Guide to the KSFO Collection ARS.0063

Finding aid prepared by Franz Kunst
Archive of Recorded Sound
Braun Music Center
541 Lasuen Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, California, 94305-3076
650-723-9312
soundarchive@stanford.edu
© 2010
The Board of Trustees of Stanford University. All rights reserved.


Descriptive Summary

Title: KSFO Collection
Dates: 1953-1989
Collection number: ARS.0063
Creator: KSFO (Radio station : San Francisco, Calif.)
Collection size: 36 boxes
Contributing Institution: Archive of Recorded Sound
Abstract: The KSFO collection consists of audiovisual material and ephemera from this San Francisco radio station's years owned by Golden West Broadcasting, 1956-1983. KSFO was known for their news and sports coverage, as well as the voice talents of such personalities as Don Sherwood, Russ Hodges, Lon Simmons, and Al "Jazzbo" Collins. The majority of this collection involves station marketing, promotions, and fundraisers, although there are airchecks and other broadcast recordings. Production library material includes jingles, themes, music beds, promotional spots, and advertising.
Language of Material: English

Access

Open for research; material must be requested at least two business days in advance of intended use. Contact the Archive for assistance.

Publication Rights

Property rights reside with repository. Publication and reproduction rights reside with the creators or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Head Librarian of the Archive of Recorded Sound.

Preferred Citation

KSFO Collection, ARS-0063. Courtesy of the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Source

The KSFO Collection was donated to the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound by KSFO in June, 1998.

Sponsor

This finding aid was produced with generous financial support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Scope and Contents

Though it originally went on the air in 1925, the era of radio station KSFO covered in this collection is largely from 1956-1983, when the station was owned by Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasters. Besides airing popular music, jazz, and nostalgia, KSFO provided the San Francisco Bay Area with news, sports, and other programming with cosmopolitan flair. Notable broadcast personalities at the station included Don Sherwood, Jim Lange, John Gilliland, Gene Nelson, Al "Jazzbo" Collins, Wally King, Herb Kennedy, Jack Carney, Del Courtney, Dan Sorkin, Terry McGovern, and Carter B. Smith. Legendary sportscasters Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons spent much of the 1960's on KSFO, announcing games for the San Francisco Giants and the San Francisco 49ers as well as Oakland Athletics baseball and Stanford University football. A few airchecks of these broadcasts are part of the collection. However, the majority of the audio found here is from KSFO's production library. This library, maintained on open reel tape, consists of jingles, IDs, music beds, advertising, and featured programming (such as the Mike Powell 5:30 Report) in various forms and versions, although airchecks and related recordings (often marked "Save") are present. KSFO's famous theme song "Sound of the City" exists in multiple iterations, as do recordings of "Bye Bye Baby," the opening music for San Francisco Giants baseball broadcasts, inspired by Russ Hodges' catch-phrase. Singer Mel Tormé lent his signature "velvet fog" croon for station identification, and there are several reels featuring his voice here. The Commercial Vault was KSFO's own name for a series of tapes documenting notable ads as originally broadcast on the station. Although incomplete, it remains a fascinating record of local music-related advertising in the 1960s and 70s. There is also a series titled Promo Vault, which archives the station's promotional campaign spots during the same period. KSFO jingles and other advertising and marketing were produced both in-house and by other companies. There is some content pertaining to management, but very little documentation regarding the internal workings of the station. Almost all printed matter in this collection was originally distributed to the public in one form or another. The collection also contains material from other stations, particularly KYA. In 1983, KSFO was sold to King Radio Broadcasting, which had already owned KYA. It appears that with all the changes in ownership, material from different stations has been intermingled. It would also appear that, due to the overwhelming volume of promotional material, it is likely that much of this collection is derived from KSFO's promotions department. One way for the station to promote itself was through fundraising campaigns. Among the several events KSFO organized, the United Crusades and Police Athletic League games are generously represented in a variety of media. Other contemporary events covered in recordings include news of the John F. Kennedy assassination, Dan White on KRON in 1979, and commentary from S.I. Hayakawa during the student strike at San Francisco State University in 1968. Physical media in the KSFO collection is primarily audio on tape (around 650 objects), with some video (largely U-Matic cassettes), 16mm film (four reels), photographs, slides, and ephemera (eight scrapbooks of printed matter).

