JOE FORD, KHJ & HALLOWEEN

OK, now that the previous subject has been dissected, rejected and sucked into the collective “brain” of the Internet for all to see forever (however long that is electrically), let’s change the subject.

Well, “return: is perhaps a more apt word: It’s that Two Pound Tome (A Kilo of KHJ) entitled KHJ; INSIDE BOSS RADIO.

I had not expected to do so. But the first email to pop up on this beautiful Hawaiian morning read: “Joe Ford, KHJ Inside Boss Radio.”

Ron,

Man, what a hoot! This was like being back in Boss Angeles listening to the most amazing radio station on the planet.

The comments from the lucky guys who were a part of it all, the memos, hot clocks, contests and promos made it real! Your pursuit of perfection was evident in those memos and it made me re-live my early days in the business.

KHJ was my inspiration, especially Steele and Morgan, the two greatest jocks in history, without a doubt. When I see how you shaped their careers and guided them to the top of ratings, I have to reflect on how we "winged" it in the 60's with no guidance from management or p.d.'s.

You were not only an innovator, with Drake, but obviously a damn good coach. INSIDE BOSS RADIO should be a staple in college library's and a must read for any future broadcaster. Oh, yeah and the two CD's make the magic come alive again. The History of Rock & Roll and the CD filled with those great promos and contests blew me away. Great stuff!

Joe Ford

Texas Radio Hall Of Fame (Inducted in 2003)

I always open email with trepidation mixed with excitement. Did the book arrived damaged, or not at all? Is someone upset about something critical I wrote The Real Don Steele in 1968? Or, the best kind of message, another order for the book!

That may sound greedy. And in a way it is. But let me explain why it might seem self-serving. First, the better the writer, the more insistent he or she is that, “We write to be read.” Not unlike the NFL’s Herman Edwards’ mantra, “We play the game to win !”

Fortunate to have somehow obtained a few St. Louis Rams game plans, including the X’s and O’s that helped them win Super Bowl 34, It reinforces what I have always believed: There is nothing more important than process. When one takes well-planned procedures and hands them to the most talented people, the results can amaze, confound and blow our minds.

Was that Isaac Bruce game-winning catch from Kurt Warner a “miracle"? No. I think it was two future Hall of Fame players acting and reacting on what they had planned and practiced to do and then adjusting to circumstances, literally, on the run.

There are KHJ Boss Jocks are in all the Radio Halls of Fame. What we heard presented by Steele, Robert W. Morgan, Charlie Tuna (and the rest of the best jock lineup assembled at one time), was talented pros expanding on the game plan. The plan was a map of our goal and how to get there, utilizing everyone on the team.

A jock right up there with the boss best, Bobby Ocean, with whom I worked at KGB-San Diego, chose one of my over-repeated slogans for one of his great cartoons. It might have become a cliché, but it sure worked:

PREPARATION! MODERATION! CONCENTRATION!

How is this different from Bono blasting out a blazing vocal backed the rest of U2? David Letterman or Jon Stewart fronting the work of scores of the best in the biz to present some of the greatest TV ever? Those in front of and behind the cameras whose shots were framed from James Cameron to Cameron Crowe?

I could go on, but the fact is obvious: Of course: take chances, feel free to riff, pounce out of the box—as long as the team is on the same page and the ultimate goal, a winning performance, is always the result.

Place teamwork, collaboration and coordination above all. Thinking about it for decades, it always stops me cold when I consider the Bachs and Beethovens, the Michelangelos and Mondrians, and others who toil alone until their vision is realized. Then the artisans take over to replicate and enhance the masterworks of the true, immortal artist.

Hey, Top 40 Radio was not rocket science. Besides, KHJ’s owners, the RKO General Corporation, actually did build rockets while we were busy rockin’. It's always also a matter of the right folks for the job, you know? (This is documented on a page from the KHJ 1968 FCC license reprinted in KHJ: INSIDE BOSS RADIO.)

Now, I can tell from listening to his demos and reading his resume that Joe Ford that feels the same way about his approach to the profession of broadcasting as we preached and practiced. (They can fee found at http://joefordvoiceworks.com/)

So I thank him for this morning’s unsolicited note. Of course, I hope that it motivates you to get the book--and that you have same response. That 93 bucks represents thousands of hours of Blood, Sweat and Tears … and what it took to showcase all the other great artists in the most compelling light, with fun for each listener’s delight. I guarantee that if you READ all 441 pages and study the charts with care, then apply the precepts to today's times and your situation, you will see more than $93 coming your way. (Just don't bet it on the Rams.)

