KISN was an AM radio station licensed for Vancouver, Washington but based in Portland, Oregon, broadcasting on 910 kHz and licensed for 5,000 directional watts. During the 1960s and early 1970s, KISN was not only the number one rated rock station in the market (the station followed a Top 50 playlist), but at times also rated as Portland's most popular radio station.
Originally KVAN, it flipped format to Top 40 and became KISN from 1959 until 1976, when the FCC forced it to shut down.
KVAN came on the air in 1939 on 880 kHz and moved to 910 kHz in 1941, owned by Sheldon F. Sackett. By 1958 it was licensed for 1,000 watts and was co-owned with KVAN-TV, a TV station under construction for channel 21.
On April 30, 1959 at 6:00am KVAN began playing the Rock & Roll song “Teenage Bill of Rights, Part 1. The Revolution” by Robby John & The Seven-Teens, continuously for 24 hours, only interrupted for commercials and brief newscasts.
At 12:00 Midnight, May 1, 1959 control of KVAN was transferred to Star Broadcasting, Inc. and call letters changing to KISN. KISN started broadcasting at 6 a.m. on May 1, 1959. In the previous 24 hours before its incarnation, the station continuously played "Teenage Bill of Rights" by Robby John and the Seven-Teens, which featured the words "Should we start a revolution? (Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!)". The revolution continued to 6:00am, when “The Swingin’ 91 Deejays” began with “The Morning Mayor.”
Hal Raymond became the first live voice heard on “The Mighty 91-derful”, although the voice introducing KISN and “The Morning Mayor” was recorded by Pat Pattee, who at the time was working at KISN’s sister station KWIK Pocatello, Idaho.
The new station continued broadcasting from above a furniture store in Vancouver until its "KISN Corner" studio at West Burnside and 10th Streets in Portland. In June 1959 it was reported KISN Radio had become the number one station in the Portland area within 30 days.
Tom Murphy ran a contest on KJR in the late ’60s called ‘Smart or Dumb.’ A caller would be asked a question - if he or she got it wrong, that contestant was given an inconsequential prize. And if the contestant got it right, then he or she was still awarded an inconsequential prize. [ LISTEN ] (1:36)
From left: Roger Hart, the Real Don Steele, Tiger Tom Murphy, Pat Pattee, Les Parsons, Frank Benny, Peter Huntington May, and Bill Howlett.
“KISN Radio, 91-derful” began its first contest, giving away $5,000 by telephone. Officials at Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. reported 1,200 calls an hour crammed into KISN’s three Oregon phone lines at: 285-4508 into Vancouver, Wash. Other contests followed: “Name It and Claim It”, “Trick or Treat for Transistors” during Halloween, and “George Washington I Cannot Tell A Lie” giveaway. You could win a Cherry Pie if you caught a DJ telling a lie.
KISN also offered Portland the unique KISN Carol Tree, with red, blue, and green bulbs which flashed to the music being played, and the KISN Aerocar, a unique car/plane used for traffic reports.
KISN AerocarThe station had numerous problems with the Federal Communications Commission over the years, including problems with city of license identification and the studio location, which was mostly caused by Burden's trying to associate KISN as more of a station connected to Portland rather than to Vancouver. Kisn Corner was considered a remote studio. Overnight and weekend programming, plus some weekday newscasts, usually took place at the transmitter.
The Real Don Steele in July 1964.
THE 70s GOODGUYS: Tom Michaels, Roger W Morgan, Dave Records Stone, Dick Jenkins ( far right) Upside down is Mother Bear who was Aldo Buddy Scott and newsman Andy Broman.
ScottBuddy Scott: 1969
[ LISTEN ] (38:58)Records, commercials, including Car Stereos Center, Tackle Medicated Gel, & movie promos.
In 1970, following a complaint from disgruntled former disc jockey Paul Oscar Anderson, the FCC refused to renew Star Broadcasting's broadcast licenses, citing the station's political partisanship in the U.S. Senate campaign of Mark Hatfield.
Although it agreed to issue the licenses in 1973, the FCC refused renewal again in 1975. After the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case in May 1976, the FCC denied KISN's request to stay on the air, and was on hand to ensure that KISN was taken off the air on September 2, 1976, going so far as to require that the station broadcast their final program directly from the transmitter site. Star stations in Omaha and Indianapolis also went off the air.
After evening air personality Dave "Records" Stone said "Good night from the KISN Good Guys", the station was not even allowed to complete its last song, the Supremes "Someday We'll Be Together", going silent at 12:01 AM PDT.
