KHOF-FM

By Jack Short

If God prompts you to do something, He will provide the means to do it.

The story of radio station KHOF-FM in Southern California is a good example.

The pastor of a small church was prompted to start a Christian radio station, something unheard of and seemingly impossible in those days.

There was no money available at the time to do such a thing. God provided what was needed including providing the writer of this book and his training and experience.

There were many serious moments on the air but also many funny and interesting occasions behind the scenes and off the air. This book relates both of these sides of the story of this historic station and the author's experience as a part of it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662486784

Book preview

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KHOF-FM

Jack Short

Copyright © 2022 Jack Short

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-6624-8675-3 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-8678-4 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

A Humorous Moment

In the Beginning

On the Air

More Humor and Maybe Not so Much

Promotion and Publicity

Featured Programs

Power Increase

Problems and Goofs

About the Author

In this modern day and age, listening to FM radio is a common experience, and at most everyone has an FM radio or tuner and listens frequently. This was not always the case, and there was a time when this experience was an unheard-of experience. Everything has to start somewhere and for Southern California, and in fact, everywhere west of the Mississippi River, KHOF-FM was that start, and this is what this story is about.

The following stories are about the miracles I had the privilege of knowing about but more importantly being a part of in my life. I was not there at the start, but I will relate incidents as I was told or read about and remember them.

A Humorous Moment

I had just finished playing a musical LP (you do remember twelve-inch vinal records, don't you?) and had the upcoming song cued up on another record, ready to play next. Since it was station break time (station call letters and city), which by FCC (Federal Communication Commission) rules had to be given within two minutes of the hour, I threw the mike key on and proudly announced, It's pretty nearly ten o'clock at KHOF-FM, 99.5 megahertz, one hundred thousand watts in Los Angeles, California, and then I started the next record.

It was not more than a minute or so before the phone rang. I answered, KHOF, and my mother just said, Pretty nearly? and I replied, Did I say that? I should have remembered the sign I once saw on an intercom that said, Engage Brain Before Operating Mouth. That's always good advice but especially so when you are on the air over all of Southern California. At my age and financial situation, I was still living at home so my mother did listen a lot. Remember, in Proverbs 17:22, the Bible says, A merry heart does good like a medicine, and we had our times of a merry heart in the days that were to come.

It is easy to forget, when you are alone in a small, very warm room surrounded by a lot of equipment pouring off the heat and just talking into a microphone with no one in sight, that there are thousands, maybe even millions of ears listening to you, particularly your mother's ears. This is but one of many humorous moments, as well as