More memories of KQV Pittsburgh, PA. (Also 13-Q & WIXZ!)

[Tom Lacko]

A few weeks ago I posted some memories of KQV and 13-Q Pittsburgh, PA. I asked if anyone could remember any other jocks from that time frame and I received a nice note from former Pittsburgher Bob Nelson. Talk about details! Bob game his permission to have me post his reply and it follows. > 12-MAR-1994 21:30:20.38 >From: IN%"bne...@netcom.com" >To: IN%"la...@ENH.NIST.GOV" >CC: >Subj: KQV and Pittsburgh Top 40 >Tom, >I caught your recent article in rec.radio about KQV. If you feel >that any of the information here might be of general interest, >feel free to post it on the newsgroup. >Chuck Brinkman was one of the KQV jocks who spanned 3 decades with >the station, from its beginning in the late 1950's (when ABC >acquired it) through the early 70's when he moved to WTAE, as a >midday jock. Chuck later became PD of Y-97 (WHYW in Braddock), did >a short stint in San Diego and is now here in Dallas as PD of KLUV >-- which is owned by a former GM of WIXZ/1360, another Pittsburgh >top 40 outlet you might remember. I haven't seen Chuck in about 3 >years...but last time I was in his office at KLUV, he had a >picture on his wall from the KQV era, seemed like it was a >publicity photo of him from the heyday of that great station. >Chuck originally did nights and then later moved to afternoons. >Another fellow that I know who could fill you in a lot about KQV, >particularly during the early days of its ABC ownership is Roy >Humphrey. Roy is currently chief engineer of WWVA in Wheeling. Roy >was on the engineering staff of KQV when it changed formats to top >40, circa 1958. He's especially knowledgeable about the problems >that KQV had always had with its signal beamed from a 5-tower >array in the North Hills. (I think one of the reasons that >13Q/WKTQ was able to dominate KQV so quickly in the early 70's was >because of a superior signal -- especially in the densely >populated South Hills and Western suburbs -- where KQV's nighttime >pattern was quite weak. >A very good friend of mine (now deceased) was George Hart. George >worked first at WIXZ and then moved to KQV about 1974. It was >George who played the last song on KQV before it went all news >under Taft ownership. I may be mistaken -- but I think that the >song was "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" by Neil >Diamond. >Another jock who has become quite famous after a tour of duty at >WIXZ and then KQV was Jeff Christie, who did nights on both >outlets. Jeff to this day often mentions his days in Pittsburgh on >his satellite-fed radio show. This former KQV jock is also a big >Steeler fan. Jeff Christie now uses his real name on the radio. >The name? Rush Limbaugh. (Now you know the rest of the story...) >Here's a smattering of other names (in no particular order) that >I recall as having worked at Pittsburgh's top 40 outlets: > Todd Chase (KQV) Later was on WLS and programmed a KC station. > Kris Erik Stevens (KQV) Also was a jock on WLS. > Steve Rizen (KQV) At one point hosted a TV game show on > WIIC/Channel 11. > Bob Wilson (KQV) Became 13Q's production voice in 1973. > Kiev (sp) Berman (KQV) Became an ABC Radio news anchor. > Al Julius (KQV) Former KQV News Director, later a commentator on > KDKA-TV. > Jim Quinn (KQV) Night jock who later became morning man at B-94 > FM. > Rick Shaw (KQV) PM Drive when KQV was known as "14-K". I think > he is still programming WAXY in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami. > Jack Armstrong (WKTQ) Night jock who was famous for his work at > WKBW. > Bob Pittman (WPEZ) PD of FM rocker, programmed WMAQ and WNBC > before his association with MTV. > Bill Tanner (WKTQ) PD of 13Q, later became PD of Miami's Y-100. > Bob DeCarlo (KQV) AM Drive in the early 70's. Now mornings at > WUSA in Tampa. > Kenny Lee/Ken Long/Ken Spector (WDVE) I'm not sure if he did any > work on WDVE's sister station, KQV. He's now with RCS in > Scarsdale. > Jim Carnegie (KQV) He's doing something important now in the > broadcast field -- but I can't remember! > Jon Summers (KQV) PM Drive in the early 70's, later did mornings > at WPNT/92.9. Last I heard, he was back in his hometown of > Buffalo. > Batt Johnson (WKTQ) Night jock who later did AM drive at WLTW in > NYC. >That's about all I come up with on the spur of the moment. One >thing that is evident is just how many very talented people worked >in that market. You might want to see if you can get your hands on >the weekly surveys that KQV, WIXZ and KDKA used to distribute back >in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Most of them had pictures of the jocks >and their airshifts. >By the way, most people under 40 may not remember that KDKA was a >top 40 station through most of the 60's! I remember jocks like >Clark Race, Rege Cordic, Art Pallan and Jim Horne playing the >Doors, the Stones and other rock groups on the same station that >would later in the evening have Ed and Wendy King's "Party Line" >airing, appealing to a much different demographic. >Thanks for triggering some old memories! >==================================================== > Bob Nelson: Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. > bne...@netcom.com >==================================================== Many thanks to Bob Nelson for helping me remember and reminisce. I was shocked to hear that George Hart passed away last year. George and I worked together at WFFM FM 97 in the early 80's. He worked middays and I worked overnights at the then Light Rock station. He was a good guy with a wonderful sense of humor. And all of us who work, or have worked, in radio know good guys are few and far between. I'm glad to have know George. Ironically, I used to live right near WIXZ's studios in McKeesport, PA., but I never listened to them. My brother was the WIXZ fan, I was the KQV fan. Again, thanks to Bob Nelson for his great memory and nice note. Tom Lacko la...@enh.nist.gov

[jrb...@vms.cis.pitt.edu]

>> Al Julius (KQV) Former KQV News Director, later a commentator on
>> KDKA-TV.

He's no longer at KDKA-TV (his contract was not renewed.)

>> Jim Quinn (KQV) Night jock who later became morning man at B-94
>> FM.

Now does the morning show at WRRK (Magic 97 in Braddock) solo in a sort
of cross between Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern style.

Jeff Balaz, jrb...@vms.cis.pitt.edu