Current home of HILLTOP AUTO SALES
408 E. Fourth Street
In 1953 a radio station with the call letters KSMO-AM crackled to life at 408 East Fourth Street. Some of the disc jockeys (DJ’s) were: Carl T. Hall, Bill Boatman, Paul Mosley, Leon “Joe” Parker, B. J. Rickerd, Merle Nash, Boyd Smith (son of Bill Smith, owner of the station), and Mitch Jayne. The DJ’s would broadcast a program called “Platter Party” in the evenings. Arnold Wisdom would preach live on KSMO. “Howe Teague and The Gang” was Howe Teague’s radio show at KSMO. He would play waltz’s and square dance tunes. The Jubilaires (a gospel group), would leave the old High School on their lunch hour and sing live for the listeners for KSMO and then rush back to their classes. The original Jubilaires were Ron Hedley, Warren Bay, Howard Leonard and Gary Cubbage. Gary’s father’s business (Cubbage Brothers) sponsored their show.
Another group who sang at KSMO was the Tune Tossers. Members of the Tune Tossers were: Ray Cooley, Lois Cooley, James A. Underwood, Bill Harper, Harold Moreland, Paul Russell, Alma Cooley and Helen Pines. The Cowan Singers: Betty (Cowan) Durnbaugh, Jean (Cowan) Jadwin, Laura May (Cowan) Higgins, Edith Ann (Gibbs) Pyatt, Ava Jean (Brooks) Counts, a local singing group, would sing on air on Sundays. KSMO eventually moved to its present location in the Wisdom Building on Highway 19 South where it’s still in operation. (2010)
 |
 |
