APRIL 9, 1978 – ALL HAIL, THE EMPEROR
Emperor Smith sends greetings to his subjects. He will be addressing them again on Monday.
Lee Smith, former morning personality at KJR, will return to Seattle airwaves, Monday noon on KYYX.
The Emp, who abdicated air duty at KJR two years ago, to concentrate on sales, had mysteriously returned to the air in San Francisco a few months ago.
But he wanted to come back to Seattle.
He joins the KYYX staff just a week after Burl Barer, another former KJR personality, signed on. Eric McKay, former KYYX afternoon announcer, moves to production work and weekends.
ARE YOU “IN THE MOOD”? – Lost in the bustle of Saturday mornings, Joe Salvatore’s big band music program on KBLE-FM, may at last blossom.
It will become a nighttime feature this Saturday, from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.
“I need a little promotion,” Salvatore said, planning special material for the first show. He’ll be playing selections from rare Glenn Miller albums.
Confess now. For the past seven years you didn’t know there was a big band program on Saturday mornings, did you?
AUGUST 4, 1978 – HYDRO RACE
THERE WILL BE lots of live thunderboat coverage Sunday on the radio, although KING-TV is again the lone holdout for marathon TV telecast up. Ray McMackin will head the KING cast, which includes Mike Fitzsimmons, Bill Muncey (when he’s not in the water), Rod Belcher, Elaine Perkins and Dick Klinger.
KYYX Radio offers its second year of FM-Stereo broadcasts, with Pat O’Day, Bobby Simon, Burl Barer and Emperor Smith.
KING-AM Radio’s Murdoch anchors that station’s full coverage, and KJR has enlisted 13 broadcasters. Bob Blackburn anchors KIRO Radio’s coverage, with live heat reports.
Credit comes, despite the wait. KJR listeners will learn Sunday morning that a KOL competitor was instrumental in the success of The Moody Blues. On the Robert W. Morgan special, at 9 a.m. Sunday, John Lodge, a member of the English rock group recalls that “a disk jockey up in Seattle,” Burl Barer was instrumental in “breaking” the hit “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Then Barer worked at KOL; now he works at KYYX, still competing against KJR.
AM RADIO
KVI — 570 personality, pop standards, adult hits. Morning and afternoon traffic reports, local news program at noon weekdays. Mariners’ — Old radio programs nightly at 10:05 p.m.; Loveline 11 nightly. (24 hrs)
KGDN — 630 inspirational music; sponsored-religion programs. Edmonds. (Sunset sign off)
KIRO — 710 newsradio block in morning; afternoon traffic reports; music-conversation middays. C.B.S. news and features throughout the day, including C.B.S. Mystery Theater at 10:07 a.m. nightly. Some Mutual news and sports talk program at 7 p.m. weeknights. Public affairs talk program at 9 p.m. Larry King talk program all-night after midnight. (24 hrs)
KXA — 710 classics; light symphony works, morning talk program; ethnic-music programs, including Scandinavian and English, on Saturday morning; additional religion and ethnic programs Sunday morning. (Sunset sign off)
KQIN — 800 beautiful music, sponsored-religion programs in morning hours. Burien. (Sunset sign off)
KIXI-AM — 910 beautiful music, derivative adult hits; morning news block, morning and afternoon traffic reports. N.B.C. news in the morning; N.B.C. features and news in afternoon and evening. Programming similar to KIXI-FM. (24 hrs)
KJR — 950 personality top-40. (24 hrs)
KOMO — 1000 pop standards, derivative adult hits; morning and afternoon traffic reports; N.B.C.-information news and features on the half hour. Sonics basketball. (24 hrs)
KBLE — 1050 religious programming all day, public affairs features. (Sunset sign off)
KING-AM — 1090 more-music top-40. (24 hrs)
KAYO — 1150 country music. A.B.C.-Entertainment news on the half hour. (24 hrs)
KYAC — 1250 contemporary hits; little bit a jazz, lots of disco. Talk show at 7 p.m. Sunday. (24 hrs)
KMPS — 1300 personality, country music. Some simulcast with KMPS-FM. (24 hrs)
KGAA — 1480 country music. Kirkland. (sunset sign off)
KZAM-AM — 1540 album rock, jazz and folk. Local news-features on Sunday afternoon. Jazz show 6 a.m. to-noon Sunday. Some simulcast and near imitation of KZAM-FM. (24 hrs)
KZOK-AM — 1590 progressive rock. Simulcast and near imitation of KZOK-FM. Tennis broadcasts beginning in April. (24 hrs)
FM RADIO
KZAM-FM — 92.5 album rock; “n” roll, some folk music. some jazz. New releases featured 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays. Feature artist hour at 6 a.m. to noon Sunday. News Mag at noon Sunday. Some simulcast or near imitation of KZAM-AM. Stereo. (24 hrs)
KBLE-FM — 93.3 sponsored-religion programs, commentary, public affairs. Midnight sign off.
KMPS-FM — 94.1 country music in stereo. Some simulcast with KMPS-AM. (24 hrs)
KUOW — 94.9 baroque, classical music, educational features, nostalgia, jazz. Public affairs features after 7 p.m. weeknights. National Public Radio news and features, including All Things Considered at 5:30 p.m. weekdays and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Stereo. (2 a.m. sign off)
KIXI-FM — 95.7 beautiful music, simulcast or near imitation of KIXI-AM, but not as much news. Stereo. (24 hrs)
KYYX — 98.5 popular rock in personality-top-40 fashion. A little more news after midnight. Stereo. (24 hrs)
KING-FM — 98.1 classical music, occasional local news, some folk music. Classical request program at noon Sunday. Jazz at 11 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Stereo. (24 hrs)
KEZX — 98.9 easy listening music, unannounced musical selections tending to instrumentals. Stereo. (24 hrs)
KISW — 99.9 rock ‘n’ roll, tending to album cuts, music-happening features, occasional jazz, new-album product at 11 p.m. most weeknights recorded rock-concert features some weeknights at midnight, including King Biscuit Flower Hour. Stereo. (24 hrs)
KSEA — 100.7 beautiful music, mostly instrumental and unannounced. Stereo. (24 hrs)
KVI-FM — 101.5 popular pop-rock. A.B.C.-Contemporary news each hour. Stereo. (24 hrs)
KZOK-FM — 102.5 progressive rock, occasional recorded concert or record features, usually at midnight weeknights. Jazz program on Sunday morning. Listener-favorites feature at 9 p.m. Sunday. All-night album feature after midnight Sunday. Stereo. (24 hrs)
KBIQ — 105.3 Christian contemporary tunes; instrumental standards. Disk jockey participation daytime, unannounced selections at noon. Upbeat teen segment Saturday afternoon. Stereo (24 hrs)
KRAB — 107.7 ethnic music, baroque music, international news, readings, some old N.P.R. features, panel discussions, children’s programming, personal-discourses. Listener-supported radio. Usually stereo; erratic sign off between 2 and 5 a.m.
Hydro phrase
July 5, 2025 at QZVX
Mike Barer says:
Burl Barer catch phrase, and I’m not sure who coined it, was “the hits between the heats” referring to music played between the races.