STORIES FROM SAM – “THE WORLD’S GREATEST RADIO STATION”

WARNING! I am trying to make sense of this jumble of a story about KSFO and why it mattered so much to me when it was the World’s Greatest Station. I hope you enjoy it.

It was midnight at the KYA Holiday Party in 1983. We were sitting in a stairwell next to the ballroom at the St. Francis Hotel. My Program director, Ken Dennis, was giving me a job choice for the coming year: KYA FM or KSFO. I was drunk and I suspect Ken was a bit drunk too, to be offering me that choice, but my dream path had always included KSFO, so I chose the “new” KSFO, which was launched at 12:01AM on December 13^th of that year. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as it turned out, I could! My employer, King Broadcasting, had purchased KSFO from Gene Autry’s Golden West Broadcasting, and the plan was to recreate KSFO as indeed the “World’s Greatest Radio Station”.  A couple of weeks later, I was off to Lake Tahoe for a programming retreat, to learn the “new” format along with Bay Area legends Gene Nelson, Carter B. Smith, Al “Jazzbeaux” Collins, Russ “The Moose” Syracuse, and the guy who practically invented the airborne traffic reporter; the immortal Hap Harper. These guys were my idols! We stayed in condos at the popular Lakeland Village to get to know each other and bond as a team. The retreat included an evening at Harrah’s to catch the Smothers Brothers and Captain & Tenille. That’s when I learned about true celebrity. Jazzbeaux had gained many listeners and friends in his time entertaining people all over the country, and fans swarmed him as we all walked through the casino to catch the show. Now that was a true radio star! The other guys weren’t exactly slackers, but nobody could draw a crowd like Al Collins! Impressive! The Smothers Brothers show was wonderful, as always, and it felt just right for this awesome KSFO group.

The next day, after Gene and Carter B. completed their three-mile run in the Tahoe snow, we gathered at the condo for a daylong lesson: Radio 101 according to KSFO. Most of it seemed basic; read the paper, know the area, be aware of current fads and trends. Al Collins made me smile when he said, “I read the paper every day, but I usually start at the back, and sometimes I don’t make it to the front.” Al was truly one of a kind!

At that programming retreat, Carter B. Smith impressed me as the smartest guy in a room full of smart guys. Russ the Moose was kind and supportive of the new kid – me -and so funny! Always a genial contrarian, Al Collins was a gas, man! At the end of the day, Al whispered my name and invited me to enjoy the contents of a tiny pipe outside in the snow. Hap Harper, who made a good living dealing in real estate, was full of questions. Even though he was a solid part of KSFO’s history, Hap was uncertain about his role. I told him that I felt the same way.  It was clear that Gene didn’t like me, but he tolerated me, and I admit that I could be intolerable back then! I had shared hosting a TV show with him previously and had brashly treated him with less respect than he deserved. One thing they all did was give me a sense of the kind of talent it took to get to that level.  But I admit that I wasn’t up to the challenge and after a few months, Ken fired me and brought in the right guy for the job, Buddy Hatton. I had been fired before, but I’d never cried in front of the boss until that day. It was extremely tough, failing at the job I had always dreamed of getting, and I was devastated. I went into a deep depression, staying in bed for weeks. So why did I try for KSFO when I could’ve settled for the safer choice, KYA? Why KSFO? Well…

Mom loved KSFO.

They called it “The World’s Greatest Radio Station, and I was never sure if they were joking. But its sophisticated sound hooked me, and I wanted to join that San Francisco club.

The station was owned by two heroes: footballer Bob Reynolds, and Gene Autrey, who I knew from old movies on TV as “The Singing Cowboy”. Golden West had a unique format: pop music, news & sports, promoted by the enchanting jingle “The Sound of the City”, and even though there were many other stations, that urbane sound captured my attention.

Both my parents were simple salt-of-the Earth folks, so the fact that my mother “got” Don Sherwood was a revelation. My mother was secretly a “hipster”! And she had a sense of humor that was rarely on display in our house! Who knew? So, as I grew up, I would hear Don Sherwood giving the world of the 50’s a fresh, funny look, talking about current news, “Just Plain Rosita’s” adventures or chuckle-singing “The last time I saw Lodi”. It was always fun when Don showed up for work, and sometimes funnier when he didn’t and Carter B. Smith or others subbed for him.  Mom and I would stay up to watch Sherwood on the Biggie Furniture Hour on KTVU, and I will never forget the wild night when he got a little bit toasted and tore down the Biggie Furniture sign on live TV! He was an inspiration and a caution at the same time, and his snarky irreverence was especially fascinating to me. And while I never dreamed of becoming a radio DJ as a kid, something moved me in that direction.

So, a few years of dues-paying at stations in Texas and Salinas got me to San Francisco, where one of the first radio stars I met was the great Don Sherwood. I was riding home from my shift at KCBS-FM and my wife spotted Don sitting outside at Enrico’s restaurant about noon. So, I got out and walked up to him, shaking his hand while telling him he was the reason that I was now a working DJ. He kindly smiled, saying “Hey, don’t blame me, kid!”.

While working at KCBS-FM, I met many talented radio people, including Bill Dodd, who’d worked at KSFO a few years earlier, and Dave McEllhatton, who famously had simulcast Sherwood on his morning show for a friendly, congratulatory chat after Dave beat Don in the ratings. Gentleman Jim Lange later became a mentor, guiding me through the jungles of KGO-TV and hiring me to host a movie marathon with Wolfman Jack, who was a real joy!  Later, I became friends with other KSFO alumni, including Terry McGovern and Scott Beach, who helped me put together a fine commercial talent package a few years later.

Looking back, I believe that failing to meet my own goal taught me much more than success would have. Gene Nelson, for instance, was a dedicated broadcaster, and his methods stuck with me. They say success is 10% talent and 90% work, and Gene didn’t know it, but he showed me how to do the work. He always answered listeners’ letters with a personalized post card. He made the job look easy, but I saw how much work it entailed. Carter B. stayed calm under all circumstances and offered great advice that helped me for years after I got sober. Russ was easy-to-like– a friend in and unfriendly business, and Jazzbeaux? Al Collins was a tiny giant who just had what it took and entertained millions with his talent and good humor. The last time I saw Gene, he had just retired and we ran into each other on the street near the station. I was grateful for the chance to thank him for teaching me so much by example. I’d taken up running and had just finished my first marathon, inspired by Gene and Carter B. Smith. Russ called me shortly before he died, inviting me to an art show featuring his photography. Hap also called me shortly before his passing: I was at the drive through at McDonald’s and told him I’d call him back. I wish I had done that. Once I joined Carter B. Smith at my late friend Bill Collins’ home for dinner, and we had such a lovely time. As for Al, we happened to run into each other in the hospital, and he sadly said, “I’m dying, Sam”. Jazzbeaux was in a wheelchair, so I knelt to talk with him and gave him a little hug. How fortunate I was to know all those lovely radio people!

Looking back, it seems my heroes had come full-circle in my life – from an inspiration to a reality, and finally a guiding light, teaching dedication, the value of work, and even empathy. As an influence on the life of this kid from San Jose, they truly were “The World’s Greatest”.