KCTC's "easy listening" format creator dies at 70.
Ted Langdell
Some folks on the list may have known, heard, heard of Gil Boucher
(pronounced Boo-SHAY), or been acquainted with the station during the time
he worked there.
Anyone know whether the long-running easy listening format was picked up by
any out of market stations?
Jim Balcom was one of the engineers responsible for keeping the Gates/Harris
automation running during the latter part of its life. It took a lot of his
time. Among its parts, I recall a 55? cart, elevator-based player. Took a
whole rack to itself. It also apparently stuck from time to time, and in
later years you couldn't get parts for it.
Ted.
---------------------
BOUCHER, GILBERT B.
Lost his six-month battle with pancreatic cancer in his Sacramento home on
May 13 2003, at the age of 70.
Gil will always be remembered as the "man behind the music" and one of the
primary staff members to help create the award-winning "California Sound" at
KCTC Radio.
(TL note: The KCTC calls were first applied to 96.1, Sacramento while the
station was owned by Kelly Broadcasting, then owners of KCRA, 1320, and
KCRA-TV, 3. The calls were reported to stand for "California Television
Corporation" a Zenith TV distributorship also owned by the Kellyąs. The
studio was in the distributorship's building on Fee Drive, along Highway 160
near Arden Way. The sign for both was highly visible to commuters on 160
and Interstate 80, later named Business 80.
The programming was carried out by an always-attended Gates automation
system, later upgraded to an early Harris 9000 system IIRC, the model prior
to the CRT screen version. The system survived the sale to Tribune
Broadcasting and move out of the KCRA facilities to new ones at 19th and W
Streets. 96.1 is now called Mix 96, (KYMX). The KCTC calls were shifted to
1320, where they serve an adult standards format. That happened before the
AM and FM were sold to separate owners. Soft rock KYMX, 96.1 ended up with
Entercom... KCTC, 1320 with Infinity.)
From 1972 to 1990, he served as On-air Announcer, Program Director and
Operations Manager for the then-number one radio station in the market for
adult listeners.
Gil was responsible for every song and musical sequence that played on
Stereo 96, earning him many accolades and commendations from his broadcast
colleagues.
(TL note: One of the hallmarks of the format was to play the "hit" version
of a vocalistąs song, then an instrumental version right after.)
He received the "Golden Mike" Award from the Radio & TV News Association, as
well as over 15 Sacramento Advertising Club awards for announcing and
production excellence.
In 1988, Sacramento Magazine readers voted KCTC the Best Radio Station in
the Capitol City. As a self-described "obsessive-compulsive" personality,
Gil used his perfectionism, musical talent and organizational skills to
create this award-winning "easy listening" musical for-mat.
As a teenager, he wanted to be a radio announcer and play good music to make
people feel good. Gil liked to say that he actually lived his dream and
would have worked in radio even without a paycheck.
One of his most memorable recordings was his production of the poem, "I Am
Music,"" which he brought to life through an eclectic mix of classical and
contemporary music.
Gill graduated from San Francisco State College in 1957 with a Bachelorąs
Degree in broadcasting.
From 1957 through 1990, he worked at three California radio stations: KSMA
in Santa Maria; KSOM in Ontario; and KCTC in Sacramento. As most radio
announcers will confirm, only 3 stations in 33 years is somewhat of a record
since jobs are unusually tenuous and short-lived because of frequent
ownership changes.
To share his love and enthusiasm for broadcasting, Gil taught various
broadcasting courses at Consumes River College. He received his life-time
community college instructor credential in 1977, and went on to be a highly
popular teacher for the next 13 years.
During retirement, Gil became a true "computer geek" and also traveled
extensively to South America, Australia, Tahiti, the Caribbean, Mexico and
Hawaii. Always the optimist and a positive, upbeat individual, Gil once
said, "I love people and like to be around others who love people. l refuse
to associate with people always on a downer.ą"
A dog lover, Gil and Gigi, his pet poodle, were inseparable to the very end
of his life journey. He was known throughout the broadcast industry as a man
with complete integrity and the highest ethical standards.
Gil experienced great joy and happiness with his long-term companion, and
felt exceptional pride for his two successful sons, their wives and
children.
