Highsmith Broadcasting later purchased KXA 770 AM Seattle, changing those call letters to KRPM. The 770 call letters underwent several changes thereafter and several changes in ownership. Around the same time, Highsmith Broadcasting purchased KLHT(AM)-KREM(FM) Spokane, from King Broadcasting, for $1.2 million. KRPM FM, 106.1 — now KBKS “KISS FM”
1984
Clay Hungtington has operated stations KFHA-Lakewood, KLAY FM Tacoma, KQLA-Lakewood and now KLAY 1180-Lakewood, serving the Tacoma and South Sound area for well over 50 years. [pictured: Clay Huntington, voice of Tacoma Tigers baseball 1946-1951;] Huntington’s early sports broadcast career includes stints at KTBI, KTNT and KMO radio stations and both KTVW and KTNT television. All of this, as well as sports broadcasts on a 14-station network that covered Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. His vast record of community involvement includes helping to fund the construction of Cheney Stadium in 1960 and bring Triple A baseball back to Tacoma.
KLAY 106.1 FM was the first STEREO FM station in the Puget Sound region. At that time, KLAY FM was a Beautiful Music station. Ahhh…the sounds of Mantovani, Enoch Light and Richard Claydermann. Beautiful music orchestrations, programmed as background music, pleasant, relaxing and suitable for the office, home or in the car. Listeners stayed with KLAY FM for hours each day at work and at home. This format was relaxing and almost hypnotic when programmed right.
Competition for this format grew during the 60s and early 70s, with several stations adopting the format for some period. Over time there was KEZX, KBRD, KSEA, KIXI and KBIQ. Oceans of Beautiful Music emanated from some great Puget Sound area radio channels.
KLAY FM switched to a very different sound in the latter part of the 60s, Progressive Rock. Again, the station performed well and many people still recall that era and the DJs of KLAY. For example, Steve Slaton, who went on to a career at Album Rock stations in Seattle.
The FM was sold in the early 80s and became KRPM FM [now KBKS]. Clay Huntington continues to operate the AM, located in Lakewood at 1180 AM. He is still at the helm each day as 1180 KLAY broadcasts a talk radio format. Featured are many local hosts, such as well known civic leader Mike Lonergan and longtime horse racing expert and broadcaster, Vic Cozzetti, known as Victor the Predictor.
[Original KTNT TV facility - 11th & Grant Street - Tacoma] NOTES on two KTNT TV staffers and their other career highlights:
Charlie Burd began his career as morning man at KMO when it was the Country Giant. His radio career also took him to: KBRO in Bremerton [news], announcer at KTAC-AM/KBRD-FM, announcer at KEZX Seattle. Later, Burd was Ranger Charlie on Channel 11 and was also their station booth announcer. I worked with Charlie at Country KRPM FM in 80s when the studios were located in downtown Tacoma at 9th & Pacific Ave. Burd’s last job was as the overnight DJ at KMAS in Shelton, January 1998 to April 2000.
[Pictured on right: The KTNT facilities remodeled, recently the home of Verizon Communications.]
Another KTNT alumni–Leland “Lee” Knudsen – A familiar voice to radio and television listeners in the Puget Sound area from the 1950s until his retirement in 1986. His earlier radio career included: classical KISW-FM Seattle, MOR KTAC-AM Tacoma, classical KXA-AM Seattle, newscaster/Program Director KTW-AM, announcer KING AM & FM, jazz show host at KBVU Bellevue, and KTAC AM & FM again 1967. Knudsen was TV booth and news announcer at KTNT-TV and later KSTW (Channel 11), Tacoma. At KSTW, he was the announcer that introduced the afternoon movie each day. He retired in 1986.
As stations are bought and sold, many of the great call letter combinations are replaced with what might best represent the new on-air product, or so most new owners believe. Actually, we have lost most of the three-letter call signs due to this misguided theory. You can’t get those call signs back.
The four letter call signs come and go. These end up in other markets occasionally. Looking back at the list of Seattle area stations that have changed formats and ownership over the last 50 years, here is a sampling of those changes.
“Where Have All The Good Songs Gone?” KUUU – the oldies station in Seattle at 1590, once had the KSND call letters. Now, both sets of call letters are gone, as are those that followed at the 1590 position, KJET. KSND is the call sign now at a regional Mexican station in Monmouth, OR. KUUU, also known as U92, is a Rhythmic Top 40 radio station broadcasting to the Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, Utah areas. KJET call letters are used on 105.7 FM in Aberdeen, WA., these days.
The old progressive rocker in Seattle, KZAM, disappeared years ago. Those call letters were last seen at an FM country station in Ganado, TX.
KRPM Tacoma, played country music at 106.1, where KBKS FM now blasts out Hip Hop.
The KRPM sign now hangs at the New Magic 107.5 in Billings, MT.. a soft rock station.
Long ago, stereo debuted in the Pacific Northwest at 106.1 on KLAY, with the music of Mantovani and 101 Strings. KLAY can be heard at 1180 AM, from studios in Lakewood, WA., with mostly talk show and barter programming.
Like KJET and KLAY, many of the call signs are snatched up by local broadcasters for stations in nearby communities. KBRD FM in Tacoma was a Beautiful Music station, similar to the old KLAY format of the early 60s. When Entercom brought the Mountain format to that FM frequency, the call letters changed to KMTT. The KBRD call letters ended up down the road in Lacey, WA on an AM station that programmed Big Band music. The station streams on the Internet and plays an eclectic mix of jazz, Big Band and Swing music from the WWII era.
There is a slew of old Tacoma call letters on the eastside of Washington these days.
Thomas Read snagged KTBI, KTAC, KTW (once 1250 in Seattle) KGDN (remember that at 630 in Seattle) and a few of the old call signs from Eastern Washington that were shucked off in station sales or format changes, KSPO (good one!) and KYAK.
Sunday, February 5, 5:23 am
 Click the individual station links to find historical data regarding stations, personalities and formats at SeaTacRadio.com
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