The music of the 30s, 40s, Big Band, Swing — it’s all at AM 920 in Olympia and 101.1 FM. The station has made a jump to a cleaner frquency, better coverage of the South Sound and both operate 24 hours a day!
KBRD 920 is on the air, also at 101.1 FM Olympia
Oh, what a Cutie!!
July 5, 2025 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
KBRD is heard on 680 KUTI (new calls) as well (during daylight operational hours). That dial position is likely “on the market.” Switch to 920 happened on July 1st.
1st Job
July 6, 2025 at QZVX
Adrian DeBee says:
KUTI named for Engineer Jack Ondracek’s first job at KUTI, Yakima, all those years ago.
KUTI, KQDE, KUDY
July 6, 2025 at QZVX
radio-active says:
I’m thinking Yakima’s KUTI was a Wally Nelskog operation.
A reader comments...
July 7, 2025 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
The writer is correct, to a point. Wally sold KUTI (980 AM) in 1957 to Harrison Roddick, a Chicago industrialist.
A quick sidebar: Roddick didn’t care much for the “Cutie” appellation, and not long after settling in to Yakima, taking control of the station, directed his on-air personalities to refer to the call letters as Kay-You-Tee-Eye.
A couple fellow golfers at the local country club kidded him about the music, and Roddick promptly pulled the Bobettes, Del-Vikings and “some guy named Fats Domino” off the air. The music director, Paul Berg, as diplomatically as possible patiently explained the records he selected for air play were popular with the audience, but Roddick was having none of it. “You’re fired.”
Paul (the future Pat O’Day) was hired shortly thereafter at cross-town rival KLOQ, to replace PD and afternoon DJ Frosty Fowler, who’d been hired by KING.
Contributor comments--
July 6, 2025 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
In the 1950s, Don Whiteman’s KITN had the 920 frequency, and operated from a studio at 610 Columbia Street in downtown Olympia. KITN was the sister station to Whiteman’s other station, KITI, in Centralia.
Yes, and furthermore...
July 6, 2025 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
My recollection is that KITN operated into the 1960s sometime. Checking the data on our AM radio page, I see that I am once again correct. (What do I win???)
Previous call letters: 2-1-57/KITN-AM 1420; 6-1-60 changed frequency to 920-AM; KQEU call letters 02/17/1982; KCPL 07/31/1993; KGHO 05/24/1996; KAYO 04/13/1999; KGHO 12/23/1999; KGTK 03/30/2004; KBRD July 1, 2025.
the future of 680
July 15, 2025 at QZVX
paul says:
the Northwest rock n roll presentation society people are the folks who donated 920 to KBRD, which is why i think this is whats the best and most likely option for a few factors. They currently operate KGHO LPFM… one of the NWRRPS folks used to own 920 when it was KGHO Oldies, same as the current lpfm
Mainly cost and legality for NWRRPS… 920 probably would be too expensive from a powerb ill standpoint as a hobby,non profit station like KGHO.. but an established station like KBRD? Sure…. 250 watt daytime only electric bill vs 5kw
Plus, they need something to feed translators, am doesnt have to be on for that at night.. and they can seed them in a few ways, more reliably and legally then the LPFM does, as i know theres been some question.
They get a tax write off for the donation, etc and can somehow turn that into a tanginble or intangible benefit for KGHO