September 10, 2008

BARM Launches Classic KYA Online

If you were a teenager (or younger) growing up in the Bay Area back in the 1960s, you had a smorgasbord of choices -- KFRC (The Big 610), 1260/KYA, KEWB (Channel 91) and 1590/KLIV -- to suit your taste in Top 40 music, along with the great personalities that each station featured.

Out of that quartet, only KFRC remains forty years later, playing classic hits from the 1970s and vicinity at 106.9 FM.

As a vehicle of sheer nostalgic bliss, the Bay Area Radio Museum has launched Classic KYA Radio online, playing the great Top 40 hits of the 1960s (and vicinity), along with the 1260 KYA jingles that decorated the station so delightfully during that era.

Gary Mora (KYA Radio)The host of Classic KYA is Gary Mora (pictured here), who was a disc jockey at the original 1260 KYA during its latter period, and at the merged 560/KSFO and 93.3 KYA-FM. Gary also hosted the popular "KYA Oldies Road Show" live events for nearly twenty years, and is currently one of the best-known voice artists in the business.

Gary was born and raised on the Peninsula, and is a product of the College of San Mateo's vaunted broadcasting school, where he trained under the great Dan Odum, alongside classmates Dean Goss (currently weekending on KFRC) and Jon Miller (play-by-play voice of your San Francisco Giants).

In addition to the music and jingles, the flashbacks to the original KYA will continue with snippets of broadcast recordings from legendary KYA disc jockeys, including Johnny Holliday, Emperor Gene Nelson, Russ "The Moose" Syracuse, Tom Campbell, Bwana Johnny, Chris Edwards, Tommy Saunders and "Big Daddy" Tom Donahue. Classic commercials from the 1960s and 1970s are also featured, with Tom Campbell's well-remembered Mathew's TV & Stereo spots (complete with the famous "top of the hill, Daly City!" tagline) in heavy rotation.

The Bay Area Radio Museum controls the registered trademark to "KYA Radio" and has owned the rights to the kyaradio.com domain name since 2004. The newly-launched Classic KYA programming replaces the archival airchecks from the original "Boss of the Bay" that had been streaming previously on the kyaradio.com website. The revamped kyaradio.com features a continuous live feed of the Golden Gate Great Oldies, along with historic tidbits from the station's storied past.

The launch of Classic KYA Radio comes on the heels of the tremendous popularity of the Radio Museum's Classic KABL Music, which blends popular Adult Standards, Easy Listening and Beautiful Music, hosted by Radio Hall of Famer Bill Moen.

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January 11, 2007

RIP: KEWB's Mark Foster

Mark Foster at KEWB (1959)All Access reported this morning that former KEWB/Channel 91 afternoon drive star Mark Foster has passed away from cancer in Kansas City. He was 80.

Mr. Foster had also worked on the air in Dallas, Boston, Atlanta and Kansas City, where he later founded Madison Group Audio-Visual Productions.

His family has requested memorial contributions in Mr. Foster's name to either St. Luke's Hospice, 3100 Broadway, Kansas City, MO 64111 or the Kansas City Cancer Society, 4320 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64111.

You may sign his memorial guestbook online at Legacy.com.

ERECTUS-FEST '07 -- The benefit concert to help raise funds to pay the medical bills of KOME's legendary Dennis Erectus will take place Friday night (January 12) at the Avalon nightclub, 777 Lawrence Expressway in Santa Clara.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.), and will feature the historic Southbay bands Syndicate of Sound ("Little Girl") and The Count Five ("Psychotic Reaction"), plus the AC/DC tribute band Long Time Bon and other local musicians. A silent auction, including wines and rock memorabilia, will be held concurrently with the concert.

Greg Kihn and Chris Jackson of 98.5/KFOX will emcee the event. Tickets are priced at $40, with every last penny going straight to assist the mighty Erectus.

If you can't attend, make out a check to Dennis Erectus for a few bucks and send it off to KBAY Radio, Attn: Jona Denz-Hamilton, 190 Park Center Plaza #200, San Jose, CA 95113.

More information is available at www.KOME.us.

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January 10, 2007

Radio Legend Ron Lyons Ailing

Ron Lyons (1965)Len Shapiro let me know this morning that Ron Lyons (KEWB, KNEW, KNBR, KCBS, etc.) is recovering from surgery after being diagnosed recently with cancer.

From the KCBS website:

Several weeks ago, long-time KCBS traffic anchor Ron Lyons was diagnosed with cancer. He underwent emergency surgery last week and is recovering well. The family says he is antsy to get out of his hospital room and return home.
Cards and letters to:

Ron Lyons
P.O. Box 296
Gold Beach, OR 97444

Ron's website is at RonLyonsRadio.com.

Photo: Ron Lyons at KNBR, 1965. (Courtesy of Ron Lyons.)

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