James Rose

As a radio broadcaster, my career begins in late 1964 as a Student at Elkins Institute of Radio in my home town Dallas, TX where I learn the basics of radio plus attain my 3rd Class FCC license. In early 1965, I attend Elkins Institute of Electronics to learn the basics of electronics plus achieve the all important 1st and 2nd Class FCC licenses that allows me to be a federally licensed radio engineer. In the 1960s, small town radio stations hire Combo DJs who also are engineers. Our 1st Class FCC licenses open the doors to our first radio positions as DJs. In April 1965, Bo Cook co-owner of KASO-1240 in Minden, LA hires me as a Combo DJ for $65 a week where I spin E-Z Listening album tunes in mid-days plus I return from 6-9 pm to play some of that Rock and Roll music. From 9:45 pm to sign off at 10 pm I put together and read a 15 minute newscast. On Sunday mornings I sign KASO on at local sunrise until 12 noon. On Sunday mornings KASO features religious preachers by tape, remote hook up and live in the studio. A Pentecostal Assembly of God preacher yells out his sermons at the top of his voice for 15 minutes. But he runs over into the low-keyed Church of Christ minister's 15 minutes of fame. The big attraction is 30 minutes of The Minden Soul Stirrers Gospel singing jubilee. Boy what a show they put on. KASO is a wonderful radio station inside a brand new Jim Walters style white frame house specifically designed for radio. In KASO's control is all brand new equipment: Collins audio console, 3 Gates turntables, 1 RCA ribbon microphone on a 6″ desk stand plus a maroon Ampex table model reel to reel tape player for our Sunday morning preacher programs and a 1,000 watt Collins transmitter. We read all of our commercials live because KASO has no cart machine. Beal's department store ads I have to ad-lib from full page newspaper ads. We rip and read all of our newscasts from an AP wire machine down the hall in a closet. After about a month, Bo buys us a new Gates record/play back cart machine for the control room. He assigns me the Joy drive in theater account to write and produce their 30 second commercials. After I sign off KASO at 10 pm is when I record Joy drive in theater spots. In late 1966, my big break comes when Cal Druxman hires me as DJ plus Program and Music Director duties on the fantastic KHFI FM in Austin, TX for $125 a week which almost doubles my first radio experience on KASO-1240 at $65 a week. In early 1967, Ed Miller hires me as the noon-3 pm DJ on KPCN-730 in my home town Dallas, TX. KPCN is a wonderful and fun radio station. In August 1967, Charlie Van places me as the 7 pm to midnight DJ on the powerful blow torch 50,000 watt clear channel WFAA-820 in Dallas where I have listeners in 38 states. From there on I'm a DJ on some of TX's biggest and best radio stations. However, in 1971 I move over to KBOX-1480 in Dallas as a newscaster and mobile news reporter. In 1972 I'm a newscaster on America's best and most popular radio station KLIF-1190 in Dallas. Former KTSA-550 News Director John Rhodes lures me away from KLIF-1190 with an offer as PM Drive newscaster on KITE-930 in San Antonio, TX for one of the worst mistakes of my long radio career. Still in 1972, I jump out of the pan into the fire as AM Drive DJ/PD/MD of KBER FM-AM in the Alamo City. Wow what a bad mistake that is! In 1973, I limp back home to Dallas where the wonderful Ray Potter hires me as a DJ on legendary Top 40 KFJZ-1270 where I end up 9 am-noon DJ. In April 1975 I become DJ and MD of another legendary Top 40 radio station KXOL-1360 in Cow Town until it flips to Country in late 1976 where my final airshift is the old reliable noon-3pm. On the day that Elvis Presley dies (August 16, 1977) I'm on I-10 to Houston, TX as a DJ on KIKK FM. In 1980 Bill Young hires me as a DJ on Album Rock KILT FM until it flips to Country in 1981. In 1991 I return to KILT FM as a New Country DJ until I exit radio in 1996. In May 2004 I begin to write, edit and publish this Web column-newsletter Jim Rose Remembers Radio. http://jimroseremembersradio.com/