Month: April 2013

Ted Bell was the guest host. He commented on Phil’s pre-show melt-down that carried over to the regular show. Ted took over after the first break. Ted talked with Frank Grey about his favorite food at Ted’s (Shrimp Louie, Caeser Salad and Steak Diane…all entre’s with ‘people’ names…)
Later Ted talked with callers about the injury to college basketball player Kevin Ware, a gruesome compound fracture shown graphically on TV. “If I’ve got heavy cabbage riding on that game, you bet I want to see the injury. I want to see the world…all 69 states.” Ted also discussed how he learned honesty from hias father who got beat up one night by a guy who’s wife Ted Sr. had made an impolite, but frank, remark to. He told her she had a great ass and was beat badly before buying the husband and the other two guys that had helped him drinks. Ted Jr. told a woman one night “I want to put my meat in your mouth,” in the sense of wanting her to eat a Ted’s of Beverly Hills steak but was knocked out cold anyway by her husband. “I was proud when I woke up though Phil. I saw people stepping over me going about the business of the restaurant. They didn’t miss an order!”

Elgin Martin’s tenure at KOW radio in the 60’s was marked by wild promotional and marketing schemes. It was the first talk station in San Diego. “The Big SIX NINE” they called it. “We’ll do the talking. You 69.” That was another on-air slogan. But perhaps the most ill-advised was this one from 1965 following a heavy winter rainstorm. “Glug, Glug, Glug… You wanna come up for air? Well you don’t have to stop …….(long pause)……SIXTY NINEING!!” KOW, The Big Six Nine, eventually became XTRA, 690 out of Mexico. But for a generation of San Diego’s early talk radio listeners they’ll forever hear Gene Sloans early morning pitch “Well no one said it’d be easy. Time to lay back, roll your knees up toward your chest and…. SIX, NINE.. The BIG ONE… SIX NINE FOREVER… 69 It! Go Ahead! DO IT! WITH A KOW.. K-O-W, SIX NINE.. SAN DIEGO!

        Also known as “One Way Ticket To Hell