And a Happy Halloween to Joe and to all reading this on your screen.

By Joe Ford, October 2010

Fall festivals, that crisp breeze, and Halloween right around the corner...one of my favorite times of the year.

This Halloween I think I'll go as one of my old program directors and scare the hell out of everybody! I just finished Ron Jacobs book "KHJ: The History of Boss Radio."

In my humble opinion, 93/KHJ was, without debate, the greatest Top 40 radio station in the world.

Man, what a lineup. Robert W. Morgan, Gerry Mack, Charlie Tuna, Bill Wade, The Real Don Steele (my idol and best DJ ever), the amazing Humble Harv, Sam Riddle, Johnny Williams...not a loser in the bunch.

If you want to feel the pulse of this great time in radio, you need to make Jacob's book a must have.

It had to be exciting to work for a man who wrote the rules (along with Bill Drake) governing everything that everyone copied, modeled or just plain stole from this programming genius.

Jacobs accepted nothing short of perfection from his jocks and his memo's are all there to prove it.

How they picked the music, the hot clocks, the format sheets...yeah, baby, it was glamorous, it was pressure to the max, but it had to be the greatest ride of a lifetime.

The Hollywood Bowl concerts, the creation of 20/20 news, the Johnny Mann jingles...yowzuh. Life was good.

For full info go to:

http://www.93khj.com/

RANDY MICHAELS, THE ROACH

After months of non-stop blogging at this spot pitching the re-release of my book KHJ: INSIDE BOSS RADIO--and a Hawaiian major mahalo to those of you both within the biz or loyal listeners with long memories--I figure it’s time to comment on something else.

Because I am an emotional, competitive person who will work endlessly and accept defeat only as the next-stop-before-death-itself—and there are many who will staunchly verify this aspect of my fun personality; and because what I am reprinting what follows below from eight years ago, when many of you might have missed it, or, could have cared less, I am reaching down into the visceral innards of those of us born in beautiful Hawaii, to summon the creepy, sickening, filthy feeling we all share for our common undesirable neighbor : the cockroach. (Pronounced COCK-roach.)

Yes, that disgusting, oozing, hideous creature inhabits our Pacific paradise, but like many other realities of life in these tropical islands, is non-existent in such portrayals of the place , like, uh, HAWAII 5-0. (Although in both old and new versions, Dan-O has booked all manner of villainous creatures that possess many cockroach characteristics).

They are, if troublesome enough, in the fictitious, video version locked up, some, if deserving for life. Alas, the subject of the following 2002 Proclamation, Randy “The Roach” Michaels, possesses countless similarities to the disgusting insect. He resurfaced after many of us thought we'd seen the last of him.

Oops!

"CEO Randy Michaels filed his resignation Friday, October 22, a decision that was cheered by newsroom staffers who said his outlandish behavior and questionable journalism credentials diminished the credibility of the Chicago Tribune and was emblematic of company leadership that proved rudderless. The sexist culture at Tribune came to light earlier this month in a front-page article in the New York Times that described several instances of “frat house” behavior that included sexual behavior conducted after hours in the executive offices, the use of profanity by its top executives in memos and in conversation, and women who were routinely targets of sexual harassment."

A mini-Google reveals these slimy, reoccurring attributes:

"Cockroaches are among the hardiest insects on the planet. Some species are capable of remaining active for a month without food and are able to survive on limited resources like the glue from the back of postage stamps. Some can go without air for 45 minutes. In one experiment, cockroaches were able to recover from being submerged underwater for half an hour."

But little did I realize, back then, that Revolting Randy would indeed rise again, only to a higher position, where he could perform even lower acts.

Lookit, when I was in Los Angeles in the mid-60s, working in a radio station on Melrose Avenue, between Paramount and Columbia studios, I’ll betcha a bagel I possessed more testosterone than randy Randy could conceive of (pardon the pun.) But, me and the guys—The Real Don Steele, Bob Morgan, Charlie Tuna, Frank Terry, Humble Harve, and the other Boss studs—were, if nothing else, professionals who treated female employees with respect.

More feminine pulchritude passed through the lobby of KHJ-AM-FM-TV daily than whatever poor women were ogled, groped, humiliated, hassled and what else they were subject to by the horny Michaels Mob during their pointless stay in the Windy City. But we followed a Hawaiian word: KAPU! Keep Away! (Note: I have nothing to say about the behavior of any of the staff members while they were off duty, away from the premises, on their own time.)

I was pissed at this turd when I wrote what follows, because I am a proud broadcaster, with an FCC ticket dated December 24, 1953. And the way this creep trashed his company and its employees deserved to be humiliated.

