On November 5, 1953 the FCC issued a Construction Permit for a new AM station on 1150kc with 1kw, non-directional daytime hours only licensed to Vancouver, Washington. Call letters granted were KHFS standing for "Kilowatt High-Fidelity Station". KHFS was licensed to Western Broadcasting Co. (Charles M. Weagant, 60% owner & Chief Engineer). Charles had been KBPS Chief Engineer. Previous to this, Weagant had made Portland news when on Monday May 6, 1940 Charles, using his 1kw ham station W7GAE made connect with polar explorer Admiral Byrd for 20 minutes from his base at Little America in the Antarctic. Two more additional contacts were made. (son Ralph C. Weagant, 40% owner, Program Director & News Director) Ralph had first been with KVAN-910 & KXL as a news announcer. Western Broadcasting Co. was originally the company name used on KEX's first license in 1926. KHFS estimated construction cost was $18,500.
The transmitter was designed and built by Charles Weagant, in the garage at his home at 3221 N.E. 38th in Portland. Warren Weagant: "He had severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and could only get around with crutches. Due to coming down with tuberculosis, some of the broadcast equipment was installed at the station site by his son and freelance engineers, including Bryce Howard (who became Chief Engineer), Bob Way, Harold "Al" Potter, KBPS Chief Engineer, under the direction of Charles Weagant, via phone."
On July 3, 1954 KHFS began testing it's transmitter at 7:00am with Bob Way at the controls until 10:15am when Loyal E.W. Conley (later KLIQ CE) took over. KHFS was shut down at 10:37am due to a transformer failure. At 4:25pm KHFS began testing again with the transformer fixed. Loyal E.W. Conley & Stan Heintz were at the controls. Loyal Conley left at 5:06pm leaving Stan Heintz to finish testing and signing off at 8:00pm.
On July 4, 1954 KHFS officially began operation from its studios & transmitter site located at 5500 Fourth Plain Road in Vancouver. Once again Bob Way was at the controls with sign on at 7:00am. KHFS broadcast a Hi-Fi Good Music format. Ralph Weagant took over at 11:10am to 4:00pm with Stan Heintz on until KHFS sign off at 8:00pm. Ernest E. "Earnie" Crater was Commercial Manager. KHFS slogan: Your high-fidelity station, first in the nation.
On September 19, 1955 Charles Marvin Weagant died of pneumonia and complications from tuberculosis at age 49. Charles was fortunate enough to see the inside of KHFS before his untimely death. Ralph C. Weagant became President & G.M. Bryce R. Howard was hired as Chief Engineer taking Charles place. By December 1955 Jack Nino was Promotions Manager. KHFS had also affiliated with KBS, the Keytone Broadcasting System transcription network. KHFS slogans: You've heard the rest, now hear the best! Your favorite music station. By September 1956 Gene Brendler (formerly on KWJJ & KXL, co-currently on KPTV) was doing a disc-jockey show. KHFS slogan: 1,000 watts of Personality in High-Fidelity.
On June 28, 1957 KHFS became KKEY. Warren Weagant: "The call change was desired because KHFS was not easy to pronounce and Ralph thought a catchy "word" would be better." KKEY's call slogan: "The KEY radio station of the Northwest". By July 1958 Wally Thornton (later on KISN) was Program Director; Gordon Shaw, News Director; Clarence Hecox, Farm Director; Marion Olney, Woman's Director; John A. "Jack" Luetjen (formerly KRTV GM & PD) Commercial Manager & Sam Jones, Promotions Manager.
On September 29, 1958 KKEY switched to a Town & Country Music format after "9-10 KVAN" abandoned its Country format for Rock & Roll. 9-30-58 ad: "KEY Radio. Now the No.1 Town and Country WESTERN Music Station. The only Western Music Station Serving the Greater Portland-Vancouver Area. KEY Radio Top Western Personalities: Shorty The Hired Hand; Ken DeBord; Bryce Howard." (DJ's pictured in that order, so I'm thinking Shorty was mornings; Ken, middays & Bryce, afternoons). Ken DeBord was Program Director & Bryce Howard was still Chief Engineer. Shorty The Hired Hand was formerly on "9-10 KVAN". Willie Nelson also followed Shorty from KVAN but for Willie KEY Radio was a brief stay, after a reputed show helped with a bottle.
In August 1959 KKEY switched format back to Good Music. Ad: "Top Tunes from Albums and Shows. KKEY plays S.M.P. Sensible Music Programming. No R&R or C&W." Al Picinni was Program Director. By December 1959 KEY Radio's studio & transmitter address had changed slightly to 5500 N.E. Fourth Plain Road.
