Stars and guitars at Hall of Fame induction
Mike Sugerman flew in from New York to induct Doug
Sovern, Michael Krasny told his future boss what would be on his tombstone, John Mack
Flanagan feared that he might have to be removed on a stretcher, and the ceremonies opened and closed with guitar licks.
And that’s how the 12th Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame inductions went on Sept. 23 at the Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco. Eleven broadcasters entered the BARHOF, while Chris Jackson, morning DJ on KUFX (“KFox”), was honored, but not inducted, for winning the Don
Sherwood Award / Active, as the most popular local radio personality. He closed the proceedings by strumming the opening chords of a song for the audience to name. It was “Smoke on the Water.”
Sugerman, a bandmate of Sovern’s in the Eyewitness Blues Band, opened the program on guitar, doing a few customized lines about his pal’s “Sovern nation” and how he “makes politics interesting without need of libations.”
Sovern told about creating a “pretend” radio station as a kid in New York, writing and performing the music, reading the news and conducting man-onthe-street interviews, playing all the parts himself. “I was doing fake news long before it was popular.”
Like Sovern, Rich Walcoff, the former KGO sports director, fantasized about broadcasting. As a kid in Long Island, he’d tune into Yankees baseball games on TV, turn down the sound and do his own play-byplay. “What a weird thing that was,” he marveled.
Even before the inductions, there were entertaining moments for the audience of almost 200. A newscast with stories and trivia from 1933 was delivered by Jim Vargas and
Fred Krock, who, at one point, pronounced “cannabis” as “can-NAH-bus.” Clearly not a vaper.
Emceed with warmth by former KGO anchor Rosie
Allen, the program came in at just over two hours. Only a few speakers went past the time’sup sound effects, and perhaps the most appreciated guest was
Beverley Wilshire, who introduced fellow former DJ
Richard Gossett in 40 seconds, while most other intros and acceptances ran upward of five minutes.
Gossett, a popular voice on KSAN in its free-form prime, told about stumbling into radio by way of a roommate who was dating Tony Bigg ,aDJonTop 40 KYA. After visiting the studios, he got interested in radio, worked a low-level job or two, and wound up on KSAN, where he eventually replaced Bigg — beyond early 2017.
He professed his love for the Bay Area and concluded, “With the grace of God, I’m standing here, but not by much! They may have to carry me out on a stretcher.” But, with support from his presenter, Brian
Rhea, he made it back to his table with no problem.
Lee Jones, the KNBR producer who became a familiar name to listeners of Giants broadcasts, was introduced by KNBR programmer Lee Hammer, who noted that since Jones’ retirement last year, “the Giants have the worst season in their history.” Broadcast Legends president
Peter Cleaveland (himself an inductee in the News category) credited the recently deceased
Heber Smith as the KNBR GM who put the morning team of
Frank Dill and Mike Cleary together. But, introducing Ron
Fell, enshrined in the Management slot, Rosie Allen firmly stated that it was Fell, former PD at KNBR, who paired Cleary with Dill, to great success. We will get to the bottom of this.
Dan Ethen, enshrined in the Engineer category, began, “It’s been 51 years since my last induction — to Vietnam!”
The late Mel Fritze (“Tony Tremayne” on Top 40 KYA in the ’60s), was introduced by daughter Linda Fritze Walther, who noted that one highlight of his career was being called “Dahling” by interview subject Zsa Zsa Gabor.
Another posthumous induction was that of Dan Sorkin, who, as noted by presenter
David F. Jackson, founder of the BARHOF, consistently refused to talk about his radio career, at KFRC and KSFO. Said Jackson: “I know that if Dan Sorkin were here to accept this honor, there’d be no way he’d be here to accept this honor.” Sure enough, he wasn’t.