Story by Chris Carmichael and Chuck Karazsia
Photos by Tony Pepper, and Andi Hazelwood.
A monumental dedication ceremony attended by at least 400 fans and former alumni took place last Saturday. For twenty years from 1958 to 1978, KCBQ 1170 AM was the number one radio choice, at times attracting 60-percent of the population. The dedication ceremony to a legendary radio station and its 20-year era it produced premiered at the Kohl’s parking lot alongside Mission Gorge Road.
(Pictured: Santee Mayor Randy Voepel, Richard Bartell, Jack Vincent, Linda Irwin, Shotgun Tom Kelly.)
The unveiling took place at the location where the building and six-200-foot towers once stood and sent 50,000 watts of music power to all points in San Diego. KCBQ AM 1170 changed the lives of all those involved on air – and fans everywhere. Captivating for those who were fortunate to hear and share its trend-setting music and aorginal Top 40 radio personalities, news and staff, KCBQ provided entertainment, music and information for San Diego. The station became legendary and was often copied but never duplicated, KCBQ was one of the most listened to stations in San Diego and know world-wide for its programming excellence.
With on-air hosts such as Jack Vincent, Scotty Day, Don Howard, Casey B. Quack, Scotty Day, Magic Christian, Gary Allyn, Neil Ross, Charlie Tuna, and many others, KCBQ put San Diego on the radio map and it was a destination that many wanted to work at.
The station’s transmitter moved to Santee in the 1950s and 9416 Mission Gorge Road became the home of six 200-foot towers that beamed the 50,000 watts during the daytime.
Many former KCBQ air personalities, as well as behind the scenes staff attended. Among those were Shotgun Tom Kelly, Lee Marshall, Nielson Ross, Jim Talley, Lee Marshall, and others. Unveiling monument were Santee Mayor Randy Voepel, Jack Vincent, Linda Irwin, Shotgun Tom Kelly, and President of Bartell hotels, Richard Bartell. He is the son of broadcaster Lee Bartell who built the original KCBQ facility in Santee.
The monument was built with donations from former air staffers, engineers and the family of Lee Bartell. It was Bartell’s vision to put the station at the 50,000 watt level to provide a powerful punch in the AM waves.
The monument features the pictures of the KCBQ building and the famous six towers. A list of more than 100 talented radio disc jockeys and newscasters are honored below.
The monument was designed and built with cooperation with the City of Santee. The city provided the land and private donations built the monument. Charco Construction built the base with Seaman-Poe Monument doing the granite engraving.
The monument is located on the south end of the Kohl’s parking lot in the 9400 block of Mission Gorge Road.