Arrangement

Original order has been retained.

Indexing Terms

Hodges, Russ
KSFO (Radio station : San Francisco, Calif.).
Oakland Athletics (Baseball team).
San Francisco 49ers (Football team).
San Francisco Giants (Baseball team).
Sherwood, Don, 1925-1983
Simmons, Lon
Tormé, Mel, 1925-1999
Radio stations.
San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.)


 

Series 1. Audio

 

Miscellaneous

Box 1

promos, airchecks, etc. 1958-1978

Scope and Contents

KYA recreated dance remote w/Paul Pendarvis Orch. 1958 ; baseball promos, highlights ; Giants promos 1960 (with script), 1978, etc. ; 49ers promo 1962 ; Tom Campbell KYA 1969 ; Scott Thomas last half hour on KYA 1970 ; Russ Hodges promos, samples ; Lon Simmons Sports Show promos 10/3/1958.
Box 3

jingles, promos, etc. 1959-1982

Scope and Contents

KYA Memories ; KYA jingles 1977, 1983 ; People Power 1/9/74 ; KOIT, K106 1971 ; KMPC New Home Dedication 1968 ; Beatles Christmas promo 12/23/77 ; Torme KSFO jingles 4/22/63 ; Pied Piper promos ; KYA People Power /Ecology/Anti-Drug ; KUSF Woody Guthrie California Travelin' ; Arbo and Al #2 12/2/59 ; KSFO Looney Sounds ; Casablanca lines (with script) ; KYA A'Go Go master ; KYA series 31, 32, 38, 40 ; KYA Firesign Theatre bits 10/82 ; KYA ID Separator
Box 4

airchecks, features, jingles, etc. 1969-1979

Scope and Contents

A-1 & A-2 4/12/71 ; Rock Years 1-4 ; Mark Taylor, Pete Cooney aircheck ; Pat Williams KSFO 7/29/69 ; RG3 ; Pete Scott - Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons Stories ; Oldies- Save 1979 ; Classic Gold ; KYA Drug Rap ; Steve Jordan ; Operation Undercover ; KSFO Marpet jingles 4/24/69
Box 5

jingles, features, etc. 1961-1976

Scope and Contents

KOIT New Country ; BLORE jingle ; PAMS master ; KSFO News Thanksgiving 1961 ; MLK "I Have a Dream" ; Art Fine "A Chance to Chase A Dream" 11/5/1976 ; KSFO 1962 Headlines Awards
Box 6

jingles, promos, features, news, etc. 1964-1983

Scope and Contents

49ers ; KSFO police announcements ; McQuade Award 1965 ; California State Fair Broadcast Awards Submission 1967 ; KYA-FM production jingle music beds 1983 ; Hayakawa editorial 12/2/68 ; It Seems to Me ; KYA Christmas Package ; KRON Bye Bye Baby 1972 ; Blake Freeway Opposition 10/7/64 ; Al White San Francisco ; KSFO Moog Theme ; KSFO This Date in Baseball History 4/19/81 ; Baseball promos 1974 ; KYA-FM Playdate series 1983 ; KYA DJ cuts 8/9/76 ; KYA shotguns ; Stanford Football Music "All Right Now" ; KSFO/Giants Mike Ivie Grand Slam ; Ted Taylor Copter Reports ; Wally King on Mesnick-Richmond Incident 2/11/64 ; KSFO weekend beds ; Giants Old BB stuff Mays Save ; KSFO IDs 1977 ; Old KYA Jingle ; Security Pacific Music for Stanford ; FB 1983 ; Miss Miller audition ; KYA-FM IDs for 1973-74 ; Music cuts McNeal, Stone, Hardy, O'Quinn ; KYA People Power jingle ; KSFO Loves You ; Bye Bye Baby Voc. and Inst. ; Jerelee and Niles 6/24/66 ; A's Profiles ; Michelle Hughes ; A's promos 1981
Box 7

