Everyone wanted to be like Big Daddy Tom Donahue. In 70-71, the first KTIM new format dj was Clint Wyerich, think that was his name and maybe spelling.I was writing Dishpan Hands at COM, clued into tunes and social unrest in all earnestness. I think he got booted outa there. It was another exciting place during an exciting time.
I've still got a cassette tape of a Les Dudek show broadcast on KTIM from some club in Fairfax (The Sleeping Lady?) circa 1976. Mentioned it on You Tube, and the bass player hit me up for a copy. Kinda makes me wonder if mp3s on my iPod will be around 31 years from now.
Anyway, KTIM was the bomb. A friend and I used to clean medical offices on South Eliseo in Larkspur and fortunately we were able to play KTIM over the office PAs. Utter bliss for rock'n'rollin' high-schoolers of the day.
I'll never forget driving just off of Fourth St. in the early 70s and seeing a group of 4 very wild looking guys who were clearly not from San Rafael. They were obviously rockers (the wild hair gave them away) and seemed a bit disoriented wandering around town in the morning. Later that morning on KTIM there was a live in studio interview with a new rock band called Queen.
Remember the Flea Market/Classifieds at Lunch time where you could call in live and describe what you were selling? Sometimes, people would just want to get on the air and act stupid - What a riot!
The station was originally housed in the IJ building on 5th St. between A & B Sts. in San Rafael. They moved to a Victorian house on G or H St. in the 80's. There was a pretty good open house they day they moved. I seem to remember live bands playing. Also; the transmitter was up on San Rafael Hill and during the holidays there were lights on the tower that pulsated to the music.
The NORTH BAY NOISE!!! "Raisin' Hell in San Rafael" That was truely a great station. In one of it's later incarnations, Al "Jazzbeau" Collins had a show.
In the mid 70's KTIM on 5th Ave in San Rafael had album oriented rock that rivaled the best from The City and in the mid 80's it had excellent indie style new age/rock/jazz etc and were called The Wave and then The Tide. I enjoyed both those incarnations and think Marin deserves it's own media.
