Bruce Caplan writes: Here’s a bit that was broadcast on KVI on July 20, 1984 (The 15th anniversary of Landing on the Moon!} I think it was the day Jack Morton retired from KVI?
Jack Morton’s brother Joe was in my Kindergarten class at JJ McGilvra School in Seattle’s Madison Park. Coincidentally Stephen Valley, Jim Valley’s brother was in the same class.
Also attending my school at that time was Dick Foley, later of the Brother’s Four fame.
Share this post:
"data-auto-format="rspv"
data-full-width>
Bruce Caplan
Bruce Caplan is a Seattle native with very eclectic interests. Back in the 70’s he was the sponsor of a 40’s music radio show on KXA in Seattle. When he watched the movie Titanic staring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck in 1953 Caplan became fascinated with the horrible tragedy. In 1996 his book on the subject was released. It’s now in the 20th printing. A decade ago Caplan began to do a weekly radio show on KIXI. The program is called Radio Trivia and he weekly brings to his audience the best of the best of the comedies from the golden age of radio. Because of Caplan’s interest in true crime, he began a second program on KIXI called Crime Club. On this show he often discuses events with authors of books on criminal subjects and weekly plays the great radio mysteries from long ago. Bruce has lectured throughout our nation and on scores of cruises. His greatest thrill is searching through the goldmine of radio gems of mysteries and comedies from yesteryear and bringing them back to an eager audience of young and old. --- View other articles by Bruce Caplan
If it ain’t broke… I feel a lot of the changes made to station formats for ratings were charges at windmills. These short battles won, but the war was lost. KVI was distinctly different from KJR and KJR from KAYO. You couldn’t have convinced my parents to switch away from the Buck Ritchey show on KAYO for Lan Roberts on KJR. In an effort to get a larger slice of the ratings pie, great radio stations were dismantled and we ended up with cookie-cutter formats in every town. Now, there is nothing to tune in for, so people depend on their mp3 player or Spotify. The Internet killed the newspaper, but I think radio took the suicide pill.
Jason, I just found a wonderful bio of Jack Morton’s life. Here’s a link to it. https://www.historylink.org/File/22450 I didn’t realize that he was being let go from KVI when that song was sung? I guess the novelty parody of the tune was to make fun of Gene Autry the owner of KVI at that time. As a child growing up in the 50’s I loved KVI! It aired the greatest radio mysteries and comedies. Also it was the golden age of Western-cowboy movies and Buck Ritchey really kept us entertained with the music of that mode.
View Comments
June 11, 2022 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
If it ain’t broke… I feel a lot of the changes made to station formats for ratings were charges at windmills. These short battles won, but the war was lost. KVI was distinctly different from KJR and KJR from KAYO. You couldn’t have convinced my parents to switch away from the Buck Ritchey show on KAYO for Lan Roberts on KJR. In an effort to get a larger slice of the ratings pie, great radio stations were dismantled and we ended up with cookie-cutter formats in every town. Now, there is nothing to tune in for, so people depend on their mp3 player or Spotify. The Internet killed the newspaper, but I think radio took the suicide pill.
June 11, 2022 at QZVX
Bruce Caplan says:
Jason, I just found a wonderful bio of Jack Morton’s life. Here’s a link to it. https://www.historylink.org/File/22450 I didn’t realize that he was being let go from KVI when that song was sung? I guess the novelty parody of the tune was to make fun of Gene Autry the owner of KVI at that time. As a child growing up in the 50’s I loved KVI! It aired the greatest radio mysteries and comedies. Also it was the golden age of Western-cowboy movies and Buck Ritchey really kept us entertained with the music of that mode.