KKLZ-96.3, Coyote Country 104.3, Fresh 102.7, KDWN-AM 720, and KBET-AM 790. KDWN was one of the last privately-owned stations, from its sign-on in 1975 until his death in 2005 it was owned by A.J. Williams.

Radio Bits & Bytes- California Airchecks: Las Vegas 1983

I received some inspiration for an update to this site while rummaging through old airchecks of mine, finding a real goldmine: California Airchecks: Las Vegas 1983. It’s a time capsule of Las Vegas radio on a Friday night and Saturday morning the late fall of ‘83.

KLAV jingle 1983

On that tape, “Superhit KLAV, A Frontier Media Station, Morgan Skinner, President!” The jock on the tape is none other than Floyd Thackery aka Jack Daniels who we just lost February 1st–he went by Jay Floyd Daniels on “Superhit KLAV.”  Radio-Info boards poster “Jay F” wrote, “I heard that when Morgan Skinner arrived at KLAV he made the jocks change their air name if it had any connection to drugs or alcohol. “Jack Daniels” was no longer acceptable. Chris Colson (Jeff’s brother) went by the name Christopher Haze and changed it to Chris Carson (which he then used for several years doing overnights on KLUC). Jeff Colson went by the name “Jay Stone” on KLAV, he wasn’t there much longer after Skinner arrived.”

KLUC jingle 1983

Also on this gem of early 1980s Vegas radio is Brian Christian sitting in for Mike O’Brian evenings on KLUC. OB would later move to mornings and Brian became the regular 6-10pm host. Brian hosts the top 10 countdown with Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” at #1. Newcomer KMZQ 100.5 had just signed on and you hear Jeff Burke on “The New Q-100 KMZQ,” promoting Rebel Footbal which was coming up - a major factor in getting 100.5 on the air was getting the lucrative broadcast rights for UNLV’s Rebel Footbal team. A bonus on the “Q-100″ segment is hearing Jeff Colson’s promo. Beau Weaver is on 1460 KENO-AM, Jeff Allen was sitting in for regular evening talent Charlie Morris on KOMP (Charlie was hosting the “Stray Cat Strut” contest at the Brewery.) It’s an interesting set of songs on the 1983 KOMP which featured, among others, “Church of the Poisin Mind” by Culture Club, “Too Late for Love” by Def Leppard, “You’re the One” by 38 Special, “Don’t Cry” from Asia, “Nowhere Man” by the Beatles, and “Hold Me” by Fleetwood Mac. And heard on KUDO, KENO, KOMP, KLAV, and KLUC, “This mention brought to you by Fairway Chevrolet.”

KUDO 1983 Aircheck

The very first segment features yours truly George Thomas on KUDO “93-Kudo K-U-D-O From the fabulous Marina Hotel.” It was a great trip down memory lane.

Radio Bits & Bytes: From KRBO to KYDZ, 1050 to 1140 AM

With the recent change in formats and call letters for 1140 AM it got me thinking about the history of this portion of the AM dial.  The former AM counterpart to KLUC-FM 98.5 began as a daytime-only station at 1050 on the dial as KRBO in 1956. “Rainbow Incorporated” and Joe Julian owned it and hence “RBO.”  Mike Gold bought the station in 1963 and changed the call letters to KLUC and moved to the New Frontier Hotel–along with it came an FM sister station.  In 1968 came a major upgrade in power to 10,000 watts and a move up the dial to 1140.  The AM and FM would simulcast until the AM split apart from the FM and took on a new identity with new calls:  KMJJ.  “Magic 11″ became a very popular station with talent like Charlie and Harrigan, Rick Shaw, Steve Goddard, and Bill Balance.  None of these folks actually did their shows in Las Vegas, they taped them on reel to reel and board ops played them back from studios in North Las Vegas, first on McDaniel street and then on Lake Mead Blvd. 

KMJJ would flip formats and become hard-rockin’ KRSR, “The Krusher.”  They picked up the calls KZAP when the Chico, California station dropped them in 1992, but was short-lived as they returned to KLUC later that same year.  By 1993 the music format was history and the format changed to “Casino Radio” with the calls KXNO:  “Give us 20 minutes, and we’ll give you Las Vegas”   It was keyed primarily to people travelling along the I-15 corridor with its 10kW daytime signal and directional nighttime pattern.

The lights were turned out in the Casino and Sports Fan Radio came to town with KSFN in 1997.  Sports Fan folded and the station returned to music with “Crusin’ Oldies.”  The station headed into the new century with a return to talk– Hot Talk to be specific, with Don & Mike, Tom Leykis, Loveline, and the return of Johnson and Tofte to the radio in the morning.  Another shift in direction would come with a return to sports with “Sports Radio 1140.” 

March 3rd heralded marked the return of music to 1140 with Kids Radio KYDZ. Core artists on the station include Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, The Plain White T’s, David Archuleta, and Miley Cyrus. The station is promoting itself as “For Kids, By Kids” and will feature on-air product produced and voiced by local children.

The origin of the L.V. Jazz Society’s slogan “Think Jazz” was on KLAV

“Think Jazz” became the mantra of Monk Montgomery, and the slogan of the Las Vegas Jazz Society which Monk Founded in 1975.  That slogan came about on the spur of the moment and unexpectedly.  Monk hosted a three hour jazz program on Sunday nights on KLAV from 8-11pm, “The Reality of Jazz” which was also the title of one of his albums. 

I remember the very first show, for which I ran the board and introduced Monk and provided someone for him to talk to and play off of.  The show wasn’t scripted; we just played it by ear and basically winged it.  When it came time to end the show, Monk said his goodbyes and then I closed the show with the sponsored billboard-The Tender Trap jazz club.  I also ran without a script, and right before I gave the legal ID I needed a few seconds to fill before we hit the top of the hour CBS news.  So I simply said, “until next time…think jazz.” 

Not an especially profound statement… but Monk was blown away by it.  “I like it!” he said.  He was pretty excited, and we closed every show thereafter with “think jazz.”  So a simple couple of words I came up with on the spur of the moment would become a mantra for Monk and the slogan for the Jazz Society which he founded.