The Mike Miles Collection
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It was in the early 50s when Mike Miles (left) asked Santa (right) for his first set of walkie talkies. Mike writes, "That was back when communication between people was of the wired variety with bulky black phones. I remember that Christmas, listening to "other" people on the same frequency. Little did I know that I was infected with radio fever from that point on." |
Mike Miles writes:
"By middle school I'd built my first AM transmitter using a pair of tubes. It was exciting just to think that someone might be listening to me and the songs I would play from my 3 1/2" reel to reel tape player. I'd beg my sisters to change the tapes as I rode by bike around the block testing the reception. The excitement of hearing my "radio station" was incredible—knowing that the radio waves were traveling magically through the streets of Salt Lake City.
One day I found an inexpensive wireless FM mic that I figured I'd mess around with and try to improve the transmission range. It occurred to me that I could simply put the entire mic up on a tall pole, running power and audio up to it, and I'd be in business. Now we were talking, my range jumped to blocks. Of course, I never realized the whole thing was illegal.
The time finally came when I left home and ventured out. Junior college in California provided me an opportunity to work at KFJC. Licensed to Foothill Junior College in the bay area, KFJC was the "Dead Head" station. Working midnight to six, I remember the program director telling me to play lots of Grateful Dead music. Spinning the longest cuts I could find, I fell fast asleep. Waking to the skipping of the needle on the last groove, a caller told me that the music playing was cool. Yeah sure!
Time and lack of money brought me back to Utah and school. KUER, the NPR station for the Salt Lake area provided me with an internship while I studied communication at the University of Utah. I worked as an announcer for classical and jazz music and music director. After graduation, I got a job in television production, audio, and finally management for KUED PBS television in Salt Lake City. While traveling for KUED as a location audio engineer, I'd record FM stations wherever we'd travel in the United States.
I never did own my own radio station. Different paths took me in different directions. Still, radio is where my heart is. Just to hear an AM station fading in and out as the ionosphere filters its audio frequencies makes me shiver. I wonder late at night if the DJs feel the same excitement as their voices travel past the cities, sometimes thousands of miles across the land to my radio."
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Mike Miles] This exhibit ‘SCOPED, (8:47)
– The Non-Music Elements only. Same high quality stereo without all that music you’ve heard before.
Oh My. In light of the controversy over Janet Jackson and the 2004 Superbowl, this unscoped aircheck of Leslie Stovall on KMEL in the Electric 80’s is somewhat confusing. You’ll hear Ms. Jackson claim that Nasty, Nasty Boys – don’t mean a thing. But then again, there’s no Justin Timberlake malfunction here.
Those who make a nice living programming an “80’s Format” should get all tingly over this one. It’s mostly music, and that’s why we have provided a scoped version of this aircheck, just for you. By 1986, radio stations were becoming jukeboxes, like just most popular music stations of today. In 1986, there were more commercial sets, but they were shorter. By the way, playing two tunes back to back without any ID (creative, entertaining, or otherwise) is just plain boring. At least this station had some nice jingles.
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Mike Miles]
Jill Angel, 1997This CBS Radio station has reverb, jingles and the 1988 Toughest Cop Alive (female), Jill Angel, with Good Times and Great Oldies, sometime in 1990. Jill also worked with KNX, and joined the California Highway Patrol in 1983.
Like all of Mike Miles’ contributions, this was recorded from a moving vehicle, so there are fuzzy dropouts from time to time. It’s pretty rough up front, but settles down as it goes on. This station played some really old oldies!
With publication of this exhibit in 2017, we know only that Ms. Angel was working in the Health and Safety section of the CHP, in Sacramento in 1997.
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Mike Miles]
Jill Angel, 1997This CBS Radio station has reverb, jingles and the 1988 Toughest Cop Alive (female), Jill Angel, with Good Times and Great Oldies, sometime in 1990. Jill also worked with KNX, and joined the California Highway Patrol in 1983.
Like all of Mike Miles’ contributions, this was recorded from a moving vehicle, so there are fuzzy dropouts from time to time. It’s pretty rough up front, but settles down as it goes on. This station played some really old oldies!
With publication of this exhibit in 2017, we know only that Ms. Angel was working in the Health and Safety section of the CHP, in Sacramento in 1997.
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Mike Miles]
Ron Castro is featured in morning drive on KIOI-FM and KIQI  K101 in San Francisco, on September 7, 1978.
Castro started his radio career in Levittown, PA in 1966. He did mornings at both K101 and KSAN in San Francisco.
As of 2013, he oversees the technical operations of Results Radio, a twelve-station chain in Northern California.
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Mike Miles]
Bobby Ocean’s otherwise perfect and professional performance is sabotaged by a defective tape device in Part Two of this KYUU radio show from July 13, 1984. Bobby takes it all in stride with good humor and a determination to obtain an “official†apology as quickly as possible.
Flash forward 28 years: When the computer stops working, pretty much everything is broken. But that comfortable old-time technology allowed many more things to go wrong. How much do we miss tape carts, really? Nevertheless, this particular incident is terribly amusing, and when Bobby tries again, dead air says quite a bit. Wouldn’t you think NBC would have had better-maintained tapes and machines?
I love the way Bobby turns a technical difficulty into a gag, and an opportunity for fun  Instant Replay and all!
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Mike Miles]
Bobby Ocean’s otherwise perfect and professional performance is sabotaged by a defective tape device in Part Two of this KYUU radio show from July 13, 1984. Bobby takes it all in stride with good humor and a determination to obtain an “official” apology as quickly as possible.
Flash forward 28 years: When the computer stops working, pretty much everything is broken. But that comfortable old-time technology allowed many more things to go wrong. How much do we miss tape carts, really? Nevertheless, this particular incident is terribly amusing, and when Bobby tries again, dead air says quite a bit. Wouldn’t you think NBC would have had better-maintained tapes and machines?
I love the way Bobby turns a technical difficulty into a gag, and an opportunity for fun  Instant Replay and all!