"Farewell Show" For KFRC's Sholin, Perry?

The terrific S.F. Peninsula Press Club blog reports that the Classic Hits KFRC crew will return to wrap things up this week:

KFRC's Dave Sholin, Celeste Perry and Sue Hall have been let go, but they will return this week (we don't know when) to do a farewell show.

There's also an interesting snippet of conversation from the company meeting that is reprinted in the SFPPC blog.

CBS is also in the process of putting in a booster in Pleasanton to increase 106.9's coverage in the Tri-Valley area. Right now, when driving, the station's signal begins to decay as you head east on 580 past Hopyard and Hacienda.

Of course, KCBS' signal is loud, strong and clear all the way out into the Valley on 740 AM, so I'm not certain why this is an issue now.

Hello, Goodbye: KFRC Dies Again

Not much more to say beyond what Ben Fong-Torres broke in this email blast to a few friends this afternoon:

"We expect this music to live forever..."

Just heard that liner on KFRC ... it's 1:47, and -- I'm sure you've heard -- KFRC is just about gone.

If you haven't heard: CBS Radio just announced that KFRC is being replaced with the programming on KCBS; at a meeting this morning, KFRC staffers were told the station is over as of today. Since then, it's been just music, liners & commercials. Dave Sholin, Celeste Perry, Sue Hall, Jay Coffey, Dean Goss (fill-in/weekender)-- all gone.

CBS is saying they'll keep the KFRC call letters on FM and run KFRC music online and on the HD-2 channel linked to 106.9. Up to now, it'd been the opposite. KFRC was on HD-1, KCBS on HD-2.

I'm sure you both know who to call for details. I'm running just a tiny item in my next col. (still nearly 2 weeks away), bec. of coverage of the radio hall of fame inductions...

Oh -- needless to say, my show, Backstage, is out the rear door. 52 shows, 100 or so hours (there were some repeats); absolute fun.

That's what radio is: fun and heartaches.

cheers,
ben

Damn. I had just commented to Ben about what a great show "Backstage" is (was). This past weekend's program was phenomenal. How can you beat Leo Sayer doing karaoke to his own "When I Need You" in your living room?

It's funny how much I listened to KFRC this past weekend, digging my old buddy John Mack Flanagan doing the Beatles shows, and Big Tom Parker playing back-to-back hits.

Oh, well. If you need a good 1960s Oldies fix, give a listen to the radio museum's Classic KYA. Since old-fashioned radio is being killed off by its caretakers, you might as well invest in a WiFi set and join the future.

Radio is dead. Long live radio.

Comments? Get on board at Radio-Info.com.

Capacity Crowd Cheers BARHOF Class Of 2008

An overflow crowd of fans, friends and colleagues was on hand to welcome the latest group of inductees into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame on October 1 at the Doubletree Inn on the Berkeley Marina.

Sixteen of the seventeen members of BARHOF's Class of 2008 were represented at the gala luncheon, including Broadcast Legends Red Blanchard and Don Klein.

New inductees Rosie Allen, Alex Bennett, Renel Brooks-Moon, Bob Fouts, Mickey Luckoff, Terry McGovern and Dave Sholin were all present for the ceremony.

(That's me between Messrs. McGovern and Bennett après the ceremony.)

Roy Storey, who could not be present, was represented by his sister Marcia Johnson, while Bill Gavin, Hap Harper, Mikel Hunter Herrington, Russ Hodges, Dude Martin, Doug Pledger and Russ "The Moose" Syracuse, inducted posthumously, were represented by friends or family members.

Presented under the auspices of the Broadcast Legends, the BARHOF 2008 program was emceed by David Jackson, executive director of the Bay Area Radio Museum. Joe Starkey, radio voice of 49ers and Cal football, inducted the four legendary local sportscasters -- Hodges, Storey, Klein and Fouts -- into the Hall of Fame.

NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts, a successful sportscaster in his own right, presented his father, Bob Fouts, with a funny and heart-warming speech. "We've all worked for a variety of stations with a variety of call letters -- KFRC, KCBS, KPIX," Dan Fouts commented. "But this is one set of call letters that's for life -- BARHOF."

The senior Fouts, early voice of the 49ers on radio and television as well as a longtime sportscaster on KSFO and KCBS, regaled the audience with tales of his the Niners ... and pro wrestling!

