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Fred King, WFEC 1965
Fred King, WFEC, 1965

Fred King, WFEC Control Room 1965
Fred King in WFEC control room with GATES Diplomat console, 1965

Fred King, RCA 44-BX
Fred King at WFEC 1968, with RCA 44-BX microphone

Fred King, WRVO 1968
Fred King at WROV, 1968, with another Diplomat console!

WKKO Control Room
WKKO Control Room, Cocoa Florida, 1969

Fred Klein in CK86 newsroom, 1986
Fred King in CK86 newsroom, 1986

The Fred Sean King Collection

Fred Klein was born into a musical family in Lancaster Pennsylvania in 1936. Fred writes:

"My mother was a professional violinist, my father a cellist whose main occupation was that of a history professor at a local liberal arts college. It was impossible to get away from music in that family, nor did we want to. We all played. Mom, the violin. Dad, the cello, my older sister, Joan, the piano and me, trumpet. Our musical tastes varied of course. As Mom & Dad were heavy into classical and founded the area's first symphony orchestra, I leaned more towards jazz, big bands and later rock n' roll.

Looking back, I feel this musical upbringing had something to do with my interest in radio. It kept me close and in tune with what I had grown to love...music.

When I was 14 or 15 years old, I began to frequent a local Saturday night dance known as "The Hangout", sponsored by the local Y.W.C.A. Somehow, I convinced someone to let me DJ. This required not only announcing the records and dances, but furnishing most of the music. (I had acquired a lot of popular 78's). This was all on a voluntary basis, of course. Little did I realize that ten years later, I would be "playing records" for a living.

I completed my term in the US Air Force and was married in 1958. I had no radio experience whatsoever and was working as a cashier in a Chevrolet auto dealership in my home town of Lancaster, PA. I used to listen to an afternoon jazz show on WGAL at work.

Ever so often, I'd call and talk to the DJ. One day he told me he was leaving the station. He suggested I try out for his job, adding, "What do you have to lose?" Much to my surprise and elation, I got my first job in radio. I stayed at that station playing MOR for 4 years.

By 1963, my wife was pregnant with our third child, money was getting tight and the Program Director of a competitive station (WLAN) kept calling me and making job offers. The Beatles had arrived, record hops were booming and there was extra money to be made. I made the switch to Rock 'n' Roll in 1963.

From then on, and for the next 20 years, I began jumping around to different stations. My travels took me to WFEC, Harrisburg, Pa, WYRE, Annapolis, Md, WPAC, Long Island, N.Y., WIRK, W. Palm Beach, Fla., WKKO, Cocoa, Fla., WROV, Roanoke, Va., KCUB, Tuscon. Az., WKYN, San Juan, P.R., WLOF, Orlando, Fla, and CK101, Cocoa Beach, Florida. Finally, I lost my wife and family.

I also worked at a few smaller stations in two of those markets from time to time. My full time radio career ended around 1980, although I continued to work part time at stations in Florida, and also when I returned to my home town in Pennsyvania in 1987.

Looking back, I don't regret any of it. I know I lost my family, I know I wound up with no retirement, and I know I never became famous, or even well-known.

But I loved radio and still miss it even today. It gave me a satisfaction that I never found with any other career, and I'm glad I was able to play a part in it when I did."

Fred Klein, March, 2004
The Repository thanks Fred Klein for sharing.
Fred passed away from complications of Parkinson's Disease in July, 2007.

[Descriptions by Uncle Ricky]

G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 32 Kbps (10 Khz)
Fred King, WFEC Harrisburg PA Spring 1967 (07:22)

WFEC GOOD GUYS
WFEC GOOD GUYS 1968 - CLICK TO ENLARGE
. . . King Fred, King Fred, King Fred . . .

[Description by Uncle Ricky}

This sample of Fred King on WFEC in Harrisburg was recorded on an overnight show in the Spring of 1967. Lots of promos, typical for top Top 40 stations all over America at the time.

I don't recognize the Funtastic Fourteen Double Oh jingles, but it's fascinating to hear a bit of WFEC from this era. At this time, WFEC was the Number One radio station in Pennsylvania's Capital City.

Carla, who is apparently a State employee, is up late tonight and sounding VERY nice on the phone. We'll forgive Fred for taking his time with this young lady.

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G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 44 Kbps (12 Khz)
Fred King, WKKO Cocoa FL Thanksgiving, 1967 (RESTORED) (47:38)

Play Scoped This Exhibit 'SCOPED (20:50)

'SCOPED
. . . Number One in the Moon Port . . .

[Description by Uncle Ricky}

Here's contributor Fred Klein as Fred King, the first time around at WKKO, in Missile Land (Cocoa Beach, FL) - and it's Thanksgiving, 1967. He's got PAMS jingles, reverb and a great time chime! This was back in the days when real radio stations, even in smaller markets, employed local tax-paying Disc Jockeys, many of whom had to work on holidays.

In addition to his DJ duties, Fred presents a short newscast, sells a couple of bird dogs, and launches a search for a Cocoa Beach cheerleader jingle. Apparently, all the cheerleader jingles were on one cart, so Fred keeps hoping the right one will come up. Such were the days of limited budgets for luxuries like tape cartridges.

The music was restored by REELRADIO for this partially edited aircheck, originally recorded from the station air monitor. Overall, the fidelity at 44Kb/s is excellent. Thanks to Dennis Newhall and Tom Buck for help with the music restoration. Happy Thanksgiving, 2005!

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G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 32 Kbps (12 Khz)
Fred King, WROV Roanoke VA June 1968 (10:31)

. . . W-R-O-V, where the newswatch never stops . . .

[Description by Uncle Ricky}

Fred King (in the castle) does double duty with news and DJ duties on WROV in Roanoke, VA, June 1968. Some legitimate and "creatively edited" jingles are featured.

Segments of the nighttime show (6pm-12M) were sponsored. Lendy's, a burger outlet and Davidson's, a men's clothier, are included in this 'scoped aircheck.

Lots of production elements are featured! This is an honest example of one of hundreds of locally programmed Top 40 formats that knew nothing of "Boss" in the late '60's.

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G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 32 Kbps (12 Khz)
Fred King, WKKO Cocoa, Florida, December 1969 (13:44)

. . . It's a merry-go-round of Missile Land Fun . . .

[Description by Uncle Ricky}

It's Fred King in Missile Land presenting the Top '69 Playback with classic PAMS jingles and masterful use of on-demand reverb and filter effects!

Must have been a hot place to be at the time, with rock shows at Canaveral Pier and regular blast-offs just a few miles away.

And once again, Fred is a DJ *AND* a newsdude... all part of the job.

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G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 32 Kbps (12 Khz)
Sean King, WLOF Orlando, Florida, April 1972 (10:29)

. . . I'm Sean King, I play records for a living . . .

[Description by Uncle Ricky}

We are very grateful to contributor Fred Klein for this authentic snapshot of the legendary WLOF in Orlando, Florida from April, 1972. Fred appears as "Sean King" on this one.

What an awesome radio station! Blending pieces of of PAMS Solid Rock and earlier series, TM's Phase II series, and lots of truly inventive production, I'm happy we have an aircheck that validates WLOF's legendary status.

Extra points for fair use of Jim Runyon's "Well...", in the "Oh Lord, won't you win me a ten speed bike" parody promo.

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The Fred Sean King Collection has been a part of REELRADIO since June 19, 2005!
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