June 1969 • Consider that Ron Jacobs walked away from his gig as KHJ's first PD three weeks before astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped out of Apollo 11 and walked on the moon. •
 Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" debuted on the Boss 30 two weeks earlier and climbed up the chart as if it was also launched by NASA. • Listeners tuned to KHJ 20/20 News for clues about the bloody Tate/Polanski murders in a canyon above Beverly Hills. Even after being caught, Charles Manson and his "family" of drugged-out homicidal freaks continued to dominate the local news for weeks. • The Los Angeles radio audience continued to request a replay of February's epic 48-hour radio milestone, "The History of Rock & Roll." The world's first "Rockumentary" was produced and directed by Jacobs working with narrator Robert W. Morgan, writer Pete Johnson and production engineer Bill Mouzis. Another KHJ feature opened new doors in American broadcasting: Top 40 syndication was born. • The next year Jacobs and co-creator Casey Kasem debuted "American Top 40," which enjoyed a 25-year global run. • Columbia Pictures, KHJ's neighbor, released a film produced by the crew who brought the world The Monkees. "Easy Rider" was considered as innovative on the screen as Boss Radio was on the airwaves. •
 The KHJ Boss Jocks hangout was Nickodell's. Seated in a booth next to cast members from "Here's Lucy," in costume and makeup, the Boss Jocks would grab a quick cup of coffee. Where else in the Universe could one find Mr. Spock and the Real Don Steele discussing the Dodgers? • But even Hollywood's fantasy world couldn't escape the dark cloud that the war in Vietnam cast over the country. Statistics mounted: 484,000 troops deployed; 39,893 U.S. dead; 250,000 U.S. wounded; 1,400 U.S. missing.
 • KHJ offered escape, entertainment and information. In doing so in a metropolis second to none, Boss Radio influenced radio from coast to coast and beyond. • In the 33 since years since Ron Jacobs walked away from what many considered the best job in radio, the first KHJ "boss" has turned down dozens of offers to write about his experiences at the helm of what he once described as a "nuthouse on the inside that managed to sound smooth and seamless on millions of Southern California radios." Jacobs says there were many reasons he chose not to chronicle the events that both radio pros and generations of listeners lifted KHJ to cult status. • "First, I would never, ever, rush to violate the privacy of my friends and colleagues
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Carol Williams, 1966 |
who are no longer with us," he says. "Second, tracking down the dozens who contributed to KHJ's success and compiling an accurate oral history seemed improbable. Third, without the incessant support of people such as Guy Zapoleon, who grew up a Boss Radio listener and now is a major player in the business, I wouldn't have made it." • But most of all, Jacobs says, "None of this would have been possible without Johnny Williams' wife Carol, who saved every KHJ memo that Johnny brought home."
"KHJ: Inside Boss Radio"
~ $93 Delivers ~
433 Total pages
8 1/2 x 11 inch Large format
280 "To: Boss Jocks, From: Ron Jacobs" memos, 1965-1969
108 Pages of new text and quotes
64 Different interview subjects and contributors
266 Detailed listings of KHJ jargon, phrases, generic radio terms, descriptions of Boss Radio contests and promotions
152 People "Who's Who" of KHJ personnel and key players
500 Memos and 1,000 Transcript pages of source material
$75 Special educational discount
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