Rick Myers always dreamed of getting into radio, and it became a dream come true. He started early. He went to radio school while still in high school, and two days after graduation, was hired by KSRT-Tracy. He was seventeen, on his way to a 47-year career.
At KSRT, he learned a lot, and saved a little money. In June, 1968, he, John Chappell, and Wes Page went to Ogden’s Radio Operational Engineering School and got their FCC First Class Licenses. That was a big step; that license allowed announcers to work at any radio station in America. It was at Ogden’s that fellow student, Shotgun Tom Kelly, gave him the nickname “Radio Rick.”
Rick went right to work at KFIV-AM, Modesto, hired by Tim St. Martin. After serving in the Air Force, Rick came back to KFIV. He liked working with the public, and MC’d dozens of Miss Modesto and Miss Stanislaus County pageants, along with telethons and fundraisers.
Rick joined the Modesto Radio Museum Foundation in 2019, and is currently serving as President.
Here are some samples of Radio Rick’s work. We hope you enjoy them as much as he enjoyed creating them.
KFIV – Radio Rick blasting the air waves in 1974
KFIV – Radio Rick, Rockin’ the 136 in 1976
Aside from on the air duties disc jockeys were called upon to produce commercials for local businesses. Many times they would write and record the commercial. Here are some examples of Rick’s talents.
K5 Cash Cruiser. Rick says this contest went well until people started taking too many chances to win the loot. K5 either had to discontinue it or change the name to K5 Crash Cruiser
Mountain Air Concert
Sierra Seasons with the voice of Virginia Lundquist as Klondike Katie. Virginia was Assistant Production Director at KFIV
The Hamburger Caper with the voice of Dave Nelson
Magnins in McHenry Village Radio Rick and Radio Maggie
Read more about Rick Myers here at the Modesto Radio Museum:
Sweet memories
I met Rick lots of times I wonder if he remembers the tub of Jello we had to jump in to to win prizes
Travis,Thanks for reaching out via the Modesto Radio Museum. Thanks, too, for remembering The Great K-5 Jello Jump. Our salesman, Mike Hamiel, sold the client on the idea, but how do you chill that much Jello? Could you chill that much Jello? We got one gigantic tub, and a few hundred boxes of Jello, and L&M Distributing, distributors of Coors Beer, was kind enough to allow us to use their drive-in refrigeration warehouse. Yes, we had a swimming pool of Jello, hauled in on a truck. We monitored that tub all night; the jello had to congeal, it had to wiggle, and not be soupy. It also couldn’t freeze; a frozen lake of Jello is also a bad idea. Thanks to Coors again, this time for supplying us with several dozen Coors Golf Balls (beer and jello? Sounds good to me). We didn’t even know for certain the golf balls would sink. If the golf balls floated along the top the whole promotion would be ruined. The contest was a fun idea, but we hadn’t thought through all the details. Luckily, the golf balls sunk to the bottom. On the day of the event, we thought contestants would wade through the Jello, bend down and pick up their golf balls, to earn their prizes. It was also a cold day; we thought contestants would stick in a toe and check the temperature. But right away, folks were DIVING IN!!! This was fun to watch, but dangerous to the point of stupid. We never thought anyone would dive into a pool three-feet deep! Jump in sure, but not dive head first. This stunt could have ranked right up there with dropping live turkeys from a helicopter. “K-5 Kills Contestants” is a horrible headline. WE GOT LUCKY!
The crowd loved it. Hotsy of the Pacific was on hand to “hot wash” all our sticky contestants. Everyone had a good time.
Then it was time to dispose of the Jello, time for one more decision. We hauled the tub to the back of Century Center and poured the Jello down a sewer drain. This stuff floats away, doesn’t it? Well, no. It froze that night, and the City of Modesto was called out to unplug the storm sewer. They had to drain our swamp! It was a lot of work and a lot of overtime, and the station got the bill. While pouring the Jello down the drain, quite a bit got spilled out onto the asphalt. Don’t forget the storm sewer backed up. “Lake Jello” congealed and shrunk as it hardened, ripping up the parking lot’s asphalt with it. The asphalt company got called out to repair the crater, yes K-5 created a crater! It was a Red Crater! The station got another bill. This is why radio stations have insurance.
And, Travis, those are my recollections, and why the K-5 Jello Jump never jumped again—Radio Rick.
(Special thanks to Ron Posey whose memory is razor sharp for helping with these details. Those were the days.)
Hey Rick,
I wonder if you have many memories of working in the tomato field at KSRT 100.9 FM? I maintained that site for a few years before it moved away and up to the hill behind the army depot. That site and tower are still there, now used as an on-channel booster for the Livermore station.
Thanks,
Paul
Paul,
Great to hear from you. I have many great memories of KSRT. They hired me one day after high school graduation. It was the jumping off point for many Modesto/Stockton DJs, including, among others, Derek Waring, John Chappell, Gary Shriver, Dave Bowling, and Wes Page. We owe a lot to Augustine Soto and his family. KSRT deserves its own story, which is where the Museum comes in. You can be a contributor!
All the best, Rick Myers, Museum President.