Highlights: 1981

January 1981 – Michael O’Shea named GM at KBLE FM. O’Shea previously was group PD for Golden West Broadcasters…
February 1981 – Ken Kohl is appointed Program Manager for KOMO, coming from Denver where he headed his own consultancy, replacing Larry Nelson, who concentrates on his morning show…
KZOK hires Larry Snider away from KGON Portland as Asst. PD, and Michael Knight from KKSN Portland as MD, while KZOK MD Brad Hoffman steps down…
KZAM AM switches format from Modern Music to Soft AOR…
March – KZOM Beaumont PD Dave Scott exits for middays at KZAM Seattle..
April 1981 – Former KJR morning man Charlie Brown to program First Media’s KBLE- FM ..
KTAC PD Tom Jeffries and air staffer Kirk Russell walk Washington state coastline for March of Dimes…
May 1981 – KYYX MD Sean Lynch promoted to Special Projects Assistant and is replaced by Elvin Ichiyama…
Tom Jeffries out as KTAC PD replaced by Bruce Cannon …
June 1981 – Bonneville Broadcast Consultants and the newly-created Satellite Music Network team with plans to take Bonneville’s Beautiful Music format nationwide via satellite…
KMPS-AM & FM GM Jim McGovern adds VP responsibilities at Affiliated Broadasting…
July 1981 – Ivan Braiker named VP /GM for the Satellite Music Network, coming from his previous post as GM at WIRE Indianapolis…
KZAM -AM switches from Soft AOR to Jazz…
KZAM PD Paul Sullivan exits and MD Marion Seymour drops MD title…
Bob Sharon takes on the VP /GM duties, which include supervising KZAM -AM & FM, at Bellevue Radio Inc. ..
Former KAYO News Director Jay Johnson returns to rival KVI as AM news anchor…
August 1981 – Ric Hansen, formerly Station Manager at KTAC, forms Champion Broadcasting Management Services and purchases KMED Medford, OR …
Peyton Mays exits as PD of KZEL Eugene for PD post at KEZX Seattle…
KZAM -AM switches call letters to KJZZ…
Joe Martell exits PDship of KVI; he is replaced by Jack London, most recently PD of KDWN Las Vegas…
September 1981 – Monty Grau promoted to VP /GM for KOMO from his previous post as Station Manager there …
October 1981 – Edie Hilliard takes the GM post at KING, coming from her GSM position at KJR ….
Tim Williams is promoted to Operations Manager for KEZX. Williams had held the position on an interim basis for the past four months ..
Dave Scott takes on MD post at KZAM …
Tom Mann moves from middays at KAYO to all-nights at KVI
November 1981 – Gale Johnson becomes GM at KZOK from GSM at KING …