The Alan Kline Collection

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Fred "Mombo" Petrick, Alan Kline, and Max "Dr. Max" Hahn, WMT-TV Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1981. Alan was a college intern when local TV still meant local kids' shows.

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Alan Kline at KCCI-TV, 1998

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Alan Kline and Dan Rather at KCCI-TV on Iowa Caucus Day, 2000.

 

Ted Baxter liked to say, "It all started at a 5000-watt radio station in Fresno, California." Well, for me, it started at a 10-watt radio station in West Des Moines, Iowa. KWDM-FM was owned by a high school that I attended, and I did an air shift there. Of course, being a school station, it wasn't "afternoon drive", it was "seventh period". Listening to the airchecks I still have, it's easy to tell why I pursued a career in the technical aspects of broadcasting...

I've always been a DX'er, of sorts. Growing up in northern Illinois, listening to the great Chicago stations was a bit of a long-distance exercise. The great WLS acapella jingles ring in my mind, as do memories of listening with my friends. On my own, I'd also spend time with WGN, and the late Bob Collins, and the Cubs.

Since college, I've been a TV guy, working 15 years in the San Francisco area in operations for a couple of stations, and since 1998 in the engineering department of KCCI-TV, Des Moines, spending most of my time in master control and as a technical director. I still DX, and one of these days will restore my grandfather's old shortwave set.

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Before The Big 610 and The Real Don Steele, there was Don Lee. This is a QSL card from KFRC, with an EKKO verified reception stamp, circa 1928. (Click to Enlarge)

I've rather recently become a jingle collector, thanks to KCCI's chief operator, Bob Ogburn. With the patient tolerance of my wife Sharon, I've also started collecting broadcast memorabilia, both programming and technical.

Special thanks to my friend and fellow Iowa Hawkeye fan, Scott Werling, who provided me with copies of jingle contributions here, as well as doing the tape-to-digital conversions.

 

The Repository thanks Alan Kline for sharing!
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Don Sherwood, Jack Carney, KSFO Bloopers (0:07:21)

… we’ve used a horn to cover all the shame-shame words …
[Description by contributor Alan Kline] These are Don Sherwood and Jack Carney commercial bloopers, from the flip side of a promotional record issued by the station, probably in the late ’60s. The record also featured many of KSFO’s classic jingles. Here, Sherwood and Carney try to record some “man on the street” station promos, with mixed results
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Carl Greyson, Bob Collins, WGN Chicago Summer 1982 (0:08:36)

… Push ’em back, Push ’em back, Waaaay back …
[Description by contributor Alan Kline] Bob Collins had been a Top 40 DJ for a number of years, particularly in Milwaukee, before moving to WGN in 1974. There, his personality and humor took center stage, and there were many days when he’d hardly play any music. This was one of those days, and one of my favorite clips. This was a summer-afternoon audience participation bit, based on an old parlor game. Using the story of “High Noon” as its basis, listeners were asked to call in and provide words to fill in certain blanks — “nouns”, “adjectives”, “adverbs”, and so on — without knowing where the words would be used. The completed story, heard here, was read by WGN announcer Carl Greyson, with Robert L. and sidekick Jim Loughman providing sound effects. Also heard are drop-ins from Cubs announcer Harry Caray, meteorologist Roger Triemstra, and WGN-TV anchor Denise Cannon. It’s a marvel of great timing and execution by the board engineer as well. Uncle Bobby probably wouldn’t have gotten along very well with Bill Drake. Collins never had much time for formatics, as you can tell by the hourly time-signal interrupting the bit — which then continued for another three minutes before the 5 PM newscast. Bob Collins died, far too young, in a February 2000 aircraft accident. Uncle Bobby owned morning-drive in the nation’s third market, and did it without shock, without pandering, or any of that garbage. The industry, his friends, and his fans, all miss him deeply.
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Don Sherwood, Winnie The Pooh, KSFO 1983 (0:29:18)

… Hi kids, this is your Uncle Don Sherwood, with Winnie The Pooh …
[Description by contributor Alan Kline] This was the very last broadcast of the “classic” KSFO, from 11:30pm to midnight on December 12, 1983. Don Sherwood, the legendary morning man, had just passed away a few weeks prior to the station’s sale. Here, Don reads the first three chapters of “Winnie the Pooh”, adding a few of his own touches. I have no idea when this was originally broadcast, but I’d guess mid-1960’s. The segment ends with chapter 3, followed by KSFO’s Jerry Gordon making a few final comments just before midnight. Then, “Taps”, one last play of “The Sounds of the City”, and the automatic time tone that ended it all.
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PAMS WFIL Philadelphia Story Demo 1972 (0:07:07)

… The PAMS imagineers added that exclusive PAMS recording touch …
[Description by contributor Alan Kline] A dramatic narration is the highlight of this demo, which also includes clips from WFIL jocks Dan Donovan and George (“Sports Machine”) Michael, and the classic PAMS copyright jingle. [REELRADIO presented a reference copy of the “Philadelphia Story” jingles on July 20, 2003.]

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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