Gil Boucher is survived by his partner of 17 years Jay Campbell; two sons
Jeffrey Boucher of Las Vegas, and Todd Boucher in Rocklin; former wife Joan
Harkins; four wonderful grandchildren, including Michelle, Brandon,
Courtney, and Bridgett, brothers Richard of Lafayette, Henry arid Danny of
Riverside, and sister Patty Felcher in Arkansas.
His family joins together in saying that, "If there is music in heaven, Gil
will be programming all the angelic sounds to match his new listenersą
musical tastes."
In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be sent to the Sacramento Chapter of
the American Cancer Society. For family and friends, a private Wake to
celebrate Giląs remarkable life will be held later.
SoCal Tom
> Jim Balcom was one of the engineers responsible for keeping the
Gates/Harris
> automation running during the latter part of its life. It took a lot of
his
> time. Among its parts, I recall a 55? cart, elevator-based player. Took a
> whole rack to itself. It also apparently stuck from time to time, and in
> later years you couldn't get parts for it.
I was there during the late 60s. Then KCTC was located in the AM studio of
KCRA at 310 Tenth Street (corner of C). I remember Walt Berger was the chief
engineer, and I was a (part time) transmitter engineer. I got to manually
operate their 1KW standby transmitter when they lost their northern tower.
In one of my many visits to the main studios, I noticed a couple of racks in
a closet. 1 rack contained three Garrard automatic record changers; while
the other contained a cart carousel and other equipment (limiter, etc). The
way the system worked (?) was through a silence sensor. First, a cut from an
album was played. At the end of the cut, the sensor switched the system to
record changer 2. At the end of the cut on changer 3, it would switch to the
carousel, then back to changer 1, and the process repeated for their
broadcast day.
Since I was a full time board op at KSFM (96.9), I used to field phone calls
from listeners telling me the record was stuck. Since I was in the studio
monitoring the outgoing program, I could tell instantly that the listener
thought they were listening to KSFM, while their radio had drifted down to
KCTC. (FM capture effect, common during the late 60s.) I'd call KCRAs
"secret line" and let them know that KCTC was stuck, and to whack it.
Once KCRA's tower was replaced, I was out of a part time job, since they
could go back to running their 10KW RCA transmitter by remote control. All
in all, those were fun days of radio.
--
SoCal Tom
From La Casa de Mierda in Poquito Panoche, on the California-Arizona-Nevada
border.
Ted Langdell
Were the KCRA 1320 towers where they are now... just east of Garden
Hwy/Sacramento River and south of I-5?
That's where all those former rice fields have given way to homes, homes,
homes. (Must be wonderful living there... 5KW AM and 50KW FM just blocks
from your phone and computer ;)
If it's the same site (and I believe it is) what's the story on the loss of
the north tower back then? Is that the same one vandals cut the guys on
10-15 years ago?.
In the late 60's-80's I remember KCTC's antenna being on the 600+ foot
downtown tower at the studios, then being moved out to the (north?) tower at
the daytime 1320 site along Garden Highway, about the time the radio
stations were split from the TV and sold to Tribune. There were a couple of
things in play at the time of the move, as I recall... the sale, the desire
to reduce blanketing in the neighborhood (another FM on the tower moved,
too. Don't recall which one... and ultimately, the new building where the
technical and studio facilities are today.
Pre-new building, I occasionally would go in through the back door close to
the tower. The former main TV transmitter was there, which provided a good
backup when power went out in the Walnut Grove area. So was an OLD RCA
tube-type microwave TX that passed NBC on to what was then KCRL-TV, 4, Reno
via three or four hops to Slide Mt./Mt. Rose and then into Reno.
Now, there's nothing at the top of the tower where the Channel 3 batwing and
96.1 antennas were. The TV ENG antennas remain, along with intercity
microwave dishes to/from various places.
Ted.
Ted Langdell
> Organization: Prodigy Internet http://www.prodigy.com
> Newsgroups: ba.broadcast
> Date: Tue, 20 May 2003 00:55:40 GMT
> Subject: KCTC's "easy listening" format creator dies at 70.
>
> Soft rock KYMX, 96.1 ended up with
> Entercom... KCTC, 1320 with Infinity.)
In spite of my best efforts, I goofed. Entercom owns KCTC, 1320... and
Infinity owns KYMX, Mix 96.
Thanks to those who e-mailed the screw up to my attention. Must have had my
eyes crossed or something.
Apologies, again,
Ted