KYA jingles, etc. 1976

Scope and Contents

Random Golden Bells ; KYA Clark & Mason ; 1260 Time Capsule ; KYA jingles ; KYA Jack Bryan ; KYA Happy New Year 1976
Box 8

Christmas Kids 1981

Box 10

airchecks, features, news, promos, etc. 1962-1981

Scope and Contents

Chris Edwards and The Osmonds ; Black History Minutes ; Lombard Lafayette/Chris Cane 1975-76 ; Laff Off 1,2 ; Some Things We Missed On the 40s ; KMPC Sounders ; Delay Loops ; Giants, Airport Stuff aircheck 10/3/62 ; Airport 12/27/70 ; Oakland A's Highlights 1981 ; KSFO Marpet beds 4/24/1969
Box 11

airchecks, features, news, etc. 1954-1984

Scope and Contents

Could This be You? KVI Seattle 1954-56 ; A's Profiles ; Mike Powell 5:30 Report airchecks 1/16/70, 10/2/74, 3/14/75 ; Scott Carpenter Orbital Flight 5/24/62 ; Raymond Burr - Policeman ; KSFO News Golden Gate Rapid Transit ; KSFO News Berlin Special Report 1961 ; Coleen Moore on Mike Powell 12/71 ; Jeno Paulucci on Mike Powell 4/72 ; Beneficial Presentation 9/5/65 ; 40s Media Demo ; William O. Douglas Speech, Palace Hotel 4/17/61 ; KSFO News 8/61 ; Dick Whittington 4/29/59 ; Lem Brothers bed ; Dr. Robert Wesson, Nicaragua Today, Commonwealth Club 2/10/84 ; Mays Homer ; Haiku Contest ; Musical! Weekend 5/26-27/84 ; Giants promo audiocassettes 1978
Box 12

promos, commercials, etc. 1975-1984

Scope and Contents

Ted Reed, Nightside ; Leo Burnett Chicago 1984 ; John Lennon promo 12/3/81 ; Demos 1974 ; KSBW Salinas ; Mervyn's Christmas Sale 11/24/75 ; Dentyne ; Could This Be You? KVI ; KSFO Hudson and Landry ; Bridges Edited Choir ; Mel Tormé
Box 17

airchecks, news ,features, etc. 1961-1968

Scope and Contents

News Archives ; News Master 1967-68 ; KSFO News Special Report- Corte Madera Holdup/Shooting 10/19/61 ; KSFO News Rapid Transit 7/24/62 ; Kennedy Assassination Coverage 11/22/63 ; Bogges aircheck ; Santa Reports 1961
Box 18

news, airchecks, features, promos, etc. 1955-1974

Scope and Contents

Mayor Alioto Commute ; KGBS aircheck 2/1/72 ; KVI Presentation ; Cancer Cure, Highway Patrol ; Gavin Presentation ; Golden West Broadcasting Focus Group 7/15/74 ; North Pole Exclusives ; Love Power Contest ; The Black Mass "Rats In The Wall" KPFA Berkeley 1964 ; Black History series ; Winners Work ; Santa Central 1966 ; jackhammer noise in front of studio 1955-56 ; Hawaii Aircheck Winners ; S.O.B. Presentation ; Bill Guyman For Sherwood Show.
Box 20

