Throughout my primary research interviews, I found conflicting stories and recollections out there in radioland about why it worked so well; how Boss Radio “really” got started; who “really” deserves the credit; and what was “the truth” about the format and about KHJ.

I was not there in Los Angeles to see with my own eyes what happened at KHJ, and since I chose to study this thing called Boss Radio, I had to go out and conduct primary research. This was not something that you could learn about by going to the library and checking out a book.

I did not expect to get a clean, orderly, logical explanation from people--even from eyewitnesses and participants. Real life is rarely that clean and orderly. We never ever do anything nice and easy. And, what a surprise! I did not get anything clean and orderly. I got a lot that I had to untangle and sift through to get to the heart of the matter.

The structure of this site echoes what I uncovered in the real world. You won’t find a clean, sequential order of pages that you must follow because the whole story is not necessarily a connection of orderly events. You’re invited to skip around using the links on the left side of the screen to check out whatever attracts your attention.

Preserving Something Important for You

Why I think this site is worth reading: I feel responsibility as the first to preserve for readers on the Internet what happened in Los Angeles radio starting in 1965 in a professional way backed by research. This site is not about pushing one guy’s viewpoint on a website. It also is a tribute to the many talent people who contributed much to the radio industry. Some are dead and some are living, as the Beatles song lyrics say.  Bill Drake, the architect of Boss Radio 93/KHJ passed away in 2008.  I hope that he and others who were involved in Boss Radio will be remembered thanks to this website, especially the 1999 interview that Drake did with Ron Jacobs, which you can find here on this site.  When you look at the primary and secondary sources I used for this work, you will understand that this site exists because of well-documented research and fair, accurate reporting of what really happened.

One of the most bizarre--and thus the most memorable--email messages I ever received in my entire life was from Ron Jacobs, who wrote this about me: “...for years you have gone to inordinate steps to bask in the glory of KHJ while contributing nothing to it...”

Writing and producing this website was not for glory, and anybody who attempts to make money from writing a history of one radio station surely will starve to death. My purpose in writing all this grew out of an obligation I felt back when I began researching the subject of radio programming to seek the truth and to report what I found. I’ve done that here even though doing so may have pissed off some people. What matters most to me is that you have access to this information that otherwise is unavailable anywhere else.

The truth is:  Ron Jacobs speaks his mind, usually quite freely.  I have at various times in my life been both on his shit list as well as in his good favor.  Sometimes simultaneously.