Sunday, January 11, 2009

Jones Boys-KFXM Stike

What's it about Jones Boys?
Someone had a question about the KFXM strike, where The Jones Boys replaced the DJs who went on strike.
I received this from Mike in Oregan (who discovered this in an old Volkswagon), and a copy from Johnny Helm, regarding the strike and wages.
Click on it to enlarge.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

KFXM really only wanted to pay the jocks $400/mo ($2.45 per hour) in 1968? According to the flyer, this was the offer to AFTRA...what were they paying before the AFTRA vote? What did KMEN pay at this time versus KFXM? Johnny Helm ought to know since he worked for both in this era..

In 1975 I only made $700/mo at KFXM to do 6-midnight.

Weekends actually paid better in 1975 ay KFXM. They paid weekenders $5/hour as "contract talent" or some such with no taxes taken out.

Probably cost the station less to pay this $5 hour though since they were paying no benefits on that pay.

Pretty pathetic pay though for KFXM. I made as much doing 6-10PM at KSOM afterI left KFXM. And they probably billed less than 10% of what KFXM was taking in..

It was another few years before KFXM bumped up wages for the average jock to $1000/mo.

Anonymous said...

When the strike hit I was doing Midnight to 6am for $530 a month. I know the day jocks were getting more, but I don't know how much. The station's offer was a lot less than anyone was making before the strike. I can't remember how much AFTRA was asking for. It is rather interesting that this piece of paper survived for over 40 years in an old VW in oregon ! Jonny Bruce

Anonymous said...

When I left KFXM I was making a measly $450 a month. I received $650 at K/MEN.

Anonymous said...

When I was talking to one of the KMEN jocks in 1968 he told me that all of them were making at least $800 monthly (gross) at the time.

John from Fontana (back then)

Anonymous said...

“It is rather interesting that this piece of paper survived for over 40 years in an old VW in oregon ! Jonny Bruce”

No one was more surprised to find them than me. There were about 10 them in various states of decomposition behind the paneling I was restoring with my son. I was in high school and I was “recruited” by “informational boycotters” in front of Crest Chevrolet the night after the strike started. I remember handing these out at a music store on Highland, a KFC in Del Rosa, a motorcycle store in Riverside (where me and a friend of mine got our asses kicked by the mechanics), and Inland Motors in Redlands. We really liked Inland Motors the best because we found out there was a whorehouse upstairs above a bar called “Fathers Also”, and the girls who worked there would bring us food. I remember going to the second floor of a motel up the street from the Holiday Inn and getting our assignments and getting paid in cash from the AFTRA agent. I also remember some of us getting “herbed up” on payday in the back of the same VW van where the papers were found. It was a lot of fun until the ass-kicking. That’s when I quit.

Anonymous said...

Now this is getting even more interesting...From what Jonny Bruce & Johnny Helm said, KFXM was really trying to stick it to the jocks who voted for AFTRA, and were offering LESS to union jocks than they had been getting BEFORE AFTRA representation...

Since KFXM was NOT an AFTRA station in 1975, I assume that when the "Jones Boys" were gone, so was AFTRA?

Big difference between KMEN and KFXM pay in 1968-era...did KMEN just believe in not paying their jocks Howard Tullis-wages?

Looks like, from the flyer, that Howard considered his DJs to be worth less than "unskilled day laborers"....

Attention teenagers: Attend our broadcasting school, and after a few years of experience, you too can be a large market broadcaster and earn 2/3 as much as an unskilled day laborer..

Anonymous said...

I recall the Strike was over
by mid Spring 1969. It fizzled
out. AFTRA gave up.
Some of the Strike jocks came
back. Others not wanted by
T&H.
I think J Bruce, J Conniff,
Don McCoy returned.
I don't think Don McCoy spent
a day on the picket line.
JB can verify that.
It was cold on the street and
big January rains didn't help.
The river nearby was about
to overflow. The tall Howard
Johnsons sign at the hotel
nearby fell onto the river.
It was that rainy that January.

Love to get more input from
others on the Line out there.
Tidbits would be fun reading.
Like: Who bombed the transmitter.
Putting up a picture of a family
member from management on the
entry driveway so it would
be run over. Oh, tell us more.

Anonymous said...

Yes please, more KFXM Strike stories!

Anonymous said...

Yes, I along with Don McCoy and Charlie Walters returned. Don was not on the pickit line but sat the strike out at home. KFXM never became an AFTRA station. My pay was the same when I returned as when I walked out and never increased. However, KRNO 1240, KCKC 1350 and KCAL 1410 all signed with AFTRA as a result of the strike. The union was eventually voted out of those stations after a few years.The Santa Ana river was wide during the strike. I remember it well as we did have fun times out there. The strike benefit pay came out to the net of I was making while working at KFXM ! Oh, by the way I recall Jim Conniff had an old VW Van at the time. The guy who burnt the transmitter building has passed away. Jonny Bruce

Anonymous said...

I remember getting our assignment to go to KFC in Redlands. We got wasted in the parking lot of the High School across the street and then had to spend the next 4 hours, with an incredible case of the munchies, smelling the chicken being cooked, which really smelled good. I remember the manager having a snit and yelling at us, and all we did was stand there and giggle at him, which made him even madder. I think Don was the only no vote, but I could be wrong. Great times.

Anonymous said...

Johnny Helm - don't want to change the direction of these posts, but had a question for you, if you're still looking here...

If you'd like a copy of the Johnny Helm jock jingle from KFXM, get my e-mail from Bill Earl..

It's "KFXM, 59, Johnny Helm" but the 59 easily comes out...These are from the Gwynnsound jock jingles KFXM had made about 1967..