Monday, February 16, 1959 – Portland Hoffa, widow of radio icon Fred Allen, remarries. This time to a New York television ad exec, Joseph Rines…
October 15, 1961 – Former rock ‘n roll deejay turned radio exec, Wally Nelskog, has tossed the rock for adult tunes, finer music of sorts. Nelskog is dumping the teen tunes of KUDY radio, switching the call letters to KIXI, with a middle of the road format at noon today.
Wally Nelskog, 41, has had an unusual career in broadcasting. He started out in the business in Spokane in 1947 and joined KING in 1949 as a disc jockey, where he originated KING’s Open House, a program that still is going strong. Later, he moved over to KAYO and KJR, where his show, Wally’s Music Makers, in the early 1950s was the highest rated show in Seattle broadcasting history. A short time later Nelskog began acquiring a small empire in broadcasting. He constructed KUTI in Yakima, and added stations in Everett, Pasco, Coos Bay OR, Great Falls MT, Minot ND, and Oceanside, Ca., in addition to the Renton station. Nelscog acquired KUDY in Renton from the estate of the late brother Ralph J. Sanders in January 1958 and immediately implemented a music metamorphosis to the ear splitting and everlasting disapproval of sensitive South end listeners who were forced to put up with rock and roll racket 18 hours a day. Nelskog frankly admits that the juvenile program policy pursued on his station was simply a case of survival in the tough, competitive world of Broadcasting.
2 thoughts on “The birth of KIXI”
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KUDY to KIXI
April 5, 2025 at QZVX
Dick Ellingson says:
“Nelskog frankly admits that the juvenile program policy pursued on his station was simply a case of survival in the tough, competitive world of Broadcasting.”
He followed the money, just like my local barber, who learned how to cut a Mohawk, a Princeton and a D. A. when crew cuts and bowl cuts went out of style.
And Jessica Longston didn’t suddenly give up her adoration of rock and roll and become a die-hard shit kicker in 1963.
So, what you are saying is...
April 5, 2025 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
An Oldies station with weekend programming to include 4-hours of Big Band/Swing music, 4 hours of German polka music, 3 hours of swap ‘n shop, 30 minutes of lost pet reports, Old-Time Radio rebroadcasts, a two-hour weekly roundtable discussion about the golden age of radio and being an air personality, a weekday, mid-day housewife focused music program which would include a 15-minute exercise program to help the ladies stay in shape, retro 60s style jingles and a team of 7 Boss Jocks would not make enough money to become profitable? Is that what I am hearing? I just need some financial backers.