This Site Primarily Contains a Collection of Airchecks of Numerous Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) Radio Stations, Some Recorded Off The Air by Rick Burnett and Many Others Recorded or Provided by Other Contributors to This Site (see footnote at bottom). The Contribution of Recordings and Materials are Greatly Appreciated and Have Made this Site a Favorite of Those Interested in Radio From this Era. This Site Also Includes Rare Twin Cities Pirate (Unlicensed) Radio Airchecks. Explore the many recordings on this site by using the menu at the left side of the screen. Should you have material to contribute, Please Email Rick1031@hotmail.com
These are the only jingles I have for KTCR-FM. They were used from the Late 60's through 1972. There are only a few cuts on these clips.
There is also a production room tape of the making of the KTCR-FM Sign-Off. There were several takes done by Morgan Reid (Reid Waldelen). Morgan Reid can also be heard on an aircheck of a pirate station, WXYE-FM in St. Paul on the Pirate Radio page on this site.
At the time this sign-off was made in 1972, KTCR-FM was doing talk radio at night. They sold the time slot to a production firm that had Paul Helm (formerly of WLOL-AM) doing week nights. When I was hired the first time at KTCR-FM, I (Rick Mason/Rick Burnett) was the control board operator for this show at the transmitter site, which was fed to the studio from the Lemington Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis. I played the commercials, did station ID and push the censor button so the KTCR-FM 97.1 jingle would play to cover up the offensive language.
Talk Radio Censorship of "Smut Talk" or a Way Out?? I eventually got to do a record show because of a fall-out KTCR-FM had with the production firm and the weekend talk host. The weekend guy did a segment called "Smut Talk." Jeff Lonto, who wrote Fiasco at 1280 (WWTC), recently reminded me of the Smut Talk host name. Jeff wrote me...
"Marv Gatch was the "Smut Talk" host on KTCR. I actually did an article about that in the book. My info came from an old Minneapolis Tribune article. Real interesting hearing about your direct involvement in that whole thing.". Jeff's web site is WWW.Studioz7.com
I was the unnamed engineer in Jeff's book "It Happened On The Air" when he wrote about this incident in his article on radio censorship.
This was pretty tame compared to what you can hear on the radio today. The Smut Talk segment upset Bob Rock, the General manager of KTCR, and he told Paul Helm's production firm, Arrow Broadcasting, to stop it or he would discontinue broadcasting the show. Before the next weekend show of Marv's, I was call to a brief meeting with Bob Rock and Jerry Cunning. I was told to talk off Smut Talk if it returned on Marvels next show. The next weekend "Smut Talk" went on again. Bob Rock immediately called me and told me to take the program off the air and go to music. I did it gladly, and that was the end of talk radio on KTCR-FM. Arrow Broadcasting (Paul Helm was a principal) sue KTCR-FM for $400,000. Arrow lost the lawsuit.
KTCR-FM Station Break. Jim Hubbard DJ. Note the jingle. They took the jingle for KTCR-AM, deleted the reference to the 690 AM dial position and spliced the jingle for KWFM ( the original call letters) "97.1 on the dial" to the end. Sounds strange but it was used a lot.
KTCR-FM from 1969-71. Voice heard are Greg Ellsworth, Bob Bradley, Jim Hubbard, Dan Hertsgaard, Bruce 'James' Browning, Bill Baumann. Mike Knight voices the news opens.
Contributed by Dick Sigurdson, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Found some old tapes I recorded at the end of 1973. KTCR-FM was the Twin Cities 1st 24 hour country FM station, although not the best. A number of KTCR alumni went on the bigger and better radio jobs, like WCCO's Al Malmberg, who work at KTCR-FM in 1972. I was always amazed they would hire me (Rick Burnett a/k/a Mason). I was very fortunate and not very good. This was my second time on KTCR-FM, originally hired part-time out of Brown Institute, and I started working there in August 1973 for a 2nd time, but full-time doing evenings. It is embarrassing to hear this again.
