147KXOA billboards

Gallery preview for new KXOA Sacramento billboards. Missing is any billboard for overnight junior journeyman DJ trainee Billy The Earl. Whoops. Ran out of money.. Hear Classic Rock & Roll and Soul streaming 24/7 on the Internet's best radio station, 147 KXOA The Giant X http://www.147kxoa.com/

KCBQ San Diego Q Card music survey 1-20-75

KCBQ was a huge player in Top 40 radio for over 20 years. Shortly after this survey was out, KFMB-FM would flip from Beautiful Music to screamin' high-energy Top 40 B-100-FM to take them on. In a few more years they killed off KCBQ and the Q flipped to Adult Contemporary music. This KCBQ Q card has a picture of KCBQ night jock Gene Knight who is still on San Diego radio 34 years later doing afternoons on soft AC KYXY. Image courtesy of California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com which has plenty of airchecks of both KCBQ and Gene Knight.

KRLA Los Angeles 6-25-66 Tunedex music survey with DJ drawings

The KRLA weekly Tunedex in this era was printed in the KRLA BEAT newspaper. Which meant that there was usually room for a bunch of DJ pictures or a huge KRLA Presents concert ad on the adjacent pages..KHJ's Boss 30 seemed to stick with the big national hits..KRLA was a bit more adventurish with the music (or maybe it was because of those $100 bills wrapped around the new 45s...) #1 song was Searchin' For My Love - Bobby Moore (and the Rhythm Aces) (huge hit on KRLA but peaked at #27 nationally on the Billboard Hot 100). Slipping to #2, A Groovy Kind Of Love - The Mindbenders. Jumping to #3 from #6, Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones. Slipping to #4 from #3, Along Comes Mary - The Association. Jammed up at #5, When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge. Jumping to #6 from #18, Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)- Swingin' Medallions. Jumping to #7 from #15, Dirty Water - The Standells. Jammed up at #8, Hey Joe - The Leaves (peaked at #31 nationally on the Billboard Hot 100 chart). Slipping to #10 from #9, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - Dusty Springfield. Dropping to #11 from #10, Don't Bring Me Down - The Animals. Jumping to #13 from #20, Little Girl - The Syndicate Of Sound. Tumbling to #15 from #7, Younger Girl - The Hondells. Jumping to #21 from #27, Where Were You When I Needed You - The Grass Roots. Jammed up at #22, Diddy Wah Diddy - Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band (never charted nationally on the Billboard Hot 100 chart). Debuting at #26, Day For Decision - Johnny Sea. Up to #30 from #33, Have I Stayed Too Long? - Sonny & Cher. Up to #34 from #37, Sweet Talkin' Guy - The Chiffons. Debuting at #39,, You Better Run - The Young Rascals. Slipping to #40 from #39, Don't Do It Some More - The Cindermen (never charted nationally on the Billboard Hot 100; this must have been the "house band" for the Cinnamon Cinder nightclub). KRLA was easing into "All Request Radio" at this time and that would be their version of Top 40 to compete with KHJ in 1967. Survey image courtesy of California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com This actual survey from the KRLA BEAT is up for sale on Ebay right now from California Aircheck's George J. http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewListedItems&include=0&since=-1&rdir=0&rows=50&userid=georgej. See it and others on his Ebay auction page

KRLA Los Angeles Tunedex music survey 8-24-64

Some rare finds on this KRLA Tunedex from 1964. At #3 is LA La La La La - The Blendells which totally tanked in most parts of the country (peaked at #62 on Billboard's Hot 100) but was big on KRLA. Dropping to #16 from #15, Help Yourself - The Standells, on Liberty Records (never charted nationally; the Standells were playing clubs owned by various KRLA DJs and doing well in Los Angeles - it would be 1966 before they finally hit it big with Dirty Water). Up to #21 from #33, Tell 'em I'm Surfin' - The Fantastic Baggys (never charted nationally on the Billboard Hot 100). Dropping to #23 from #17, Better Watch Out Boy - The Accents (never charted nationally on the Billboard Hot 100). Slipping to #36 from #34, The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Blunt - The Shadows (never charted nationally on the Billboard Hot 100). Debuting at #46, This Little Girl Of Mine - Righteous Brothers (on the Moonglow label; never charted nationally; this was a few months before they hooked up with Phil Spector forYou'veLost That Lovin' Feelin' and switched to his Philles record label). Survey image courtesy of California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com

The Big Giant Head KXOA Sacramento

Billy The Earl's big giant head just barely able to be fit into the frame....in this rare shot, the lips are not moving... if you're up late with nothing better to do all night long, check out Billy The Earl Midnight-6AM Pacific Time on The Giant X, 147 KXOA www.147kxoa.com

