KCAC

In 1961, KCAC originated as a rhythm-and-blues station, located in Phoenix AZ. It was one of the few radio stations in Arizona that were African American-owned and -operated. Among its DJs were Jim Titus, who, while at KRIZ radio in 1958, had become Phoenix's first African-American radio announcer.

KCAC's management decided to change to a Spanish-language format four years later, but the station was not a success

KCAC switched to a free-form format when William Edward Compton became its station manager in 1969. Originally from Texas, William Edward Compton’s impact on radio began in 1969 when, with only 5 years of radio experience under his belt, he set out for Los Angeles. It is our fortune that he only got as far as Phoenix.

Radio Free Phoenix Crew, 1971

In 1969 Phoenix Top Forty AM Radio ruled the dial. Rival stations KRIZ and KRUX were locked in a continual battle to be number one. In the late 1960’s, hoping to win the ratings war, KRUX took a chance on Bill Compton. That’s when Compton began forging his own path to fame. A show called the KRUX Underground was featured on KRUX. Originally conceived and hosted by Ray Thomson, the station engineer, when KRUX hired William Edward Compton, Thomson seemed to know that KRUX had taken a bold step enlisting Compton. He turned the 'KRUX Underground" over to Compton and Phoenix changed forever.

Bill Compton

Under the moniker "Little Willie Sunshine," Compton crafted a unique, ‘open format’ music show, which was previously nonexistent in Valley radio.

Something completely different was happening. On Sunday nights, “Little Willie Sunshine" brought KRUX head long into the ‘Age of Aquarius’ with his engagingly diverse sets. Rock, folk, jazz, R&B, blues – simply any music that spoke to him came floating through the airwaves. But at KRUX, his open format radio was only a hint of what Compton wanted it to be. So he grabbed an opportunity to become program director for a little 500-watt daytime only AM radio station called KCAC.

KCAC station manager William Edward Compton comments on the Kent State incident, July 4, 1970. [ PART ONE ] (1:38) [ PART TWO ] (9:51)

First, KCAC broadcast out of an old house that would now be designated as "historic." It sat on the south side Camelback Road, between 7th and 15th Avenues. A bunch of hippies running a radio station not far from the quiet family streets ruffled some feathers.

One day Compton walked into his station to find that KCAC had been burglarized. The station’s entire library of LP’s had disappeared. He and his air staff appealed to listeners to loan the station records while KCAC rebuilt its library. In no time the faithful were streaming in to the little house, balancing their stacks of LPs. The station happily accepted the LP’s, talked to several of the generous listeners on the air, and offered ‘herbal compensation’ to those who contributed.

DJ Ron Wortham, once dubbed "Spokesperson for the Phoenix Hippie Community" by The Arizona Republic. Wortham started in Phoenix radio, reporting overnight news on KOY, and went on to become one of the first generation of Phoenix underground rock radio DJs. Wortham, along with the legendary album rock programmer, Bill Compton, was at the forefront of Phoenix album rock radio as a founding member of the underground KCAC air staff.

The early days of Phoenix album rock radio were the days of free love, head shop commercials, a station sponsored drug hotline, and Wortham and Compton enjoying communal living, on an old west valley ranch, with many of the original KDKB staff, as well as members of Phoenix' underground newspaper, Rebirth.

Ron emerged as a desert hippie dj, at a time when rock and roll wore it's mysticism like a bandana, and he became an open-minded believer in alternate theories. Some of Ron's rock and roll psychic connections were uncanny, including his fascination with the boy on the cover of his favorite Moody Blues album. His son Dustin, born many years later, would grow to look exactly like the boy in the picture. In the new century, though social media, Ron was still questioning authority, and pondering the improbable.

KCAC later moved from the house on Camelback to inside a big music store housed in Tower Plaza, near 40th Street and Thomas. At that location, Compton broadcast live from the display window of Wallich’s Music City. The booth faced a sidewalk filled with curious teens, inspired listeners and anyone else who happened by. That kind of set up would probably result in chaos today, but Compton already had a reputation as one of a kind, Arizona’s musical pied piper. Compton respected his listeners and received nothing less in return.

Broadcasting from Wallich’s had another big upside. Compton had access to all kinds of albums and undoubtedly was partly responsible for the store’s great selection of records. At Wallich’s, would be customers were invited to listen to records before buying them. If the store didn’t have an “open copy” they’d open one. Customers were shown to private, glass enclosed “listening booths” where they could lovingly place records on the turntable and decide if they liked the albums enough to buy them.

By l971, KCAC was in financial straits, so Bill Compton joined forces with Valley newcomer Dwight Tindle, who with a partner, formed “Dwight Karma Broadcasting.” On August 23, l971, Dwight Tindle signed KDKB on the air. He hired Compton as KDKB's first program director, and KDKB began broadcasting from a two story red brick building on Country Club and First Avenue in Mesa. Tindle recognized Compton's exceptional talent and charisma, and gave Compton free reign to create a radio station that would transform the dial. Both William Edward Compton and Dwight Tindle were inducted into the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Music & More Arizona.