KUGN
Encyclopedia
KUGN is a radio station
primarily broadcasting talk radio
. Licensed to
the city of Eugene, Oregon
, it serves the Eugene-Springfield
metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media
, and affiliated with ABC News Radio
. KUGN partners with local CBS television affiliate KVAL
for breaking news and weather coverage.
KUGN is the flagship radio station of the Oregon Sports Network, and broadcasts University of Oregon
football and basketball games. KUGN also broadcasts local high school football and basketball games. On weekdays, KUGN airs four-and-a-half hours of local news and talk programming, local and national news twice per hour, and nationally syndicated talk shows.
. KUGN was originally affiliated with the ABC
radio network, but switched to NBC
in December 1952. The station dropped the longtime NBC affiliation for CBS
in December 1977. In 1953, KUGN raised its power to 5,000-watts, to become the most powerful radio station in Oregon, outside of the Portland-metro area. In 1979, KUGN began airing some Mutual Broadcasting System
programming, including Monday Night Football
and Larry King
's popular evening talk show.
During its first four decades, KUGN was best known for its eclectic, personable announcers. The careers of such veterans as Duke Young, Dick Cross, Dave Miller, Russ Doran, Skip Hathaway, Webb Russell, Wendy Ray and Dale "Uncle Fuzzy" Reed spanned the period from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. The station had the first traffic reports in the market in 1976 when Ken Strobeck did morning and afternoon drive-time reports in the "KUGN Traffic Rabbit," a Volkswagen Rabbit equipped with a radio telephone and portable transmitter. Tom Lichty ("Major Tom") took over the job in late 1976 when traffic reporting took to the air, serving both as traffic reporter and pilot.
The "old" KUGN, which Ray unabashedly called "the best radio station in the world," is best remembered for its popular "Morning Show." Reed, KUGN's resident Renaissance Man, teamed with Ray and news director Fred Webb for a much beloved program that was a "must hear" in the Eugene area throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. "The Morning Show" entertained "The Listener" with such lighthearted semi-regular features such as Ray's "Ball Score Boogie," the "Poet's Nook" starring Webb as the high-buttoned poetry devotee "Charles," Lichty's traffic reports, and "Gridpute," a tongue-in-cheek Friday morning football preview featuring Ray and a clanking, cantankerous "computer." Ray and Webb also teamed up on Eugene's top-rated morning newscasts, twice hourly between 5:30 and 10 a.m. D.J.-anchor "Uncle Fuzzy" knit it all together with his wry commentary and savvy music choices (adult contemporary with a fair amount of jazz), delivered in a voice that was airwave-polished, yet that of Everyman.
Ray retired from radio in March 1992. Reed and Webb continued until that November, but management chose not to renew their contracts. The station experimented with a few replacements, before settling on a morning news team of Ralph Steadman and Rick Little. Steadman exited in 1995 to make way for University of Oregon
sportscaster Jerry Allen.
In 1996, the Federal Communications Commission
changed radio station ownership rules to allow companies to own up to six stations in a market (see Telecommunications Act of 1996
). Prior to 1996, companies could only own two FM and two AM stations per market. Combined Communications took advantage of the new ownership rules and sold the station in 1996 to Deschutes Broadcasting for $7 million. Over the next three years, the station passed hands from Deschutes to Citadel Broadcasting to Marathon Media, and finally, to Cumulus Broadcasting. Cumulus also purchased five other stations in the Eugene area.
sports radio network, with play-by-play announcer John Tasnady serving five seasons as the football "Voice of the Ducks." KUGN morning host Wendy Ray, already a veteran sportscaster, took the microphone in 1960 as the Ducks' basketball announcer, when KUGN got the broadcast rights to that sport from local rival KASH. When Tasnady retired from broadcasting prior to the 1962 football season, Ray stepped in as football announcer, and called both sports up through the 1969 Oregon-Oregon State "Civil War" football game. Color commentator Mike Guldager stepped in as play-by-play announcer for the season finale at Hawaii, and then announced Ducks basketball and football until 1973.