But as a father of a daughter and a granddaughter, and one who was proud to put, among others, Judy Ford (KFWB), Linda McGinnis (KGB), Charly Espina (KDEO) and other talented broadcasters on the air before it was “cool,” I just feel that the following must be reissued in its original form. Just in case Google didn’t catch it the first time around. And I hope, just like the randy roaches he resembles, that the following words remain available as long as the Internet survivesand "Randy Michaels, The Roach" pops up.

(This is dedicated to my lifelong friend, Christian Varez, who recently passed on, and who so wonderfully portrayed KHJ’s Big Kahuna.)

Aloha from Hawaii, home of the planet’s most amazing wahine (women.)

The following was written after two phone calls with Mr. Michaels, during which time he was condescending and, if possible, more obnoxious than me when provoked. I have never met this Michaels person. But I do have a canister of Johnson’s No-Roach handy if he ever comes around.

7/22/02

To: Randy Michaels

From: Ron Jacobs

I'm not one to kick a person when he's down, but since you proved to me during our exchange of phone calls in May 2001, you are definitely not a person-and, so on behalf of everyone in radio without the ability or vocabulary to do so, here's a Proclamation just for you, turkey.

PROCLAMATION

By the Big Kahuna

WHEREAS, Candy Ass Randy Michaels parlayed no discernible talent other than his unquenchable hunger to kiss ass and attract attention to his loathsome self to a position of some import in American radio; and,

WHEREAS, Michaels stepped over, bullied, cheated and lied to smarter and more talented people, ones who actually loved and cared about radio, to achieve his egotistical and self-serving goals; and,

WHEREAS, Michaels in doing the above dirty deeds to hype ratings applied no-brainer, quick fix, dip-shit methods to fringe radio stations in markets where the major leagues never play; and,

WHEREAS, Michaels convinced the red-neck, tobacco spittin' used car hustlers who owned them there coffee pot radio stations that he, Michaels, could make them tons of money, which is the only reason these Good Ol' Boys were in the radio biz; and,

WHEREAS, Michaels proceeded to preach that the FCC Act of 1996, which authorized Deregulation of Broadcast Licenses, would lead to a Licensee heaven where the streets were paved with gold; and,

WHEREAS, Michaels revealed from the start of his reign of terror that no one or nothing would stop his Hitler-like march to acquire stations for his corporate masters until they built up Clear Channel into the largest ownership monstrosity in the history of broadcasting; and,

WHEREAS, Michaels, during his term as CEO of Clear Channel showed zero compassion for company employees, stockholders, listeners, believers in the United States Bill of Rights, music lovers, recording artists, vendors, concert goers, public service groups, concert promoters, advocates of low power FM and the countless others negatively affected by his soulless and senseless methods of operation; and,

WHEREAS, Michaels ignored all criticism, suggestions and questions of his actions and behavior while continuing with impunity to plunge the reputation of his company into the media toilet, taking the public's perception of all of radio with it; and,

WHEREAS, Michaels proved once again Lord Acton's 19th Century observation, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely;" but, fortunately was limited from doing even further damage only by his own stupidity, lack of sophistication, diminished intellectual capacity and general propensity for pea-brained decisions; and,

WHEREAS, Michaels has on the 22nd day of July, 2002, "Agreed to relinquish his role as CEO of Clear Channel Radio and will now head up Clear Channel's New Technologies Division," which is a transparent euphemism for, "Kicked out on his dumpy ass,” and given a bogus title to save face--like anyone is going to believe this bullshit—and,

WHEREAS, On the real new technology, the Internet and email, (which Dandy Randy never understood in his ‘heyday”), word is spreading faster than crabs at the legendary First Deejay Convention, that radio is finally rid of this blight on the biz, schmuck from the muck, putz from the periphery, noxious nincompoop, no-talent nerd, worthless wuss, prancing ponce, big-mouthed bum, under qualified quack, fart-faced fakir, useless udder-sucker, ineffectual imbecile, dork-brained dumbbell, beer-guzzling buffoon, lecherous loser, contemptible cretin, sorry ass simpleton and unambiguous asshole, and,

WHEREAS, Thousands of radio lovers on both sides of the microphone are celebrating the unceremonious dumping of Randy Michaels, and he who will no longer disgrace and ruin the medium we all love, to the sounds of the Silhouette's immortal "Get A Job," we Keepers of The Final Modulation Tube and Guardians of the Tower, raise our fists and middle fingers high to proclaim, "Screw You Randy Michaels, One Time For Each Kilowatt You Distorted!"

