MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SEMINAR SERIES, THE: LOS ANGELES RADIO FESTIVAL 2001: LOS ANGELES RADIO DAY {50'S AND 60'S PIONEERS} {LONG VERSION}
Summary
Tape one of two. One in this series of seminars held at The Museum of Television & Radio in Los Angeles. This session, part of the Museum's second annual radio festival in Los Angeles, focuses on L.A. radio personalities of the 1950s and 1960s and is moderated by Don Barrett, web meister of LARadio.com. Barrett begins by introducing a group of disc jockeys of the era, airing a brief audio sample of the work of each. The group consists of Perry Allen, Elliot Field, Hunter Hancock, Jim Hawthorne, Casey Kasem, Art Laboe, Wink Martindale, Gary Owens, and Ted Quillin. Perry Allen opens the discussion by recounting the story of his move from Buffalo to Los Angeles to work for sports owner Jack Kent Cooke, who was trying at the time to break into broadcasting. Next, Field shares memories of his work for Texas broadcasting pioneer Gordon McLendon, whom he credits as the co-inventor of Top Forty radio. Following this, Hancock talks about his introduction of race records to the Los Angeles radio scene, and Martindale recalls the radio climate when he moved to Los Angeles in 1959; he also touches on the history of his hit record, "Deck of Cards." Kasem addresses the origins of his popular program "American Top 40," and Quillin recounts memories of singers Elvis Presley and Ritchie Valens. Laboe then discusses the "Oldies But Goodies" concept he has pursued in broadcasts and on albums, and Hawthorne recalls his early ad-lib days on Los Angeles television. Gary Owens talks briefly about KFWB program director Chuck Blore, who introduced "color radio" to the station; Owens also shares humorous stores about his own radio and television work. Barrett then announces that Blore will join the panel as a special guest star. The disc jockeys share anecdotes about Blore, and Hawthorne recalls the program director's innovative marketing of a new radio station in Minnesota. Various panelists also ask Blore about the qualities he looked for in disc jockeys and about his strategy for popularizing the new sound of KFWB. Barrett then opens the seminar to questions from the audience. In answering them, the panelists discuss the following topics, among others: the possible viability of a station such as the old KFWB in today's market, Owens's parody record linking the lives of Richard Nixon and Abraham Lincoln, and Hawthorne's early days in comedy radio. Continues with T:67431.002.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: October 20, 2001 4:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:03:31
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:67431.001
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Don Barrett … Host
- Perry Allen … Panelist
- Chuck Blore … Panelist
- Elliot Field … Panelist
- Hunter Hancock … Panelist
- Jim Hawthorne … Panelist
- Casey Kasem … Panelist
- Art Laboe … Panelist
- Wink Martindale … Panelist
- Gary Owens … Panelist
- Ted Quillin … Panelist
- Jack Kent Cooke
- Abraham Lincoln
- Gordon McLendon
- Richard Nixon
- Elvis Presley
- Ritchie Valens