by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

photo of Terry McGovern courtesy google images

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO–On Saturday Bay Area radio personalities were introduced at the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame by former great DJ formerly with KSAN and KSFO Terry McGovern the former morning personality and voice actor. McGovern served as this year’s master of ceremonies and introductions at the BARHOF. McGovern a well known film actor, television broadcaster, radio personality, voice over specialist, and acting instructor.

The Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame, the California Historical Society and Broadcast Legends inducted nine of their own to the Hall of Fame. In the Sports Category former Raiders head coach, television analyst, and KCBS Sports personality John Madden started his introduction on former morning personality from the former flagship station of the A’s and Giants KSFO 560 Gene Nelson (BARHOF 2006).

Then Madden switched his attention and introduced former morning personality from KNBR Frank Dill (BARHOF 2006) who called it a day in 1988, coach Madden also worked with former news anchor at KCBS Al Hart (BARHOF 2006) and current KCBS morning anchor Stan Bunger (BARHOF 2010). Madden who was not there to present but he sent his most heartfelt thanks via video to introduce the personalities.

News Categories: Former KFRC and KCBS newsman from the South Bay Bureau Mike Colgan was introduced by former KGO ABC 7 reporter from the South Bay Bureau Rigo Chacon who is now retired. Colgan has been on the Bay Area radio news scene now for over 40 years. Colgan was part of that legendary 610 KFRC, the Big 610, 20/20 news team, and part of those Billboard Station Of The Year Award years when KFRC won consecutive Billboard awards in the 70s.

Colgan also worked at KPEN Los Altos before working at KCBS in 1988. Colgan’s current assignment is with the KCBS South Bay Bureau. I have personally known Rigo for along time, he does a lot of stuff for the community and told me his dad used to love to listen to me when I first started doing the A’s on the radio in the mid 70s.

Former KYUU great Gil Haar was brought in from Denver to work at KOBY as a DJ in 1958, then Haar worked at KYA and KEWB then moved to KMJ Fresno for five years, and came back to the Bay Area in 1966. He spent the next ten years as news director at KNEW. For those of you who knew him from his work in the 80s he worked with Don Bleu morning disc jockey, Vicky Jenkins news anchor, Whitey Gleason Sports Director at the formerly NBC owned 99.7 KYUU. Haar was famous for ending his news casts by saying “so now you know” he was also there to accept his Hall of Fame induction.

Pioneer: Elma Greer from KSFO radio which was called for many years “the world’s greatest radio station” where Greer was music director who started her 28 year tenure in 1961. Greer won numerous awards during her career as music director. Kathy Antsey Elma’s daughter accepted on behalf of Elma.

Engineering and Education: Ken Nielson a true radio and TV pioneer. He came to the Bay Area from Denver in 1941 and convinced the San Francisco United School District to apply for an FM license and purchase an RCA demonstration FM transmitter used in the 1939 Treasure Island Expo. The end result was that of KALW radio which became the first FM station on the West Coast. Later Ken convinced the school district to purchase TV cameras and related equipment for classes. The equipment was used after school hours to help start KQED TV. Yes, same KQED 9 as we well know it today.

Specialty: Peter Scott came to KSFO after several years at KSJO in San Jose. Peter worked his way up from production coordinator to assistant program director and then onto program director in the mid 70s. After his KSFO days he owned his own recording studio in San Francisco and did voice overs until his passing in 2008. McGovern inducted Scott with the Hall of Fame award.

Personality: Dusty Street got her start in Bay Area radio as one of the fabled “chick engineers” at KMPX in 1967. Street later became a DJ when she moved over to KSAN after the KMPX strike. Street later moved to the LA market from 1979-1995. She spent the last ten years at Sirius XM radio as radio host of classic vinyl.

Program host: Lisa Kreisler started his career at KLOK in the news department after graduation from San Jose State. When her station switched formats she jumped over to KBAY doing news before becoming co host of the morning show with fellow BARHOF 2015 and former K101 disc jockey Sam Van Zandt. The Lissa-Sam show put KBAY on top of the San Jose ratings. Van Zandt presented Lissa with the plaque.

Executive Harvey Stone originally from Cleveland served 33 years as General Manager/President of KBLX “The Quiet Storm”. He guided “The Quiet Storm” against the giant corporate stations to be rated in the top three on a consistent basis through the 1990s. Harvey is also the CHRS godfather. In 2003 he invited and allowed CHRS to use the historic KRE building in Berkeley as the first home of the CHRS Radio Museum.

Priceless stories about radio, when radio was really radio, when station had news, sports and weather staffs along with their music and program directors. I’m proud to be a part of the BARHOF (2010) preserving history of radio in the Bay Area, mixing with some of these people I have know for years and some that I used to listen to when I first arrived from New York City to San Francisco in 1969 it is always a thrill and a privilege.

A great afternoon was had by all and lunch at the Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco with an attendance of 140 people on Saturday. For more information please visit http://www.broadcastlegends.com.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the A’s, the Spanish TV voice for the Angels, and does News and Commentary each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com