Oregon Media Insiders

Via PDXRadio, we hear of two deaths of note: Marilyn McKay, longtime KOIN finance gal who retired in 1997; and Ric Eljin, aka Rick Liljenberg, of KYXI, KOIN radio and KGAR among others.

[Edited to correct spelling of Ric Eljin's name. Apologies.--L]

Entercom shut down oldies 910 KISN-AM at midnight this morning/last night after selling it to Salem Communications. PDXRadio's been talking about it since they yanked the last live jocks--everyone saw this coming. I haven't tuned in to hear if anything's on that freq this morning. Can someone do that? Someone with an account? I'm not going to be on much today...

My grandmother called him a "desperado," but David Hume Kennerly came out of Roseburg to work at the Oregon Journal, become the official photographer of the Ford White House, and win a Pulitzer Prize. His work is all over the place this week with Ford's passing, and it's worth noting that he was one of us.

Why did my grandma call him a desperado? He lived across the street from her in Roseburg. One day around 1959, when he was probably in 6th grade or so, he and another kid wanted to build a fort, but they had no yard. "Hey, Mrs. Webster's yard looks good!" So they got some lumber and set to work in my grandma's front yard. No, they didn't ask first. Yes, she chased them off but good. :)

Via PDXRadio we hear that former KFXX The Fan morning guy Tony Ruzicka has died. He also wrote sports for the Downtowner back in the day.

Cafe Unknown looks at Portland's first news helicopter, when the Oregon Journal (RIP) acquired its Newsroom Dragonfly, "the first helicopter in the country used by a newspaper for news coverage":

It was an instant success, a news story in itself as well as a revolutionary news gathering tool. Launched from the helicopter pad from the Oregon Journal’s huge building (the former Public Market) on the waterfront, it could reach stories around town in minutes, covering fires (even one at the Oregonian Building), train wrecks, and floods state wide. ...

The Oregon Journal devoted a full page in "The Newsroom Dragonfly" to this picture of a fire at the Oregonian’s headquarters at Sixth and Alder.
“With the appearance of the dragonfly at the scene, one Oregonian employee turned to another and said, "Here comes that Journal helicopter like a vulture. I’ll bet it pours gasoline on the fire."

If you're unfamiliar with the Cafe Unknown blog, it's delightful--a delve into Portland history with essays and photos. Anyone who loves this town should be reading it.

For those of you who remember, or if you're just curious, Rockin' in Quad has updates on two KQIV 106.7 pioneers. Dick Jenkins recalls the very first days, and we have a current photo of Steve Shannon.

Enjoy!

http://www.rockininquad.com

One of Portland's finest radio voices of the 1970's passed away recently.

Details: http://kq4.blogspot.com/

WWeek reports on the shutdown of illegal pirate station PRA, formerly broadcasting on 100 watts at 96.7 FM, and works in a dig at the O--what, is it mandatory now?

All the city's major publications have written about PRA. Despite all this publicity, the station went off the air only once, for a week last year, when it learned the FCC was downtown hunting for the source of the station's signal. The government agency, they believed, had been tipped off by an Oregonian article written by Margie Boulé that offhandedly mentioned the station frequency. ...

So when another Oregonian writer, freelancer Lee Williams, came calling to write about PRA last month, Riehle says he was willing to talk if the story focused on PRA's year-old Web radio station and would not mention the illegal FM broadcast. Despite the fact that the radio's illegal status is both a valid and more compelling news story, Williams agreed.

But when the story appeared in the O's Feb. 24 A&E section, it not only mentioned the FM signal but focused on the station's illegal activities, quoting Riehle as saying, "We've made it very easy for the FCC to say stop.... And when they do, we will." The article also included a paraphrased quote from Riehle stating that a broadcast license was "not expensive," making it appear that PRA simply chose not to obtain one. Riehle told WW that he was misquoted. Technically, licenses are cheap—if you can find one to buy, he says, adding that, in Portland, all frequencies are claimed.

Elg says that those quotes "read like we were waving the station in the FCC's face."

Williams agrees that a deal was struck with PRA, but says the terms had changed."Brian originally said, 'Don't put in the FM broadcast 96.7,'" Williams told Riff City. "That was one of the ground rules.... Later he asked me, 'What's your take on this gonna be?' and I said I was gonna mention 96.7, and he said go ahead."

Hey, if you'd like to take a little break from today's topics and controversies, head over to the Rockin' in Quad Blog and check-out some new stuff from the good ol' days!

Find out how KQIV decided on its call letters. What exactly was the Ivy Club? We said we were "Rockin' in Quad" but some called it "Rockin' in Fraud." Why were they so mean? And, was there really a "curse of the black roses"?

Enjoy!

http://kq4.blogspot.com

Via PDX Radio, we hear old-timey guy Vic Ives is still at it:

TalkStar Radio is launching a new old-time radio and comedy series, "Radio Legends" hosted and produced by Victor Ives.

The daily airing weeknights at 9p ET with Saturday and Sunday night repeats, features radio shows from the 30's, 40's & 50's and comedy bits from the 60's, 70's & 80's. Check it out at talkstarradio.com or (386) 397-4155.

This was from AllAccess.com but I couldn't find it there. Probably behind a paywall or something.

UPDATE: From the comments I discover that AllAccess.com is all free, I'm just lame.

UPDATE 2: From Victor himself in email:

One thing local media folks might find interesting is that a few times each week we are plugging in some old clips from "The Hollister and Ives Show" from KEX back when Jimmy and I did Sinister Cinema together on Channel 2.

We don't have an affiliate in the Portland area yet, but some folks are listening online.