Dave McCormick's Fresno Mystery

[jon]

Dave McCormick moved from CFUN to KMAK in Fresno in about April 1962, to work with Ron Jacobs. I had always understood that Dave and Ron Jacobs moved to KYNO together to work with Bill Drake, before Bill and Ron turned KHJ Los Angeles into Boss Radio with Much More Music and what would be known as Drake Formatics.

I was "called" on that story this morning, and it turns out I was wrong. Ron never worked at KYNO, according to the following article, written by Ron himself. But it still leaves the question: how did Dave get to KYNO from KMAK, as there is a 1965 aircheck of Dale Dorman on KYNO where he mentions Dave?

I was Programming VP of a two-station group which had bought KMAKe in Fresno. After setting up K/MEN in San Bernardino in March, 1962, I left it in the hands of PD Bill Watson, and headed for the "Agribusiness Capital of the World." Frank Terry and I towed a U-Haul, full of mostly jazz LP's, through the Tehachapi Mountains to a small, brick building on McKinley Avenue in Fresno. Our target was KYNO and we threw everything at them.

..."The Battle of Fresno." It lasted two years. And, of course, there were no "Programming Guidelines" on how to handle the assassination of a President. Generally bummed, and with no company support, I threw in the towel and headed home for Honolulu in early 1964.

I wasted a year in Hong Kong working on a "pirate" station which never signed on. This was followed by a month in the Halawa Jail for possession of three milligrams (3/1000th of a gram) of "marijuana."

24 hours out of the cooler back in L.A. in early 1965...Within 24 hours, I met Drake and Chenault for lunch at a La Cienega Boulevard restaurant. ...Chenault announced I was the new PD of KHJ.

written by Ron Jacobs
ref. - http://www.johnnymannsingers.com/the_ro ... story.html

[radiofan]

Dave did go to KYNO from K-MAKe .. He worked for Drake at KYNO and was promised a spot at KHJ, but before that happened, Dave was offered the PD job at KOL in Seattle which he took and had fun doing
battle with Pat O'Day and KJR. After KOL, Dave headed south to K-MEN in San Bernardino where he stayed until returning to Vancouver and a job at CKNW in late 1971.

[jon]

I found more detail on Dave's move from KYNO (Fresno) to KOL (Seattle) in an e-mail he sent me on March 18, 2001:

I got a phone call that KOL was looking for a morning jock. I applied and got it, and moved my family to Seattle. About a month later, P.D. Buzz Barr (who had hired me, and previously hired; Danny Holiday, Dex Allen, Rhett Hamilton Walker, "Bill Munson" - recently deceased) resigned to work in Portland (I believe) radio, and I suggested that KOL make me their P.D. - my first in that role - I moved myself into the Noon-3, air slot, and hired two jocks from California. When I arrived, KOL was "rocking" at that time - but wasn't a very focused top 40 format. No continuity - every jock did his 3 hour air shift - his way.

[Jack Bennest]

Dave sent this picture to me a long time ago of he and a group in radio stateside - hope you can identify
the station ( looks like KOL )

[jon]

Yes, that is definitely KOL as you can see the KOL monograms on two of the jackets. Plus, I recognize the lower right DJ as Dex Allen, just from memory.

[BossRadio]

Looks like the jocks are holding up the late Don Grady from My 3 Sons.

[radiofan]

Looks like the jocks are holding up the late Don Grady from My 3 Sons.

You're probably right BR ... Dave was PD at KOL late '66/early 67 and Don Grady's "Children Of St. Monica" was a big hit in Seattle (as was Yellow Balloon by The yellow Balloon a few months later.)

[radiofan]

Just heard from Dave McCormick re: The Picture.

KOL Jocks (sranding l to r) Danny Holiday and Rhett Ham,ilton Walker III

(kneeling l to r) Dave McCormick and Dex Allen with Don Grady in the middle