Krasny, Sorkin in Hall of Fame’s class of ’17
The new inductees into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame (BARHOF) could be called the “What Took So Damned Long?” Gang. In its 12th year, the organizers revised the ballot and limited voting privileges to BARHOF members, while the public was invited to vote for recipients of the new Don Sherwood Award; one active and one “legend.”
The result: Michael Krasny, the highly respected host of “Forum” on KQED for 23 years, finally will get inducted (in the newly created talk category), while Richard Gossett of free-form radio fame and the late Dan Sorkin of KFRC and KSFO enter as program hosts. Sorkin is remembered as one of the great wits on local airwaves in the ’60s. Gossett was one of the defining voices on KSAN (“Jive 95”) in the ’70s.
Two newscasters are being enshrined: The award-winning KCBS reporter Doug Sovern and former KGO reporter Peter Cleaveland. In sports, Rich Walcoff, sports director and anchor on KGO, until he was let go in spring of 2016, will be honored. In the specialty category, Lee Jones, recently retired producer of Giants broadcasts on KNBR, is in. For the engineer slot, the Society of Broadcast Engineers tapped Dan Ethen, whose local career began at KLOK in 1970. BARHOF’s board members voted in the pioneer category and selected the late Mel Fritze, known as Tony Tremayne on KYA. And in the management division, the board chose Ron Fell, former KNBR program director.
As for the publicly voted Sherwood Awards, the “legend” honor goes to John Mack Flanagan, best remembered for his run on Top 40 giant KFRC. In the “active” category, the winner is Chris Jackson, of KUFX (“K-FOX”). Flanagan will be inducted in luncheon ceremonies in September, while Jackson’s honor, signaling him as “the most popular on-air personality in Bay Area radio,” does not include induction, according to BARHOF founder David F. Jackson.
I hope Chris gets a free lunch, at least.
Turn on, tune out: It’s all about the Summer of Love at the de Young Museum, whose lavish, stylish exhibition for the 50th anniversary of that long, hip summer continues through Aug. 20. But it wouldn’t be love without some contretemps, and that’s what Gilbert Klein has triggered.
Klein, an author and former talk show host on KFAT, the lovable free-form station out of Gilroy, writes a column for Computer Audiophile, and after visiting the de Young, he lashed out at the exhibition. His main gripe had to do with radio. It’s missing, he said. After detailing the history of free-form radio on KMPX and KSAN, and noting KMPX’s omnipresence in ’67, Klein asked, “Are you ready for this? I didn’t see one mention of KMPX in the exhibit. … No mention! Zip, zero, nothing, nada, none. Am I right, people? Are you angry? Well … disappointed? Damn right you are!”
But, according to Miriam Newcomer, the museum’s PR director, Klein is wrong — if not damn wrong. She pointed to three pieces of artwork in the exhibit. Two are about KMPX, including Larry Miller, who was spinning folk and rock music there before the arrival of Tom Donahue. And one is a concert-style poster for KSAN, produced by the iconic artists Rick Griffin and Alton Kelley. There are descriptions alongside, and in the exhibit catalog, Joel Selvin writes about KMPX, acknowledging both Miller and Donahue.
OK, that’s not exactly exhaustive coverage of radio. But, as Newcomer notes, “As an art museum, we look at historical movements through an aesthetic lens. … Our focus is specifically on the visual arts and aesthetics of the Summer of Love. … There are other fantastic exhibitions around San Francisco that address many additional aspects of the time.”
Informed of the museum’s response, Klein admitted that he was mistaken and, in fact, “embarrassed. … That was clearly my bad, but I looked. I was interested and passionate about KMPX.” He is not alone.
High praise: Noted music critic Greil Marcus writes: “I was sorry to hear that M. Dung died and glad you wrote about him. His ‘Breakfast with Elvis’ show is still my favorite Bay Area radio show ever.”
On Aug. 16, the 40th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, there’ll be a tribute show at the Make Out Room in the Mission, and your correspondent will be there, doing two classics, one involving a stuffed bear. Fiona Ma, of the Board of Equalization, will equalize “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and Elvis Herselvis (Leigh Crow) will rock it, with a band fronted by Hank Maninger, Les James and Mitch Polzak, the swingin’ mayor of Port Costa. Viva Port Costa!
On the beach: Sandy Stec of KIOI (“Star 101.3”) informed her online friends: “A man in Mexico walked up to me on the beach & asked if I wanted a massage with a ‘final feliz.’ Couldn't BELIEVE ‘happy ending’ was global!”
As for the publicly voted Sherwood Awards, the “legend” honor goes to John Mack Flanagan, best remembered for his run on Top 40 giant KFRC.