11r il TA :el, rSo elly-t1ine.tri-T1 - . L21- Ror,&.'c: Garay www.americanradiohistory.com Gordon McLendon www.americanradiohistory.com Gordon McLendon from Ebbets Field. Photo rourtery of The McLendon Companies. www.americanradiohistory.com Gordon McLendon THE MAVERICK OF RADIO Ronald Garay CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STUDY OF MASS MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS. NUMBER 32 Greenwood Press NEW YORK WESTPORT. CONNECTICUT LONDON www.americanradiohistory.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Publication Data Garay, Ronald. Gordon McLendon : the maverick of radio / Ronald Garay. p. cm.- (Contributions to the study of mass media and communications, ISSN 0732 -4456 ; no. 32) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0- 313- 26676 -X (alk. paper) 1. McLendon, Gordon. 2. Radio broadcasting- United States - Biography. 3. Executives- United States - Biography. 4. Motion picture producers and directors- United States - Biography. I. Title. H. Series. PN1991.4.M38G37 1992 791.44'028'092 -dc20 91 -35968 [B] British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 1992 by Ronald Garay All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 91 -35968 ISBN: 0- 313- 26676 -X ISSN: 0732 -4456 First published in 1992 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Printed in the United States of America O- The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48- 1984). l0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Copyright Acknowledgments The author and publisher are grateful to the following for allowing the use of materials: The March 1969 Gordon McLendon interview by Dr. Clifton Ganus, reprinted by permission of Harding University. Bart McLendon for permission to quote from archival items contained in the McLendon papers housed at Texas Tech University's Southwest Collection. www.americanradiohistory.com This book is dedicated to my wife, Mary Sue, a proud Texan www.americanradiohistory.com www.americanradiohistory.com Contents Prefiue ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction xiii 1. Childhood, Education and Military Career 1 2. KNE"I' and KLIF: First Ventures into Radio 13 3. The Liberty Broadcasting System: Halcyon Days 25 4. "I'he Liberty Broadcasting System: Finis 45 5. KLIF and Top 40 Radio 63 6. McLendon Station Group: Acquisition and Management 91 7. McLendon Station Format Innovations 117 8. McLendon Station Editorials 147 9. Departure from Radio 157 10. Politics, Moviemaking and Other Interests 177 11. Reflections 201 Re/èrences 219 Index 235 www.americanradiohistory.com www.americanradiohistory.com Preface My first encounter with the Gordon McLendon legend came while a novice disc jockey at radio station KPET in Lamesa, Texas. The station aired a modified Top 40 format, which quite likely had been inspired by the inno- vative format that Gordon had co- invented and popularized. Several years later, while a student at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, I expe- rienced the McLendon Top 40 sound at close range by listening to Gor- don's KLIF in Dallas. At one point during those college years, I actually met Gordon Mc- Lendon. The occasion was a National Association of Broadcasters meeting, and the encounter was a brief one -a handshake and, as well as I can re- member, a "Hello. Nice to meet you." Some twenty years were to pass before my attention turned to a serious scholarly investigation of just what it was that made Gordon McLendon so important to U.S. radio history. The catalyst for that investigation came during a conversation I had with Dennis Harp, a professor in the Texas Tech University Department of Mass Communications, during a broad- casting seminar in New York. Dennis casually mentioned that Gordon had donated many of his private and professional papers to Texas Tech's South- west Collection and that this massive assortment of documents had been dented only slightly by anyone with scholarly intent. The idea to conduct a thorough examination of the McLendon papers immediately took hold. Little did I know that my intended quick glance at this archival treasure trove would turn into a project of nearly five years and result in this book. www.americanradiohistory.com www.americanradiohistory.com Acknowledgments A project of this size and duration obviously requires the help and support of many persons. To all who have played a part in bringing this book to its completion I extend a collective thank you. There are some people, how- ever, who are deserving of special thanks. Dennis Harp not only ignited my interest in writing about Gordon McLendon, but kept the fire stoked in many, many ways. Dennis provided me with audio and video tapes of McLendon interviews; he offered his own recollections about his many years