RADIO STATIONS

From: "Don Huffaker This bring back many memories! I started working at KWYO in 1942 while a sophomore at SHS. My first job was to help out Santa with sound effects and occasionaly reading letters as a Santa helper. I went on to work there off and on for 10 years as an announcer and later engineer and announcer. In those days, the studio was in the building above the P.O. News, Kraft Jewelery and on down to the Flower shop. There was a control room, 2 small studios, record room and a large studio with stage. Offices were on the North end. In those days, an announcer did just about everything. During your shift, you read the news, the commercials and played the records and transcriptions. All local, no network. Our news was picked up on short wave radio by Bob Crosswaite at the transmitter on 6th street hill. He typed it from code and then called the taxi to bring it down to the station where it was cliped to a rope hanging out the back window. We hauled it up, sorted and read it I quit the last half of my senior year to enjoy some of the school activities. Back again late in 1945, tool a leave later to get my 1st Class License then back until called up for the Korean war. After the war I returned until I started my business in the middle '50s. Programs other then local were on 16 inch vinel discs. 15 minutes to a side. No recorder at first, later we got a disc cutter that recorded on coated aluminum discs. Cliff Carroll was the manager and announcer. More if anybody is interested. Don Huffaker

Don Huffaker makes a correction: Jim Carroll was the manager and did announcing at KWYO. Cliff's dad was co owner of the station which started in the old Carroll furniture building in the '30's. Have to quit writing late at night when the mind goes to sleep! Don Huffakerm 1940

Mary Alice Gunderson, 1953 adds: Bob Wilson was an amazing announcer. I recall his announcing the rodeo wild horse race with such excitement he became hoarse. Another radio memory is the time I went with Mary Geroe Wells to the KWYO building to wait while she had her piano lesson, I think from Duke Downey. I wandered around on a couple floors. Heard sleigh bells, and ho-ho-hos. Through the big glass window, there was one of the announcing Carrolls--Bob or Jim-- with reddish hair, wearing a white shirt, reading letters from Santa Claus, . "all the way from the NOrth Pole." At that moment I became the cynic I am accused of being.... Remember when the stations went off the air at 10 PM? Eventually, midnight. At Laramie, on KOWB, there was a great DJ who called himself "Bob L for Loquacious." On a morniing show that featured new cuts, they gave out livestock reports and relayed messages to ranchers, like, "Herb and Carolyn, bring out a tire iron for Grandad," and "To Larry from Ken--bull 29 has got into our pasture again. Please come get him." That's where we first heard Elvis singing "That's all Right, Mamma," and a big stampede to the phones occurred. I wrote a newspaper piece on first hearing Elvis a couple years ago. I still love radio, especiall NPR. They now play all classical, all night, and all kinds of contemporary styles during the day. One great show, out of West Virginia, is called "Mountain Stage." From: "Don Huffaker I remember Tank Warburton very well. I helped train him when he came to work for KWYO. Tank was a great guy,but he had a little problem when he was announcing. Tank had a tendency to get his tongue twisted up and came up with some classical radio bloopers! Like a lot of us, the best in bread sometimes came out "the brest in bed"! I think his best one was what he did with Frickey Sheet Metal. I'll just leave it to your imagination how it came out. Remember the old Radio Blooper records? Don Huffaker '45

Mary Alice Wright Gunderson, 1953, writes A complete background, history, of KWYO's growth would be an interesting story. Any reporters out there?Sheridan Press? Malcolm HUtton? Does anyone remember those DJs--announcers --who presided at the "Lucky 7 CLub," held at the Wyo theater? There was an Uncle Bob and an Uncle "Tank"--Warburton, I think. Kids presented talents--dance routines, saxaphone solos, piano performances, etc, and by applause a winner was chosen there on the spot. A serial followed--I remember "The Black Whip"--and that day's episode ended with, say, his falling toward a huge vat of boiling oil. You had to come back next Saturday to see if he fell into it, or what. The feature films were usually Roy, Hoppy, Cisco Kid or some other western star. Or maybe a film about an orphaned child who brought a wonderful couple together .lots of kid and horse, kid and dog stories. Before that, Donald and his nephews--Huey, Dewey and Louie--Mary Alice Gunderson '53

From: "Clark, Dee"-- I know that my sister Gay and I won one of those contest with our rendition of Over the RainbowDate:

Mary Alice adds: Bob Wilson was an amazing announcer. I recall his announcing the rodeo wild horse race with such excitement he became hoarse. Another radio memory is the time I went with Mary Geroe Wells to the KWYO building to wait while she had her piano lesson, I think from Duke Downey. I wandered around on a couple floors. Heard sleigh bells, and ho-ho-hos. Through the big glass window, there was one of the announcing Carrolls--Bob or Jim-- with reddish hair, wearing a white shirt, reading letters from Santa Claus, . "all the way from the NOrth Pole." At that moment I became the cynic I am accused of being.... Remember when the stations went off the air at 10 PM? Eventually, midnight. At Laramie, on KOWB, there was a great DJ who called himself "Bob L for Loquacious." On a morniing show that featured new cuts, they gave out livestock reports and relayed messages to ranchers, like, "Herb and Carolyn, bring out a tire iron for Grandad," and "To Larry from Ken--bull 29 has got into our pasture again. Please come get him." That's where we first heard Elvis singing "That's all Right, Mamma," and a big stampede to the phones occurred. I wrote a newspaper piece on first hearing Elvis a couple years ago. I still love radio, especiall NPR. They now play all classical, all night, and all kinds of contemporary styles during the day. One great show, out of West Virginia, is called "Mountain Stage." Mary Alice Gunderson, '57

Bob Hylton replies: You must have tolerated more of KOWB than I, but I do remember that the program jangling my nerves on the clock-radio (how long ago did we stop calling it that?) was The Bunkhouse Rumpus. KOWB set a unique standard, even for Wyoming radio. But of course we were used to KWYO, KGHL, and, eventually, that upstart KROE. And yes, Bob Wilson came to town in the late 40's, to the best of my memory, and has contributed a great deal to the community in those 50 plus years. Bob Hylton '51 (UW '55)

Mary Alice replied: Au contraire, Bob Hylton...The show on which we students first heard Elvis at Laramie was the "Chuck Wagon Chuck" show. On a late night show, for then, "Bob L-for -Loquacious" played requests you called in , dedications to certain peole. Once, a couple minutes. after going off the air at midnight,he whispered "Go to bed now!" When he didn't say it the second night, he got calls. that became his special message...you hadda be there, I guess. I remember the show that Gordon Hargraves had, every evening, I think on KWYO. He also took requests and dedications. One night during some kind of fund drive, a caller offered him $50 if he would break the recore "Beyond the Sunet," a duet by Jo Stafford and Gordon Macrae over somebody's head... Wolf Man Jack, where are you now? Mary Alice Gunderson

From: Robert Hylton : Well, M.A., I can only guess that you didn't get up in time to hear the Bunkhouse Rumpus, a loss to you whose value is incalcuable. Perhaps because you stayed up too late listening to Bob L-for-Loquacious telling you to go to bed now? Bob Hylton