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Welcome to SDRadio for Monday, March 24, 2008

THE MAN WHO LICENSED AM 1170 IN SAN DIEGO

By [2] David M. Leonard

The McKinnon name is easily recognizable in San Diego media. C. Dan McKinnon is the majority stockholder of McKinnon Broadcasting and is the former owner of KSON radio. His brother, Michael D. McKinnon is the minority stockholder of McKinnon Broadcasting and is the owner of Home and Garden Lifestyles Magazine. But this family dynasty in local media extends to World War II. At that time, San Diego had only two radio stations and one daily newspaper.

Their father, Clinton Dotson McKinnon, was described in Time Magazine as “a jockey-sized little fireball with unruly black hair and bounding energy.” He was immensely successful in journalism and in politics. He was a journalist and a newspaper owner who strung together several throwaway papers to form the Democrat-leaning San Diego Journal in 1944 to compete with the larger Republican-leaning San Diego Tribune. This was possible because the Roosevelt administration rationed newsprint to the Journal as a means to level the competition. It was the only daily newspaper started during World War II.

Among the Journal staff were columnist Neil Morgan and future Congressman Lionel Van Deerlin. By 1947, the San Diego Journal was well established and McKinnon received a commercial radio license to broadcast at 1170 kilocycles on the AM dial as (K) (S)an (D)iego (J)ournal, (KSDJ). But quickly, his career took a new turn in 1948.

Clinton McKinnon was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1948 to a seat that was the last to represent the entire county of San Diego. He sold the San Diego Journal and KSDJ upon his election to Congress and focused on water projects for San Diego. After two terms in office, his ambition led him to seek the US Senate. William Knowland was the incumbent, and in these days of cross-filing without party limitations, Knowland won the Republican and Democratic primaries for re-election. McKinnon remained active in politics as a delegate to the 1952 and 1956 Democratic conventions.

Click image to enlarge. By 1954, McKinnon was vice chairman of the state’s Democratic Central Committee when he acquired the Los Angeles Daily News. In 1956, McKinnon acquired KVOA TV and radio in Tucson, but sold the radio station in 1958. Later, he would publish the La Jolla Light and the Coronado Journal. Clinton McKinnon died in La Jolla in 2001. Like his father, C. Dan McKinnon is involved in media and politics. But this McKinnon served as the national campaign chairman for Republican Duncan Hunter in his quest for President in 2008.

KSDJ remained as a profitable enterprise under different call letters after Clinton McKinnon sold it in 1948. That story will appear next time.

(Sources: 1950 California Blue Book, Secretary of State; Wikepedia; and Time Magazine, January 4, 1954 issue)

© 2008 David M. Leonard, author of AIRCHECK, The Story of Top 40 Radio in San Diego, available at [3] http://home.earthlink.net/~leonarddla//

[SDRadio note: David’s book is a good companion to your radio collection. Please contact David at his website, [4] http://home.earthlink.net/~leonarddla.]

Mike O’Brian of New Country 95.7 writes about the recent station direction in country music: “We have been designing this for some time. We conducted the single largest country research study in San Diego history and found that there was a real hole for a newer, more current, more hip country station…one that appeals to a 25-39 year old female. Gregg Swedeberg (KEEY-FM) and I put it together with a strong focus on current music….a stark contrast to the 44 years of heritage from cross-town competitor KSON. They do a great job of playing old country. This is NOT that. New Country’s play list will center around Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban and Taylor Swift.”

Tony and Kris remain in the morning drive. Delana comes in at 10 a.m. to kick it in for lunch. Then Mike takes his turn at 3 p.m.

San Diego’s high-flying Cal Walker is heard in studio when giving reports for KOGO, Star 94.1 and other stations. In part, Clear Channel Communications has cut the expense of having Cal in the air. His aircraft is primed and ready to be up in the air, if needed. This is a similar move as took place in Los Angeles’ Mike Nolan’s KFI In The Sky.

Of course, the irony: The only stations with traffic air reports are television stations.

[5] 760 KFMB’s Carina Lowry checks in: “In an election year, we’re exposed to a barrage of opinion and rhetoric. America is at a crossroads, and idle talk means nothing when the stakes are raised so high. This year, it’s action and interaction… information and DELIBERATION THAT will guide us toward making the right choices. That’s why yes on 760 MAKES so much sense.”

The station has started a web site at [6] YesOn760.com.

Company moves: Clear Channel Communications quest to go private is on shaky ground, according to financial experts. The strike price and the stock price are out of alignment. Also the much awaited decision for XM and Sirius satellite radio to merge is expected with caveats.

Star 94.1’s morning team of Jeff and Jer continue to be the morning spot for San Diego. On their fifth station in town, the duo have out lived several format changes, and continue to live their life on the radio. Recently, San Diego-based Ranch and Coast named them the top radio show in the county. See the info at [7] Ranch and Coast.

Jeff and Jer can be heard from 6 to 10 a.m. on Star 94.1 FM, along with Tommy Sablan, Laura Cain, Randy Hoag, and Delana Bennett.

Chris Cantore, has been busy. Although he is presently missing from the airwaves, you can find his multi-media experience at [8] ChrisCantore.com. Right now, the best bet is the flix section with the video titled, “What Happened To Chris Cantore”.

Also missing from the airwaves is Cindy Pace. She can be found at [9] CindyPace.com. She was heard recently at 101.5 KGB, and 103.7 Planet FM in San Diego.

The wife of comedian [10] Mike Pace, has her complete bio and background at the web site.

Also noted: former 103.7 FM host Mike Dawson is in LA. He is part of the Adam Carolla program. Mike is also found in the band circuit in the LA basin when not hitting the beach or playing his guitar. Mike writes, “My parents love me. Because of this, they allowed me to completely disregard my college education to pursue a career in radio. I’ve been a DJ in San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Barbara. I’ve never lived more than 20 miles from the beach and I never go there. It’s not that I don’t like the beach, it’s just that getting there smacks of too much effort. I’ve never been too big on effort. Hey, I talk for a living. And they pay me for it. So who’s the joke really on?”

So what does he do at the show? “The bumper music and voice that you hear getting in to and out of The Adam Carolla Show? Well, that’s me. And yes, I am talking to you. No, not you, you. And they said you’re crazy.” Thanks Mike, you can check his music out at MySpace.com as well.

KSON’s Cliff and Company have been nominated in the category of “On-Air Personality of the Year (Major Market)”. The 43rd event will be televised on CBS in May. This graphic is from 2006!

Thank you for making SDRadio part of your internet travels today! See YOU on the radio, and here later in the broadcast week.