If everything goes according to plan, “Shotgun”
Tom Kelly will be back on the airwaves by the time you read this. Kelly told me
Sunday afternoon that his doctors cleared him to return to the KRTH (101.1 FM)
afternoon airwaves on April 10.
Kelly has been off the air since early last
month when he went in for a routine physical. He mentioned to his doctors that
he felt pressure in his chest; after their diagnosis, what was first going to be
a relatively simple angioplasty turned into a quadruple heart bypass surgery on
March 8.
By the following Monday, he sent a text to his
friends including a photo taken in his hospital room, and he’s been itching to
get back on the air ever since.
Kelly has been one of my favorite DJs since I
first heard him on KCBQ/San Diego (1170 AM) in the 1970s. He and his wife,
Linda, still live in “America’s Finest City,” as they called it back then, on
weekends; he commutes to Los Angeles where he stays during the week for his show
on KRTH.
I once asked him why he doesn’t just voice-track
his show from San Diego instead of putting in the long drive and time away from
his family. “(Then programmer) Jhani Kaye insists that any DJ that works for
KRTH actually broadcast from the KRTH studios,” he told me. But I knew there was
more. “It wouldn’t be right to short-change my listeners,” he later
explained.
I know he reads this column, so let me just say,
“Welcome back, Shotgun. We missed you.”
Down on the Corner
KNX (1070 AM) is once again hitting the streets,
this time taking the microphones to the historic Fairfax district and the
surrounding areas on Friday, April 25th with another edition of “KNX On Your
Corner.”
The usual suspects are involved, this time
broadcasting from the great Canter’s Deli at 419 North Fairfax Avenue, Los
Angeles. Dick Helton and Vicki Moore start the day at 5 am, broadcasting live
until 9:00. It’s back to the studios until 1 pm when Frank Mottek does the
Business Hour from Canter’s counters. Then it’s Diane Thompson and Chris Sedens
reporting the news from 2-7.
The day’s programming and roundtable discussions
form area leaders will also feature Hancock Park, Beverly Grove and
Mid-Wilshire, which includes the Miracle Mile, in which the KNX studios are
located. The Fairfax District itself encompasses Farmer’s Market, The Grove, CBS
Television City and Pan-Pacific Park.
In my opinion, it would be worth it just for the
Canter’s Deli food. Just sayin’...
Hawaiian Music
Glen Cheslock of Tarzana has an interesting
question: “Many years ago (1964?) I used to listen to a broadcast late on Sunday
evenings. It was music from the Islands. Very soothing and enjoyable. Is that
music broadcast locally anymore?”
My instinct says no, but I thought I’d ask you
if you happen to know of any station running such programming. If you do, drop
me a line and I’ll send the information to Glen.
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