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Greg Barman Travelog: Des Moines IA to South Lake Tahoe CA 1977 (0:22:33)

… More powerful than any other radio station in Wyoming …

This was the first part of my three-part audio travelog created on a trip from Chicago to California and back in 1977.

My criteria for what I selected for all three parts of this composite was totally subjective: whatever caught my interest, either for being very good, very bad, or somehow representative of what passed thru the radio speaker on my trip.

The entire three parts are a BIG snapshot of mid-1977 radio.

The major markets demonstrated how AM top 40 was starting to feel the effects of the overall change in music, while FM rockers were starting to rise. Chicken-rockers were still alive on AM, though they were fading.

Medium market stations were taking cues from the major markets with lots of imitation. Small markets were a mix of automated stations, lots of local color, and plenty of beginning announcers.

Spencer Davis, KIOA Des Moines
Carol, KMGK Des Moines
Jefferson Stone, KGGO
KC14, KRNQ (Q-102)
KBEQ Kansas City
KY102 Kansas City
WHB Kansas City
Johnny Dolan
Art Hadley, KCMO Kansas City
KEWI Topeka KS,
KCJK-FM Junction City, Kansas
99KG KSKG Salina, KS
KSAL Salina, KS, KWHK
KRSL, KUPK
Van Winkles, KDZA, Pueblo
KIIQ, Don McCall KYSN
Robert E. Lee, Larry Taylor, KIMN Denver
KBPI, 96KX KXKX Denver CO
KHOW, Steve Campbell, CC McCartney KTLK Denver CO
KAZY, KADE, KRNW FM STEREO 97, Boulder CO
KTCL Fort Collins
Jerry Gephart, KRAE Cheyenne WY
KOWB Laramie WY, KTWO Casper WY
KDLY, KVOW, KMTN Jackson WY
KID Idaho Falls, KRXN Rexburg
KXRK, KBLI Blackfoot ID, K126
KTEE Idaho Falls, KUPI Peoria
KSEI Pocatella, KEEP Twin Falls, ID
K96, KMTW Twin Falls, ID
Brian Gregory KBOI Boise, ID
KSL Salt Lake City UT
KELK Elko NV
Palmer Stewart, KCBN Reno NV
KRLT South Lake Tahoe

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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