Tiger Tom Murphy, later known as The World Famous Tom Murphy, who usually handled evenings, Mike Phillips, who later programmed stations in Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, Ken Chase, who owned a nightclub called The Chase and was also the manager of its house band, The Kingsmen, Roger Hart, who managed Paul Revere and the Raiders, One-time KPTV personality Robert (Bob) Atkins, working under the pseudonym "Addie Bopkins".
Then there were Australian-born Rod "Kangaroo" Muir, who would later launch Australia's Triple M Network, Tom Michaels, long-time spokesman for Fred Meyer stores, Roger W. Morgan, Buddy Scott, Newsmen Bill Howlett, Whitey Coker, William R. Hatch, and Bob Noonan, Steve Randall, Jeff Michaels, who would later anchor news with ABC Radio, Dave "Records" Stone, and Pat Pattee, all-night personality from 1962 to the end. All of his shows were broadcast from the transmitter.
PHOTO RIGHT: Don Kennedy, Bill Howlett, Pat Pattee, Don Kness, Roger W. Morgan, Joe Light, Tom Michaels and in the white coat, Kangaroo. He had a cool british accent and the audience loved it.
In 1963 the station announced The Real Don Steele was named Program Director and on 3-7pm, Frank Benny moved from 3-7pm to Noon-3 & “Wonderful Weekend” Sundays 10-2pm. On August 9, 1963 Kisn Good Guys, “The Real” Don Steele & Frank Benny hosted the “Battle of The Bands” at Jantzen Beach Park.
Steele for President '64!
For a time in 1964 Jon Steele, brother of “The Real” Don Steele, filled the 3-7pm slot and the “Wonderful Weekend” noon-3 show.On May 23, 1964 the Kisn Good Guys presented “The Beach Boys” at the Coliseum. Tom Murphy & Pat Pattee introduced the boys. On May 28, 1964 Lipman’s began selling the new Kisn Good Guy Beach Bag’s for $1.00.
During 1966, KISN’s Top 40 competitor “Boss Radio” 1550 KGAR moved directly across from the “Kisn Corner” and the Radio War was on. In the end KISN won the studio battle but not the war. Also that year the station participated in the “Camper Contest” sponsored by “Marv Tonkin Camper Town” where Pat Pattee was locked in a camper and broadcasted his show. A lucky listener would be able to reach inside the fish bowl for a key to unlock him and Win! The station issued its newspaper “The Bugle” for 10 cents a copy.
On April 10, 1966 the new smaller KISN “Good Guy/50” survey’s began.
In 1967 “Kisn Good Guy” stickers were issued on a sheet with different sticker shapes.The call letters KISN were later issued to two different stations (now known as KZHT and KNRS (AM)) in Salt Lake City, and then to the current KISN (FM) at Belgrade, Montana.
In Spring 2009, surviving staff members celebrated 50 years since KISN first went on the air. Stone (also known as Dave Rogaway) would continue to document KISN and Portland history through his Web site, "The Stumptown Blogger".
The Window on the World. 10th and Burnside, Portland.Officially titled the "KISN Good Guys" and located at http://goodguyradio.com/, the new KISN featured the voices of some of the original station's more popular personalities including Morgan, Murphy, Hart, Stone, and Pattee, plus Major Logan, Adams, Randall, Jim Cassidy, and newsman William R. Hatch.
The stream began operation at 7:00 p.m. PST on February 24, 2012. The "oldies" format featured the record collection of "Dirty Dave," said to number over 100,000. As was noted throughout the broadcast day, the stream did not follow a limited playlist. Within weeks, the revived "KISN" had accumulated thousands of listeners not just in the Vancouver/Portland market, but had gained listeners from all over the world.
The launch of 95.1 KSIN-FM. [ LISTEN ] (15:26) On August 14, 2014, the project was officially discontinued, though the stream continued operating for several days afterward.
WHO WORKED AT KISN: Here is the list: Chris Lane, Dick Drury, Jim Tate, Bill Jackson, Frank Benny, Steve Brown, Ken Chase, Johnny Dark, Sam Holman, Ralph Hull, Dennis James, Graigg Kelly/The Big Guy, Robert E. Lee, Sam Lee, Joe Light, Roger W. Morgan, Tom Murphy, Ron O'Neil, Jack Par, Mike Phillips, Hal Raymond, Rich 'Brother' Robbin, Dick Saint, Crazy Dick Simms, Don Steele, Dave 'Records' Stone, Jim Tate, Bill Western, and Johnny Williams.
Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Radio Disc Jockey, Kickstarter, Stumptown Blogger, Mark Seibold, Good Guy Radio, Kisn Everywhere, Tangerine Sequel, pdxradio.
