The Keith Smith Collection
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Keith Smith, Production Director at KRTH-FM, Los Angeles, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area listening to Dr. Don Rose, Big Tom Parker, Rick Shaw and Bobby Ocean, among others, on the "Big 610" (KFRC). When he decided to pursue a career in radio, that era and those great broadcasters became his standard of measurement.
His first REAL job in radio was at K-101 in San Francisco, where he worked with Chuck Browning. Keith says, "I didn't know at the time that he was a radio legend, but after many nights hanging out at a local watering hole, I realized that he had been at some great radio stations and that he had done some great radio." Later, he worked with Mike Phillips (currently Program Director at KRTH), and Big Tom Parker and was able to meet some of the guys he had listened to as a kid, like Dave Sholin and others. In 1986, he joined KMEL in San Francisco, where he worked with Steve Rivers, John London, Keith Naftaly, Howard Hoffman and others who he says "left indelible imprints" on his broadcasting career. In 1991, Keith moved to Los Angeles, and in 1992, he had the chance to work with Robert W. Morgan and The Real Don Steele. Keith says, "As I began to work with them I realized that these guys were pros, and all they wanted to do was be great on the air - and they were. I remember walking in the studio day after day in the afternoon, and Don saying 'Hey Keith, I love ya baby!!'. I also remember having to go into Robert W. Morgan's office to tell him not to throw and break commercial carts when he got mad. He could have chewed my head off, but he just said, "O.K." I respected them, and they respected me. It wasn't until later that I realized how great these guys really were. Working with them has changed my professional life." The Repository thanks Keith for sharing! |
Description by Uncle Ricky
KRTH Los Angeles Production Manager Keith Smith contributed these first-class composites of the stuff he does every day in September of 1999. We’re adding this to his collection in August of 2000.
These powerful 18 minutes of fabulous audio production came to us on DAT, and it needed only some peak limiting for final encoding. It’s pumped with tweets and woofs! If you have one of those 11Kbs AOL or 16Kbps Web-TV connections, or basically, any dial-up connection under an actual 50Kbps (most “56K” connections offer far less than 56Kbs) it’s *still* great listening  but it won’t be hi-fi. The Mono versions are strongly recommended for dial-up users. If you can hear the mono version at top speed (32.1Kbps), sure, try the stereo. (And we hope you won’t be disappointed.)
The stereo versions are recommended if you have a genuine “broadband” connection (ISDN, DSL, Cable or LAN, over 100Kbs). The stereo version of these demos is stunning and you *will* wake the kids! (Phoning the neighbors is optional.)
Description by Uncle Ricky
KRTH Los Angeles Production Manager Keith Smith contributed these first-class composites of the stuff he does every day in September of 1999. We’re adding this to his collection in August of 2000.
These powerful 18 minutes of fabulous audio production came to us on DAT, and it needed only some peak limiting for final encoding. It’s pumped with tweets and woofs! If you have one of those 11Kbs AOL or 16Kbps Web-TV connections, or basically, any dial-up connection under an actual 50Kbps (most “56K” connections offer far less than 56Kbs) it’s *still* great listening  but it won’t be hi-fi. The Mono versions are strongly recommended for dial-up users. If you can hear the mono version at top speed (32.1Kbps), sure, try the stereo. (And we hope you won’t be disappointed.)
The stereo versions are recommended if you have a genuine “broadband” connection (ISDN, DSL, Cable or LAN, over 100Kbs). The stereo version of these demos is stunning and you *will* wake the kids! (Phoning the neighbors is optional.)
This tape was found in the personal aircheck archive of The Real Don Steele.
Good stuff from KHJ, circa 1972.
Featured:
- Robert W. Morgan (the top)
- Charlie Van Dyke (6:54)
- Mark Elliot (10:50)
- The Real Don Steele (14:20)
- Jerry Butler (17:52)
- Walt Baby Love (20:38)
- Johnny Williams (23:52)
Here’s a little bit of Big Tom Parker (doing holiday fill-in for Dr. Don Rose) on KFRC.
Here is a composite of Charlie Van Dyke, on KRTH, August 31, 1998, his first day as our long-awaited regular morning show host. We are all very excited to have Charlie at KEARTH.
The Friday before Charlie went on, we had a planning meeting for Monday’s show. Charlie was well-prepared, and all of his ideas were right in-line with the KEARTH audience and the rest of the KEARTH programming.
I came out of that meeting amazed at the vision and enthusiam of our new morning man.
I had grown up listening to Dr. Don Rose on the BIG 610. He was the first disc jockey that I can actually remember listening to.
On June 8, 1984 (the day of his 2500th show), I was walking to work through the financial district of San Francisco and I recall the mega deja-vu that I experienced as he talked about all his old “schtick.” I also remember being in awe of all the work that he put into this show.
This is Doctor Don at his best!
Dr. Don Rose (Donald Rosenberg) passed away of complications from pneumonia on March 29, 2005.
Included: Larry Lujack with best wishes from WLS in Chicago.