Rudy Didn't Start KEAN!

Posted by Abilene_Reporter on September 21, 2008 at 2:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I don't know whether to take this story as a new (unpaid) intern's first major assignment, or a media disinformation fest by Rudy "Fearless" Fernandez. Rudy DID NOT start KEAN-FM, although he was involved in the early years of KEAN Cruise Night as an on-the-air personality (DJ).

First a brief history lesson on KEAN 105.1 FM. The frequency originally went on the air as KWKC-FM in the 1960s. After the newness and lack of FM radios, especially in automobiles, proved unprofitable for KWKC, the frequency was eventually transferred to KNIT-FM, where the talents of Michael Henry Martin playing Top 40 music proved to be a profitable endeavor for over a decade. Several DJs went on from KNIT to some of the top stations in the Dallas market. Surprisingly, KNIT was a decent attempt to bring a scaled-back version of Dallas' Gordon McLendon "powerhouse" station KLIF's format to West Texas.

Fast forward to the spring of 1978 in the old KRBC 1470 AM studios located in the 11th floor penthouse of the Windsor Hotel. During a midday break in KNIT's Top 40 programming, the airwaves on 105.1 began to spout the sounds of "modern" country music on Abilene's new KEAN 105 FM. Instead of the Beatles, Eagles, Herman's Hermits and the Rolling Stones - Johnny Duncan, Ronnie Milsap, Eddie Arnold, The Oak Ridge Boys, Johnny Paycheck, Willie & Waylon and Moe & Joe. The high school rock and rollers were furious, "their" station was now playing redneck $#!+kicker music!

Rudy wasn't there, yet. Gene Ditmore, Benny Springer and several veteran Abilene radio station personalities, along with a group of investors had gambled on FM country music being profitable in Abilene. KEAN-FM has been immensely popular, after a slightly rocky start.

The on-air personalities who deserve credit for the early years of KEAN Country
include John Howard Blackwell, Linda Morgan (one of several Bobby & Bonnie teams, although John Blackwell was not the original), Kim (KB) Massingill, and Bruce Wayne (Denton), Jeane Perryman and a host of others whose names escape me.

Posted by Abilene_Reporter on September 21, 2008 at 2:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Part 2
Greg Beatty was delivering pizzas for Gatti's and Rudy was still a high school student when KEAN-FM* went on the air. KEAN-FM didn't see, or hear Rudy Fernandez until around 1980. (*KNIT 1280 AM was acquired in the purchase and retagged as KEAN 1280 AM which was a simulcast of the FM station most of the time).

How do I know? Well, KEAN actually had news reports at the top of the hour, with top national and state syndicated reports, then a brief local news blurb, which I sometimes reported, when not filling in for absent DJs or dubbing country hits from vinyl records to Ampex tape cartridges - or even providing sound effects and voice fills on commercials and PSAs.

Before anyone tries to take credit for the KEAN Bass Tournament, that was another Gene Ditmore collaboration with Rex Carey, Dennis ??? and many other avid bass fishermen from the Big Country (I'm trying to remember the lyrics to Fishing Fever).

The worst thing I can say about KEAN would be during the time of its misfortune to be owned by Clear Channel, which prides itself in removing local control and implementing "cookie cutter programming for all of its stations.

Don't take me wrong, Rudy has done PLENTY for local charities. Probably a harmless misprint, but just to set the record straight, RUDY FERNANDEZ DID NOT START RADIO STATION KEAN!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_in_country_music

Posted by Abilene_Reporter on September 21, 2008 at 2:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Please excuse the typos in my two previous posts above. You have to have a clear mind to benefit from a spell checker at two in the morning.

Posted by Jam4junk on September 21, 2008 at 5:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I thought that that was a funny misprint also, Fearless started KEAN, what a joke!
Wasn't it Bobby and Bonnie in the morning in the early '80s.

Posted by muchlove on September 21, 2008 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

At the safety dance, did they wear helmets, knee pads and elbow pads? Were people allowed to touch or hold hands?

Posted by rsjz4 on September 21, 2008 at 12:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I am sure with Rudy's ego, he has it in his mind that he started KEAN.

I am sure this post will get deleted.

Posted by DB on September 21, 2008 at 7:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I sure like Doc & Kelly alot better.

Posted by wild_bill on September 21, 2008 at 9:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thanks Abilene_Reporter! I was one of those "rockers" who left 105 after KNIT went to KEAN and I've never gone back. I also remember Rudy trying to get a job as a dispatcher at APD back in the mid/late 70's (can't remember exactly when, just that it didn't happen). He is, or was, a good guy but that was back before his "superstar" status. I haven't had any contact with him in years. The last time (I think) was when I was still dispatching and he called in complaining about "hot rodders" creating a noise disturbance by his house.

I remember the old Cruise Nights down Sayles to Sonic on N.1st. All those people on Sayles calling in complaining about the noise and the "hot rodders". Nearly all of 'em DEMANDING something be done to stop it, RIGHT NOW! I enjoyed telling them to talk to the Chief Monday morning since the APD was one of the sponsers.
Ah, remember when....

Posted by Texan55 on September 22, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I've always wondered why the cruise goes thru the busiest intersection in Abilene, then the dance at the busy Mall. One year in the 90's, the cruise was down S.1st and ended up in the new Winn Dixie, K-Mart parking lot. No traffic problems what so ever. That lasted one year. The most ridiculous route was around 8 years ago went it went down Leggett. a two lane street, and everyone had to take a left turn on 14th at a very short green light. My point being, why not have the cruise on the most user friendly streets?