Dave Hull pre-KRLA February 1963

Before joining KRLA in June 1963, Dave Hull was a DJ at 1000-watt Top 40 daytimer WVKO in Columbus Ohio. KRLA was his big shot and he soon became legendary in Los Angeles radio as the "Hullaballooer" and one of the greatest Top 40 DJs ever. This GO Radio 1580 WVKO music survey is from February 1963. Image courtesy California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com

www.147kxoa.com More Billy The Earl

Just like a box of chocolates, you never know which Billy The Earl will pop up on the website...For the best of Rock & Roll And Soul, check out the Giant X 147 KXOA; Fun Lovin' Radio, just like back in the day (or maybe not; radio was never this fun). Live streaming available off the website 24/7 www.147kxoa.com

KFWB Los Angeles Fabulous Forty Survey 3-28-65

KFWB and KRLA were the big Top 40 stations for Los Angeles until 93/KHJ Boss Radio appeared in late April 1965 and quickly overtook both of them. This KFWB Fab 40 Survey is from late March 1965, just a month before KHJ signed on as the new Top 40 station in Los Angeles. Image courtesy California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com They have plenty of airchecks available of KFWB (and KHJ and KRLA) from back in the day.

Shotgun Tom Kelly visits 147kxoa.com

Shotgun Tom Kelly made a guest appearance at America's #1 Internet station for Rock & Roll and Soul last week. Next on his agenda was a stop at the gym...For Old School Top 40 Radio the way that it ought to be done today, check out The Giant X, 147 KXOA at www.147kxoa.com with live streaming 24/7

KGB San Diego Johnny Mitchell & K.O. Bayley

These two guys had quite a few different radio names between them....Johnny Mitchell (on the left) later became much more famous as Eric Chase at KFRC, KFI, KIQQ, KJR, etc. Before KGB, he had been Harry Miller at KYNO/Fresno. Up until recently, he had used Paul Christy as his name in Houston at KRBE, KHMX, KLDE and KHTC. And then there's K.O. Bayley on the right who had ALSO been Bob Elliott his first tour of KGB in the mid 60's; at other California stations such as KXOA and KEWB, he had been Bob Early and K.O. Beachin. Plenty of airchecks of both available from California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com Photo of the 1971 KGB survey cover also courtesy California Aircheck

Dr. Don Rose KFRC San Francisco

Some of the last KFRC music surveys were issued in 1979. This one includes a picture of long-time KFRC morning DJ Dr. Don Rose (honk honk) who created HUGE morning numbers for KFRC from 1973-1986. When KFRC flipped their Top 40 format to Adult Standards in August 1986, Dr. Don stayed with Magic 61 KFRC for another year or so before moving on to KKIS and KIOI. Survey image courtesy of California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com

1973 Bakersfield CA Arbitron

Here's the 1973 Arbitron book for Bakersfield CA. Almost a dead-heat from 1972....KERN with a 2.2, KAFY with 2.1...

Here's the April-May 1972 ARB for Bakersfield CA showing KERN with a 3.1 and KAFY with a 1.5. I don't know why these numbers are so low...KAFY supposedly had 50+ shares back in the 60's...Maybe they need another 0 so KERN has 1 31 share and KAFY 15?

Does every radio station have one of these, or what? The All-Night DJ Trainee who thinks he's a Star? In KXOA's case, it's Billy The Earl, who moans like a schoolgirl if pictures from his new "photo session" at Woolworths photo booth aren't uploaded to the website so his fan can enjoy them...

Billy The Earl is just plain comedy gold for KXOA as the station countered with rotating pictures of Bill Earl for website viewers to enjoy. www.147kxoa.com

LOREN & WALLY have had one of the huge morning shows in Boston for years now on 105.9; the calls have changed over the years from WVBF to WKLB to WROR but these guys still have a smokin' hot morning show. You wouldn't want to be up against them! These photos in the WROR control room are from 2007 (missing from the pics is Tom Doyle who does killer voices for the show) courtesy California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com

NIKKI is one of the hottest female air personalities in the Midwest. Back in 2006 she was handling middays on Chicago's 103.5 KISS-FM (WKSC); from there she hopped over to WPWX for middays; and currently Nikki is at B-96 (WBBM-FM) Chicago on the midday shift. This picture is from Summer 2006 in the studio at WKSC, courtesy California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com You can view Nikki in action on the air on California Aircheck Video #106.

