October 1971 Bruce Chandler....... Moving Across Town

DJs since 1962 went back and forth between KFXM and K/men throughout the years. One of he most unusual situations was with Bruce Chandler going from K/men to KFXM. It was usually the other way around, but what was unusual was the way it happened.
In Bruce's own words, this is what happened. Here ya go, Doug...right from the radio-info board....love your blogsite by the way...I check into it a few times a month! As Elvis would say: "Memories.......pressed between the pages of the internet...." or something to that effect. Best....Bruce

Hey, y'all....just happened to stumble upon this....BC here...no extenuating circumstances with me moving from K/men to KFXM.


One night in 1971, after getting off the air at K/men and after KFXM whipped us in the "Pulse" again, I figured that there was no future at K/men. I wasn't crazy about the direction the station was going. I thought "Hey, why not go across the street??" To make a long story fairly short, KFXM had hired an afternoon drive guy named "Jay Milla" who just didn't SHOW UP for his first show!!!! The opening was still available.


I drove to KFXM and met with Al Anthony and Doug Collins. Al said he'd listen to me that night on K/men as kind of an "on air" audition (I was on 6-9pm) and then he'd get back to me. Well, I passed the test and was summoned down to the Holiday Inn the next day and hired.
My last night on K/men was a Friday night in the fall of '71...and my first afternoon on KFXM was the following Monday 2-6pm. KFXM was already promoting me on the air while I hadn't even signed off on K/men.


I gave very little notice; in fact, NO notice. I was EXTREMELY fortunate to have been looking for a job. The current K/men PD at the time just happened to inform me that I was going to be on the outside looking in as part of a big change at K/men that was due to happen on about the same day I said I was leaving!!


The San Bernardino Sun-Telegram ran a story that I was the first DJ to go from K/men to KFXM. I never lost a rating in the 2 years I was at KFXM. Afternoons got a 23 share my first "book" and K/men had a 13. The next book, KFXM had a 22 in the afternoon and K/men had a 10. By the way, the K/men PD was let go on the day I debuted on KFXM (that Monday...) Ah, radio!!!



For the week ending October 21, 1971 take a look at the lineup. Others left when Bruce Chandler left. After this week only Mark Ford, Dusty Morgan and Bill McKinney would remain on the roster.

Now for the week of October 22, 1971. Al Anthony spent no time promoting Bruce Chandler.

Looking at the two surveys, it looks like he was on both stations at once. Mighty fast trip between stations.

Bruce stated that Sun-Telegram reported he was the first to go from K/men to KFXM....but there was another jock in 1965 who had a similar experience. The difference is he started at KFXM (June 1961-Sept 1963) worked at K/men Middle of 1965 for about 6-7 months,

and then back to KFXM early 1966 for about 6-7 months.. Anyone with a guess, or who actually knows?