The collection of airchecks to your right are of myself (Rick Mason), Pat Devany, who did mornings before moving on to Cedar Rapids (I have long lost contact with him), and Dan Thomas, who at one time did Red Owl commercials in front of the camera for TV. Dan previously worked at a country station in Ft. Wayne IN, and he later became an employment recruiter at a St. Paul staffing agency. In 1978 he helped me get a job at the firm he was at. I was there a few months and left after getting my real estate license. I was much better at real estate than as a recruiter, or as a DJ for that matter. After leaving the recruiting business, I lost track of Dan. Pat Devany was a board member for the Conclave in the early to mid 1980's, but I cannot find anyone who know how to reach him. Let me know or pass on my email should you know how to contact him: Rick1031@hotmail.com
Recorded off the air by Rick Burnett
Pat came to KTCR-FM a few week after I (Rick Burnett) was hired in July 1973. Be the end of 1974 Pat decided to take a job at a Cedar Rapids country Iowa station. This December 1974 tape of him on a Saturday morning was recorded by Mike Cunningham during Pat's last half hour on the air. There is also a short clip of Jim du Bois following Pat's goodbye speech. Jim says goodbye to Pat.
The tape has the music edited out with the commercials left in. There are two classic Schaak Electronics commercials with an unusual character named Uncle Allie talking to his nephew Timmy. Pat also does a live Walgreens commercial and plays the Walgreens tag jingle "Where in the world but Walgreens"
Contributed by Mike Cunningham of La Crosse, former KTCR-FM Operations Manager. (Posted 12-15-07)
Mike Cunningham was the program director for KTCR's FM side. Mike started about one month after me. I started in the summer of 1973 due to an immediate need created by the walkout of the KTCR AM and FM DJ's (they actually turned-off both transmitters one afternoon due to a labor dispute). Mike was a good guy to work for. He started his professional career at KUXL-AM in Golden Valley. Yes he was playing soul music. It is a little known fact that Wolfman Jack once worked at KUXL. Mike later worked as the program director of WLCX-AM in LaCrosse, Wisc. This was about 1978 and he hired me to do a weekend shift at this top 40 rock station. I was selling real estate weekdays at that time. I did enjoy October fest in LaCrosse.
At KTCR-FM, Mike did the 12 Noon to 4 PM shift weekdays. This aircheck is typical. I also came across an aircheck of him at a LaCrosse country FM station (Big River Country) and have included it here as well. Last I heard, he was operating a furniture store he owned in the LaCrosse area.
Mike Cunningham (Right) and Me (Rick Burnett as Best Man) at his 1982 Wedding to a very nice woman, Diane. They live in the La Crosse area and hae a 22 year old (as of 2007) son.
I worked for Mike Cunningham when he was the operations manager for KTCR-FM. He was a great guy to work for and I later worked part-time for him when he was PD at WLCX in Lacrosse, Wisconsin in the very late 70's. I drove down from St. Paul each weekend for a Saturday spot.
When he married, I was honored to be his Best Man. Geography has separated us for a long time and I miss our regular get togethers. We use to be regulars at a bar/grill near the University of Minnesota campus called Mannings and always ordered the Pizzaco; a pizza that tried to also be a taco. Mike now owns The Board Store in La Crosse. (The above KTCR-FM Mike Cunningham aircheck was recoreded off the air by Rick Burnett)
I worked with Jim at KTCR-FM when he was doing weekends at KTCR-FM. Jim later went on the WDGY and then KEEY. This tape is typical KTCR-FM country. I finally found this in my storage locker. It was recorded off the air on reel to reel tape using my TEAC 1240 tape deck.
Jim du Bois, CEO & President, Minnesota Broadcasters Association
Tommy Harper was a great guy to work with. Great voice and delivery. He went on to bigger stations, including KDWB. Tape courtesy of Randy Randall.
(From the the collection of Randy Randall, Rochester, MN.)
As you will hear, Don Johnson has a big voice. When this tape was recorded, he recently came from beautify music station KEEY/WMIN. I think he was tired of the beautiful music format and had his heart with county music. His delivery style still sound a little like he was still on KEEY. I work with him very briefly and he was a very nice "Country Gentleman." Years earlier, when I was trying to get any type of job at a radio station to break into broadcasting (even mopping floors), Don let me interview with him at KEEY/WMIN. I was not ready and did not get a job there. Don was not looking for anyone to mop the floor at the time.
When you looked up the word "Pipes" in the dictionary, there was a picture of Don next to it.
I also want to thank Randy Randall for providing this tape of Don. Randy worked at KTCR-FM doing the overnight shift and later went on to work at a few other stations when KTCR was sold, including WWTC. Randy and his wife operate a successful jewelry story in Rochester Minnesota.
Recorded off the air by Randy Randall, former KTCR-FM and WWTC DJ
I am very grateful to Randy Randall for providing a number of KTCR and other tapes included at the site. This is one of him at KTCR-FM. He later worked at WWTC, KJJO, KRSI and KLXK. Tape courtesy of Randy Randall.
(From the the collection of Randy Randall, Rochester, MN.)
