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Sam Lawson’s Audio Vault: Student run radio station KTOY – L.H. Bates, Tacoma, 1972

KTOY was the NPR station at 91.7 FM staffed by the radio students at L.H. Bates Vocational Technical Institute of Tacoma (as it was then known). In this recording from 1972 we hear the voices of Chris Lindstrom on news, Dewey Boynton and Fred Elliot on sports, and yours truly as the dj. This gets into some embarrassing territory for me, but as my instructor, the Late, Great Chuck Ellsworth used to say, “Well, the audience had to hear it!”

Runtime: 5:40

Sam Lawson

Student engineer at pioneer Nathan Hale radio station KNH 1210 in 1970 (prior to KNHC). Also attended North Seattle Community College and L.H. Bates in Tacoma (KTOY-FM). Sam’s career began as a KJR request line operator in 1970, with his first on-air job at KRKO in 1972. In 1976 he segued to overnights at KTAC as Cory Landon, then weekends at KING. In 1978 he moved to Lewiston, Idaho for afternoons on KOZE and KRLC. Throughout the ‘80s he was an announcer and/or engineer at "the best mix and biggest variety" of Spokane radio stations; including 97KREM, KZUN, KGA, KKER (The Sam & Pam Show), KZZU, PD of KJRB, 98 KISS-FM, and the voice of KAYU-TV. In 1989 he moved to Los Angeles as Assistant Chief Engineer and weekends at KZLA/KLAC. Also engineered for KBIG, KFI, Premiere Radio Networks, CBS Radio, and others. "After avoiding any actual work for nearly 45 years, now happily retired and very appreciatively back in the great Pacific Northwest!" ---Click here for other Sam Lawson articles ---and here for Sam Lawson airchecks

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Jason Remington says:

February 28, 2023 at QZVX at

What became of Chris Lindstrom? I think he worked with Robert O. Smith at KTAC FM. Rick Nordlund? Another name I recall from my time at KTOY during that period.
lonergan says:

January 5, 2022 at QZVX at

Actually, Sam, the whole check sounds pretty good to me, especially for a training station. "Bright and tight," as we used to say. I was student manager of University of Chicago's FM, and we seldom sounded this good.
Jason Remington says:

January 4, 2022 at QZVX at

I remember it well. And the guys heard on this aircheck were fellow classmates of mine as well. Shortly after this, I believe Lindstrom went to KTAC FM for a short while, when Robert O. Smith programmed it as a progressive rocker. I thought Fred Elliot made a fine newscaster, but lost track of him.