KFXM 590 AM - KDUO 97.5 FM Employee Alumni Tribute Website

In the 60's when I was working at KFXM, what fun we had...just like an ongoing party.

'Bill the Bellman' liked to give me a bad time, both of us in sales, and me being a little green, he took advantage of that.

KFXM always had great party's at Christmas time, but this one particular year, our family drove to Phoenix to spend Christmas with Mom and Pop, and the rest of the family.

While there, one day  a call came in for me...the operator said, "I have a collect call to Sister Helen from Rabbi Bellman."  I said, "I'm not talking to Rabbi's today.."  Bill yelled over the phone "JEW HATER !!" and slammed down the phone.  The operator, said with a stunned voice, 'He hung up !!'

They said Bill was practically rolling on the floor with laughter.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *  *   *   *   *   *   *
Barry Boyd with Jocko at Harris' Company Remote

The Harris Department Store in San Bernardino, was our 'high end' store in the area and I had set up a promotion with the gal in charge of Advertising, Hazel Fath I think her name was, to do an all day live broadcast in one of their showroom windows.  This particular window you could walk completely around.

Hazel wanted to promote their exotic sheets made by 'Steven's.'  The sheets had animal patterns, like Zebra stripes, etc...so we came up with the idea for the setting in the window, that of a safari.

In the window, they put up a card table with two chairs, and a 'Steven's sheet' propped over their head for 'shade'.  At both ends of the window, they put in Palm trees...and the 'star' of the event, was 'Jocko', the KFXM Bengal tiger mascot...who by now was bigger than a German Shepard...was not de-clawed nor de-fanged and roamed freely in the display window.

Our other two stars...were Barry Boyd, DJ who was doing the live broadcast, and Al Barnett, who was an animal trainer and Jocko's owner.  They were dressed up like hunter's, kaki clothes, helmet, and an 'elephant rifle' hung from their chair.

They were playing poker and drinking what appeared to be orange juice, but in reality was a 'screwdriver.' (Which of course was illegal to drink while on the air.
Hazel did that,,not me. I didn't know it until Al told me later.)

We didn't know it when we set up this scene, that Barry was scared to death of 'Jocko'....but Jocko knew it and as he walked from one end of the display window to the other ...just as he got by the  poker player's, he would dive under the table and start chewing on Barry's leg...poker chips  would fly everywhere..Al would beat him off with a rubber hose that he used to make 'Jocko' behave.  Barry was a little guy, kept his legs pressed tightly  against one another, was chewing gum like crazy, and kept glancing over his shoulder to see where 'Jocko' was as Jocko would saunter from one end of the window to the other... paw on the palm tree and then go to the other end and do the same....all day long.

On the outside, people stood around the show window about 10 deep...it was quite a success.  Hazel was laughing so hard, tears were running down her cheeks.  "Either Barry is scared to death of that tiger, or he is the best actor I have ever seen.."

Needless to say, KFXM. was a big hit that day. 

HJ

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Imagine, A Job Interview at a Cocktail Lounge at 11:00 pm ?

In April of l964, I received a phone call from Bob Bunnell at 11pm at night...(we were neighbors).
"Hey Helen, Lila and I are at the Caravan Inn (Riverside, CA), come down and have a drink with us!" "Are you crazy Bob, David would never let me out of the house at 11pm to go drinking.." Bob replied, "I want to talk to you about something...I want to hire you at KFXM in sales. " Are you crazy..I don't know anythng about radio...call me back in the morning when you are sober, and see if your offer still stands." I got the call the next morning...the rest is history.

In the "Snake Pit" (sales office at KFXM), I sat across from Bill Bellman..an old timer in the business..the world was his account list. We had very little privacy, and every time I called someone for an appointment, Bellman would say..."Ah forget it ..he's a friend of mine!' "Sorry Bill"...this went on for about two weeks and Bill kept bringing in contracts of people I had planned to call on, but upon finding they were friends of Bill Bellman, I would back off.. On one particular day, I had an appointment with a company, and Bellman said.."Forget it ..he's a friend of mine.." I called the man up and apologized. He said, "What do you mean? I know who Bil Bellman is but we certainly aren't friends...I will see you at 10am!" I hung up the phone..looked over at Bill, and said "You SOB!" Bill roared..."If you can't stand the heat , get out of the kictchen lady." My first lesson in radio..Bill Bellman made me 'tough'....nobody pulled that ----again!

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Trip to Mazatlan Mexico on KFXM Trade

Helen's prank on Engineer Bill Hayes

Howard Tullis had some trade that was running out, he appreciated the efforts I had put in at the station and offered me a weekend on the station at Plaza Las Glorias in Mazatlan...and offered KFXM/KDUO Engineer Bill Hayes the same trip. After I checked in, I went out to a patio bar which had a great view of the ocean, and ordered a margarita. I had left word at the desk, that when Bill checked in to tell him where I was if he wanted to join me for a drink. Great setting..."only in Mexico."

About the tapes. I had done some airchecks of KFXM to give to a friend in Mexico. When I was waiting on Bill, the bartender was playing some music that was pretty bad, and I told him I had some tapes up in my room from the states and asked if he would like to play them instead and he said, "sure...bring them down." So, by the time Bill joined me, KFXM was being enjoyed in the Plaza Las Glorias bar, Mazatlan. The timing was perfect. Bill walked in, ordered a drink, took a sip..."If I didn't know better, I would think I was listening to KFXM". "Yeh..it does sound like it doesn't it." Another song played.."Damn, that sounds like KFXM." "Yep..sure does." About that time a car dealer commercial in San Bernardino came on and I thought Bill was going to fall out of his chair. "THAT'S KFXM!!!...that's technically impossible!" "Well you know Bill, the signal could be skipping over the water...it's kind of a clear shot down the coast...." "Yeh...but the distance...it can't be...damn, I wish I had brought my meter reader." He was truly in a state of shock, you could see the wheels were spinning in his brain, you should have seen the look on his face. About that time, KFXM gave the time...it was ironically the same hour but the time given was around the half hour. Bill looked at his watch...It was at the top of the hour. He said, "I know there is a time difference in Mexico, but it doesn't come in half hours!" He jumped up and went over to where the music was coming from..."It's a G--D---tape!!" It was hysterical!! He gave me one of my funniest moments in radio.