jingles, promos, presentations, airchecks, etc. 1962-1984

Scope and Contents

Del Courtney and Russ Hodges Baseball promos, facts 2/27/62 ; Baseball network promos ; Baseball Facts with Russ 3/6/62 ; Xmas promo 1965 ; Vic Ives aircheck 3/20/72 ; Xmas with Kids ; Phil Brooks WKPA aircheck ; Major Market Radio (MMR) presentation 7/66 ; KSFO Loves You promos 1968 ; Allen Sherman Now Bow ; KSFO KMPC KVI promos ; News return cues (typewriter andamp; telephone) 1963 ; KEX jingle package ; KSFO Spirit jingle ; KVI jingles ; Phone Calls promos ; Juanita Beasley promos ; The Farley promos ; KSFO Kids at Christmas ; Trojan Horse spots ; Man on Matson Deck ; KMPC, Golden West Broadcasters presentation ; People Package 1974 ; Impact presentation 1975 ; Way Out 1974
Box 21

promos, sportscasts, presentations, etc. 1956-1978

Scope and Contents

Audio: 49ers promo 4/18/57 ; 49ers presentation 1978 ; Giants vs. Pittsburgh 6/18/59 ; "Giants score 5 runs in here somewhere" ; "homer - save" ; Hodges/Simmons 8/11/56 ; 49ers vs. Baltimore Winning TD 11/27/60 ; Lon Simmons Giants promos 1/19/58 ; Baseball preview by Joe Hasel, WNEW ; Hodges, Carney 2/15/68 ; Simmons 49er promos 1958 ; 49er Highlights 1961, 1977, 1978 ; Hawaii Winners ; 49ers 9/12/59 #2 ; 49er Shorties 1957 ; Carney "I'm With You" promos ; Armour presentation 1965 ; Kaleidoscope promos 3/16/64 ; Sounds of MMR presentation ; KSTO Giants/Happy Days 1978
Box 22

KSFO Marpet (1/2" tape) 1969-04-29

Box 23

Bay To Breakers Theme, jingles, promos, etc. 1959-1984

Scope and Contents

Bay To Breakers Theme 4/16/84 ; KSFO stereo copy 1959-1961 ; You Can Feel It All Over jingles ; KYA People Power 1974 ; KYA Custom Grid 1and2
Box 24

jingles, promos, sportscasts, etc. 1959-1985

Scope and Contents

Giants vs. Reds 6/27/79 ; KYA Silvertree jingles ; Lange, Sounds of SF ; KYA PAMS 1971, etc. ; Hotlen jingles ; KSFO Spirit jingles ; Disneyland, "Bad Bad Softball" ; KSFO Loves You ; KYA Custom Grid 3 ; Oneders 1974 ; AVCO Overground ; KYA Christmas 1979 ; New Station IDs 1966 ; Production Music ; Space Stuff ; KFRC Close Encounters logo ; A's Fan jingle ; KSFO promos 1976-77 ; 49ers Football promo 1979 ; Stanford promo ; Master Music Tape R ; KSFO jingles 1983 ; KYA jingle master with themes (Drake, Syracuse, Tripp, Mitchell, Donahue, Saunders, House Party, Nelson, Washburne) ; Dubs From Music Carts ; Omnimusic 1985 ; Giants vs. Milwaukee 9/1959 ; Sounds Effects
Box 25

Angels, Giants Update (Technicolor Sound Movie cartridge) 1976

Box 26

Mike Powell Reports, news, promos, etc. 1961-1983

Scope and Contents

Mike Powell 5:30 Reports: Tennessee Ernie Ford #1, The Exceptional Child 12/74, The Right to Learn 6/76, Sportsworld 2/76, State of the Fourth Estate 1/76, Alioto at the Press Club 1/76, Vietnam and The American Economy 2/76, George Moscone 10/77, Report #5 Dear Hearts ; Mini-Docs: Jane Fonda 3-4/76, Women and Alcoholism 1975, Public Trust/Private Trust 8/77 ; News Special Reports : Hale Hotel Fire 1/3/62, Berlin 10/12/61, Corte Madera holdup 10/19/61 ; Alcoholism special ; We're People, You're People ; Super Frog ; The Story of Old San Francisco 1/83 ; Olympic/Kendall spots 1976 ; Pierce-Paebco 12/24/68 ; A's Highlights, Theme Music Billboards 1983 ; Sherwood Baseball promos
 

