KISW stays with Classical music format

September 1969 – Classical-music fans have won a battle! The new KISW is aiming for classics again, Don Vincent program director, said. “We are 100% classical.” Vincent signs on the station himself at 6 a.m. each morning. KISW shares studios with KJR, and Vincent covets the rock stations budget. “During the day, the receptionist at least answers the phone ‘KJR-KISW’. But at night it is nearly impossible to call KISW,” he said. After 5 PM, a KISW caller has to brave those KJR announcers (who are not too keen on answering the telephone, anyhow). “It’s especially disconcerting when those guys upstairs get one of our phone calls and pass it along with this aside: “Hey, everybody, it’s our KISW listener.”
This month KGMI FM 92.9 Mc in Bellingham, changes its call letters to KVGM. Along with the new name comes the stabilized format of 80% automated music and 20% “news and featurettes.”
John Munroe, KVGM official, said the new format would serve all of Whatcom County with community news and information sources in the area.
“The service will include six different announcers, and music will move from cheerful pops in the early morning, through pop standards (orchestra and vocal groups) in the afternoon, and touching on some light-light classics after 9 PM.” Munroe said.
Charles Herring and the News is the name of a five-minute newscast at 8:30 a.m. Monday through Saturdays on several stations around the state. Herring prepares the Northwest news feature from his Port Angeles radio station, KAPY, for transmission to KRKO Everett, KTAC Tacoma, KPUG Bellingham, KBKW Aberdeen, and KBRC Mount Vernon. The stations are linked by a radio representative, Simpson and Associates.

Seattle’s first news anchor [September 1951] – Charles Herring. Charles Herring left KING 5 in 1967, he and his wife purchased radio station KAPY/Port Angeles, which they operated until 1978. Herring died in January 2006 after a long battle with cancer.
*** In 1973, I drove up to Port Angeles to apply for a position at KAPY. I was a day late, the job had been snatched by someone else. Mr. Herring listened to my aircheck, asked me to put together a three-minute newscast and audition anyway. He then called the owner of KONP/Port Angeles and recommended me for any position that station might have available. I was hired that day by KONP, staying there a year before moving on.