November 1979 – Michael O’Shea, former program director at KVI, has been named national program director of Golden West Broadcasters. The program director doesn’t direct any programs, anymore. He directs the talent, inspires them to do their best.
O’Shea’s challenge is to get the best performance out of such diverse personalities, for example, as Gary Owens and Don Drysdale, at KMPC Los Angeles and Bob Hardwick and Bob Robertson at KVI.
O’Shea came to KVI two and a half years ago from Fort Lauderdale Florida. He left KVI four months ago, lured away by the Los Angeles station, KPOL.
Steve West, KJR program director, has been named to a new position of assistant manager at KJR, according to an announcement by J. Shannon Sweatte, general manager. He joined the KJR staff in 1975, and had previously worked at KJRB Spokane, and KLIF Dallas. West had been program director the past four years, starting with KJR as a news man in 1967. He left the station in 1972 program KTAC Tacoma and returned to the Kaye-Smith fold as program director of KJRB Spokane in 1971.
Replacing West has new program director is Tracy Mitchell, evening air personality. Mitchell will combine his duties as music director with the job of program director.
J. Blackburn is the new KZOK AM and FM station manager. His appointment comes as culmination of a management revision which began with the arrival in February of Jack Bankson. Bankson has been elevated to broadcast supervisor for KZOK and three of the Western Washington stations in the Sterling Recreation Organization broadcast chain. Blackburn, who uses only the first initial, was program director at WLUP Chicago. There he initiated a format change from jazz to album rock.