Commercial Vault

Scope and Contents

Advertising for local businesses, many of which are music-related: Tower Records and other record stores, concerts at venues such as the Fillmore, Family Dog, Winterland, Avalon, Cow Palace, and live performances by such artists as The Temptations, The Bee Gees, Jimi Hendrix and Santana.
Box 40

Comm. Vault # 3 ,7, 13, 18, 19, 26 1968-1971

Box 23

Comm. Vault #11, 12, 16, 29, 38, 41 1969-1973

Box 14

Comm. Vault #37-57 1972-1974

Box 16

Comm. Vault #58-67 1975-1976

 

Promotion Vault

Scope and Contents

KSFO jingles, themes, and promotional spots.
Box 16

Promo Vault #1-12,15, 23-25, 35-38, 41-43, 50, 51 1969-1978

Box 22

Promo Vault #13, 16-22, 26-34, 40, 45 1972-1977

Box 8

Promo Vault #14 1972

Box 23

Promo Vault #46, 47, 52 (x2), 55-57 1977-1979

 

Series 2. Video and Film

Box 2

KSFO promos, Tour de Blah 1969-1983

Scope and Contents

KSFO promos for KBHK/KRON 1969-1972 ; "Tour De Blah" 1983
Box 7

KSFO promos 1969-1972

Box 8

KSFO 11/17/70, 8/2/72, 8/30/72 1970-1972

Box 9

KSFO, KYA promos, etc. 1970-1985

Scope and Contents

KSFO 8/30/72 ; Loves You spots 10/28/70 ; Jack Carney 10/22/69 ; Carter B. Smith ; Football promo 11/13/70 ; sports 10/30/70 ; Terry McGovern 1/29/73 ; 560 KSFO/93 KYA 1985 ; WMJI Floating Records ; Lawrence, Bay to Breakers
Box 12

KSFO spots, KRON jingles, Christmas, etc. 1972-1981

Scope and Contents

KSFO Scott, MacGarvin, Breakthrough 7/13/74 ; KSFO 1972 ; Jingle Bells/KRON jingles 1981
Box 13

KYA commercials, promos, airchecks, etc. 1980-1983

Scope and Contents

How To Use Reach and Frequency in Media Planning ; VALS Typology ; KYA Demo 1983 ; KINK 10/19/81 ; 13 Key Media Concepts ; Airchecks ; KYA Oldies Road Show ; KYA Rock/60s ads 1981 ; jingles 1982 ; promo 1980 ; radio test tape ; Media Touch Systems
Box 15

demo, spots, ads, etc. 1979-1987

Scope and Contents

KYA Rock/60s ads 1979-1981 ; Gene Nelson, KHOS spots ; KSFO Sales Tape demo ; Ancil Payne Farewell 1987
Box 21

KYA, KLHT, KSFO 1981-1983

Scope and Contents

KYA/K-Lite home movies 7/20/82 ; KLHT Son of Music 4/21/83 ; KSFO Radio ; KYA Gene Nelson 1982 ; KYA on Peninsula Weekly 11/81
Box 25

promos, presentations, Tour de Blah, Bay to Breakers 1981-1985

Scope and Contents

KLHT 7 Days 2/11/82 ; KYA/KLHT spots ; Recruiting, Corporate Presentations ; VALS Reports from SRI 1981-1982 ; KSFO/KYA Tour de Blah worktape 1985 ; Bay to Breakers Highlight Program
Box 27

News, ads, promos, gag reel, etc. 1979-1984

Scope and Contents

KYA Jitterbug final 1/27/84 ; KLTH 20 sec. ; K-Lite Primate Test ; KYA Radio History of Rock and Roll 6/13/81 ; KSFO/KYA 1985 ; KSFO 1/30/81 ; Focus Testing TV Spots ; King TV Spots ; KYA 3/28/80, 6/9/81 ; KLTH Gag Reel 2/82 ; KYA Dan White/KRON 4/19/79
Box 8

