KFXM Top 30 Survey...Reborn, but Back to Basics

The new lineup on KFXM July 4, 1969 was Doug Collins 6-9am, Jonny Bruce 9-Noon, Don McCoy 12-3pm, Danny Dare 3-7pm, Bob B. Blue 7-midnight, Gary Evans Midnight- 6am. Also Dave McKay and Marvin Bradley (probably weekends)
This survey was a throwback to the 1964-1965 smaller two page edition.
But the survey was back. There is even a mention of the last Tiger Mag, earthquake edition, as an excuse for Ed GRrrrrr being away so he would not fall into the sea.
The first two returning surveys are presented here. The second brings back DJ pictures (The Jones Boys are gone, but at least two of them came back in their true identities) and the color Orange. I was happy at the time when the surveys returned, but I was hoping the Tiger Mag would return, but it never did.

KFXM The Last Tiger Mag...but not the end...

March 28, 1969 was the date the last Tiger Mag was published. It started in June 1965, and almost made 4 years. The last number one song Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In-Fifth Dimension. Another survey would not be published until July 4, 1969. But between this time KFXM published no Tiger Mag or any type of survey (three months).

KFXM had the Jones Boys since November 1968, because of the strike, but the Tiger Mags continued for 5 months, during the strike, so I don't know why they stopped printing it.

















KFXM Vol 6 NO. 13 March 28, 1969.........................................................................................

California Hotel California

I had mentioned before about Memorial Day Top Hit Lists. KOLA today revealed the number one of their top 400 was Hotel California by The Eagles. In honor of that here is a picture of the California Hotel on a postcard where KFXM had their studios over 40 years ago.

More K/MEN

From the June 3, 1967 K/MEN newspaper the weekly survey included in the center of the issue, plus the back page.

also a request for the DJs names and time slots pictured in the last post, so for everybody:

(Center) Robert E. Walker 6-9am///#5 Fred Kiml(that's how they spelled his name on KMEN) 9-Noon

#6 Johnny Darin12-3pm///#3 Dave McCormick 3-6pm/// (First) T. Michael Jordon 6-9pm

///#2 Bobby West 9-Mid/// Ron Christian Mid-6am

K/MEN Soundathon 300 the real thing!

Memorial Day weekend 1967. K/MEN had asked their listeners to send in their top ten favorite hits on a post card. They were then tabulated and played back #300 through #1 on Memorial Day weekend. I heard it from a pretty reliable source that they actually counted the votes and used that to make their list! After all, these were oldies and not on their current playlist.


Sound familiar? Oldies stations still do this today, and I mean today! (May 27, 2006) KRTH 101 in LA (top 500) and KOLA 99.9 (top 400) in San Bernardino are playing back the hits this weekend. They have done this for years. I know KOLA asked listeners to vote. After listening for a while you can tell voting did not count much for what made the top 400.

I actually believe when KRTH did their 4th of July Firecracker 300, they did count the votes. They were actually different every year. Currently, I just don't know.

This K/MEN Soundathon is dated week ending June 3, 1967 and similar to the one KHJ had done the prior year. #1 is Cherish by the Association, which was really a surprise to me when I heard it.

Nothing unsual in the top ten, except #8 Theme From A Summer Place by Percy Faith. Gloria-Them was #7 but that was a number one hit in San Bernardino/L.A. area in 1965. The highest rated 1950s hit was #31 Don't Be Cruel-Elvis Presley.

Some Local Hits such as #240 Who Killed The Ice Cream Man? by The Bush

Plenty of songs by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, with Frank Sinatra, The Monkees and even Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass represented. Most of the songs represented were from 1964, 1965 and 1966. Click on each page of the top 300, so you can actually read what made the survey!

KFXM Tiger Mag

The week of June 19-25, 1965 KFXM expanded their Top 40 to a four page newsletter. You see here the second issue Vol 1 Number 1 dated June 25, 1965. (Unfortunately I don't have Number 1)
The first two issues were on orange paper. After that it was white paper with orange highlights. KFXM also published the small survey at the same time until at least March 1966, so you could get a copy of each. The Tiger Mag was published weekly through March 1969.
Since the first mention of Tiger Radio on the surveys in July 1964, there was a big change in the jock lineup. The only holdovers from a year before were Jim Conniff and Barry Boyd. The new guys are Don Elliot, Al Anthony, Gene Gleeson and Ron "Buddy" Budnik.
Articles inside include a story on the Torquays, Jan & Dean, Ed GRrrrrr Sez... a local radio news column. Click on the pictures and read the articles!

