The year was 1974, Beyer High school’s radio station KBHI, 89.9 on the FM dial had just gotten underway. KBHI was the second high school station in Modesto following KDHS, at Downey High School which came on the scene in 1969. It took months of hard work by the staff and crew to raise the money necessary to get KBHI on the air. Continued funding of the station was in large part provided by the KBHI Booster Club which consisted of Modesto area merchants.
The man responsible for initially bringing high school radio to Modesto was also instrumental in getting KBHI up and running. Ron Underwood was the Faculty Advisor and on occasion would fill in as an on air personality. The KBHI studio was located in room D-13 on the Beyer campus. It broadcasted over a 10 Watt transmitter which on a good day would cover perhaps a 10-15 mile radius. On December 1, 1977 KBHI began broadcasting over Modesto Cable in addition to 89.9 FM.
The objectives of KBHI were to serve Beyer High School by promoting and broadcasting campus oriented events along with the music students liked to hear and to serve the community by providing special interest current event type programming. They provided remote broadcasts covering sporting events and live broadcasts of Youth Commission, Inter High Council and Board of Education meetings. There were talk shows covering topics of the day which included interviews with students and staff on campus. Listeners if so inclined could also enjoy oldies from the ’50s and ’60s on KBHI’s nostalgic broadcasts.
If you were involved with KBHI we would love to hear your story. Please feel free to leave your comments below.
What A Great Contribution to Modesto High School Radio that Ron Underwood accomplished. Due to Ron’s dedication and hard Work, he not only establish KBHI-FM 1974-1979, but also started KDHS-FM, The Downey high School radio station prior to taking his Talents and dedication to his students, To Beyer High School, when Beyer High school first opened in 1973.
With Modesto, Ca. being the “only City in the nation to have 2 High School radio stations” is A Great Accomplishment. I was fortunate to become the only Junior Class student to be a station Manager, from the Fall of 1978 until June 1979. Sadly, KBHI-FM fell silent for good in June 1979, despite the efforts of all staff and the community to purchase a 100-watt, upgraded transmitter, and to comply with new FCC Rules. A salute to Ron Underwood, for his true dedication and contribution to Not only the Modesto Radio Market, but at the High School level, sending a fair amount of students into Professional Commercial Radio…Salute To Ron Underwood, for true dedication to Local Radio!!
Now that I have completed a far more brief and far, far, far less distinguished teaching career as Ron Underwood, I can say with absolute certainty that Ron Underwood is one of the most amazing, inspired, inspiring, and incredible kind of teacher our country can know. As though the competitive speech team was not enough, he, twice, creates student radio stations that include the student speakers who, not only, then, have a non-competitive outlet for oral expression, but a vocational skill opportunity that few high schools in the United States have ever offered.
Thank you so much, Ron, KBHI was a cherry on top of an unending, kitchen sink sundae of great fun and reward. You are my favorite teacher of all time.
Steve