KTOK - What Has Happened to You?

[ctchandler]

Cat,
Sorry for your loss. Didn't he leave KTOK and come back? I also remember that he hosted a Saturday movie on channel ?. I think it was 25.
C. T.

Jackson Kane was my father. Thank you for the nice words. I miss him.

Cat

[Cat]

Cat,/
Sorry for your loss. Didn't he leave KTOK and come back? I also remember that he hosted a Saturday /movie on channel ?. I think it was 25.
C. T.>>>>

Thank you, C.T....Dad was at KTOK for just over 9 yrs. He didn't leave and come back that I recall. It was pretty steady. He was at Channel 34 for the Saturday night movie. We still have them taped (on Betamax of all things!) Thank you again for the nice comments.

[RealJimbo]

It is amazing to me how often KTOK and the old days comes up in conversation. Today one of my colleagues mentioned how much he misses the music format from the past. I miss that and the serials like Chicken Man and the guy who called in from time to time with a Scottish accent. Always a hoot.

[BB37]

I mentioned Jackson Kane and yes, he died several years ago. I didn't know about his problems though. Not doubting, just wasn't aware of them. By the way, does anybody remember the "Tuttle Shuttle" airline?
C. T.

The "Tuttle Shuttle" bit was part of the afternoon show with Ed Sossen and Larry Bledsoe. Larry had an advertising agency for many years, but is now working for a bank. Good guy, and a real hoot to be around.

[BB37]

I remember when Lou Staples committed suicide, because he was late for his co-hosting gig one night with Al Eschbach on the sports show. I don't think many here recall that you could make a case for Eshbach and his 6pm, one-hour sports talk program as the forerunner for contemporary sports talk radio. To my knowledge, no one was doing that. No one believed you could make an ongoing show of nothing but sports, but they were proven wrong. Eschbach was the sports editor at the old Oklahoma Journal then.

Yep. It was a Friday night, he was scheduled to do a remote with Al and was a no-show, and Al was razzing him bigtime in his now-familiar, obnoxious style. They found his body the next morning in a field off of NW 122nd about a mile west of Surrey Hills. IIRC, it was reported he'd just split up with his girlfriend, and police thought that prompted the suicide. Don't remember if a note was found.

He really did pioneer sports talk radio; I think he'd be shocked at how big it's gotten.

[Bobdavid]

Dad was at KTOK for just over 9 yrs. He didn't leave and come back that I recall. It was pretty steady. He was at Channel 34 for the Saturday night movie. We still have them taped (on Betamax of all things!) Thank you again for the nice comments.

Very interesting thread that brings back memories and prompts my first post on this board.

Jackson Kane hired me as a reporter-anchor in 1981. I had heard of Jackson from Denver and St. Louis and from the industry in general, but I wasn't familiar with KTOK. The fact that Jackson Kane was News Director immediate established KTOK's credibility in my mind as a good radio station and as good an employer as a radio station might be. (Radio stations are notoriously nasty employers.) For those reasons I accepted Jackson's job offer without hesitation.

It turned out Jackson and I had mutual interests and mutual acquaintances. We hit it off immediately. We became close friends and remained friends until his death in 2004.

It's sad to read about KTOK's deterioration, especially considering that many of us worked hard to develop the news department. It's not surprising, though, considering radio's deterioration in general over the years and especially during the Great Recession.

Best wishes to all

[Bobdavid]

[Gary England] was followed by Gene Collett (sp), and then Rick Tasetano, and I think he was there until they started all this teaming nonsense.

Ken Gaines was the GM of KTOK during its heyday, during which time I think it had gained national recognition as one of the top talk stations in the country. John Dayle and his psycho delusions and paranoid theories about how we never went to the moon were worth listening to if only for the humor. I used to call into Bob Durgin's show when he'd play Hangman, and he was actually very nice to me as a kid caller (well, older kid, and I knew how to handle myself on the phone better than most my age)....

***

I remember when Lou Staples committed suicide, because he was late for his co-hosting gig one night with Al Eschbach on the sports show....

***

I had met Ed Sossen personally at a KTOK remote during OU-Texas weekend (that was obviously back when KTOK was the flagship station for OU football)....

