| "I am a born & raised
Pittsburgher, now living in Florida. I was in a nostalgia mood the other
night and I found a couple of references to your KQV website. I, too, remember
the corner of "Walk and Don't Walk" downtown. I remember Dave Scott,
Chuck Brinkman - and remember Larry Aiken, too? How about Jolly
Jim McLaughlin?"
... Sandy Walters (2/04/05) "Wow! What a site! Brings back a ton of memories! I grew up outside of Pittsburgh and had the radio on all the time. KDKA, WTAE, KQV, 13Q, then FM’s. There was definitely a progression for me. KQV was great. When I went to college the first thing I did was get involved with the college radio station. Eventually it led to a short stint in commercial radio after I graduated. Since then, I’ve been working in video production. I know that my career path was directly related to listening to all the great jocks as a kid. I especially like the airchex and jingles. Stuff I never thought I would remember came flooding back when I played those. ... Thomas Frantz (12/21/04) " I've gone back into ownership. My company, has invested in three radio stations in Alabama. I'm doing spots via the internet for the stations, but other than that, I just collect the interest on the notes for the three stations while retired. I'll be working part time at an am and fm Christian station in Jacksonville Florida when we move there in March of 2005. Life is Good!! God has really blessed me and my Family!! Have a merry christmas and a blessed new year." ... Todd Chase (12/06/04) "I would like to use some of your information on KQV for our Class Web Site. Thomas Jefferson Class of 1966. KQV was of course one of the stations we all listened to back then. I am working on a section of our web pages called "What we did back then" Listening to Radio, and hanging out with Rock and Roll was a big part of our lives. I will also include a link to your site of course. You can visit the site and see what I've done so far, but I am still working on the "What we did back then" section. TV, Kennywood, and Radio was a big part and the info you have is fantastic. Our class web pages are www.classof66.com . Thanks for your time ... Fred (Rick) Williams (11/25/04) Nice Job ! http://www.tjclassof66.com/radio/History.html "I lived in Ingomar from 1954 until 1964. I don't remember when I first started listening to KQV, but it quickly became stuck on the dial of the little cream-colored, plastic Westinghouse AM table radio in my room. Today when I hear a song from that era I can still see myself sitting at the desk in my room trying to do homework from Franklin Elementary, Ingomar Junior High, or North Allegheny. I remember Rod Roddy most of all, but that may be because when my amily relocated to Buffalo NY Roddy was on WKBN. Anyway, as I was thinking of the Steelers this morning my mind went to KQV and I decided to look for it on the web. You have a great site. I'll be here often." Please dedicate this next song to Joanne and Marie, NA class of 1967. ... Don Evans (11/16/04) "Thanks for the great site. I grew up in Pittsburgh during the sixties and seventies and remember when they would broadcast from the first floor of a building on Smithfield St. I am currently in radioin Orlando and love the history of radio." ... Kevin (10/25/04) "Any idea where Allen (Dennis) is these days and what he's doing? I was doing some research and came across a Jan. 2003 story from one of the papers saying he was among several veteran staffers blown out in a WSM overhaul." ... John Mehno (8/31/04) WSM let about half the staff go in anticipation of dumping Gaylord's radio properties. Since then I've been doing commercial work. It's hard to find work when the people in charge of hiring want someone that will work for next to nothing. They look at your resume and want nothing to do with somone that, in their minds, may want their job. With so few companies owning so many stations that automate several to all shifts a day it's hard to find work. If only my 7th grade class hadn't taken that field trip to a radio station. ... Allen Dennis (10/08/04) "Hi Jeff. My name is Bill Boyd I am a record collector. As a kid, Jolly Jim and his "All Night Satellite", with "Butch Bow Wow, at your back door and Irving in the barometer shaft", were my heroes, Then I grew up and moved on Hal Murray (the Emperor of KQV in 1964). Then listening to many other great KQV DJ's of the time. God Bless Jay Davis! Though he left us all too soon, He will always be special to me. He made me turn to a fruitless career in broadcasting, only to wind up at WEEP radio, in the early 70's, under the guidance of Larry Ford, 12:00 midnight to 6:00 am.. Then to turn and run the other way and join forces with a bunch of crazies to start up a small recording company (Asterisk Recording) in the outskirts of Pittsburgh. Finally, winding up where I am today, with my own communications company." ... Bill Boyd (9/15/04) "One of my favorite pages on your site is the KQV airchecks page. I enjoy especially hearing the checks from the early years when I was too little to understand what I was listening to. It is really interesting to hear what some of those early jocks sounded like. There are a couple of airchecks I remember from the time I was an avid KQV listener which I did not see on the airchecks page which I was wondering if you have. At Christmastime in 1964, Chuck Brinkman used to have on the hitline every evening a Christmas greeting from the Beatles. I don’t know whether the voices were those of the actual Beatles themselves or whether they were the voices of Beatle impersonators, but Chuck interviewed all four of the Beatles, and the greeting ended with all four of them shouting in unison, “Happy Christmas! Happy Christmas! Happy Christmas!” If you have this, will you please add it to your airchecks page. Although you had several of Hal Murray’s Militia spots on your airchecks page, I noticed you did not have the one I remember. When I first started to listen to Hal Murray in the fall of 1964, the Emperor’s proclaim would begin with a jingle that went, “Here comes the Emperor, the mighty, mighty Emperor. All hail the Emperor. Here he comes.” Then Emperor Murray would announce, “Do hear my proclaim that’’ ” followed by whatever proclamation he made. Then after the proclamation you would hear, “Join now. Become a Lieutenant in Murray’s Militia.” There is a KQV jingle from 1958 I remember that I did not see on your jingle page. All I remember about it is the very last line, “KQV America.” I don’t know if it was Anita Kerr or Pams, but I have not seen it on the