The Year of Change……1968

On January 1, 1968, the ABC Radio network split itself into 4 distinct networks: Information, Entertainment, FM, and Contemporary. WKIP chose to part of the American Contemporary Network, which was positioned for Top 40 radio. And there was good reason. On January 1, John Kuhn’s company sold WKIP to the Star Broadcasting Group. The new ownership, led by Gerald T. Arthur, decided that it was time to shake up Poughkeepsie with a Top 40 station. The change was happened over the first two months. Gone were the Breakfast Club, dinner music after the 6pm news, and soft music. In came the Doors, the Beatles, Steppenwolf, and the Strawberry Alarm Clock. The latter artist was Bob Bruno’s cue to bid adieu to Poughkeepsie, having earlier received a call at 6:15am from an irate Mr. Arthur for playing Peter, Paul and Mary.

Gerald T. Arthur was a unique character. He was small in stature but compensated by having an oversized chair in his office. He also had little experience in radio. Mr. Arthur purchased a jingle package from PAMS Productions of Dallas called Swiszlers, which advertised WKIP as “The Now Sound”. “20/20 Weather” would be announced with a reverberating sound called Sonovox: WKIP weather word - “clear, clear, clear”. DJ shouts were cut in advance of the format change. Some of the choices: Dino Lasagna, Jim Bee, Bill Star, and Ronnie Victor to name a few. Mike Gordon recalls the story of how he was given the choice of three names: Enrico Spagetti, the aforementioned Dino Lasagna, and “Kip” Carson. He chose the latter and debuted on the air March 1, 1968 doing the overnight show.

WKIP did a big advertising blitz on March 27 and 28 in the Poughkeepsie Journal. Some of the promotions included the WKIP Starline, where listeners would vote for their favorite songs, Cash Call, Disc-o-Take, High School Mascot and What’s Cooking. (One other promotion, Instant Pick-and-Play, would return 10 years later with Rich Stevens.)

Tom Shovan

The man in charge of the station’s image was Bill Star, “the world’s largest DJ”, aka Tom Shovan, who later when on to greater fame at WHVW. Tom left WPTR in Albany to program the station. Since he was still under contract to WPTR, he was unable to use his real name, and instead became Bill Star. The WKIP line up was as volatile as the times. Morning man Ronnie Victor, who also came south from WPTR, disappeared a few months into the new format. Kip Carson started as the overnight man. But within a month, Mr. Arthur decided to drop overnight programming. After a brief hiatus, Kip returned doing middays, when Ronnie Victor disappeared with the company car.

In the summer of 1968, WKIP would pull off one of its biggest stunts of all time. It had been prearranged that Kip Carson would quit on the air one day, saying radio was not for him. As Kip headed out the door with Strange Days by the Doors fading in the background and no one at the controls, Ted “Rebel” Jones (seen on the left), the program director at the time, came into the studio to take over. After several days, listeners were asked to help look for poor Kip. A prize would be awarded to whoever found him. With on-air hints, Kip was found about 2 weeks later in front of Luckey Platt, which just happened to be a big sponsor at the time. Kip returned to the air shortly thereafter. Legend has it that the prize, a check for $100, bounced.

One sponsor who retained time under the new format was Millmans Furniture. Art Millman had a program called “Memories of the Bigtime”, a radio rendition of the Joe Franklin Show. Needless to say, this didn’t fit well with the Top 40 format, and it has been rumored that the on-air DJ, who’s show Memories would interrupt, would put their thumb on the reel to sloooowwww dooowwwnnn the tappppeeeee.

On Labor Day weekend of 1968, WKIP said thanks for the memories to the Nelson House, and moved into its specious new studios off Van Wagner Road, auspiciously located at the site of the old Town of Poughkeepsie dump. And being an old dump, it was not uncommon to find rats living there. site. In fact, it was quite commonplace to find rats inside the brand new building.

WKIP’s fore into Top 40 lasted not quite 10 months. By October, the station was heading back to MOR.

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