Radio Hall of Fame Voting

[JLT]

I'm a newbie here. Name's John LaTorre, from Sacramento, California.

I'd like to see somebody nominate Laura Ellen Hopper, who (along with Jeremy Lansman and Lorenzo Milan) created the KFAT format, which exists to this day as KPIG radio after over thirty years. It exists largely because Laura Ellen kept the format alive at a succession of radio stations until it found a permanent home at the PIG.

I wrote an article back in the 80s about this transition period, and specifically how Laura Ellen took the FAT format to a little radio station in Hollister for a spell. The article can be found at:

http://midtown.net/dragonwing/KHIP.htm

Considering how often the name "KFAT" is preceded by the word "legendary," and how the station is still remembered with fondness (and, yes, imitation) after all these years, I'm surprised that the BARHOF has let this nomination slip by for so long.

--JLT

[Production Boy]

This voting is only for commercial radio it would appear.

Since the best programing is often on non-commercial radio, I can see why you and your Board would be intimidated.

Sad - and no clear way to write in - this is certainly an OPEN forum.

Norm Howard and Fred Krock are KQED-FM Guys. Dick Conte and Mal Sharpe are most recently on KCSM a Non Com.

[DeadAudicy]

I second the Dennis Erectus nomination. As I posted zomw time ago:

Adding to your list of the more creative professionals, Dennis Erectus comes to mind. All of his breaks were multi media events, each including pre produced original skits, TV/movie audio (well before that was a thing), song bits, and improv'd live rants all appropriate to the skit, and the entire breaks appropriate to the surrounding sets of music. It was only after the term "shock jock" was coined that his reputation was marginalized to fit the term.

[dungboy]

I’d just like to add my two cents regarding my friend Dennis Erectus. If anyone deserves to be recognized for his contribution to bay area broadcasting it has to be Dennis.
When I arrived in the bay area in 1983, I was told to check out this DJ in San Jose, I’ve became a fan from that night on…
Dennis is an incredible talent who truly understood why people listened to the radio.  Although our shows were very different, our approach to doing a show was very similar. When in the studio he was in constant motion, working the phones, editing the calls ( yeah we played records back then and had to edit tape on the fly) interviewing his guests and doing his breaks. Because of his usual guest line-up, he had a producer in studio to assist him (but only with the in-studio guests) Dennis did everything else. I also had a producer for the morning show(near the end) but never for the idiotshow.
To call Dennis a “Shock Jock” is an insult. Those bozos weren’t worthy to key his mic. Dennis was/is a true original who was able to walk into a studio and create compelling radio without (except for his scheduled guests) any plan, he just let it happen, very much like Dung.
I had the fortune of working with him for almost 3 years when I was at KFOX and he was across the hall on KSJO.  It was during that time we became friends. It took Clear Channel to come in and end his career (and mine) blow out our protector Dana Jang and destroy KSJO forever. Not only did they fire Dennis (without cause) but they also screwed him out of the money that was due him.
The saddest part of all this is that jocks today will never know the thrill of doing their own show.  I’ll spare everyone my inevitable rant on how ------ up radio is out of respect for my friend Dennis Erectus. Give him the recognition he deserves.

M. Dung

[BossRadioDJ]

I'd just like to add my two cents regarding my friend Dennis Erectus. If anyone deserves to be recognized for his contribution to bay area broadcasting it has to be Dennis.

M. Dung

You'll find Dennis Erectus listed on the online ballot now, just below M. Dung, who also deserves your serious consideration.

http://www.bayarearadio.org/hof/poll/

Considering that I'm such a huge fan of Dennis, you'd have thought I'd have made certain that his name would have been on there two years ago...

DJ

[blackhole]

Question: It used to be vote early and vote often....as many times as you like. Now it is saying you may vote only once?? Any reason why??

[BossRadioDJ]

Question: It used to be vote early and vote often....as many times as you like. Now it is saying you may vote only once?? Any reason why??

That's a great question, and I'm glad you asked.

[anotherlistener50]

I'm a newbie here. Name's John LaTorre, from Sacramento, California.

I'd like to see somebody nominate Laura Ellen Hopper, who (along with Jeremy Lansman and Lorenzo Milan) created the KFAT format, which exists to this day as KPIG radio after over thirty years. It exists largely because Laura Ellen kept the format alive at a succession of radio stations until it found a permanent home at the PIG.

I wrote an article back in the 80s about this transition period, and specifically how Laura Ellen took the FAT format to a little radio station in Hollister for a spell. The article can be found at:

http://midtown.net/dragonwing/KHIP.htm

if your nominating, i will second this.  i doubt very many people who read this board, get over the hill to give....k p i g ....a listen.  yeah i know its on an..a m ...channel in s f, but still i doubt there are very many listeners here.  if i am wrong, oh well.

 

Considering how often the name "KFAT" is preceded by the word "legendary," and how the station is still remembered with fondness (and, yes, imitation) after all these years, I'm surprised that the BARHOF has let this nomination slip by for so long.

--JLT

[BossRadioDJ]

> ...I'm surprised that the BARHOF has let this nomination slip by for so long.

Just a quick comment on this -- and I'm not directing it at John personally.

First of all, not one nomination has slipped by, and none "for so long." The Hall of Fame has been in existence for two years. If anyone has not been nominated or selected yet, it is not because I personally have an axe to grind, it's because this program could have and should have been started by someone -- ANYONE! -- twenty or thirty years ago.

Since Ben Fong-Torres mentioned the Hall of Fame balloting in last Sunday's "Radio Waves," I have been receiving a ton of messages, nearly all of which question my sanity for denying one or another deserving candidate his or her rightful place in BARHOF.

Consider the challenge here:

1: Everybody (everybody!!!) on the current list of nominees deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

2: There are more than 100 nominees on the current ballot. How many should get in this year? Ten? Twenty? Thirty?

3: Look at the list of nominees. How many of the names don't you recognize? How many do you think you recognize, put can't quite place? Now, guess what my job is in all this: to make sure that person's contribution to local broadcasting history isn't forgotten due to the passage of time. How many hours of each day do you think I'm on the phone trying to track down family members, or searching through old newspapers? That's my job.

4: I can give you a compelling argument for each and every person on the ballot. I can give you a compelling argument for another 25 or 30 that deserve to be on it. Realistically, how many names should be on the ballot? Should we increase it to 150 next year? 200? What is maximum density.

5: Every day, a member of the museum team comes up with another name of a person who worked in local radio from the 1900s through the 1950s that we hadn't known anything about. What are the criteria that elevates that person from "forgotten" to "Hall of Famer"?

6: Let's say you've worked in Bay Area radio, for example, since 1970. You've worked at a variety of jobs -- production, sales, management, etc. -- but you've never been a "star" on the air. You have run a radio station as a general manager, served as a program director, the people you work with love you, and you're respected -- revered! -- within the industry. But Joe Listener has no idea who you are. You deserve to be in the Hall of Fame ... but what are the criteria?

I'll save bullet points 7 through 23 for some other time.

DJ

[DeadAudicy]

the people you work with love you, and you're respected -- revered!

Hey, that's me!