In 1961 KKEY changed to a Top 40 format. Slogan: KEY Radio, The Mighty 11-50. The KBS affiliation was dropped. By September 1961 Ernest E. Crater was Commercial Manager; Bob Van Roy (later KGAR ND, KCRA) was News Director; Lucky Leo (aka Leo Erickson formerly KVAN CE&ND, KWJJ; later KGAR CE, KYTE) was doing weekday mornings & Nat Jackson (formerly on KHTV; later with KISN, KPAM/KPFM ND) was doing weekends. Ralph Weagant also filled in as a DJ when needed and did studio Production.
By October 12, 1962 Johnny Williams (formerly on KBOL, KICN, aka Dapper Dan on KIMN, aka Johnny Williams KICN MD, KTKT, KIMN, KISN MD; later KDAB MD, KRIZ, WABB, KBTR MD, KCBQ PD, KRLA, KHJ, WTAE, KHVH, KHNR OM) was doing afternoon drive at the beginning of the Columbus Day Storm. KEY was shut down at its regular time, sunset and Johnny was just hangin' around KEY, taking it all in. Johnny Williams: "I can remember reading the wind gauge in the station as it showed 100 MPH. I went out to Fourth Plain Rd. in front of the station and grabbed hold of a telephone pole just to see how long I could stand up in the wind -- I managed for several minutes, actually..."
1962-63 Warren Weagant (younger brother of Ralph, formerly on KBPS; later aka Johnny Edwards on KOFE, aka Johnny Holiday on KAPT, aka Sylvester Behr on KGON-1520, aka John Edwards KPAM/KPFM PD, KGO AM/TV) began Saturdays & Sundays Noon to sunset.
In March 1963 Roger Hart (formerly aka Roger Ferrier on KENL, KVAN-910, KENL, KUIK, KLIQ, KEX, aka Roger Hart on KISN, KGAY PD, KGAL PD) began doing afternoon drive. Also by this time Russ Ripley (formerly KLOG PD, KISN; later on KGON-1520, KLIQ-FM PD/MD) was doing mornings and Vic Knight (formerly on KGON-1520) middays. In May 1963 Tom Cauthers (formerly on KGON-1230, KYJC, KRVC, KNND MD; later on KGAR, KGRO, aka T-O-M Tom on KRDR, aka Tom Cauthers KTOH CE, KERG Asst. ND, aka Ted Thomas on KISN, aka Scotty Wright on KISN, aka Tom Cauthers on KISN, KPAM AM/FM/KLSC CE, Collins/Rockwell/Continental sales, KXTC/KQZQ owner, Varian Associates sales, Jefferson Public Radio CE, KBPS CE, KKPZ/KKSL/KPBC CE) began DJing Sunday mornings 6 to 11am, followed by Old Dusty (aka Stan Pintarich, formerly on KVAN-910, KWJJ) 11am to 1pm, who would bring in his old 78 RPM's. KKEY weekdays included Jack Par (formerly on KGRO, KISN; later KDOL AM/FM GM, KAIN, KEEP).
In Summer? 1963 KKEY scrapped Top 40 for a Good Music format. Cal Coleman (formerly on CKOV, later on KXLY, CKDA, CJOR, CKLG, CKVN) was hired as one of the announcer DJ's. In 1964 KEY switched to an IGM Automation System, programming IGM's "The Cosmopolitan Sound" Good Music format. In addition, Doug Pledger programs (from KNBR) were added "Pledger Plays The Classics" a Classical music program and "Pledger At The Opera" featured Opera music. Ad: "Adult programming with an International Flavor. The world's best music from Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Vienna, America, etc. Music with melody along with bits of wit by Doug Pledger. Portland, Oregon's Quality Sound. KKEY......The KEY Station." Slogans: The most refreshing sound in town. KEY Radio, as majestic as the tall timbers, The Fabulous KEY!
In April 1964 Jerry Johnson (later on KYMN, aka J.J. Mitchell on KGAL MD, KEED, KYMN, KASH PD, aka Robin Mitchell on KOL, KING, KOL PD, WRKO Acting PD, WSAI PD, WIFE PD, KYYX PD, KB101 PD/KYTE/KB101 OM, KRCK PD/KYTE/KRCK OM, KRXY PD, KKUR PD, KWJJ-AM/FM PD/OM, KUJZ PD & cluster OM) began weekend mornings, threading big metal automation reels, watching carousel machines that regularly jammed, plus a Noon newscast on Sundays. KEY had no wire service, so stories were cut out of the newspaper. By 1965 KEY Radio's studio & transmitter address had changed slightly again to 5500 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd.
