TheBuzz
TheBuzz
‘Who-da-author’ pens
new book on ruling radioKaneohe resident and former Honolulu morning radio man Ron "Whodaguy" Jacobs' new book has been released, to the delight of throngs of colleagues who have encouraged him to write it.
Published by Zapoleon Media Strategies in Texas, it's titled "KHJ: Inside Boss Radio," and it chronicles the meteoric six-month turnaround in the mid-1960s of legendary LA-area station from worst to first. Jacobs was the wunderkind 27-year old program director credited industrywide for that success and many others.
As a teenager, "I was a Boss Radio fanatic. I listened to it every minute I could," said Publisher Guy Zapoleon, now a consultant to stations around the world. He credits the 1960s-era reign of KHJ over the Los Angeles radio market for getting him into the business.
The book contains interviews with and recollections of DJs-turned-radio-gods "The Real" Don Steele and Robert W. Morgan, both deceased. It also features a collection of memos Jacobs wrote as he orchestrated the station to dominance in the market through branding, creativity, having fun and staying ahead of tough competition. Some are excerpted on the publisher's Web site at www.zapoleon.com -- the only source for the $93 book.
Industry publication Radio & Records has endorsed it as a "gold mine for anyone interested in radio history," but it may have a wider audience among businesses struggling to overcome a big dog competitor.
Locally, Cox Radio Hawaii programming consultant Kimo Akane awaits arrival of his copy. "(Jacobs) is the father of modern day radio programming," he said.
Luminous names tout Jacobs' programming prowess at the Zapoleon site. For instance the words from Hollywood producer Dick Clark: "Ron Jacobs was one of the '60s radio pioneers. Boss Radio was HUGE! Ron was like the 'Wizard of Oz' behind the curtain. He made it happen."
Among his credits Jacobs produced a 48-hour program titled, "The History of Rock and Roll," and coined the term "rockumentary" to describe it; he was a co-creator of "American Top 40," a radio countdown show hosted by Casey Kasem which aired around the world for some 25 years.
He got into radio in Hawaii as a teenager in the late 1950s when the KPOI AM "Poi Boys" ruled the airwaves. He returned to Hawaii in the mid-1970s as the morning man on KKUA AM (now KQMQ AM); he's also ruled the roosts at the old KDEO AM, KGU AM and more recently at KCCN AM.
Times have changed and while stations still compete within a market, the real radio battles are now waged between publicly traded corporations owning hundreds of stations and corollary businesses.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com