Paul Harvey: The Last DJ

Paul Harvey died Saturday at the age of 90 at a hospital near his winter home in Phoenix. In the year 2000 ABC renewed his program for another 10 years; a vote of confidence at the end of a radio that lasted over 70 years. He was the last DJ in America older than radio itself. He was born in 1918, three years before the first commercial radio license.

His program "News & Comment" began on ABC in 1951, his other "The Rest of the Story" began in 1976. He began at KVOO a radio station in his home town of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He briefly worked at KSAL in Salina, KS, KOMA in Oklahoma City, KFBI in Abilene, Kansas and KXOK in St. Louis. In 1941, He became program director for WKZO in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

But a year later he moved to Chicago for a gig at WENR Chicago. It was there that his 10 p.m. newscast became the top-rated program and his real career began. It is rumored that Paul Harvey Jr. may take over the program.

Charlie Tuna

Not the Starkist mackerel on the can of Tunafish. I mean Charlie Tuna L.A. radio personality at KRTH. Art Ferguson first became Charlie Tuna at KOMA in Oklahoma City. The nickname was a hand-me-down from DJ Chuck Riley who moved on to other pseudonyms.

I only first heard of the big Tune last fall. KBIG added a slightly deeper playlist to their Hot AC format. They didn't want to go all the way to adult hits, but they wanted to tweak thigns a bit. They tweaked Charlie righ tout the back door. They cut all their DJs and went all automated. Somhow "MY fm” didn't involve any me in my. But Clear Channel didnt' can Charlie, immediately. Thus ended a 7 year reign at K-BIG.

What I didn't know was that Charlie was also on 930 KHJ-AM back when it was "The Boss." That original team at The Boss still hads a lock on Los Angeles, they are the kings of the airwaves.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored Charlie with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990. he was the first of the KHJ staff to get one. In 2008 he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

It was in 1967 that Charlie scored a slot at KHJ. He debuted on Thanksgiving Day. He never really left LA after that. He had a non-compete that sent him to san Diego KCBQ for 6 months. But, in 1972, he moved over to 1500 KROQ-AM back in LA. It was attempting a wild top-40 format we'd think of as Classic Rock now. But the station had a rocky start, had trouble paying the DJS, the station even went off air at one point. In 1976, the FCC told it's owner Gary Bookasta KROQ would lose its license if they didn't resume broadcasting. KROQ went back on-air. It was much too unstable for Tuna. He bolted and got a gig at KKDJ in 1974. He eventually became management.

In addition to the above he's worked at KGFW, KLEO, KBZT, WMEX, KTNQ, KCBS, KHTZ KRLA, KODJ, KMPC, KIKF, KKDJ, KIIS-AM & FM, KCBQ, and KLAC. I don't think that's every stick in the city.. but it might be a record.