Ray returned to Oregon Ducks play-by-play for one season (1974–75) as football and basketball announcer. He also served as color commentator for new play-by-play announcer Warren Swain in the 1980 football season. Outside of radio, Ray was the longtime public address announcer for Oregon track and field meets at Hayward Field. Other KUGN "voices" of University of Oregon sports were Bud Sobel (1973–74), Ralph Petti (football, 1975), Mike Stone (1975–80), Swain (1980–82), Portland sportscaster Bill Johnson (1982–84) and Hal Ramey (1984–87).
KUGN lost the broadcast rights to Duck sports in 1987, when the University of Oregon
athletic department set up its own in-house radio network. The university put the network's flagship status up for bidding, and local rival KPNW
won out over KUGN. During that time, KUGN became the flagship station for the Oregon State Beavers radio network, outbidding Portland station KEX-AM. Eight years later, KUGN regained the broadcast rights to Duck sports. Play-by-play announcer Jerry Allen moved from KPNW to KUGN at that time.
Allen, a native Oregonian and veteran sportscaster, will begin his 25th season as "Voice of the Ducks" in the fall of 2011.
Bob Valdez
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
primarily broadcasting talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
. Licensed to
the city of Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, it serves the Eugene-Springfield
Springfield, Oregon
Springfield is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Southern Willamette Valley, it is within the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Separated from Eugene to the west, mainly by Interstate 5, Springfield is the second-most populous city in the metropolitan area...
metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
, and affiliated with ABC News Radio
ABC News Radio
ABC News Radio is the radio service of ABC News, a division of the ABC Television Network. Formerly known as ABC Radio News, ABC News Radio feeds, through Cumulus Media Networks, newscasts on the hour to its more than 2,000 affiliates...
. KUGN partners with local CBS television affiliate KVAL
KVAL
KVAL may refer to:* KVAL , a radio station licensed to Cal-Nev-Ari, Nevada, United States* KVAL-TV, a television station licensed to Eugene, Oregon, United States...
for breaking news and weather coverage.
KUGN is the flagship radio station of the Oregon Sports Network, and broadcasts University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
football and basketball games. KUGN also broadcasts local high school football and basketball games. On weekdays, KUGN airs four-and-a-half hours of local news and talk programming, local and national news twice per hour, and nationally syndicated talk shows.
Programming
Talk programming includes:- KUGN Morning News with Storm Kennedy and Grant McHill
- Laura IngrahamLaura IngrahamLaura Anne Ingraham is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. Her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
- Sean HannitySean HannitySean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
- Douglas UrbanskiDouglas UrbanskiDouglas Urbanski is an American theater impresario, raconteur and film producer.Urbanski is a business partner with actor Gary Oldman and he also runs a talent management firm, DMG...
- KUGN News at 5 with Mark Raney and Eric Dye
- Go Ducks Live with Jerry Allen
- Dave RamseyDave RamseyDavid L. Ramsey III is an American financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker.Ramsey's syndicated radio program The Dave Ramsey Show is promoted with a tagline that "It's about your life and your money," and it is heard on over 450 radio stations throughout the...
- Clark HowardClark HowardClark Howard , is a popular U.S. talk radio host of the nationally syndicated consumer advocate program The Clark Howard Show. The show covers consumer and financial news, with advice on how to spend less, save more and avoid rip-offs...
- Jerry Doyle
- Bill HandelBill HandelWilliam Wolf Handel is the director and founder of the Center for Surrogate Parenting and an AM radio personality in Los Angeles, California....
- Kim KomandoKim KomandoKim Komando is the host of an American talk radio program based on the popularity of personal computers, the use of the Internet, and the complexities of consumer electronics. The Kim Komando Show is broadcast and syndicated on over 450 radio stations in the U.S. and two stations in Ontario, Canada...
- Money Talk with Bob BrinkerBob BrinkerBob Brinker is the host of the radio show Moneytalk, which has been on the air nationally since 1986. He previously had a show on local New York radio on WMCA. Prior to that Brinker hosted talkradio programs on WCAU and WWDB in Philadelphia...
