#ktnq

Photo courtesy of Nancy Plum A box of tapes arrived in the mail in January.  I was a bit surprised, but then remembered that Nancy Plum had promised to send some airchecks a little over a year ago.   Here’s the first of dozens of donated airchecks.  It’s Nancy Plum herself on Ten-Q from what I feel was one of the best time periods for Top 40 radio.   Interestingly enough, that same day I was…

Nancy Plum, 1020 KTNQ Ten-Q Los Angeles | January 2, 1977

Another gem from the latest contribution from Nancy Plum is this super hi-fi (not HD) skimmer-scope of her filling in for Joe Nasty on Ten-Q Los Angeles. One of the really nice things about being friends with those who were there is correcting inaccurate web information. For instance, Willie B, another Ten-Q jock, told me that KGBS became KTNQ on December 26, 1976, and that would make the station…

Nancy Plum Overnights on 1020 KTNQ Ten-Q Los Angeles | April 4-5, 1978, Part 1

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Amazon book author and L.A. radio personality Nancy Plum is featured on this cleaned up skimmer tape from the overnight of April 4 and 5, 1978. Once again, we all get to hear a glimpse of what KTNQ sounded like in the last few weeks before the format moved to FM. In fact, this features promos running that describe Ten-Q as sounding more and more like FM, and a big announcement coming…

The Real Don Steele, 1020 KTNQ Los Angeles | 1978

Recorded with a small table mic in front of a radio speaker, this may not sound broadcast quality, but fans of the last great AM Top 40 station in L.A. will immediately recognize a friendly voice who was seemingly beloved by all… The Real Don Steele!

Officially, anyway, 1020 AM became KTNQ on September 27, 1976. Maybe some of you remember this, or the station which preceeded it, KGBS. As usual,…

QuickChexx: Charlie Tuna, 1020 KTNQ Los Angeles | 1979

Good morning, 9:03 with Charlie Tuna, on L.A.’s Original Rock & Roll Radio Station

Here’s a very short and somewhat muddy recording that I think was made sometime in 1979. Could have been ’78.

Digging around, I (re)found this interesting page on Ten-Q on http://www.socalradiohistory.com/. While it doesn’t go into great detail of AM 1020’s long history, there’s enough to understand the short, but…

Machine Gun Kelly, KTNQ (Ten-Q) Los Angeles | April 8, 1978

Springtime, 1978. Top 40 radio was really playing it all. Kansas. George Benson. the Bee Gees. The Atlanta Rhythm Section and more… All the important action was still on AM. You got all the music, plus the news, traffic reports, huge contests with lots of money, or in this case, a special screening including a limo to pick up the winner, the soundtrack, and some cash to spend. How about THAT!

JIm Conley, 1020 KTNQ Los Angeles | 1979

Oh, the days of (tape) skimmer machines for in-studio air checking. You won’t hear it on this presentation, but the whole aircheck was infused with an annoying speeding up of the recording in between jock talk. This happens because of the way cassette decks were wired to the board, so that the tape automatically records when the mic is turned on, then stops when the mic is turned off. The record…