When I worked part-time at KTCR-FM I followed Bruce Lee. Bruce was nice enough to pick out the oldies that were preprogrammed for play during my shift. Randy Randall noted that he rarely use his name. You will note his very very relaxed delivery. Tape courtesy of Randy Randall.
(From the the collection of Randy Randall, Rochester, MN.)
At one time some radio stations in the Twin Cities signed -off to do maintenance on the transmitters. This was usually done on Sunday evenings/early AM on Mondays. KTCR-FM signed-off at 1 AM on Monday morning and returned to the air at 6 AM. Not much maintenance was done that I remember, but it did take care of a shift that was hard to fill.
I made this tape the first time I was hired at KTCR-FM part-time; complete with "The Star Spangled Banner" at the end. It was done in August or September 1972 and survived me. Although I was fired shortly after making it, the sign-off was use for some time after my departure. The station was owned by Hennepin Broadcasting Associates (Al Tedesco) at the time.
Mike Cunningham was the operation manager for the FM side of KTCR. His first job was at KUXL-AM. Tape courtesy of Randy Randall.
(From the the collection of Randy Randall, Rochester, MN.)
KTCR-FM Country Church from January 1974A Broadcast Farce by Rick Mason (Burnett) When I worked full-time at KTCR-FM I never did Sunday mornings. One day the Sunday morning guy did not show up and I had to cover (this was my one and only Sunday morning shift). From 8 AM to 10 AM I was suppose to play back to back gospel music. The guy who was on the air before me, Bob Seri, was still in the studio, and I think he must have been the only listener. Had management been tuned in, I would have been fired. I decided to offer my thoughts between the songs and complain a lot about the below zero weather.
I was sharing stories of my personal meetings and knowledge of the gospel singers, but never met or knew anyone I was talking about that day. What I was doing was reading the album covers to get my talking points. It was all put on and I just rambled on and on like the Eveready bunny. The only thing I didn't do was start preaching. This was bad. Although Bob Seri had to leave the studio a few times because he was laughing. This was recorded off the air and actually went out over a 50,000 watt FM signal in a major radio market.
Recorded at the studio while on the air by Rick Burnett (Mason)
For you Deanna Love fans. Deanna plays the country music on these airchecks contributed by author Jeff Lonto. See Jeff's comments on Deanna below next to her photo.
Contributed by Jeff Lonto, author of "Fiasco at 1280." (10-1-07)
"Before coming to KTCR-FM in 1978, Deanna Love got her start in radio playing country music at KLOH-FM in Pipestone, Minnesota as a pioneering female voice.
She left KTCR in early 1979 and went to WWTC during their transition between all-news and The Golden Rock. At that point the format was called the Splendid Blend, a "blend" of adult contemporary, oldies, news and the Larry King Show from Mutual network. When Scott Carpenter, one of the creators of the Golden Rock format was hired as program director, he eventually let go of Deanna when he hired Nancy Rosen, apparently because he didn't want two full time women on the airstaff, according to the late "Ugly Del" Roberts.
From there Deanna sought greener pastures in San Francisco, where she eventually got married and got out of radio for good. Which was really too bad because she had a great voice and great personality."
Photo contributed by Jeff Lonto, author of "Fiasco at 1280"
The airchecks on this not for profit web site were recorded off the air. The recordings on this site provide historical examples of Twin Cities radio and are intended for purposes of archival preservation and for research. Additionally, the recordings can be used by vision impaired visitors to get an audio perspective of radio history. These recordings are not intended to by used by others for commercial purposes.
Some of the airchecks are off reel to reel tapes that were recorded off the air by the web site creator. In May 2006 the recordings started to be converted to MP3 and shared here. In addition to this web site creator's recorded aircheck collection, there are also many airchecks that were recorded and submitted by friends and acquaintances, or contributed by other collectors. Sources are cited, if known. The contributed recordings from friends and contributors of both airchecks and other material are greatly appreciated. Without their help, the site would have many less pages of radio history. The recordings of the contributors to this web site who recorded them off the air may show up on other sites. This site does not charge any fees to listen to the posted recordings. The purpose of this site is to provide radio history and intended for purposes of archival preservation and research.
Windows Media Player works well to play these MP3 files, and depending on your internet settings, will start streaming the file once the link is clicked, Some files are large and may take time to open. Should you have any aircheck of Twin Cities radio stations, let me know and I may be able to include them at this site. Contact me at Rick(at)HotMail.com --- NOTE Replace "(at)" with @ when typing email address
