Rev. Jack L. Neville on KVOO

On the inside cover the copyright reads 1934 by Thoro Harris. That name is probably better known than  Rev. Jack L. Neville or W. Fred Henry. But in tiny print at the top it reads "compiled by Thoro Harris" making the connection somewhat more clear.  [SOURCE]  

Harris lived from 1874 to 1955 and has been described as one of the most prolific hymn writers of the early twentieth century. He wrote literally hundreds of hymns. He was born in Washington D.C. and lived most of his adult life in Boston, MA. He was a musician and theologian but not a radioman. His connection to radio was purely through other musicians performing his works, and the one hymnal which gives the impression that he may have had something do to with the publication of a radio hymnal. There may be others, but this is the first I've found.

When Jack L. Neville died in Rancho Cucamonga, CA at the age of 81 in 2005 his obituary said nothing about his time in radio, only that he was a pastor. But we can derive some dates from his birthday. "A Pastor for 50 years, he was born on August 10, 1923 in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was a Rancho Cucamonga resident for the past 11 years. He was a Veteran of the United States Army, serving in World War II."   He would have been 11 years old when that hymnal was published. So though it does not mention it, that hymnal documents a child preacher, something which was a novelty and even somewhat trendy in the 1930s. Today it'd be considered child abuse. 

Neville was later known as the "Flying Parson of the Panhandle Church of the Air" and broadcast many of his revivals on his radio program from Station KGRS. A March 1938 issue of Motion Picture Daily tells us that he  just left a news editor role at KVOO and "opened a series of broadcasts over KSO."  Neville was one of numerous preachers to use the nickname "Flying Parson."

What makes it odd is the connection to 1170 KVOO-AM, which is in Tulsa, OK; 1,500 miles away. KVOO was founded by E. H. Rollestone and first signed on the air on June 23, 1926. (Rollestone also founded KFRU in Bristow.) At the time, it operated at 1,000 watts transmitting from Bristow, OK. Rollestone also founded KFRU in Bristow. KVOO didn't move to Tulsa until 1927 following a partial buy out by William G. Skelly, who later bought the station outright. So as you think of 1934, KVOO was relatively new in town at the time and actually younger than Mr. Neville. 

W. Fred Henry at piano with (L-R) Etta, Virginia and Nevin Henry at KVOO

W. Fred Henry is a whole different character. The date on the image above is unknown, but assumed to be 1930s. The IPFHC has multiple images of him. the earliest is assumed to be from the 1920s here. There is another here with the note "a few months before Nevin was killed. The location given is in Florida. There is another image of him here from 1972. Other images are in Minnesota, Arkansas, Michigan, and Idaho. Only one image, from 1963 is in color. Mr. Henry appears to have been a traveling revivalist. He's often pictures with pianos and accordions and usually also a trombone indicating he's a multi instrumentalist. He appears in short references in a few regional periodicals, most referring to Tulsa or KVOO indicating some longer term connection. There are none mentions or images of him with Jack Neville, which indicate their connection was short-lived.

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.

Gene Autry's radio station

Gene Autry, western star and recording legend was a good capitalist. He didn't just put his money in the bank to gather dust. He bought stuff. Since satellite radio, PCs and ipods had not yet been invented be started companies. He owned Golden West Broadcasting which in turn owned KMPC-AM, KOOI-AM, KOWL-AM, KPHO-AM, KOPO-AM, KSFO-AM, KTLA-TV and the California Angels baseball team. Let's focus on KMPC since I care less about baseball than TV.

Today KMPC-1540 is known in LA as 1540 The Ticket. It's owned and operated by the radio division of the Sporting News magazine under the company Rose City Radio. They compete directly with KSPN-AM, (ESPN outlet obviously) How the station got from the bedazzled hangs of Mr. Autry to a sporting magazine is kind of interesting. Go here, click the pic.

Let's move backwards. In September of last year KMPC's parent company was sold to American City Business Journals (ACBJ) with a block of other stations. ACBJ bought Sporting News at the same time. They used the brand to develop what they thought would be a competitor to the dominant ESPN brand. Before that it was on 710, and that was the stick that Gene owned. The irony is that today 710 is KSPN-AM, that aforementioned ESPN competitor.

The station first went on air in 1927 with the call letters KRLO and the frequency of 1170. it was started by a real Estate Developer and a Stock Broker. A year later the money men bailed, selling the station to engineer Ernest J. Krause who renames the station for himself with the calls KEJK. He offloads the hot potato the same year to R.S. MacMillan Petroleum Company. they start a dayshare with KFSG the station airing insane drug-addled mumbling from Aimee McPherson. In 1929 the gasman moves the stick to 710 to get away from Aimees death cult. http://www.710kmpc.com/kmpc61.rm

MacMillan tried to change the KEJK call letters to KMP the same year, but the call were already assigned to the Omaha-based Boeing Air Transportation Co. They retry in 1930 and settle naming it after themselves, MacMillan Petroleum Company. In 1932 they accept an offer from the Beverly Hills Broadcasting Co. It's major stockholders were all stars and starlets, including Bing Crosby, Paul Whiteman, “Amos & Andy” (Freeman Gosden & Charles Corell) and others.

