Brian Lord with a heads up on…Longtime country KMPS Seattle MD/air personality Tony Thomas, who left the station at the beginning of the year, has joined the air staff at Dial Global’s “Country Today” format for afternoons. “Country Today” services 85 affiliates. Thomas had been with KMPS since 1989, hosting middays since June 2010, and previously in afternoons. He will remain based in Seattle, where he will work from Dial Global’s brand new Storq studios. He reports to PD Melody Morgan.

RADIO-INFO reports: New manager Jackson Dell Weaver leads the flip at the Kerry family-owned KGY-FM from “Cool Classics and Hot Hits.” He was announced two weeks ago as the commuting GM for classic hits KGY-FM plus full service-soft AC KGY (1240). He’s responsible for the Kerry stations in Olympia along with his job running the Ohana Media Group stations in Astoria-Seaside, Oregon. KGY Operations Manager Kevin Huffer says “The recent demise of another country station that is now doing sports led us to conclude there was a huge hole in this market. There are more than a million people in the South Sound who will now have their own country station, with information and personalities relevant to their home towns.” Music programming will be handled by Ken Moultrie of The New Broadcast Partners. The new “South Sound Country” invites listeners to offer idaes and suggestions for the station via social media. The website for “South Sound Country” is here

AIR STAFF updates: TIM SHOOK – check out this article Tim wrote regarding KNHC

Gil Henry, host of “KING’s Open House,” interviews Mrs. Kenneth Blair at IGA Foodliner in Northgate during a February 1952 daily broadcast. Standing between Henry and Mrs. Blair is Mrs. William Johnston, with son, Marc, 3. The area that was the grocery store is now part of the Northgate food court. Photo: P-I File / SL

GIL HENRY – From the 1949 issue of Broadcasting Yearbook:
Gil Henry was listed as Program Director of KVOG, Ogden, UT

From the Jan 17, 1955 issue of Broadcasting:
Gil Henry, disc m.c., KING Seattle, appointed
editor and manager, Magazine Seattle, monthly
guide for visitors and residents of Greater
Seattle.

From Oct 8, 1956 issue of Broadcasting:
Regal Amber Brewing Co., S. F., starting
sponsorship today (Mon.) of The Regal
Record Room with Gil Henry as host on 15
stations of Columbia Pacific Radio Network,
9-9:30 p.m. PST

From Nov. 30, 1959 issue of Broadcasting:
GIL HENRY moves from K J R Seattle
to KOMO, that city, as air personality.

From the Oct 14, 1963 issue of Broadcasting Magazine:
Gil Henry, former program director
of KJR Seattle, joins KHOW Denver as
air personality-program director.

From July 5, 1965 issue of Broadcasting:
Gil Henry, producer at KHOW Denver,
named producer at KLAC Los Angeles.

From the October 11, 1965 issue of Broadcasting: PRIVATE LINE, a talk show to replace Joe Pyne on KLAC – another
telephone-talk program, but of a quite different kind than that conducted by Mr. Pyne. “I want a program that will be helpful instead of controversial,” Mr. Thayer [KLAC GM] stated. “Here’s an area of seven million people, most of them relative newcomers, many of them lonesome, and the late evening hours can be the lonesomest of all. That’s when, all
alone, one worries about family relationships, social relationships, business relationships. Everyone has guilt feelings; everyone wants to be accepted.” Host of Private Line is Gil Henry, formerly an air personality at KNX
Los Angeles and since July executive producer of the Lohman and Barkley Show. The program deals with the personal problems of Southern California listeners, who will be invited to relate their experiences to Mr. Henry.

—-1964 KHOW was purchased by Trigg-Vaughn of Dallas and sent Hal Davis in as General Manager. Davis promoted “The 16th and Broadway Boys”, a group made up of Vince Paul, Bill King, Roy Gunderson, Kay Childers, Jack Fitzpatrick and Gil Henry. Ken Lange was appointed Vice President and General Manager of KTLN.

Here what was said about Gil Henry in 1968:

. . . so long, forever . . .

It’s the last day of February, 1968, and Lohman and Barkley correct a widely-held belief that KFWB is changing to an All-News format on March 1st. In fact, the format changed on Saturday, March 8.

L&B seem quite relaxed and are having fun in the last days of their KFWB show. You’ll even hear a reference to Gil Henry, their former KLAC producer. Mrs. Dickie Bansback and Ted J. Baloney are featured in a duet. Newsman Ben Chandler confirms that L&B are still “authoritative and convincing”, and Joe Yocam makes a cameo appearance.

More on Gil on LA radio gigs:

Henry, Gil: KNX, 1955-59; KLAC, 1965-69; KGBS, 1972-73. Unknown

***
1998, LARadio.com – KZLA adds a new Los Angeles Radio People to the ranks of program director. Bill Fink, who joined the Country station as apd/md shortly after John Sebastian took over the programming chores, takes over immediately. In the 1980s Bill worked in a national satellite position in Seattle and in 1990 was programming Country KRPM-Seattle. In 1993 he moved to “Thunder 104.1″ in Minneapolis. His press release said of his Minneapolis stay: “Despite highly restrictive budgets and nearly no marketing money, ‘Thunder 104.1,’ roared out of the box to a five-share audience in less than six months.” It’ll be interesting to see what Bill does with a budget and marketing money. During the past couple of years, KZLA has spent millions marketing the station.
***

Lou:

I, too am listening to the new KISN online. As a kid there were regular trips down 99/I-5 to Portland. My grandmother lived in NW Portland. In fact a few blocks off Burnside. As a result we traveled through Portland past the KISN corner. I remember the first time I saw the KISN window. I think it was at night. Studio lights shining out on the street, the big KISN lighted sign on the corner. I must have been mesmerized. The jock was right there. Unlike KJR and KOL hidden away in the industrial part of town, KISN made themselves highly visible. Back then, I thought KJR and KISN had to be sister stations. Of course, KJR was linked with KXL then.

At the helm was Don Burdon, a master promoter. The station was out there. High profile air talent, incredible presence in the city. When we think of everything Pat O’Day did at KJR, building a huge audience, having a big hand in rock concerts, Don and KISN as you may know were the same force in Portland. So the question came to mind, who was the biggest NW radio promoter? (Only guys like you and I would even think of this.) Pat or Don? Well I was talking with a guy who gave me his answer one day even without me asking. His name was Sam Lee and he worked for both. His opinion was…. Don Burdon was the better promoter. Perhaps debatable, but I it was fascinating to hear from someone who was a part of two influential radio stations.

Phil

Pat O’Day, Dick Curtis, Burdon — anyone care to opine?