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KVAN 910AM had been owned by Sheldon Sackett since 1939.
"Country & Western" in the early 50's, K-VAN's mid-day DJ had been future country superstar, WILLIE NELSON.
Willie self-financed his first recording and sold it to KVAN
listeners. The single was "No Place For Me," backed with
"Lumberjack," written by fellow DJ Leon Payne.
KVAN began playing "rock'n'roll" in 1957. In 1958, Omaha's
DON W. BURDEN began romancing Sackett to buy K-VAN.
Sackett was amenable. However, he wasn't excited about
sharing the sale proceeds with his "ex-wife to be."
Burden struck a compromise. He would pay Sheldon's price,
if Sackett would accept his terms. The terms: $1 down, and
the remaining $579,999 in deferred payments. Visitors to Don
Burden's KISN office always noted a framed $1 bill with DWB's
signature scrawled across it.
Handbills proclaiming "Revolution Tomorrow" blanketed
Portland on Wednesday, April 29, 1959.
Beginning at 6AM April 30th, the only song played on KVAN
for 24 hours straight was Bobby John's "Teenage Bill Of
Rights," featuring the lyric "...there's gonna be a revolution."
Friday, May 1, 1959 at 6AM, KISN RADIO was born.
The first voice heard on 91derful was HAL RAYMOND!!!
Burden's National Program Director, BILL STEWART, named
CHRIS LANE Program Director. Hired as News Director was
JOHN DOE. KISN jocks also covered news shift for years.
LOREN HASSETT covered news 6PM-Midnight.
Here's the May 1, 1959 air schedule:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND
9-Noon CHRIS LANE (PD)
12-3PM DICK DRURY
3-7PM JIM TATE
7-9PM STEVE BROWN
9-Mid DICK DRURY (back to fill the shift)
12-6AM BILL JACKSON (a holdover from KVAN)
When KISN hit the air, promos and station elements were on
E.T. ("Electrical Transcription"), 16" heavy acetate records.
Note the "pops & clicks" and "surface noise" on the Drury
Promo. KISN soon received Portland's first cart machines.
Five weeks after launch, KISN began "fine-tuning." Chris Lane
and Dick Drury were out. DENNIS JAMES was hired 9AM-Noon.
Local boy TOM MURPHY was hired Noon-3PM, and WALLY
THORNTON added for 9PM-Midnight. The following Monday,
Murphy & Thornton's shifts were swapped.
Here's the KISN DJ lineup as of late June 1959:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND
9-Noon DENNIS JAMES
12-3PM WALLY THORNTON
3-7PM JIM TATE (Co-PD)
7-9PM STEVE BROWN (Co-PD)
9-Mid TOM MURPHY
12-6AM BILL JACKSON
Meanwhile, RED ROBINSON was "on a roll" at KGW 620AM. Red was hosting 2-6PM Monday-Friday on radio, then MCing
Channel 8's new PORTLAND BANDSTAND on Saturdays.
Thousands were mailing self-addressed stamped envelopes to join THE TEEN CANTEEN CLUB and listen to Red.
Just prior to the acquisition of KISN (KVAN), Don Burden had
closed on KYMR - Denver. KISN went to #1 in Portland within
30 days. By August, Jim Tate was transferred to Denver to help
transition KYMR to KICN!!!
The August 1959 KISN DJ lineup looked like this:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND
9-Noon DENNIS JAMES
12-3PM WALLY THORNTON
3-7PM MIKE WESTERN
7-9PM STEVE BROWN (PD)
9-Mid TOM MURPHY
12-6AM BILL JACKSON
Soon, Steve Brown returned to Omaha, where he became
Burden's new National Program Director. By September of
1959, KISN's jock lineup looked like this:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND (PD)
9-Noon DENNIS JAMES
12-3PM WALLY THORNTON
3-7PM MIKE WESTERN
7PM-Mid TOM MURPHY
12-6AM BILL JACKSON
Burden knew how to get attention. KISN Launched with a
Portland radio first, a $5,000 telephone contest. $5,000
was the annual income of many Portland households in '59!!!
Surveying a meltdown of the BUtler exchange in North
Portland, the phone company determined 1,200 callers an
hour...20 per minute...were jamming KISN's 3 phone lines!!!
"KISN Loves Portland" was the message heralded by
skywriters and airplane banners. The media community did
not buy that message. They considered Don Burden a brash
"outsider." They did not want to believe the ratings, so they
took a "show us again...and again" attitude.