Film: KSFO Union Square (see also boxes 6 and 19) ; Pop Chronicles

Box 26

Film: Angels, Giants KMPC 1972

Box 6

Film: KSFO "Morti" and United Crusade in Union Square 1964

Scope and Contents

KSFO "Morti" color ; "Union Square" black and white [United Crusade 1964, see photos in Box 19]
 

Series 3. Photographs, Negatives, and Slides

Box 19

Main Photofile: photographs, contact sheets, negatives, slides (some correspondence and memoranda included) 1962-1983

Scope and Contents

Photo File: Lon Simmons and Bill King ; News, Sports Departments (includes Hal Lewis/J. Akuhead Pupule, Willie Mays, Nat Cole, etc.) ; Simmons and Hodges ; DJs- Baseball promo ; News Staff 7/67 ; Russ, Bill, Lon- Giants ; Giants Day at Ad Club 5/1/68 ; Miriam Goodman 1976 ; Dick Graffis 1969 ; Elma Greer ; Russ Hodges (some autographed) ; Lon Simmons, preshow Giants, 8/64, etc. ; Happy Days promo (baseball game feat. KSFO versus cast of TV show) ; Hamm's ; Hastings ; Hawaii promo 1973 ; Giants Billboard sponsors 1966 ; Giants game slides (from mail-in contest?) ; Bill Heyward ; Pat Hilliard 1967 ; Rod Hussey 1972 ; Kava ; Herb Kennedy, Night Sounds 1965 ; Don Klein ; Terry McGovern ; Ski Weekend 2/11/72 ; Gordy Soltar 1972 ; Sports Misc.- Hodges, Simmons, Thompson, Feeney ; Stu Smith ; Stanford 1969 ; Police Athletic League (PAL) Games 1961-, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1976 ; Russ Syracuse, Love Line ; San Francisco Pix, Airshots 1967 ; Timebuyers Party 1972 ; Fr. Miles Riley 5/75 ; Rally de la Radio 11/21/73 ; Sears and Roebuck 1974 ; Scott Beach 1973 ; Sunshine Boys 1976 ; Toys For Tots 1976, 1977 ; United Crusades - KSFO Under Glass: Roos/Atkins 1960, Eichler Atrium, Union Square 1964 (also known as Wayzgoose, Squantum, and Turnerfest), 10/1970 ; Whaleboat Race 1965, 1966 ; Waters Helicopter ; KYA, K-Lite Billboards 1981-1982, misc. picture folder ; KYA Prom Night 4/15/83 (includes Bobby Freeman, etc.) ;
Box 36, Box 39

Oversized photographs and contact sheets

Box 5

Slides:Giants, marketing presentations 1977-1978

Scope and Contents

Four carousels of slides with accompanying audiocassettes. Three are Giants Pre-Post Commentary Presentations 1977-1978, and one is a presentation on marketing.
Box 7

Slides: 29 small boxes of miscellaneous 1987-1988

Box 35

Slides: SF City Shots, Jim Brown Media Presentation, Giants Pre/Post 1975, 1977, 1978, etc. 1975-1978

 

Series 4. Ephemera

Box 25

Miscellaneous 1956-1983

Scope and Contents

KSFO Program Schedules and Rate Cards 1956-1970 ; Program Logs 1960-1976 ; Biographies and Program Profiles, 1960s ; Success Story Campaign and other marketing ; KSFO, KYA, K-Lite stickers; KYA magnet ; loose notes from recordings ; Jan and Dean puzzle, etc.
Box 38, Box 37, Box 36, Box 39

Scrapbooks 1960-1973

Scope and Contents

Eight large scrapbooks containing published material, including proofs, posters, stickers, invitations, photographs, reprints, stationery, coverage maps, rate cards, and program guides. Most items concern the advertising and marketing of the station, especially involving disc jockeys and sports coverage. Most scrapbooks include material from the Success Story campaign, but other promotional campaigns include the Voyage to Nowhere, the Coincidental Horticulture Contest, the Dumb Contest, as well as benefits such as the Police Athletic League games and the United Crusades.