BROADWAY BILL LEE returned to NEW YORK radio in the late 90's (these days he does PM Drive at Classic Hits WCBS-FM); here he is in a 1999 pic from WKTU. Previously Bill had been at WQHT, KMEL, KFRC, KPKE, WLOL and others in the 80's and 90's. Picture courtesy California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com

STICK is the big afternoon drive DJ in Orlando, at legendary Top 40 XL106.7 WXXL. He's SO GOOD that his shift is 4-midnight! Luckily, he gets to track the 7-midnight portion! Phto courtesy California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com Video of Stick doing his PM Drive show available on Video #115 from California Aircheck

KHJ published a slick Top 300 of all-time booklet in August 1966. On the front was a collage of the artists they played. On the rear are drawings of the KHJ Boss Jocks Robert W. Morgan, Frank Terry, Gary Mack, The Real Don Steele, Johnny Mitchell, Sam Riddle, Johnny Williams, Steve Clark & Tommy Vance. This was one of those rare items not distributed through record stores but by mail to those who wrote to KHJ requesting one. Courtesy California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com

Gary Burbank was the big dog in Afternoon Drive for WLW-AM/Cincinnati for 20+ years until he retired in September 2007. Gary also owned a chain of BBQ Restaurants in Cincinnati (Burbank's Real Bar-B-Q) but there's only one left now in Sharonville Ohio. Great food. Check it out when you're in Cincinnati! www.burbanksbbq.com Gary was a giant in Top 40 radio (WAKY-WKLO-CKLW etc) and AC and Talk Radio at WLW. One of radio's legends for sure. Photo is from July 2007 Courtesy California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com

In the early 70's, KXOA morphed into KNDE (Radio KaNDiE)after the station was sold. At first the station ran an AOR format but later flipped it to Top 40 to once again compete with KROY. When this survey was out, KNDE jumped to the #1 spot in Top 40 radio in Sacramento (April-May 1976) but dropped back to #2 behind KROY in the fall book that year (Oct-Nov 1976). The nicely printed survey folders were gone by 1977 and the cash wasn't flowing in 1977 like it had been when the station was #1 in 1976. Survey courtesy of California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com which also has many audio samples of KNDE from the 70's.

KXOA and KROY were the big dogs of Sacramento radio back in the 60's. This is one of the cheaper looking KXOA music surveys published in 1967. 147KXOA is back though on the Internet, streaming live audio 24/7 at www.147kxoa.com Survey courtesy of Gene Knight, KYXY San Diego

KERN/Bakersfield started a "Super Comics" weekly publication that included their Top 40 survey on the rear back in the Summer of 1975. This is the first issue from August 1975 that had drawings of their DJs on the front cover and inside this 8 page "Super Comics" first issue; Russ Gerber, Johnny Mitchell, Dudley Do-Wrong, Chris Squires and Jay J. Jackson.

Legendary Shotgun Tom Kelly, on the air at KRTH/Los Angeles, on his afternoon drive show. Shotgun was a total Top 40 screamer back in the 70's at such stations as KAFY, KGB, KCBQ, KRIZ and others. Picture courtesy California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com

Here's of the music being played by the new KXOA this summer. www.147kxoa.com

Ronnie Kaye. legendary Top 40 jock in Oklahoma City since the 60's has done stints at both WKY and KOMA. These days he is on the air middays at KOMA-FM playing 70's Oldies and still sounds awesome. Picture courtesy of California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com

Legendary Top 40 giant KXOA/Sacramento has returned to the airwaves as an Internet station, playing "Classic Rock & Roll and Soul" Oldies from the 60's and 70's. Unlike most Internet stations, it is not a juke box but has DJs on the air 24/7. Live streaming from the website at www.147kxoa.com

Legendary Top 40 jock Jack Armstrong pictured in the WMQX/Greensboro NC control room in 2002. Big Jack passed away in 2008 and is no longer with us. Picture courtesy California Aircheck www.californiaaircheck.com A video aircheck of Jack in action is available from California Aircheck.

KERN/Bakersfield single stick in 1979 on Planz Road (tiny KERN building with studio/offices/transmitter was between the tower and the street. Tower has since been moved and this location had cheap housing built on it. Photo courtesy of http://www.bakersfieldtop40.com/

1976 picture at KERN/Bakersfield of afternoonDJ/Program Director Johnny Mitchell with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. If you blow up the picture you can read the super secret KERN programming info on the control room wall. KERN photos courtesy of http://www.bakersfieldtop40.com/

The KERN/Bakersfield control room hadn't changed much in the 70's -- at the time that they were usually the #1 station in the market. That's a cheap Electro Voice (EV664?) mic in the control room, but it actually sounded pretty decent on the air.