1986: KJR Rejuvenates The Pat O’Day Legend

VICTOR STREDICKE October 19, 1986

All the other radio stations in town better face north and point their boots skyward, because KJR, 950 kHz., is about to recapture its glory days. Or at least part of them. Somewhat mysteriously on Wednesday, the station will reintroduce Pat O’Day as its new nighttime disc jockey. Just 27 years ago, O’Day started in the nighttime slot at KJR. He rose to
become the city’s No. 1 jock, then program director, concert promoter, station manager and broadcast entrepreneur. Pat O’Day? The guy who thought he’d seen his last session before a microphone three years ago when the station he once owned (KYYX aka KKMI aka KQKT) went through a format change that pulled his plug? KJR will work it this way: The station will make a “special announcement” at 6 p.m. Wednesday and cut away to a full-blown party at a Seattle restaurant. And there will be Pat O’Day greeting Seattle’s famous and not-so-famous. From then on, he’ll work a daily two-hour shift (plus afternoon fill-ins when Ross Shafer is out of town and mornings when Lockjock is lockjawed.) “It’s an ideal air shift,” O’Day said. “Two hours.” Apparently Ackerley Communications, third owner of KJR since the glory days in the ’60s, is determined that the station will make a recovery. Best way to make KJR like it was in the ’60s is to hire a man of the ’60s. O’Day recently sat in for vacationing disc jockeys at KVI and KJR. “After 10 minutes my computer was loaded,” O’Day said, high-teching his way to an electronic Valhalla. “It’s like golf. It takes a little time out of your day, but it ends up being a lot of fun.” He will continue with some of his daytime interests, running a small agency and plotting a downtown supertower that will someday rent space to competing FM stations. THE OTHER KJR CHANGE Not quite coincidentally, KJR has dumped Matt Riedy, a four-year veteran, and moved Marty Reimer into the midday slot. They’ve also filled Joe Cooper’s nighttime slot with Kelly Bennett. Riedy said he will pursue his stand-up comedy career “and that he would entertain offers that might keep him in Seattle or move him to Los Angeles. TWISTING THE DIAL – After the series of Los Angeles Philharmonic concert broadcasts concludes this month, KUOW, 94.9 mHz., will present a chamber-music request program, 7 p.m. to midnight Sundays. – New November start time for “Seattle After Noon,” Marcia Alvar’s daily interview program, will be 3 p.m. instead of 2:30, on KUOW. – KLSY has begun “New Releases,” an hour of new music by well-known pop music groups and some newcomers, selected from albums and compact discs. Tom Hutyler presents the series, 9 a.m. Saturday on KLSY-AM-FM, 1540 kHz. and 92.5 mHz. – KIRO, 710 kHz., continues with CBS Radio coverage of the World Series, begun yesterday. This year all games fit into the busy KIRO schedule, but some may be joined in progress if there is a Husky or Seahawks conflict. – Every second and fourth Tuesday, KTPS, 91.7 mHz., broadcasts Tacoma School Board meetings at 8 p.m.; on the first, third and fifth (when applicable) Tuesday, the station presents National Press Club addresses from Washington, D.C. – Delilah-Rene broadcasts live from “singles night” at the Ballard Market on North 56th Street, 7 p.m. Wednesday on KLSY-AM/FM; The KMPS “Morning Crew,” Lisa, Don, Ichabod, broadcast from the Space Needle 6-10 a.m. Monday on KMPS-AM-FM, 1300.