of friendship with Gordon McLendon; he provided me with entree to the research facilities at Texas Tech Univer- sity; and he even provided lodging during several of my research trips to Lubbock, Texas. In other words, there is much of Dennis Harp in this book. I treasure his friendship, and I shall be forever grateful for his tre- mendous help and unselfish generosity. My mind often has wandered back to that one chance encounter I had with Gordon McLendon. Had I only known that some day I would be writing a book about him, I would have made every effort to stretch that encounter into hours, if not days. Unfortunately, Gordon's life ended just as my research on his life began. Because of that loss, I came to rely on the observations and recollections of Gordon's relatives, friends and close busi- ness associates. During my conversations with these persons, I was struck by the admiration and love that practically all of them had for Gordon. Those conversations were a genuine delight for me. I met fascinating peo- ple, gained invaluable insights into my subject and generally had a marvel- ous time in the process. Among those persons whose memories form the nucleus of this book, a special debt of gratitude is owed Don Keyes, Edd Routt, Ken Dowe, Les www.americanradiohistory.com xii Acknowledgments Vaughn, Glenn Callison, Bart McLendon, Billie Odom, Dorothy Manning, Bill Meeks, Tom Merriman, Marcus Cohn, Chuck Blore, Joseph Sitrick, Gary Owens, Lindsey Nelson, Dave McKinsey, George Sandlin and Bob Porter. All of these persons generously gave of their time, whether in home, office or by phone, to accommodate my interview schedule. My thanks to each and every one of them. My gratitude extends as well to the many archival and library personnel who assisted in my research. At the head of that list must be David Murrah and his helpful staff at Texas Tech's Southwest Collection. I always looked forward to the many days spent at the Southwest Collection because of the friendly atmosphere that David and his very competent staff created. Big thank yous also go the staffs of the Barker Texas History Center at the University of Texas at Austin, the Texas/Dallas Collection of the Dallas Public Library, the Houston Public Library's Metropolitan Research Cen- ter, and the libraries at Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Houston, Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of North Texas, Louisiana State University, Southern Methodist University School of Law and Loui- siana State University School of Law. I am also deeply indebted to the following persons for their help and support: Allen and Laurie Sanders, who graciously allowed me to interrupt their busy lives and provided me with lodging during my many Dallas re- search trips; Al and Dorothy Bankston, who became the "keepers of the text" for a paranoid writer; Ed Glick, who, as a Gordon McLendon scholar himself, provided information for my own study; David MacFarland, whose definitive study of Top 40 radio helped fill in many of the blank spots in my own rendition of the McLendon Top 40 years; the Harding University Library, for providing me recordings of a lengthy 1969 interview conducted by Harding University President Clifton Ganus, Jr. with Gordon Mc- Lendon; Joseph Berman, for sharing with me his love and knowledge of electronic media history; and my wife Mary Sue, who, with infinite patience and humor, allowed the writing of this book to intrude time and time again into her ordered life. A final word of appreciation goes to the Louisiana State University Council on Research for its financial support in helping defray a portion of the expense incurred while conducting research for this book. www.americanradiohistory.com Introduction Gordon McLendon's birth was, coincidentally, nearly simultaneous with the birth of the U.S. broadcasting industry. The two would mature together and in time each would have a profound influence upon the other. Together with his father and business partner B. R. McLendon, Gordon would head a vast business and entertainment enterprise. He would become famous and wealthy and develop an enormous capacity for hard work and achievement. Yet Gordon never would lose the common touch, nor would he allow life's serious side to interfere with his capacity to see its humorous side. The playful twinkle in Gordon's eye and his wide grin would be as much a part of his personality as would be his no- nonsense work ethic. Gordon's exploits would be adventuresome, controversial, sometimes fail- ures but most often wildly successful. Very few things that Gordon Mc- Lendon would do or attempt to do ever would be considered ordinary. His greatest joy would come from charting new territory, in doing what others had not done, and in challenging what most thought to be impossible.