Radio

Wrapped about in a holiday garb of music and speeches, KMOX, the new superpower broadcasting station known as the “Voice of St. Louis,” was officially launched last Thursday night, the gift of St. Louis to the nation.

The inaugural program, which lasted from 7 o’clock until the early hours of Christmas morning, was opened with addresses by the men who were responsible for the mammoth station in St. Louis. The entertainment portion included a wide variety ranging from Christmas music by the vested choir of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church to syncopated melody.

The hour of 7 brought the first official message from the station in the form of an announcement by Nate Caldwell, official announcer. An organ prelude by Arthur L. Ott, and two numbers, “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Hail to the Chief” by the Little Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of David Bittner, Jr., with Utt at the Kilgen organ, followed.

After this, W.S. Matthews, president of the Kirkwood Trust Company, and who has played an important part in this matter, gave the following three-minute address in behalf of the Kirkwood Trust Company over “The Voice of St. Louis”:

“The Kirkwood Trust Company is happy to be one of the forces that has brought the great sending station of the ‘Voice of St. Louis’ to Kirkwood.

“We have great pride in our city, the County of St. Louis and the great City of St. Louis, and stand ready to do anything to the best of our ability for their betterment and advancement.

“In all the United States there is not a more beautiful country than the rolling hills and wonderful valleys of St. Louis County; and in the midst of it is our little City of Kirkwood, a charming home town with all the advantages of rural and city life combined, situated in the highest part of the county in a lovely spot where the summer breezes are the coolest.

“Our educational advantages are unsurpassed; five public schools, one high school, and five other schools and colleges. Churches of all denominations, three golf clubs, our own water supply and electric service, fine roads and streets with easy access to all parts of the county. Two railroads, two electric car lines and several bus lines connecting us with St. Louis. We invite those who are seeking a suburban home to come to see us.

“To all of our friends, both far and near, we wish a Merry Christmas and all the success, prosperity and happiness that can be crowded into Nineteen Hundred and Twenty –six.”

The other speakers included Isaac H. Orr, vice-president of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce; R. L. Jacobsmeyer, Mayor of Kirkwood, who forgot to mention all the papers of Kirkwood but thanked one paper for the valued assistance given him in this matter; Thomas P. Convey, managing director of the station; Colin B. Kennedy, president of the station, and R. Fullerton Place, former president of the Advertising Club of St. Louis, and Clifford Corneli, president of the Merchants Exchange.

(Originally published in the Kirkwood Monitor 1/1/1926.)

By Nancy Fraser
Borrowing a dainty little flashlight as the 1932 version of Diogenes’ lantern, I foregathered with the “Old Night Watchman” of WIL on Sunday night to help him augment the revels of St. Louis night life upon his rounds to assure radio listeners that “All is well.”

Thrilled to death I was for the idea of being assistant “watch lady” was unique enough in itself without having the fun of tearing about the city in a battery and amplifier-ladened Ford with a red lantern swinging in its wake. It was with a feeling of romantic glow of adventure that I met Billy Lang, the Old Night Watchman and Little Willie Keller, the remote control man at the Ambassador Theater at 8 o’clock to begin the thirty-five mile round. I wasn’t disappointed.

There in the screening room were the twenty “Gloom Chasers” led by a collarless Al Roth, Ambassador music director. They were working hard on the torrid night to send sweet strains of music over the air. As the last noted were wafted, up jumped Little Willie and disjointed the microphone and started putting wires and tubes and boxes together; the Night Watchman helping him. Being somewhat of a novice at the serious business, I was so confused that I all but got coiled up with the cords and put into the panel box. They discovered me in time though and we were out of the street and crammed into the “waiting” Ford to begin our land “hop” down to Sauter’s Park.

Streets flew by, headlights danced and the soft air from the Mississippi rose to greet us as we accomplished that leg of the journey in less than thirty minutes.

Little Willie dashed into the pavilion ahead of us and by the time we had threaded our way over the gaily illuminated floor, he had set up the microphone, twisted a few knobs on the amplifier and was ringing the control room in WIL saying “OK.” Then the Night Watchman climbed on the stage and with his “Heigh-Ho, everybody” began announcing the numbers of Dewey Jackson’s Harlem hot rhythm band.

I couldn’t help but reflect what a lot of pleasure such an open air place gave young people who were swaying and whirling around in floor in an inspired manner. It was cool, gaily lighted and the music impelling. I had a severe case of the “jitters” when Billy Langinvited me up to the microphone to announce a few of the numbers and couldn’t help envying him his easy manner and infectious smile as he greeted his friends both on the floor and over the air. There is a stir of anticipation when the Old Night Watchman enters each place and it is easy to see what an addition he is to the spirit of revelry.

The half-hour raced by and we were going through the same performance of taking down  the equipment and loading it into the car although I had by then learned enough to keep out of the way and to even carry the tiara-like mike with the significant call letters WIL across the top.

Dodging returning weekenders in a nineteen-mile circle of the country, we found ourselves on the Olive Street Road at Diane’s, the new dine and dance palace. We received a royal welcome there from everybody from the doorman up to Miss Diane herself.

Little Willie had the accoutrements strung up in the mere “twinkling of an eye” while Miss Diane, who is a tall, stately and gracious blonde person, proudly showed me the softly lighted café and introduced me to the delightfully silly entertainers including Al Rusell, the dancer, Larry Green, eccentric second Al Jolson and Ray DeVinney, drummer dance band leader.