NOW, THEREFORE, I Big Kahuna of The Great And Eternal Ether, do hereby proclaim this day of July 26, 2002 as GOOD RIDDANCE RANDY MICHAELS DAY on American Radio and encourage each and all to get involved and participate in broadcasts, announcements, obituaries, and sly ad libs celebrating this event and tormenting the evil son of a bitch, fat bastard.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the official seal of the Great And Eternal Ether to be affixed on this 23^rd day of July, 2002, which, dear friends, would have been the 65th birthday of my soul brother, collaborator and associate. Robert W. Morgan. In remembrance a REAL radioman, check out the Boss-Ography at www. robertwmorgan.com .

KHJ: INSIDE BOSS RADIO ~ NOT MICK JAGGER'S CROTCH

WHAT IT AIN'T

KHJ: INSIDE BOSS RADIO is not a selection of anecdotes that happened to me during my KHJ years in Hollywood, the mid-60s. I did not include how I walked into the KHJ men's room where Mick Jagger, on his way to an appearance on Channel 9, stood at a urinal stuffing toilet paper in his crotch.

My remembrances of dear Mama Cass, from going to Rams games in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with the boys. to our magic ride from NYC to Woodstock are not in the book.

There are no personal memories of my time with Elvis, who I first met in 1957 and emceed his first concert here in Honolulu.

Or having to pull the plug on Jimi Hendrix at The Hollywood Bowl. Or escorting a soused Janis Joplin out the back door of the Hollywood Palladium while The Who performed the world debut of their "rock opera," titled "Tommy."

Neither are the details of negotiating with Berry Gordy to present The Supremes in their first L.A. appearance. Nothing about being there at the creation of Sonny & Cher (nee Caesar & Cleo) or the birth of the Buffalo Springfield, the group named after a Canadian tractor company that was on a sign in their manager's office.

Sure, there was off-duty time in my Laurel Canyon hacienda, cutting up jackpots and talkin' story with members of The Byrds, Beach Boys, Lovin' Spoonful and The Doors, etc. No, this is not a collection of names dropped by an old radio guy -- though my private memories aren’t lacking in drugs, sex, or rock and roll!

This book, KHJ: INSIDE BOSS RADIO is for those anxious to relive, or learn about, the past; those pre-FM days of rock radio at its peak. If the contents today's programmers or air talent, then all that went into and on KHJ itslef, and all the time taken to assemble the book, is rewarding beyond just words.

ON THE SERIOUS SIDE

Why a $93,00 book detailing events that took place nearly a half-century ago? Why a book that focuses on -- radio?

For many practitioners and patrons, radio broadcasting is as obsolete as the manual typewriter, or those hand-cranked starters on car engines or stinkin' outhouses.

Records show that the earliest wireless audio transmission took place on Christmas Eve 1906. There are conflicting reports, but most all agree that commercial radio in the U.S. signed on in the early 1920s. In perspective, radio broadcasting is a relatively short-lived aspect of the communication of entertainment and information, channeling technology now considered ancient.

Many, those both in and out of the business, believe that viable, good ol’ radio was diminishing, on its final last gasp in the 1990s, on the cusp of extinction. If such be the case, commercial broadcast radio ran its course in less than 80 years. True, eight decades, can be a “long time.” But, compared to what?

Discounting hot air balloons of the 1700s, the generally accepted date the Wright brothers successfully flew the first heavier-than-air craft was 190. Humans, therefore, flew through the air—granted, in fatal and near-death conditions—two decades before they were transmitting their voices “through” the air.

Ironically, modern aircraft are jammed with radio-based technology, along with 21st-century devices, large and small. But today’s technology—in virtually all of its applications— is almost impossible to measure in metrics alone. David’s biblical slingshot can't compare with modern military weaponry. Advances in virtually every field are commonly beyond definitive calculation other than by experts. (And we know how often these wizards can be dead wrong, e.g., the offshore oil rig explosion of April 2010 and its tragic consequences.)

Inversely, there remain the great mysteries that fuel the likes of television’s Discovery or History channels. The Great Wall of China: How? The Great Pyramids of Egypt: Why? Peking Man: When? Compared with such sweeping subjects, many remain as topics of academic speculation. Why would, or should, anyone currently give a hoot about a Top 40 radio station that hooked AM listeners in “Boss Angeles” 45 years ago?

Many answers to the question, "WHY THIS BOOK?" are contained in the pages of KHJ: INSIDE BOSS RADIO. This volume is a metaphor of for much of the history of Top 40 Radio.