***

I remember BJ Wexler (who still does the movies on OETA if I'm not mistaken) and his daily "Telephone Poll" at 12:30, and Bob Riggins was a fixture there FOREVER.

KTOK also ran two treasure contests - a $10,000 diamond hunt, and a similar $5,000 cash contest, by hiding something at a secret location, then releasing clues as to its location....

***

I believe Ken Gaines is now in Colorado, and I don't know why he left KTOK, but clearly he was the driving force behind it during those times.

I never knew Lou Staples, but heard of him. Except for Gary England, I knew and worked with all the other people you mentioned. Rick Tasetano was a helluva nice guy. I remember the diamond hunt and cash contest.

Clear Channel purchased KTOK-KZUE circa 1984. Mr. Gaines was ousted during the CCC takeover. John Butler replaced him. Mr. Gaines went to KVOR-KSPZ in Colorado Springs. I don't recall how long he was there.

Yes, KTOK was a great radio station.

[SoonerDave]

Yep. It was a Friday night, he was scheduled to do a remote with Al and was a no-show, and Al was razzing him bigtime in his now-familiar, obnoxious style. They found his body the next morning in a field off of NW 122nd about a mile west of Surrey Hills. IIRC, it was reported he'd just split up with his girlfriend, and police thought that prompted the suicide. Don't remember if a note was found.

He really did pioneer sports talk radio; I think he'd be shocked at how big it's gotten.

I have no earthly idea why I remember this particular detail, but I do remember it quite vividly - they reportedly did find a suicide note, and supposedly all it said was, "I'm bored. Bye, guys." I remember thinking how odd it was that they would read something like that on the radio, but things were so much different then than now...

I think a lot of people would be (and are) shocked at how big it has become. At the risk of sounding too psychoanalytical, I think sports talk has become this monster as a sort of societal catharsis for all the other stresses going on. I mean, gee whiz, we all know its just sports, it really isn't that important, but people vent their frustrations on it rather than all the other issues they have to face. Anyway, moving on...

I actually emailed Bob Durgin up at a Pennsylvania radio station a few years back about his KTOK days, and he was very gracious. Really miss those great days of KTOK. Was truly an out-of-the-box station for its time, probably never to be seen again.

[jstaylor62]

If you guys like talk radio listen to KGOU, 105.7 in OKC or 106.3 in Norman. They genuinely cover all sides and there is no yelling, screaming or spitting on the mike. Just civil and professional. I couldn't live without it.

My last breath...on the next Diane Rehm Show...

[RadicalModerate]

So . . . Was it KTOK . . ?
Or was it a host of other so-called "local" Media Offenders (ClearChannel/Citidel/Etc.) who didn't appreciate "Mark Shannon" . . . ?

Probably it was KTOK.
(But not The Original KTOK)

Sure glad we can get Sirius about all this . . .
(yeah . . . right.)

[rcjunkie]

Was KTOK the station that was once located on Main Street just E. of Penn ?

[SoonerDave]

Was KTOK the station that was once located on Main Street just E. of Penn ?

Believe so - in a small gray building on the south side of the street.

[Jim Kyle]

Was KTOK the station that was once located on Main Street just E. of Penn ?

Yes, it was. My wife grew up living in a duplex across the street from the station, and became acquainted with most of the staff there during the first half of the 50s. Quite a few of them moved to KWTV when it went on the air.

It was still there in the mid-60s. I remember listening to it for weather information one day when a tornado came right through the downtown area (but it had lifted and did no major damage downtown) after touching down in Capitol Hill, and hearing the announcer describe the funnel dancing across the river to the south of the station.

[SoonerDave]

Yes, it was. My wife grew up living in a duplex across the street from the station, and became acquainted with most of the staff there during the first half of the 50s. Quite a few of them moved to KWTV when it went on the air.

That tradition continued when Gary England got his start on KTOK with his "Thunder Lizard" and moved it all to KWTV back in the very early 70's. He used to have a green, stuffed lizard toy stuck on his weatherboard (back when they had rotating boards for maps and drew on them with chalk, and hand-lettered the forecasts).