- Larry Kudlow
- On The House with the Carey Brothers and Rebecca Cole
History
KUGN first took the air on July 4, 1946 as the second radio station in Eugene, after KOREKore
Kore is an energy drink distributed by GNC in 250 mL cans.-Ingredients:Water, Sugar, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Taurine, Sodium Citrate, Glucuronolactone, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Caffeine, Sodium Benzoate, Inositol, Caramel Color, Potassium Sorbate, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine...
. KUGN was originally affiliated with the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
radio network, but switched to NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in December 1952. The station dropped the longtime NBC affiliation for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in December 1977. In 1953, KUGN raised its power to 5,000-watts, to become the most powerful radio station in Oregon, outside of the Portland-metro area. In 1979, KUGN began airing some Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
programming, including Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
and Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
's popular evening talk show.
During its first four decades, KUGN was best known for its eclectic, personable announcers. The careers of such veterans as Duke Young, Dick Cross, Dave Miller, Russ Doran, Skip Hathaway, Webb Russell, Wendy Ray and Dale "Uncle Fuzzy" Reed spanned the period from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. The station had the first traffic reports in the market in 1976 when Ken Strobeck did morning and afternoon drive-time reports in the "KUGN Traffic Rabbit," a Volkswagen Rabbit equipped with a radio telephone and portable transmitter. Tom Lichty ("Major Tom") took over the job in late 1976 when traffic reporting took to the air, serving both as traffic reporter and pilot.
The "old" KUGN, which Ray unabashedly called "the best radio station in the world," is best remembered for its popular "Morning Show." Reed, KUGN's resident Renaissance Man, teamed with Ray and news director Fred Webb for a much beloved program that was a "must hear" in the Eugene area throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. "The Morning Show" entertained "The Listener" with such lighthearted semi-regular features such as Ray's "Ball Score Boogie," the "Poet's Nook" starring Webb as the high-buttoned poetry devotee "Charles," Lichty's traffic reports, and "Gridpute," a tongue-in-cheek Friday morning football preview featuring Ray and a clanking, cantankerous "computer." Ray and Webb also teamed up on Eugene's top-rated morning newscasts, twice hourly between 5:30 and 10 a.m. D.J.-anchor "Uncle Fuzzy" knit it all together with his wry commentary and savvy music choices (adult contemporary with a fair amount of jazz), delivered in a voice that was airwave-polished, yet that of Everyman.
Ray retired from radio in March 1992. Reed and Webb continued until that November, but management chose not to renew their contracts. The station experimented with a few replacements, before settling on a morning news team of Ralph Steadman and Rick Little. Steadman exited in 1995 to make way for University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
sportscaster Jerry Allen.
Ownership
KUGN-AM was founded in 1946 by C.H. Fisher of Portland. After some years, his children - Carl Fisher, Jane Whitbread, and Nancy Harrison - assumed daily operations of the station. In 1972 Obie Advertising bought KUGN from the Fishers. Obie was headed by Brian Obie, a future mayor of Eugene. Obie Advertising sold KUGN to Dallas-based Media Corp. of America in 1987. Then in mid-1989, long-time employees Jim Torrey (also a future mayor of Eugene) and Chuck Chackel purchased KUGN for $4.2 million and formed Combined Communications. Torrey sold his interest in the company in 1991.In 1996, the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
changed radio station ownership rules to allow companies to own up to six stations in a market (see Telecommunications Act of 1996
Telecommunications Act of 1996
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications law in nearly 62 years, amending the Communications Act of 1934. This Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, was a major stepping stone towards the future of telecommunications, since this was the...
). Prior to 1996, companies could only own two FM and two AM stations per market. Combined Communications took advantage of the new ownership rules and sold the station in 1996 to Deschutes Broadcasting for $7 million. Over the next three years, the station passed hands from Deschutes to Citadel Broadcasting to Marathon Media, and finally, to Cumulus Broadcasting. Cumulus also purchased five other stations in the Eugene area.
