The state of the newspaper industry is infinitely fascinating to those of us who worked in the field for many years. (And equally boring, possibly, for those who haven't). But that other medium -- radio -- was demolished years earlier and now bears faint resemblance to the glory years.
Old-time Northern Californians had great radio to listen to in the old days. Don Sherwood, Jim Lange, Carter B. Smith and the like. Newcomers just might be interested in learning about these folks and others that made radio a singular media habit of the past.
That's why it's worth stopping by (online) to the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame. There, you can find all sorts of written and oral accounts of the glory years in the Bay Area -- as well as audio clips that are worth an hour or two.
Some of the classic radio personalities are still around -- even if they're not on the air. Listeners to KNBR sports talk radio might be surprised to learn that in the 1970s KNBR was the leading music and entertainment station in the Bay Area -- featuring in particular the great team of Frank Dill and Mike Cleary (at left). Dill retired a number of years ago, and Cleary found his way onto a Monterey Bay Area station for a time -- KIDD (also known as Magic 63).
Dill and Cleary still make themselves known on a Facebook page that's updated from time to time. Most recently, the old radio team got together for some reminiscing at the Hotel Mac in Point Richmond. Have a look at the video; it brings back some good memories.
