In 1961 Bill Drake was programming KYA in San Francisco. It soon became number one in the ratings. In 1962, after KYA had been sold, Drake was contacted by Gene Chenault, owner of KYNO in Fresno, California, who offered him a two station deal including KSTN in Stockton, which was owned by a friend of Chenault’s. Both stations quickly became number one, with KYNO getting an incredible average share of 52% of the audience from 6am to midnight. Drake and Chenault eventually formed Drake-Chenault Enterprises, Inc. By the late 60’s and early 70’s Drake-Chenault had become a massive organization offering Sales and Programming Consulting Services, including the famous Johnny Mann jingles.
These jingles are from KFRC the Big 610 which was programmed by Drake-Chenault and are well known to anyone who lived in the Central Valley of California at the time.
“I’m talking with the people at the Broadcast Museum of Northern California (the name of NATAS’ fledgling archives) about it,” he says. “Also, the California Historical Radio Society has refurbished the old studios and offices of KRE in Berkeley. I visited it, and the president, Steve Kushman, showed me a wall and said, ‘That could be your hall of fame.’ “
That’s taken from an interview I did with Ben Fong-Torres in the San Francisco Chronicle in February 2006, when I had first started putting together the Bay Area Radio Museum & Hall of Fame.
The full article is at:
https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/radiowaves/article/RADIO-WAVES-2540709.php