Another fun radio gathering (pics!)

 

(Click on all photos to enlarge, group photo coordinated by Kerri Kasem)

I had the privilege of joining a gathering of local radio veterans, hosted by Jeff Leonard, over the weekend. It's a reunion for many, for me it's an opportunity to both meet and re-meet some of the veterans of the L.A. airwaves.

Jim Carson, Bob Marlen

 

Jim Carson shared with me his last conversation with Don Barrett, their relationship dating back to when Carson started his 16-year gig on 100.3 FM and its various formats. 

Jane Platt, Neil Ross

Now the news chief for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, I once listened to Jane Platt's newscasts on KRLA, then later heard her work on the ABC Radio Network. Dave Hull tells the story he went to watch Neil Ross on the air, saying that Ross was one of the most creative talents on -air he'd ever heard.

Reed Berry, Randy West

Reed Berry is perhaps best known as "The Traffic Guy" at KRLA, someday we will have that breakfast in the East San Gabriel Valley. I still want to read the book about the great game show announcer Johnny Olson authored by Randy West, who himself did time as the announcer with Olson for "The Price is Right."

Debra Simon, Jim Thorton

Two traffic veterans together, Debra Simon continues her work on air, one of those steady professionals commuters trust. As for Jim Thornton, who I used to call with traffic tips during KNX morning drive, he's now the announcer for some famous game show featuring Pat Sajak and Vanna White that involves a wheel. I did overhear someone congratulate him for his great work on "Jeopardy."

A couple of more conversations, I'm sorry I didn't talk to everyone...I told Richard Turnage that I heard him with Dave Hull when the latter did a one-week fill-in for Robert W. Morgan on K-EARTH (KRTH), I need to find that tape that's somewhere in my archives...I talked the ear off of Jerry Burnham, as I remembered the different formats heard on 102.7 FM, dating back to the days of top-40 KKDJ. He told me some wonderful stories of working with Rick Dees and Ryan Seacrest, as well as other engineering tales...Good to see Randy Kerdoon, who continues to do his podcast "Talking About Cars," we hope to feature his current work in a future column...It was the first time I'd met Clark Ortome, who was an engineer at KMPC when it was on 710 AM. Back in the day, that was a first-class signal covering much of Southern California from the now-abandoned transmitter near Los Angeles Valley College...I'm hoping to interview Chuck Southcott, the man "behind the scenes" for Gary Owens, Wink Martindale, and other legendary radio talent...Tom Patterson continues sharing his engineering skills with the CBS television stations...It was a pleasure to meet Dave Sholin, one of radio's best known programmers...Does anyone have any airchecks of KRLA's Credibility Gap? Both Lew Irwin and me are interested.

Other pics (click to enlarge):

Clark Ortome, Chuck Southcott, Tom Patterson

Doug Dunlap, Carson Schrieber, Jeff Leonard, Randy West, Ashley Page

Richard Turnage, Debra Simon, Jim Thornton, Jeff Leonard

Jeff Leonard, Dave Sholin, Richard Frefield, Ed Mann, Joe Collins

Jane Platt, David Reed, John Van Kamp, Darrell Wayne

Pete Fuentes, Shadoe Stevens, Jeff Leonard

Gary Hamilton, Barry Victor, Clark Ortome

Tom Patterson, Shadoe Stevens, Lew Irwin

Richard Turnage, Randy Hill, Tammy Trujillo, Andy Ludlum

Carson Schreiber, Jerry Burnham, Randy Kerdoon

Jeff Leonard, who organizes these periodic gatherings, is himself a former producer for Casey Kasem, Rick Dees, The Real Don Steele, Gary Owens, among many others. He also is active on social media, including the groups "Memories of L.A. Radio" and "The History of Baseball - the 40s Through the 70s." Thank you Jeff, for arranging another fun get-together!

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