"Home of the Ducks"
In 1957, KUGN became the first flagship station of the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
sports radio network, with play-by-play announcer John Tasnady serving five seasons as the football "Voice of the Ducks." KUGN morning host Wendy Ray, already a veteran sportscaster, took the microphone in 1960 as the Ducks' basketball announcer, when KUGN got the broadcast rights to that sport from local rival KASH. When Tasnady retired from broadcasting prior to the 1962 football season, Ray stepped in as football announcer, and called both sports up through the 1969 Oregon-Oregon State "Civil War" football game. Color commentator Mike Guldager stepped in as play-by-play announcer for the season finale at Hawaii, and then announced Ducks basketball and football until 1973.
Ray returned to Oregon Ducks play-by-play for one season (1974–75) as football and basketball announcer. He also served as color commentator for new play-by-play announcer Warren Swain in the 1980 football season. Outside of radio, Ray was the longtime public address announcer for Oregon track and field meets at Hayward Field. Other KUGN "voices" of University of Oregon sports were Bud Sobel (1973–74), Ralph Petti (football, 1975), Mike Stone (1975–80), Swain (1980–82), Portland sportscaster Bill Johnson (1982–84) and Hal Ramey (1984–87).
KUGN lost the broadcast rights to Duck sports in 1987, when the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
athletic department set up its own in-house radio network. The university put the network's flagship status up for bidding, and local rival KPNW
KPNW
KPNW is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Eugene, Oregon, USA, the station serves the Eugene-Springfield area. The station is currently owned by Bicoastal Media Licenses V, LLC and features programming from Premiere Radio Networks, Fox News Radio, Westwood...
won out over KUGN. During that time, KUGN became the flagship station for the Oregon State Beavers radio network, outbidding Portland station KEX-AM. Eight years later, KUGN regained the broadcast rights to Duck sports. Play-by-play announcer Jerry Allen moved from KPNW to KUGN at that time.
Allen, a native Oregonian and veteran sportscaster, will begin his 25th season as "Voice of the Ducks" in the fall of 2011.
Former anchors and reporters
- Lars LarsonLars LarsonLars Larson is a conservative U.S. talk radio show host based in Oregon. Larson hosts a national talk radio show, which as of 2009 is syndicated by Compass Media Networks...
- Delilah ReneDelilah ReneDelilah Rene Luke , almost always known mononymously as Delilah, is an American radio personality, author, and songwriter, best known as the host of a nationally syndicated nightly U.S...
- Joe Giansante
- Wendy Ray
- Dale "Uncle Fuzzy" Reed
- Fred Webb
- Bob Anderson
- Mark Armstrong
- Kristen Bailey
- Tracy Berry
- Jack Billings
- Don Bishoff
- Bob Boche
- Dan CarlinDan CarlinDan Carlin is an American political commentator, amateur historian, and podcaster. Once a professional radio host, Carlin eventually took his show to the Internet, and he now hosts two popular independent podcasts: Common Sense and Hardcore History....
- Dick Cross
- Barbara Dellenback
- Russ Doran
- Brittany Durbin
- Si "The Old Trader" Ellingsen
- Sarah Ferren
- Jack Flemming
- Russ Francis
- Mike Guldager
- Lester B. Hansen
- Paul Hanson
- George "Skip" Hathaway
- Mike Hathaway
- Rick Hinrichs
- Bob Houglum
- Don James
- Bill Johnson ("Voice of the Ducks" only; was full-time sports director at KXL in Portland.)
- Marsh Johnson
- Jack Johnston
- Tom Lichty
- Rick Little
- Annie Mac
- Ray Martin
- Dave Miller
- Dan Mullin
- Dan Nims
- Denuta Pfeiffer
- Hal Ramey
- Kathy Randall
- Gordon Scott
- Bobby Sherman
- Dominic Sitowski
- Dan Spice
- Ralph SteadmanRalph SteadmanRalph Steadman is a British cartoonist and caricaturist who is perhaps best known for his work with American author Hunter S. Thompson.-Personal life:Steadman was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, and brought up in Towyn, North Wales...
- Nancy Steele
- Mike Stone
- Ken Strobeck
- Warren Swain
- John Tasnady
- Melody Ward (Leslie)
- Hal Wehmeier
- Si Wise
- Cliff Yetter
Bob Valdez
External links
- [mms://live.cumulusstreaming.com/KUGN-AM <-Live Stream Link] (Link for live streaming audio 48k Stereo)