Charlie Tuna, KHJ Los Angeles Feb 23, 1969 (1:25:49)

… You can’t beat love and marriage – as long as it’s with the same person …
Description by Uncle Ricky (3-25-2001)

I was excited to find this rare aircheck in a box with other surprises from Don Kent. It’s 85 minutes of KHJ and Charlie Tuna, beginning right after The History of Rock and Roll, at 5pm Sunday, February 23, 1969. The History of Rock and Roll, the first ever rockumentary, was originally broadcast on KHJ as a 48 hour special beginning on Friday, February 21, 1969.

What a treat to hear KHJ just minutes after the greatest Top 40 radio special ever conceived! Don recorded it on 1 mil quarter-inch, quarter-track reel tape, at 3.75 inches per second. It included some electrical noise and hetrodyne whistle, most of which was removed for presentation here. The length of this exhibit made additional processing prohibitive, but overall, the fidelity is really very good.
REELRADIO pays music licensing fees to present unedited music online. If you enjoy full-length airchecks like this one, your tax-deductible contribution to our operating fund will help keep this and other “unscoped” exhibits available.

KHJ gave away a tape recording of the entire History “and a tape recorder to play it on”. Promos are heard for that contest, as well as Bill Brown with a complete edition of KHJ news. Tuna is typically tasty, and again, we are dazzled by the elegant simplicity, brilliant balance and professional quality of Boss Radio.

Welcome to the new ReelRadio!

This site is now operated by the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum. 

We want to thank the board of ReelRadio, Inc. for their stewardship since the passing of the founder Richard Irwin in 2018.  It has not been easy and they have maintained the exhibits for future generations to enjoy.

I met Richard Irwin, aka Uncle Ricky, when we were freshmen at East Carolina University.  We both had worked at local stations in our hometowns.  No one was more passionate about radio, especially Top 40 radio, than my friend Richard. 

Our goals with this site are to preserve the exhibits and make them available free of charge for people to enjoy.  Over time, we hope to add some airchecks to the site.  This will not happen immediately.  Time and resources will determine the future of new exhibits. 

Many thanks to the web folks at the Beasley Media Group for countless hours of work.  Again thanks to the board members of ReelRadio, Inc. for their faith in us. 

Richard Irwin’s hope was that his site would live on long after his passing. He said, “I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the ‘radio business’. The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here”.

We remember Richard and we thank him. If you enjoy this new site, we would appreciate a contribution. We hope you enjoy the new ReelRadio!

Carl Davis
Trustee
North Carolina Broadcast History Museum