Local Radio Savant Joe Riddle Back On The Airwaves At KRVT 1270 AM

[Bob Oshea]

  Genius programmer and radio savant Joe Riddle, known as much for his quick wit both on and off the air as his programming brilliance, is back on the air rockin' the audience the right way with music from the 60's and 70's as of 11 o'clock this morning on KRVT 1270 AM.  Each day from 11AM to 2PM, Joe will be playing the songs the boomer generation grew up with.  His first four songs on the inaugural program were 'Day After Day' by Badfinger, 'Take It To The Limit' by the Eagles, 'Brandy' by The Looking Glass and 'Lady, Willpower' by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.  Joe is the legendary programmer who, along with Paul Langston and other great talents such as Bo Chase, Dan Kelly and Rick Alan West, made KOOL 106.1 what industry leaders called one of the top 4 'Oldies" stations in the nation when it flew the flag of Federated Media.  If you're a big fan of the "Noontime, Swingtime Show", not to worry.  That show will return to the airwaves on KLZI 1570 AM in two weeks.  I know you join me in welcoming back this walking history book of great radio to the Tulsa airwaves.

Good Luck Joe,
Bob O'Shea   

[Radiogre]

Glad to hear that Joe is back on the air! He's not just a great talent, he's a nice guy to work with.

[Matt Bradley]

You gotta love Joe! He hired me when I was just 18 to do weekend overnights on KOOL at Federated, before the dark times, before the empire. He'd hotline me in the middle of the night and ask me what the hell I was doing wrong. I'd start rattling off excuses. Years later he told me that anytime he got up at night to take a leak that he'd call and do that and that every time the overnight guy would reveal everything he did wrong! hahaha!

One of my favorite moments with Joe was one night Dan "The Hit Man" Kelly was filling in for Johnny Dark. Instead of Dan being Dan he was acting like he was Johnny Dark! The stories Dan told on the air had us in stitches! He talked about getting high with John Lennon and having Michael Jackson shine his shoes and the list went on. Joe and I sat in the car with tears coming down our faces and Joe turned to me at one point and said he'd have to have a talk with Dan the next day about this break of format but he wasn't about to make him stop now. That was a night I wish I had on tape!

[JournalGuy]

What happened to Dan Kelly?   Wasn't he a PD here in Tulsa back in the 90s? 

[billyg]

Can I get an aircheck of KRVT from anyone? I'd like to hear what they sound like. Thanks!

[NightAire]

I'm so glad to hear Joe doing rock music again!  He handles most anything well, but 60s / 70s is where I think he can really let his hair down and shine.

Keep those recorders rolling...  I predict legendary airchecks in the weeks to come!

(BTW, I agree with that comment that KRVT needs to stream their broadcast on the web; this station's too good to keep just to Green Country!)

P.S. - Does anybody else find it sadly ironic that multi-station owner Journal, with their 100,000 watt 99.5, has cut back to 0% local content, while a "puny" single-owner station (OK, he also owns a daytimer) "in Claremore" on AM is INCREASING their daily live local content?

Stan Tacker is on 6am - 11am, Joe Riddle is on 11am  - 2pm, and Gene Savage is on 4pm - 7pm (or until the ball game; the Cardinals tend to cut into his shift)...  all from right here in Tulsa.

Let's hear it for the "little" guy!!!   

[Matt Bradley]

What happened to Dan Kelly?   Wasn't he a PD here in Tulsa back in the 90s? 

I spoke with him at Rick Alan's funeral. He's hung up his headphones.

[Bob Oshea]

What happened to Dan Kelly?   Wasn't he a PD here in Tulsa back in the 90s? 

  Dan's doin' great.  I run in to him at funerals so I know he's healthy.  Once in a blue moon I'll give Dan a call just to see how he's feeling.  He's such a wonderful talent.  Dan did the BEST walk up I ever heard anywhere in 34 years in radio.  It was over the intro to Spencer Davis' "Gimme Some Lovin'" ('So Glad You Made It).  Man that cat could make the airwaves snap, crakle and pop.  Absolutely the best rock radio DJ I ever heard and that includes Landecker, Lujack, etc.  To answer your question more directly, Dan is just taking care of Dan at the moment.  We are all in a holding pattern right now in this business.

Live Wrong and Prosper,
O'Shea

[Radio55]

While reading these posts, it hit me. Too bad jocks are just about over in the radio business.

KRVT is a great station. It is a station programmed with radio in mind. No consultants, ratings be damned, just have fun, play some great music, and let's watch this little station grow and grow. Heck, he even has JINGLES!!!! 

Since Big Country went satellite, I've heard songs on there I haven't heard in ages. At least there's no one messing with the music anymore.