[rcjunkie]

Yes, it was. My wife grew up living in a duplex across the street from the station, and became acquainted with most of the staff there during the first half of the 50s. Quite a few of them moved to KWTV when it went on the air.

It was still there in the mid-60s. I remember listening to it for weather information one day when a tornado came right through the downtown area (but it had lifted and did no major damage downtown) after touching down in Capitol Hill, and hearing the announcer describe the funnel dancing across the river to the south of the station.

I lived in the area until 1968 when we moved to Tuttle. I remember the station, Yellow Cab Company to the East, Chapman's Groceries on NW 3rd, Chief's Meat Market also on 3rd.

Sorry to ramble, it's just that thinking about the old KTOK Station reminded me of a great period of my youth.

[MikeOKC]

KTOK/KZUE moved from that old (and cramped) Main Street location to 50 Penn Place in 1978.

[metro]

Eggman is terrible. He obviously does no research, does a few comedic spots, and then takes callers and compliments them on their views. Terrible radio.

Totally agree.

[RealJimbo]

New gripe: Mike Sanders has a phlegm-in-the-throat voice that I find obnoxious. Not to mention his foolish comments, sometimes thinly-veiled racism and off-the-map right-wing views. Egg Man is so bad I have to turn to Neal Boortz on 1520 during the drive home time. He's way more entertaining and sometimes educational.

[RealJimbo]

BTW- I consider myself very conservative, but I'm not a bigot. I take the view that true conservatives can't be bigots.

[cat62]

Bob! Dad so admired you! You were a true friend. I have many happy memories of you at the house for dinners, and some very funny stories! I know you and Mom stay in contact via email. I hopeyou are doing well.
Cathy (Cat)

[Bobdavid]

Bob! Dad so admired you! You were a true friend. I have many happy memories of you at the house for dinners, and some very funny stories! I know you and Mom stay in contact via email. I hope you are doing well.
Cathy (Cat)

I'm doing well, thanks. I have many great memories of those times.

I heard recently that in March KTOK dispatched Jerry Bohnen after thirty-three years with the station, and in similar fashion as it did with your dad. Words cannot describe the disgust I have for the Cheap Channel animals who run KTOK. I posted comments regarding Jerry's termination on this thread.

PM me if you have the chance.

[Bobdavid]

I think one of my favorites was Jackson Kane. He always wrote an excellent comment. And his presentation/voice were a perfect match. I believe he won a couple of national radio awards.

(emphasis mine)

You are correct. Jax won at least one International Radio Festival award for his commentary, "Kane's World."

Jackson had a wealth of radio experience, in several top markets including but not limited to New York (which, IMO, is the pinnacle of radio markets), Denver, St. Louis, Louisville, Miami and Buffalo. He brought major market experience to an already top-rated radio news station. To use your words, it was a perfect match. I, for one, learned much from having Jackson as news director.

[Bobdavid]

I have a recollection that [Jackson] Kane got in some hot water during his stint at KTOK over some inflammatory remarks he made about Jews....

That's doubtful. I worked closely with Jackson for the nearly seven and a half years I reported and anchored news for KTOK. Take it from someone who knows, he harbored no ill will toward Jewish people; if anything, Jackson was solicitous of Jewish people. He numbered Jewish people among his close friends. He was never in trouble of any kind during my time with KTOK.

[Bobdavid]

I remember KTOK being locally produced almost 24/7 with hardly any syndicated programming at all.

We ran Larry King overnight when he was still doing his talk show for Mutual. I believe the station (already owned by Cheap Channel Commuications) dumped Carlton Cordell in favor of King - because, of course, it was cheaper than paying a live-local air personality. It brought in someone to run the control board while King was on. I worked the overnight news shift and was also handed board duty for King for part of the night - not easy when having to stop everything to run a spot while in the midst of generating news.

[ctchandler]

I just noticed in the obituaries that Chuck Pendergast has died in Gainsville Texas. He is one of the KTOK experts that took calls about automobiles. He also started the Automotive Program at South OKCJC. He helped me several times when I had a car problem and not a lot of money.
C. T.