KFXM 590 AM - KDUO 97.5 FM Employee Alumni Tribute Website

We hope that you enjoyed the jingles! Check back often as we are preparing more jingles for your enjoyment.

A Little Jingle History

The early beginnings of the jingle can be traced back to the early days of radio in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Just like KFXM, many radio stations across the country featured live radio performances from dances or concerts. Local bands, playing a number of different genres would typically entertain a live audience in a ballroom or auditorium and were broadcast over the radio. The radio broadcast was usually sponsored by a local, regional or national advertiser. The convenience of having singers and musicians assembled together eventually spawned the singing of the advertiser’s business name during the broadcast for commercials. One talented and inventive musician was Bill Meeks who also worked selling advertising time for Dallas radio station KLIF. Meeks was creating the “singing commercial” as well as vocal and musical station ID’s. The birth of audience ratings had come along and it was important that the radio listener was familiar with the stations call letters when surveyed. Used to determine to advertising rate or cost, the radio stations wanted to ensure that the listeners remembered their call sign.

Bill Meeks was also being encouraged to further pursue his advertising client’s needs in producing spots for them. In 1950 Meeks decided to start a new company he named Production Advertising Marketing Service or PAMS in Dallas, Texas. If not perfect timing, it definitely was the right thing at the right time. This gave Bill Meeks the opportunity to build a good business right from the start. PAMS grew and over the years and a few other jingle companies were started to compete in the industry. You would have thought that New York or Los Angeles would have been the place where jingles were produced but to this day, Dallas, Texas in the home to the jingle businesses. There have been attempts to take over the production of radio jingles, advertising commercials and other musical/vocal production but Dallas still remains the capitol of these services.One could speculate that Meeks had a large talent pool of musicians and singers in the greater metropolitan Dallas area.

PAMS had a great 30 year run producing and selling jingles to radio stations and advertisers across the country and around the world. The changing climate in the broadcasting industry and the growth of FM stations that were, “less talk and interruptions and more music,” led to business difficulties and PAMS suspended operations in 1978. The company was dormant until 1990 when Jon Worfert , a former PAMS employee purchased PAMS and brought the company back to active status. The goals was to preserve the extensive and classic PAMS heritage and inventory. Wolfert had started another production company in 1974 he named JAM which is and acronym for Jon And Mary Lynn Wolfert. The company today has been producing the highest quality musical and vocal productions in the industry for over 30 years. Through diversification, JAMS buisness has thrived and they continue to be the industry leader in high quality, cutting edge musical and vocal productions.

Many former KFXM DJ’s will tell you that when the station paid for and placed jingles with your name on the air, it was a little sign of job security and status. In a business where you audience ratings and your relationship with the Program Director and other management decides weather you have any job security. The other item in the area of status and job security was having your picture taken and being placed on the stations tune sheets and other publications.

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