The audience loved KISN. The revenue didn't start rolling in
until the typesetters at the Oregonian & Journal went on strike
in late '59!!! All that Newspaper advertising had to go
somewhere. Radio was a major beneficiary, and KISN in
particular. Then KISN started getting results for advertisers,
and there was no looking back!!!
By October, Dennis James exited for KLIF - Dallas. Here's
how KISN covered the change Oct. 12 - Nov. 6, 1959:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND (PD)
9-Noon WALLY THORNTON
12-3PM TOM MURPHY (Fill-in)
3-7PM MIKE WESTERN
7PM-Mid TOM MURPHY
12-6AM BILL JACKSON
Tom Murphy was the key to big ratings at night. The split
shifts were becoming a drag. Meanwhile, Bill Jackson was
lobbying heavily to get off the overnight shift, so this became
the KISN DJ schedule November 9 - 26, 1959:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND (PD)
9-Noon WALLY THORNTON
12-3PM BILL JACKSON (Fill-in)
3-7PM MIKE WESTERN
7PM-Mid TOM MURPHY
12-6AM BILL JACKSON
Don Burden calculated that Vancouver-licensed KISN needed
a strong Portland connection to dominate. Since acquisition,
Burden's engineer partner, Jerry West, had been maintaining
Vancouver studios AND the Smith Lake transmitter site. He
was also overseeing construction of Portland offices and
studios at 10 NW 10th (10th & W. Burnside).
Here was the KISN air schedule Friday, November 27, 1959:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND From Vancouver Studio
9-Noon WALLY THORNTON From Vancouver Studio
12-3PM TOM MURPHY From Vancouver Studio
3-7PM MIKE WESTERN From Transmitter Site
7PM-Mid TOM MURPHY From Transmitter Site
12-6AM BILL JACKSON From Transmitter Site
Chalk up another first for HAL RAYMOND!!! Saturday,
November 28, 1959 at 6AM...HAL was the first DJ ever to
Broadcast from the legendary KISN CORNER!!!
The KISN DJ lineup in December of 1959 was:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND (PD)
9-Noon WALLY THORNTON
12-3PM BILL JACKSON
3-7PM MIKE WESTERN
7PM-1AM TOM MURPHY
1-6AM RUSS RIPLEY
In retrospect, Bill Jackson probably wished he'd stayed
on the overnight shift. Once RUSS RIPLEY was hired
as overnight DJ/Engineer, there was no turning back.
By late December 1959, the KISN DJ schedule became:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND (PD)
9-Noon WALLY THORNTON
12-3PM JACK McCOY
3-7PM MIKE WESTERN
7PM-1AM TOM MURPHY
1-6AM RUSS RIPLEY
Jack McCoy hosted KISN's first year-end countdown of the
Top 91 New Year's Eve 1959. He pre-recorded "bits" with the
other KISN DJs, and even had some artist interviews. It
sounded like the whole crew was there LIVE for New Years!!!
Jack McCoy was gone by April, and KXL's AM Drive DJ,
BOB STEVENS, joined KISN for 9-Noon and to cover News for
Hal Raymond. Wally Thornton exited for Sacramento,
becoming Wally J. Beethoven. ED LEAHY became the new
overnight DJ. Ripley moved to 12-3pm.
Here's the KISN DJ lineup April - June 1960:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND (PD) "The Morning Mayor"
9-Noon BOB STEVENS "The Housewife's Helper"
12-3PM RUSS RIPLEY "Luncheon Munchin'"
3-7PM MIKE WESTERN "Car Tune Kid"
7PM-1AM TOM MURPHY "Tiger Tom Murphy"
1-6AM ED LEAHY "Nightwatch"
Leahy had been "MR. MOON," a kiddie show host on KOIN-TV.
Puppetry for the show was designed by BILL HOWLITT,
"Uncle Bill" on K-VAN. Benson High School student,
MIKE PHILLIPS, began working part time at KISN.
Since KISN already had a "Mike," he became M.J. PHILLIPS.
Phillips covered vacations for Murphy and Western, and
"sick days" for Ripley and Leahy.
Mike Western returned to Wyoming to host a TV show and do
radio. Ed Leahy didn't always make it to work. As PD,
Hal Raymond was amazed to find Tom Murphy still on-air
(concluding an 11 hour shift) on more than one occasion.
BEN DAWSON was added as the new overnight DJ/Chief
Engineer. BILL HOWLITT joined KISN to cover 6PM-Midnight
news. Howlitt and Murphy collaborated on many memorable
productions, including: Rupert & Hyacinth, coverage of the
West Amphoo 500, and Meet Your Neighbor.
