"Thanks
for involving me in your fantastic homage to KQV, where I spent many exciting
years, actually the spring of 1960 up to Labor Day 1974. I still run into
people who were listeners in those years, who can remember the DJ's and
contests and promos and jingles, but until now, no one has paid homage
to KQV the way you have. I'm really amazed and glad to share some of my
memorabilia and memories of the fantastic people whom it was my privilege
to work with in those golden years. Many are now gone, but I still hear
occasionally from folks who were here with me when KQV enjoyed national
recognition, and our contests and promotions drove the competition wild.
We could check hotel registrations and find people from many national markets
who had come to Pittsburgh to monitor and record KQV programming."... John
Gibbs, Feb 3, 1997
"When
this website first began, John Gibbs was kind enough to allow me access
to the scrapbook that was given to him when he left KQV in 1974. Here are
some of the comments John made to me. ... Jeff"
"The
first manager under ABC ownership was an ex-Marine from Indianapolis, Ralph
W. Beaudin. He took a sleepy 1940's style radio station, and turned it
into an exciting experience, with great news coverage, contests and promotions,
and Top Forty play list, and --- DJ's who had as much fun as the listeners
did. Ralph's PD was an on-air morning guy, "Chuckie from Kentucky", who
trained the other jocks into what emerged as the KQV format. Chuck Daugherty
was one of the most exciting wake-up entertainer Pittsburgh radio had ever
heard. He was great. Chuckie had another out-of-towner in Sam Holman, who
was the ultimate cool guy and production genius. Other names recalled were
Henry DaBecco and his WELL, HEL-LO THERE ! ; Jim Quinn, the wild man from
7 - 12 midnight. Remember a certain football game when Jim had promised
that if Mt. Lebanon won, he'd sleep under the goal post, and he did.
Chuck
Brinkman interviewed the Beatles, via tape-recording, just as Beatles management
insisted, but as John Rook told you, the tape delay was less than 30 seconds,
giving KQV a tremendous triumph over the competition, and got KQV written
up nationally.
KQV
had some great newsmen too. Alan Boal (now WTAE Radio) (now
since retired); Bob Kopler (now on KDKA);
Ken Hildebrand (deceased), Bob McKay (ditto); Dave James (now KDKA Radio);
Keeve Berman (later ABC Radio).
Studio
engineers: Bob Henke, Gerry Land, Chief Engineer Fred Zellner, who later
moved on to Chicago and WLS. Dave Teepee (et.) George Kelp (followed Zellner).
When
Itsby
Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini was #1, KQV had two contests.
The first, awarded prize to first person who found TOPLESS MISS KQV. IT'S
SO HOT SHE HAD TO TAKE OFF HER TOP. WE'LL TELL YOU
WHERE YOU
CAN FIND HER --- SHE'S T-O-P-L-E-S-S !!! The Jock would read approximate
location of MISS KQV, and of course, our topless miss was located,
walking hand-in-hand with her Mother, wearing only the bottom part of her
bikini. She was six.
The
sales promo had a curvy gal in bikini, visiting agencies wearing a raincoat,
accompanied by the KQV salesman, and when she met the account exec, she's
whip off the raincoat, and hand the stunned exec a handful of sales info.
A
great image promotion during polio season early '60's was when KQV located
a supply of Sabin vaccine, and offered free shots to all who came to on-street
clinic, just outside KQV studio. The competition was 100% sure KQV couldn't
deliver, and talked about KQV's promotion. GREAT GREAT GREAT. What the
didn't know was that even though no one could get Salk's vaccine, KQV located
Sabin and got guaranteed supply, and dispensed absolutely free, thousands
of Sabin vaccine shots, administered by volunteer RN's and doctors.
The
missing 'K'. Late at night, we removed the K from both sides of the corner,
then went on the air announcing that someone had stolen the 'K' from our
call letter, and that until the missing 'K' was found, we'd only announce
_Q-V. Then we gave out clues to where the missing 'K' was. It ran for weeks,
hammering missing 'K'. People called indignantly to lambaste the miserable
someone who stole the 'K'. Finally, the missing 'K' clue led person to
identify where the 'K' was, and won the money. It was fun, and didn't create
havoc from listeners tearing up gardens or violating property.
Fun
lovin' KQV ? You betcha. Groovy Q V ? Oh yeah !
A
promotion that ran sour. There'd been a drought in Pittsburgh over July/August,
so to make it rain, KQV hired an Indian rain dancer to do his thing just
outside the south end of the Fort Pitt tunnel. Naturally, every idiot leaving
the tunnel in his or her car, gawked at the rain dancer. Traffic was backed
up for miles. When arrested, the rain dancer told the gendarmes who
had hired him. When the police called the station, the terrified program
manager had fits, sure he was headed for the pokey. It was irresponsible,
no question about it. Dumb dumb dumb, even before Jim Carrey. We were lucky
not to go to jail, and also that the event didn't result in bad national
publicity.
When
KQV sponsored the first HAIR performance, some right-wing kooks vowed to
boycott all KQV sponsors. There was one particularly venomous woman who
actually wrote every single commercial advertiser that there would be a
drop-off of customers. Several agencies were also threatened. The station
did lose several advertisers, but sponsored the premiere performance of
HAIR in Pittsburgh. Again, the station generated great national coverage
for resisting Christian Coalition type pressure.
Sales
personnel remembered: E.A.W. Smith (Ted) joined KQV from rep Robert Eastman,
Detroit office later was manager of LBJ Stations. Jeff Woodruff was Research
Director, later transferred to WLS. John Tenaglia followed Ted Smith as
Sales Manager, later owned several radio stations." |