Other presenters included Bill Faust (for his step-father, Doug Pledger), Bob Matheson (for Red Blanchard), Ed Baxter (for Rosie Allen), Ronn Owens (for Mickey Luckoff), Dana Jang (for Mikel Hunter), Mike Preston (for Dave Sholin), Ted "Hezzie" Johnson (for Dude Martin) and Al Newman (for Terry McGovern).

Ben Fong-Torres and Tommy Saunders presented their memories and an audio montage of their friend, Russ Syracuse. New Hall of Famer Dave Sholin presented his former boss, Bill Gavin, for induction.

More than 6,000 votes were cast in the BARHOF 2008 balloting. Renel Brooks-Moon, host of 98.1 Kiss FM's morning show and voice of the Giants at AT&T Park, was named on more than 25% of all ballots -- most of any nominee -- and, along with KGO's Rosie Allen, was one of only two women to be inducted this year.

Other notable guests in the capacity crowd included sportscaster Barry Tompkins, KGO production superstar Mike Amatori, popular KYA disc jockey Chris Edwards (now an account exec with KFRC), legendary R&B disc jockey John "Bouncin' Bill" Doubleday, longtime radio personality Ward Glenn and voice artist Gary Mora (now hosting Classic KYA Radio).

But it was Celeste Perry, Dave Sholin's partner on KFRC's morning show, who got off the line of the day. During his acceptance speech, Sholin introduced Perry, noting that she, too, will someday be inducted into BARHOF.

Perry quickly replied "I'm not old enough!" and was met with raucous laughter and applause from the multitude.

Photograph by courtesy of Robert Mohr.

S.F. Radio Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2008

The Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame's Class of 2008 was announced at noon today. The full list and details can be viewed on the BARHOF website.

Just the names:

• Rosie Allen
• Alex Bennett
• Red Blanchard
• Renel Brooks-Moon
• Bob Fouts
• Bill Gavin
• Hap Harper
• Mikel Hunter Herrington
• Russ Hodges
• Don Klein
• Mickey Luckoff
• Dude Martin
• Terry McGovern
• Doug Pledger
• Dave Sholin
• Roy Storey
• Russ "The Moose" Syracuse.

The luncheon celebration for the new inductees will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 1, in Berkeley. Last year's event was not only sold out, but attracted an overflow crowd, so I urge you to make your reservation as soon as possible at www.BroadcastLegends.com.

Sholin's KFRC Debut Moved Back

Contrary to previous reports, the debut date for Dave Sholin and the rest of the new KFRC-FM (106.9) air team has been moved to Monday, July 9.

The original press release from KFRC, excerpted elsewhere here in ye Digest, announced the start date for Sholin as this coming Monday, July 2.

The new midday personality at KFRC will be scintillating Celeste Perry (ex-KSFO/KYA, KYCY), who won't join in the fun until later in the week of July 9; she's reportedly vacationing in Hawaii.

No confirmation from KFRC World Headquarters, but I'm supposing that having the Fourth of July holiday falling in the middle of Sholin's original debut week made moving the start date back a smart move.

Dave Sholin: KFRC Morning Man

The bubbling rumors that Dave Sholin would become the new program director at rebuilding Classic Hits KFRC/106.9 were proved false earlier this week when Tim Jordan got the job.

So, instead, Sholin -- that's right, "Your Duke" -- will become KFRC's morning man beginning Monday, July 2.

Sholin graduated from San Francisco State University and jumped straight over to San Jose's popular Top 40 outlet, KLIV/1590. Proving his skills as KLIV's music director (in addition to holding down an on-air shift), he began building his reputation for having two of the best ears in the business.

He moved to KARA/105.7 in Santa Clara as program director before getting called up to the big leagues at 610/KFRC for the first time, rising to national music director from then-station owner RKO General. He later became Top 40 editor for The Gavin Report, the industry tipsheet that he eventually co-owned and ran as executive director.

On the afternoon of December 8, 1980, Sholin conducted a lengthy, in-depth interview with John Lennon and Yoko One at their Manhattan home in the Dakota. It would be Lennon's last interview; arriving back in San Francisco, Sholin was informed that the former Beatle had been murdered.

More recently, Sholin served as vice president and columnist for MusicBiz.com and as director of adult formats promotion for EMI's Caroline Distribution and Astralwerks Records.

In a prepared statement, KFRC GM Steve DiNardo said "Dave's past experience at KFRC came at a time when the station was in the forefront of popular culture in the Bay Area. He has retained that sense of relevance throughout his career, and we're excited to unleash it on the new 106.9, KFRC."