Oregon Media Insiders

I had several friends on the staff at KOIN in the "good old days," including one who, for many years, hosted "KOIN Klock" and appeared periodically on "Come and Get It," both as a host and, occasionally, as a vocalist. Besides Carpenter, the other regular vocalist was Walt McKinney who, I believe, also served as music librarian. Other regulars included Kash Duncan (violin and percussion), Julius Walter (accordion, organ and piano), Fred McKinney (piano), Jack Lenard (guitar), Frances Posey (harp) and, of course, leader Red Dunning (bass). The M.C. during that era (late 50s and early 60s) was Blaine Hanks. On a number of occasions it was my good fortune to view live broadcasts of the show from the control room. I couldn't agree more with your comments about the entertainment value of the show. There was just something special about a group of folks getting together to entertain listeners in a live venue. I wish I had owned a tape recorder at the time so I could have captured some of the broadcasts for my private collection. For many years I've searched for recordings of this show and other KOIN offerings but have come up empty-handed. Apparently the programs were considered to be so routine that it didn't occur to anyone to preserve them for posterity. Too bad. In its heyday, KOIN was one of the most professional-sounding stations in the country. They don't make 'em like that any more.