Posted by abilenesfinest on September 22, 2008 at 2:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To all of you arm-chair radio history majors and experts on this community. Rudy Fenandez did not begin KEAN radio, he began working at KEAN radio 30 years ago. In 30 years he has done more for this community than 120,000 of us could ever do. Any organzation that contacts him, he has never told no! I can not think of one non-profit organzation that he has not helped out here in Abilene or the Big Country. So if you call that super-star status or a man with an ego, just do me a favor ask yourself what have you done for this community!

Posted by Abilene_Reporter on September 23, 2008 at 2:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I could instantly name six organizations "Fearless" has said NO to in the past ten years. For various reasons, they were "too small" or "not popular enough" for KEAN to promote. Doc, Kelly, JB and Justin didn't hesitate to help them and no prepaid "promotion package" was ever mentioned by KBCY. Maybe that is why KBCY has been the number one station in ratings for the last three years. Interestingly enough, most of the 99.7 KBCY announcers were formerly with KEAN, back when KEAN 105 was numero uno. KBCY was another one of Gene Ditmore's projects, after corporate media gained control of KEAN.

Rudy has not been with KEAN for thirty continuous years. He quit and tried to make it in a larger market and came back to Abilene within a year. Dave Dalzell was a more talented DJ (while at KRBC 1470 AM) compared to Rudy, but Dave realized when it was time to grow up and get a real job.

My first thought was "abilenesfinest" might be connected with the police department, but after some additional consideration, maybe it is Rudy himself. The ego is there, ask anyone who has worked with him!

Posted by GaryBuseysBartender on September 23, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

WOW! I think we've set a record! That's eleven posts, and nobody's mentioned Obama, Palin, God, abortion or lesbians!

Posted by abilenesfinest on September 23, 2008 at 9:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It looks like the problem lies with your ego sir! You mention Doc, Kelly, JB, Gene Ditmore, Dave Dalzell and several others. All, which have played a very important role in this community for several years and all great men. It's your pompous ego that stands in the way, to acknowledge Rudy as a part of those very important names.

Again sir, ask yourself what have you done in this community. I think the first thing we all learn in vacation bible school is the one person who will judge us, is not our fellow man but the man upstairs, and we are pompous ego-maniacs if we judge other people's accomplishments and dis-count them as nothing. I had the pleasure and the pain of working with Mr. Fernandez for several years and can't ask for any better. If you had any sense of the radio business (by your comments, I'm thinking not) once you meet one D.J you have met them all! Keep your chin up, they should have a new story soon for you to judge behind your computer.

Posted by thechurchlady on September 23, 2008 at 2:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, now I MUST interject. Obama personally told me Rudy Fernandez was a fine man.

So, as the objective person that I am...I went to Mrs. Palin. Following our aero wolf hunting trip and abortion seminar, Sarah told me Rudy was a fine man. I thought to myself, "self, who would know best?" and the answer from God was "Lesbians, they know Rudy".

But not to be outdone, our President reitterjicterated (only Bush can say that word) that Rudy was not a great man.

You see, we all have our own opinions and views. In many cases, they're not the same. But what makes us a great nation is that we have the freedom of speech and from what I understand, a 100,000 watt megaphone is a great way to take advantage of said freedom. Last time I checked, Rudy hasn't bashed anyone on air. As a matter of fact, I think we can leave that up to the a-holes on the evil radio station!

Posted by thechurchlady on September 23, 2008 at 2:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh yeah, by expressing my opinion here I saved a bunch of money on my car insurance!

Posted by tud_sandwich on September 23, 2008 at 4:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I've been watching the comments from the sidelines for several days. Sometime in the last 24 hours the wording was quietly edited to change "Fernandez started the country music radio station 30 years ago..." to "Fernandez started at the country music radio station 30 years ago..." No mention of the revision was indicated in the credits below the headline.

Rudy has done plenty to help charitable organizations, that part can't be denied. Just my opinion, though, he seems to make sure his name is right in there with the organization's, where others choose to promote the cause less conspicuously. Nothing wrong either way, just that self promotion by media personalities annoys some charities' supporters, if the same person always piggybacks on their fundraising efforts.

Keep up the good work, Rudy, but I still won't be listening to you!

Posted by weeman on September 24, 2008 at 12:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Abilene reporter or shall i say George? Keep your day job bro...no wait, I take that back...please go away..you didnt make it in radio and your even worse on tv......

Posted by thechurchlady on September 24, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I like cheeseburgers!

Posted by thechurchlady on September 24, 2008 at 1:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Yay, squishy squishy!

Posted by TheTruthShallSetUFree on September 25, 2008 at 12:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I read this article to read about Cruise Night and was truly brought back to reality of the nature of people. Rudy Fernandez was there and knows exactly how this history occurred as far as it concerned him, a reporter made a simple typo. Proud and opinionated "ANONYMOUS" bloggers jumped in without even giving a second thought to verifying the validity of the quote. I'm amazed how many people climb onto a soap box to jump on a person who's allowed himself to be a target of criticism for decades in return for countless acts of support for every charity that asks. It's not the fact that he impacts our community that strikes me but the manner that he conducts himself. Constantly reminding us how blessed we are and he has been is something I've come to expect from Rudy. Abilene and the Big Country is known for being a charitable community, and like it or not, it's people just like Rudy Fernandez that remind us to help others. Being expected to never say no and help any cause that asks for help is simply part of being a radio celebrity and Rudy Fernandez does this with class. This man works more hours than any person I know and you can't be in Abilene Texas without running into him EVERYWHERE. Personally I think Rudy does more for the community he chose to live in than he will ever realize.

OH, By the way, being so critical and not identifying yourself is just childish. If you feel so strongly just sign your name.

Thanks,
Andrew Way