1965 The K/MENTERTAINER Newspaper

In June 1965 both KMEN and KFXM expanded their surveys. The week ending June 18, 1965 the new K/Mentertainer came out with articles pictures ads and a survey. It replaced the smaller booklet.


The same week the KFXM Tiger Mag appeared, about half the size, similar format, but much better paper. Coming up next The KFXM Tiger Mag!

KMEN survey from last post

KMEN survey from previous post now enlargeable

KFXM Debuts New Survey and (finally!!) DJ Pictures

K/MEN was overtaking KFXM in being the top radio station in the Inland Empire. KFXM tried new DJs and more DJs. Now it was time for a new look. Tiger Radio and a top 40 survey with alittle more class, similar in size to th K/MENTERTAINER. I know KDEO in San Diego and KAFY in Bakersfield were also Tiger Radio. Anyone know who came first?

The pictures show the last old survey June 27, 1964 and a new survey for July 26-31, 1964. Just for fun, the same week K/mentertainer for week ending August 1, 1964 is pictured (in the next posting.)
Strange thing dept: House of the Rising Sun-Animals is #1 on K/MEN but nowhere to be found on the KFXM survey. It did debut the next week at #5 on KFXM, but had been on the KMEN survey two weeks before this. KFXM was a little behind on this one.

KFXM DJs Dave Fransen, Rhett Walker, Jim Huntley, Barry Boyd, Jim Conniff, Ric Anderson

KMEN DJs Huckleberry, Brian Lord, Ray Morgan, Mark Denis, Jim Mitchell, William F. Williams, Bill Watson

KFXMEN of the Inland Empire

Bill Earl has been throwing some good suggestions my way. (Check out "Boss" Cool Stuff at http://billearl.blogspot.com/) for info on other "Boss"radio stations. He has created the little logo I'm using for my "picture", a combo of KFXM tiger "Jocko" and K/MEN "Bernie" (is that right, or did I get his name wrong??) so this would be Tiger/Men or KFXMEN????? or KFX/MEN ? or KF X-MEN? Well that's my picture for right now.

Early K/MEN---by request

Two short timers as K/MEN were Don Baroda (July 1962) and Mark Ford (December 7, 1963-February 8, 1963). By the dates indicated by their pictures in the K/mentertainer.
This was the first of two Mark Fords on KMEN. (This one turned out to be Marv Howard)
Bill http://billearl.blogspot.com/ made a request for pictures (later revised) so today you get pictures of both.

New KFXM DJs Have Faces

In March 1962 K/MEN presnted a challenge to #1 KFXM. Listeners were changing the dial to 1290. One reason was because of the KMEN DJs. They gave their station personality, and you could identify them with their pictures on the weekly survey, where KFXM had no pictures, but just names. Ratings for KMEN shot up for KMEN and KFXM was no longer number 1. So KFXM decided to shake things up and bring in a new set of faces. In October of 1963 they actually published pictures of the new DJs. One a week for 5 weeks on the back of their surveys, with a picture and a bio of each. It wasn't until July 1964 where they changed their survey and published weekly pictures.






















This was during the period of time that KFXM had their Big Top 40. The aurvey with the big top. I'm not sure what that was all about. But it didn't seem to catch on.







Pictures are Lynn Bryson, Buzz Baxter, Bob Davis, Jerry Brooke and Larry Lujack (same Larry)

KFXM "Fabulous 59" & K/MEN-DOUS TEN Surveys

The radio station that played the top hits of the day, usually published a survey listing those hits, along with the names of the DJs and station's activity, with a few ads thrown in. KFXM and KMEN printed their surveys. What you see here is the way each started out. The earliest KFXM I have seen April 18-24, 1959 (anyone seen an earlier one?) and KMEN 1st survey March 30, 1962, the month KMEN came into existence.

The surveys included the listing of the top hits of the week. KFXM "Fabulous 59" and K/MEN-DOUS TEN.

The KFXM DJs were Lyle Kilgore, Gary Price, Ed "The Batman" Thomas, Ron Garner, Dale Ware, Cliff "Dimples" Cox. The number one song was Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home) by The Impalas.

The KMEN DJs Chuck Clemans, Donn Tyler, Andy West, Bill Watson, Brian Lord, DeanWebber, George Babcock, Jim Markham, Gary Price. The number one song was Johnny Angel by Shelley Fabares

Gary Price is the common factor in this two surveys.

To begin KFXM and K/MEN

Just a beginning. This will be about radio stations KFXM and KMEN in San Bernardino, California. Top40 radio of the 60's, 70's and even the 80's. More to come!

What you see here are radio station stickers from the 60's. More info and pictures to come.