The smart looking crowd joined in the dancing and greeting of the Night Watchman and a lot of impromptu specialties went over the air. The music was good, the crowd lightly gay and the hostess charming – so it was small wonder that the Night Watchman and humble assistant sneaked in a syncopated three turns about the floor before tearing ourselves away to join Bill Bailey at the Canton Tea Garden. And it was a thrill to dance with six-feet-four-and-a-quarter charming Billy Lang – Night Watchman or otherwise.

Another Ford flight and we were back in the center of busy St. Louis listening to Bill Bailey’s eccentric xylophone playing. There I helped Billy in “heighhoing,” getting the numbers all mixed up but thoroughly enjoying myself. It was just twelve when we bade the audience a regretful goodnight and little Willie packed up for the last time. Fleet Smith joined us and with our official duties over, we went back to Diane’s to catch the last floor show.

With tapping steps and well sung popular tunes still resounding in our ears, we left there in time to join the two o’clock bathing party at Sauter’s Park and it was near the dawn when we finally disbanded.

Weary I was but enchanted with the amusing possibilities of nightwatching with infectiously charming Billy Lang leading the lanterned way who uses the microphone instead of the stick to announce “All is Well.”

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 7/30/1932).

Versatility – one of the first requisites of a radio station attaché – is shown in the remarkable combination of talents of Don Hunt, chief continuity writer at KMOX, who now makes his debut as “The KMOX Song Writer.” He is now featured over KMOX each Friday at 10:05 a.m.

He interprets his own song compositions by his piano playing and singing voice. He plays the piano equally as effectively as he does the typewriter and the lyrics of his songs are as pleasing as his radio scripts.

On his program of last Friday he presented “I Do,” “Fortune Teller’s Song,” a number from his radiomusicomedy, “Fleurette,” “My Mother’s Flowers,” sung with Gay Lee, who is featured on the KMOX Noon Hour programs, and “Rosette.”

On his broadcast for Friday, July 8, he will present his original version of “River Jordan,” a spiritual; “Air de Ballet,” an instrumental number; “My Heart Is Your Heart,” and “Mary Ann, which he says is one of his favorites.

Under another radio alias Don Hunt is widely known as “Uncle Billy,” popular with children and grownups everywhere for his stories-in-song, and is heard from KMOX at 5 p/.m. daily except Saturday and Sunday.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 7/9/1932).

William H. West, who resigned last week as Director of Operations of KMOX, has become General Manager of station KSD. The station is undergoing a period of expansion and reorganization and Mr. West is in charge of all operations.

Mr. West was appointed Director of KMOX last year by Nelson Darragh, president of the Voice of St. Louis and he has been with the station since it was first organized in 1925. He came to St. Louis from Springfield and is one of the best examples of youth at the helm of radio.

He was associated with Colin B. Kennedy in radio work and then came to St. Louis as Chief Operator.

Mr. West was influential in the obtaining of 50,000 watt power for KMOX and actively engaged in the selection of equipment.

(Originally published in Radio and Records 2/11/1933).

The largest individual New Year’s Eve Party that has ever been held in the Middle West is planned by KMOX for Saturday night according to Walter “Hank” Richards, program production manager. More than 10,000 persons are expected to attend this party in the Mart Building.

“It is our aim to provide a wholesome, inexpensive New Year’s Eve celebration which everyone will be able to attend,” Richards said. “Every attempt will be made to make the party that begins at 8 o’clock as personal as possible with the members of KMOX serving as very cordial hosts.”

A big dance orchestra directed by Carl Hohengarten will play throughout the evening and there will be a section of the first floor where Len Johnson and his Ozark Mountaineers will play for those who wish to dance the square dance. All of the County Fair acts as well as others will provide entertainment throughout the evening, Richards said. There will be more than a hundred artists, all of whom are KMOX favorites.

The lower floor of the Mart Building has been converted into a gaily illuminated ball room and a band stand has been constructed in the center of the room from which the artists will perform. Admission will be fifty cents and refreshments will be available. Concessions in keeping with the spirit of the County Fair will be open throughout the night and the dance orchestras will play until 7 o’clock the following morning for those who wish to stay, Richards said.

The entire preparations [sic] for the celebration are being made by Louis Tappe, assistant to Richards.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 12/26/1932).

Radio station KSHE has made a big step into the lives of St. Louis area teens. KSHE-95 in the past few weeks has changed to “Rock Radio.” Now they have gone a step further and broadcast live every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night from 9 to 10 PM direct from the Castaways, 930 Airport Road in Ferguson, Missouri. />The live broadcasts are emceed by Don O’Day, Big Jack Davis, and St. Louis’ own Johnny B. Goode.

Top bands are featured each night. You’ll hear sounds from such popular groups as Jerry Jay and the Sheratons, the Acid Sette, Herman Grimes and the Spectors with the Mo Jo Men, Walter Scott and the Guise, the Good Feelin’, the Poets, the Belaerphon Expedition, the Aardvarks, and too many more to mention. Castaway management told Teen Sceen that some new big groups from out of town will be featured in the future.

And where is KSHE 95? Why, it’s on the FM dial. In fact, KSHE is the first radio station to play hard rock music. It has become known as all request radio, 24 hours a day. Many of the area high schools listen to KSHE during their lunch periods, among them Webster Groves, Parkway, and Vianney in Kirkwood. The new tempo at KSHE cannot be pinpointed. Jockeys move. Therefore the KSHE disc jockeys will be moving time segments regularly so listeners can catch the djs of KSHE during the time that they normally listen. Guest appearances are coming up too.

To sum it all up, look for big things to happen to St. Louis radio during the first part of 1968. Lots of surprises  and prizes from the new top station, KSHE, the official voice of Teen Sceen are in store for you.

(Originally published in Teen Sceen 1/68).