By July 1960, this was the KISN DJ lineup:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND (PD)
9-Noon BOB STEVENS
12-3PM MIKE PHILLIPS
3-7PM JACK PAR
7PM-1AM TOM MURPHY
1-6AM BEN DAWSON
Tommy Facenda's "High School U.S.A." was a national hit as school began in September of 1960, & Portland High Schools were spotlighted in a KISN version. Soon, 91 began featuring
KISN High School Fight Songs
from Dallas jingle company, Pams. KISN was the station with "momentum" in the crucial teen category as the 60's began.
The only real "traction" KGW could gain in the Top 40 battle was with RED ROBINSON in PM Drive. KGW still programmed
NBC Monitor weekends, and DJs other than Red seemed better suited to the "Miiddle Of the Road" format. The final nail in KGW's Top 40 coffin was Red leaving for 6 month's active duty at Fort Ord, and his subsequent return to Vancouver, BC.
By November 1960, LES PARSONS joined KISN as Production Director. Parsons was a part of Burden's original Top 40 crew
at KWIK - Pocatello. Another KWIK alumni will arrive soon!!!
By early '61, longtime KISN Chief Engineer Byron Swanson
joined "91derful." He became better known to listeners as
JOHNNY DARK.
This DJ sked went into effect in early 1961:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND (PD) "The Morning Mayor"
9-Noon BOB STEVENS "The Housewife's Helper"
12-3PM MIKE PHILLIPS "Luncheon Munchin'"
3-7PM JACK PAR "Car Tune Kid"
7PM-1AM TOM MURPHY "Tiger Tom Murphy"
1-6AM JOHNNY DARK "Nightwatch"
Chris Lane, KISN's first PD was now programming Seattle's
KAYO. By late '61, he enticed Mike Phillips to join him.
KISN's Fall 1961 Jock lineup became:
6-9AM HAL RAYMOND (PD) "The Morning Mayor"
9-Noon BOB STEVENS "The Housewife's Helper"
12-3PM KEN CHASE "Luncheon Munchin'"
3-7PM JACK PAR "Car Tune Kid"
7PM-1AM TOM MURPHY "Tiger Tom Murphy"
1-6AM JOHNNY DARK "Nightwatch"
About 6 weeks later, HAL RAYMOND resigned to join Mike
Phillips and Chris Lane at KAYO - Seattle. Jack Par moved
to mornings. Les Parsons added Program Director duties to those of Production Director. JOHNNY WILLIAMS, a veteran of Burden's KICN - Denver, joined KISN for PM Drive.
Here's the KISN DJ lineup in late 1961:
6-9AM JACK PAR "The Morning Mayor"
9-Noon BOB STEVENS "The Housewife's Helper"
12-3PM KEN CHASE "Luncheon Munchin'"
3-7PM JOHNNY WILLIAMS "Car Tune Kid"
7PM-1AM TOM MURPHY "Tiger Tom Murphy"
1-6AM JOHNNY DARK "Nightwatch"
JOHNNY WILLIAMS joined KISN from sister-station KICN via
KIMN. Dennis James, who worked 9am-Noon at KISN June to October 1959, appears on the KICN promo one-sheet to the left. Can you spot the DJ, which will join the KISN roster in '62?
A mere 2 years after 91derful's move to the KISN Corner, the Burden crew unveiled another first for Portland:
The KISN CAROL TREE!!!
Heralded as an "electronic marvel," the KISN CAROL TREE's lights glimmered to the music and sounds of KISN. Red, Blue, and Green bulbs flashed in time with the music in specific
frequency ranges. Utilizing Color TV technology it became a market sensation to "watch KISN." It also helped penetrate a new "harder to reach" cume with its sheer uniqueness.
Meanwhile, Golden West Broadcasters (Gene Autry) was
awaiting FCC approval to takeover 50,000 watt KEX from
Westinghouse. Everyone knew it meant the end of Top 40
music on KEX. KISN began sloganing, "#1 in the Golden West."
Suddenly, a new competitor from across the Columbia river
Appeared. It was KKEY 1150AM...Mighty 1150 / KEY Radio!!!
KEY sounded great, but was a "daytimer," which meant they
had to sign-off from sundown to sunrise daily. Many top DJs
worked at KKEY during their career. Owner, Ralph Weagant,
produced an exciting sounding station.
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