Kirk Wilde was a jock at KSND-AM in Seattle in 1968. While going through his memorabilia recently, he found a printed promotional flyer that was designed for media buyers. It showed KSND had beat both KJR-AM and KOL-AM in the Pulse Ratings Survey. The ratings period was July-September 1968, and the sample area was Seattle-Everett with the demo being adults 18-34.
The discovery of that flyer among Wilde’s belongings brought back memories: “Those numbers indicated we actually beat KJR (!) for the first time in nine years. But it was only for a minute. KSND soon after dropped off a cliff.
“The problem with the station and the format was listeners soon realized we had like 100 oldies. We played them off cartridge tapes only — no records. A station needed at least a couple thousand oldies to do that format right. We should have worked from four or five reel-to-reel machines for the music. Danny Holiday, the program director (PD) and my friend, really didn’t have any formula for varying the vintage of the tracks. I tried to freshen it up, but what can you do with too few carts.
“Working at KSND was the one and only time I ever used a different name on the air. I was Kirk Allison (news clipping below). There were some well-known jocks there, Robert O. Smith in addition to Holiday. The cheapskate station worked me nearly to death, like ten hours a day. But I think I reached my 10,000 hours while I was there.”
Editor’s note: I listened to Kirk Wilde in 1965-’66 when he was on evenings at Bellingham’s KPUG-AM. He departed Bellingham for KOL-AM in Seattle, working with Danny Holiday. Next stop was KRKO-AM in Everett. Kirk explained why he left big city KOL for a job in Everett: “KOL fired me for screwing up a newscast. I tried something new that wasn’t thought through.” Before long, Wilde was back in Seattle at KSND, where Holiday had been hired as PD. After KSND, Wilde moved to KING-AM when it was still a rock station. Kirk’s last radio job, before transitioning into a different field in 1975, was as the morning jock at soul station KDKO-AM in Denver. He is currently retired and living in Denver…..Steven L. Smith
June 23, 2020 at QZVX
Edgar Bennett says:
Very interesting survey. I wish I could see the ARB for that era. Bobby Simon had quite a lead over KJR according to that survey. I was living in the bay area in 67. I have to admit I wish I knew who was the P.D. who fired Wilde? Oh well.
June 23, 2020 at QZVX
Steven Smith says:
Edgar….I asked Wilde about your question. He said the KOL program director was Dave McCormick…but he thinks the order to can him came from higher up execs downtown.
June 29, 2024 at QZVX
Dick Ellingson says:
“Big Daddy” Dave McCormick came to KOL from CFUN.
June 23, 2020 at QZVX
Mike Cherry says:
That’s amazing that K-Sound kicked KJR mid-days 18-34…who’d a thunk that? I was really enthused when the station started up & started listening heavily until week #2 when i realized they were playing the same small playlist over & over & over. When they flipped to country, at least they concentrated on the top 50 singles but were no match for KAYO or KBLE-FM.
June 23, 2020 at QZVX
Kjrol says:
So many stations have come and gone on 1590kc since the 1960s
Ksnd somehow escaped my notice.