jingles page. Thanks for such a wonderful site, Jeff, and I know I will visit often." ... Rick Miller (8/28/04) I wish I had all of the great things like the Beatles greetings and Murray's Militia stuff from that era. Unfortunately they are probably all long lost. If anybody has tape of KQV that is not on the website, Please contribute it so we can add on. I do have other jingles that are not on the website. Perhaps I will add more soon. .. Jeff "Great memories Jeff ,thank you" ... Dee and Greg Kirschner (8/11/04) "There was a picture of "The KQV High Hoopers" basketball team, for which some names to go with the pictures are being sought. I can name at least a couple of them: In the back row, second from the left: Don Carr. He answered the phone in " master control," and was hired, I think, as a "ringer" to play on the team. He was from Munhall, and I was acquainted with Don. He had a pretty good voice, but I can't say that he ever made a career of broadcasting. Standing next to Don Carr, moving to the right: I believe that's Dave Scott. I believe that Larry Aiken was one of the other players, as was Tim Hildelbrand. ... Ken Wells (6/07/04) "Just a note to let you know: Bill Jennings passed away in early 2003 from cancer. After leaving KQV, in 1971, Bill became somewhat disenchanted with broadcasting. In a 'complete change of direction' the twenty-year broadcast veteran, and alum of the Boston Conservancy, chose to become a journeyman carpenter. Residing in Pittsburgh, he continued in that vocation until he retired shortly before his death." ...Ken Wells (6/05/04) "Back in the 1960’s, there was a KQV documentary called “Ride the High Horse,” prepared by Al Julius. Snatches would be played on the half-hour and there would be an hour-long program Sunday nights at 8:00. I’d like to know as much as you can tell me what it was all about. None of my family would listen to it, and whenever I would try to listen to it they made me turn it off. My mother knew I wanted to listen to it because the title sounded as though it was a cowboy story and at that time in my life I loved to read cowboy stories. My mother tried to explain to me that that was not what it was. I was only eleven at that time, and I’m sure my mother knew something I didn’t. But now that I’m older I’m just curious to know what it was all about, and would appreciate you telling me as much as you are able to about it." It was a documentary about drug use... Jeff ... Richard Miller (6/02/04) "I want to say I enjoy your KQV website tremendously, and I return to it often. KQV was a big part of my youth in the '60s, and it's great to see so much of it preserved. You've done an incredible job." ... Ed Niederberger (3/22/04) "Here is an update to my bio: After WAKC was sold to PAX-TV in 1996, Billy resigned his position and began his own entertainment media consulting firm, The Billy Soule Company. He worked on many projects for local organizations and businesses and was a special consultant to the City of Akron. In 2003, he coordinated local voter campaign initiatives and was a campaign coordinator during the reelection of Akron's incumbent mayor. In February of 2004, Billy was named Assistant to the Mayor for Community Relations. Billy and his wife Brenda reside in Akron, Ohio. They are the parents of three grown children and are proud grandparents of seven. P.S. A KQV era photo is attached." ... Billy Soule (2/16/2004) 
"As Bill Williams I worked at KQV as their fill in news guy. It turned out the program director there at the time, I think his name was Mike McCormick really liked my work. This was in the beginning of 1969. He wanted to put me on full time but the draft took me away before it happened. When I returned from the army, McCormick and everybody else had left. Sad to say after two years of working around Pittsburgh radio I moved to Atlanta in 1974 and met this young businessman named Ted Turner and decided to stick with him." ... Bill Tush (1/06/2004) "Just a note here to tell you that my uncle Oscar Nestor (KQV Career Line) passed away today at 3 P.M. from liver cancer. He was living in Venice, Florida and is survived by his wife and two daughters." ... Art Nestor (12/22/2003) "I finally got around to listening to the Rex Miller aircheck on your site. I obtained a copy of the same tape some years ago from Gary Waight (quite a few years, I guess, since he's been gone about 15 years now). I had the impression it was a composite of two or three different nights, including the last, but no matter. It's still one of the funniest things I've ever heard. I'd heard the story of how he was hired for mornings and ended up on the graveyard shift, but I did not know that he ever went on in morning drive -- I have no memory of hearing him there. Nor did I ever hear the part about his never making it to Charlotte! Definitely one of the oddest situations in KQV history." ... WT Koltek (11/03/2003) "As many of the former disc jockeys of KQV, I truly miss the good 'ol days. I enjoyed my short time on-the-air at one of the greatest radio stations of all-time. I grew up listening to KQV and to be part of the team hosting the last night of music on this legendary radio station was both a scary and a very emotional experience. After all the great years of great music and after all of the great talents who brought that great music to many generations of Pittsburghers, there I was (with my short tenure) along with the late George Hart, broadcasting the last music program and playing the last song ever to be heard on KQV. It was scary and humbling. My experience at KQV prepared me for the next 25 years of my broadcasting career. I still can hear Henry DaBecco asking all of us teens and preteens to write in to become members of the "Coke Hi-Fi Club." I became a member way back then and I am still a member today. Long live KQV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for this opportunity, Jeff." ... Billy Soule (10/07/2003) "Jeff: I forgot to include what I'm doing nowadays. For the last eight years I have been teaching algebra, geometry, trig, and calculus, high-end physics and chemistry here in Houston schools. It turns out I'm rather gud att it. (But I doughn't spel all tht gud.) I'm best in physics because it uses all that other stuff. It's nice of you to include some of us KQV'ers in your chronicles of one of the crown jewels of broadcasting. I hope I've helped. I would like the visitors to your 14 KQV website to know there is life beyond broadcasting if your talents can take you there. ... Most sincerely ... "Big Steve" Rizen (4/30/03) |
