I don't mean the Russian KGB ( Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti ) I am referring to
101.5 KGB-FM in San Diego. From the beginning of time, one of the virtues of radio is that the talent is faceless and sometimes even nameless. Talent in radio is a disembodied voice which through personality and character a person can build a relationship and even loyalty with their listeners. When images of a DJ are cynically used as marketing eye-candy, that power is undermined.
The Internet has exacerbated the problem with live studio cams, pin-up calendars, and hot top 50-lists. But exploiting female air-staff for marketing is not new. There are numerous history examples; Anita Gevinson just was one among many. Sam Phillips did not want to start an all-women radio station to support the
ERA.
It happens in other industries and there are reams of serious literature on this topic. But in Radio in particular it seems to be an artifact, not a product of the industry.
What got me on this topic was the recent
passing of Sue Delany-Leighton. It's sad because as recently as 2010 the San Diego Troubadour magazine referred to her as "the
other blonde bombshell." The original blonde bombshell in their view was
Susan Hemphill, another
KGB-FM staffer. It was probably the only print media attention either had gotten in years. Delany only managed more print coverage by dying. In her obituary, NBC San Diego called her voice "sultry." Yes, in her obit. The really sad thing is that Delany was a serious DJ, who was in California broadcasting for decades. Still, R&R spelled her surname wrong almost every time.
After graduating from San Diego State University, Delany went into radio. She started doing a night-shift on
KKDJ in Frenso in December of 1979 when the station first flipped to AOR. Previously it had been
KARL, a MOR station going back to 1965. In 1980 she moved on and took the
7:00 PM to 12:00 Midnight shift at
KBOS, in Tulare, CA. She left the station in 1981 for a better shift at XETRA "91X."
In 1982 she started hosting the
KGB morning show
and Jeff Prescott. This was the show that everyone remembers. There in 1989, Delany was called the “high priestess of afternoon-drive radio..." by the San Diego Tribune. She remained at the station until 1992.
Michael Berger took over her morning show seat in 1986 and in 1990 he and Prescott moved the show to 91X to compete with
KGB. The new
KGB morning show was Dawn Patrol, lasted two years and then it moved to
105.3 KCBQ. There was a purge going on and that same year Delany fled California moved to Tampa, FL to host an afternoon show on
WYNF. Che came back to California in the late 1990s and got a slot at
KCLX where she worked a 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM shift on weeknights. Somewhere in there she was also at
KUPR. Her last known radio gig was at
107.1 KLYY before it flipped to
KSSE Spanish Contemporary Hits in 1999. She is survived by her husband Doug Leighton and her brother Chris. More
here.
Posts
Thank you for that detailed, considerate and accurate article. I am only sorry zI did not see it until now. Sue Loved her "work" and loved her many fans. I was always amazed when I would go visit Sue in San Diego and witnessed just how many people recognized her and treated her with such happiness. They treated her like an old friend that they had not seen for years. No matter what plans we had, Sue always made time to thank them and reciprocated their importance.
ReplyDeleteIt was a unexpected but proud moment to realize your one and only little sister, had " made good." :) I came across this article because 2nite at work, a fellow employee started telling me, in excited tones, that he used to listen to Sue when he was a young man living in San Diego. He brought up a U-Tube video of Sue doing a VJ clip from back in the day, confirming that this was, in fact, my sister. While this moment reopened my wound, it also made me feel happy to see that Sue is still remembered by some. As much as I miss Sue, I trust that I will see her again one day. Thank you again for your kind words about Sue, it means a lot !