The movie stars ran the station into the ground and by June of 1934, the Beverly Hills Broadcasting Co was in receivership. It was acquired by Pacific Southwest Discount Corporation and in turn purchased by Detroit businessman George Richards for $125,000. Things are profitable and stable until Dick kicks the bucket in 1952. It was only then, that the widowed Mrs. Richard offloads the station and Gene Autry became the principal owner. His real first name is Orvon just so you know. Gene is his middle name.

So what happened between then and the call change in 1998? Orvon died in 1998. his personal office was inside KMPC, it's bigger-than-a-football-field building was his as well. His own radio show had ended it's run in 1956. Gene’s Melody Ranch radio show aired for an unprecedented 16 years. Autry of course first found fame in radio, beginning his career as “Oklahoma’s Yodeling Cowboy” at KVOO in Tulsa, OK. Autry is the only entertainer to have all five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one each for Radio, Recording, Motion Pictures, Television, and Live Theatre/performance. More here.

The First radio of Alabama

In 1922 WSY brought radio to Alabama. It provided a variety of programs, including live music played by employees. (that's exactly as hokey as you think it is) Normally these early licensed stations are founded by newspapers, hotels and retail stores as advertising outlets. In this case it was uniquely founded by the Alabama Power Company, a public utility provider.

Only a year later WSY moved to new digs that year in the Radio Department of Loveman's Department Store. The broadcasting room was touted to have the finest acoustics in the world. But the power company wasn't so good at managing a radio staiton. In 1925 they conceeded that WSY was a financial failure and donated all hardware to the Alabama Polytechnic Institute [now Auburn University].

Auburn U. used it to start their own radio station WMAV, who is still on the air today under the calls WAPI. The studio was located in Broun Hall, and the antenna was located on an old 100 foot tower donated by Miller Reese Hutchinson, who had been associated for many years with Thomas A. Edison. Great pics here:
http://www.lib.auburn.edu/archive/find-aid/071p/radiowapi/

WAPI prospered without major upheval until 1929 when George Denny, President of the University of Alabama approached the FRC seeking a license for a radio station in Tuscaloosa. This was a conflict with WAPI. A decision was reached to split the ownership of WAPI between the three institutions. . .
39% for Alabama Polytechnic Institute
39% for the University of Alabama
22% for Alabama College for Women
In 1931 the City of Birmingham withdrew its financial support from the WAPI operations. The gravy train was over. They coudn't meet payroll. technical improvements came to a halt and permits expired, unused. The tightening of the belt forced them to lease WAPI to private individuals. The first agreement was made with a local realtor, W.O. Pape. in 1933 Mr. Pape pulled some slick crap, and sold his interest to Bascomb H. Hopson who in turn made the staiton into a time-share with KVOO. The time share lasted into the 1952, as did the 3-way ownership. This trifecta ended in 1961 when the Newhouse Broadcasting Corporation coughed up the necessasary $340,000 and bought out all parties.

Check out http://www.birminghamrewound.com/radio-tv.htm
for Alabama radio history

Red Dirt Radio

The soil is red here, from a high iron content. Almost all the worlds ferrous oxide deposits originate in some of earths earliest bacteria. Some microorganisms use a metabolic process called Chemolithotrophy to obtain energy from inorganic molecules. A the time (2 .7 billion years ago) this was critical because there was nothing organic to eat. It was these bacteria, water air and rocks. Because very little energy is generated in the oxidation of ferrous iron into ferric iron, these bacteria must oxidize massive amounts of iron in order to live or grow. So as these early bacteria multiplied into the trillions they deposited large quantities of iron everywhere. This is why the earth is red here in the Carolinas.

I listened to WQFS as long as I could driving east on I-40 and as it petered out at noon, I heard Vitamin C by the band Can then a soft spoken young DJ who sounded unconfident. Then nothing. I was able to get WKNC for a time after than but I-40 goes south after Durham toward nowhere.. then nothing but more NPR talk. I stopped in Clinton, NC which has three local radio stations despite its small stature; WCLN, WRRZ-AM, and WCLN-AM. Religious talk, country oldies and reg. mex, in that order.

Right here in Fayetteville, the radio blows. To the west is the untrained but interesting WUAW out of Triton High. 89.3 WZRI out of Fayetteville, which by all rights should be variety of some kind is actually runs mostly 80 rock. 91.9 WFSS is another NPR outlet but they do sport a few exceptional shows including Original Down Home Blues which I am listening to right now. 90.1 WCCE to the north runs smooth jazz and easy listening.And you can't forget red Dirt radio on KVOO, a fine source of local talent.

The real winner in this corner of the state is 90.5 WDCC out of Central Carolina Community College in Sanford. Eclectic, but listenable. It's a fine station that mixes things up just enough to stir you into trying new bands. But its a little too far south west of where I am tonight.