1965: DELIVER ME FROM THE DAYS OF OLD

Why a book detailing events that took place nearly a half-century ago? The Friday that began the year 1965 marked two-thirds into the turn of the twentieth-century. So much had happened in the earlier years in world history, to mankind, to the evolution of the very planet, that it could never be fully chronicled.

And … why a book centered in Los Angeles, California, USA? Founded by Spain in 1771, “The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels,” became a part of Mexico in 1821. From those beginnings its history documents how this place—now the hub of Southern California— became America’s second most populated city?

Finally … why a book that focuses on radio? For many, radio broadcasting is as obsolete as the manual typewriter, hand-cranked starters on car engines and “outhouses.”

For the record, the earliest wireless audio transmission took place on Christmas Eve in 1906. All that remains are conflicting reports, but all agree that commercial radio in the US signed on in the early 1920s.

In perspective, radio broadcasting is a relatively short-lived aspect of communications (and entertainment) technology. Many, both in and out of the business, believe that viable, good ol’ radio was diminishing, on its final last gasp of the 1990s. If such be the case, commercial broadcast radio ran its course in less than 80 years.

True, eight decades can be a “long time.” But, compared to what? Discounting hot air balloons of the 1700s, the generally accepted date the Wright brothers successfully flew the first heavier-than-air craft was 1903. Humans, therefore, were flying through the air— granted, in fatal and near-death conditions—two decades before they were transmitting their voices “through” the air.

Ironically, modern aircraft are jammed with radio-based scientific innovations, twenty-first century devices, large and small. But today’s technology — in virtually all its applications — is almost impossible to measure in metrics alone. David’s biblical slingshot is difficult to compare with modern military weaponry. Advances in virtually every field are commonly beyond definitive calculation other than by experts. (And we know how often these wizards can be dead wrong, e.g., the offshore oil rig explosion of April 2010 and its tragic consequences.)

Inversely, there are still thos great mysteries that fuel the likes of television’s Discovery or History channels. The Great Wall of China: How? T

he Great Pyramids of Egypt: Why? Peking Man: When? (Jim Belushi gets another TV show. Huh?)

Compared to such sweeping subjects, all topics of academic speculation, why would, or should, anyone currently give a hoot about a Top 40 radio station that hooked AM listeners in “Boss Angeles” 45 years ago?

Many answers to this question are contained in the pages of KHJ: INSIDE BOSS RADIO. This two-pound is a metaphor of for much of the history of Top 40 Radio. Or, as others have said:

"KHJ: Inside Boss Radio. Some of it is writing, some of it is drawing, some of it is radio jargon. There are interviews, photos, oral histories, daily memos, calendars – but the totality is the brilliance of Ron Jacobs. It is a rare documentary history that takes you inside his mind as he transforms KHJ into the preeminent rock and roll station in the universe. He comes at you nonstop, one idea after another, relentless, always thinking, churning out ideas, challenging the norm. From start to finish, the book threatens to engulf you but always amazes you, just like RJ." David Maraniss

"The KHJ of the Ron Jacobs era epitomized the new American mainstream. It was the soundtrack of a cultural revolution … as engaging as a Beach Boys hit, as energetic as a Pepsi and a definition of The Sixties that left an indelible imprint. KHJ was the heartbeat of the purely American experience of driving down the freeway, radio cranked to 93, soaking in the soul of America.” Lee Abrams

“Leadership and genius. That's all it took. He transformed a very old-fashioned radio station in Los Angeles into a contemporary popular culture icon. As the crucial first program director at 93/KHJ in Hollywood when the Boss Radio format was launched in 1965, Ron Jacobs ranks at the top of the list of America's all-time most influential radio pioneers.” Woody Goulart

"Modern top 40 radio was created at KHJ by Ron Jacobs and the brilliant RKO management. The fundamentals of attracting cume, vital in a PPM environment, were established at KHJ and can and should be applied to any music or talk format. Yes, Talk. Talk stations that adopt these guidelines 100% of the time will see their audiences grow at a shocking rate." Walter Sabo

“Many books have chronicled America's great radio stations, but KHJ: Inside Boss Radio offers an unprecedented, ground-level, day-to-day view of what powered this pioneering Top 40 station. As you page through these staff memos written by Ron Jacobs, you can't help but close your eyes and imagine how all of this resulted in entertaining, compelling radio. Once I read the first memo, I was hooked and spent the rest of the night reading them all. Best of all, KHJ: Inside Boss Radio is a great textbook on how to deal efficiently, yet respectfully, with high-caliber (some would say "high maintenance") personalities. The material is timeless and easily applies to broadcasters today. Ron Rodrigues

2 B continued . . .

http://www.93khj.com/