P.S. A Column On Things

Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in

One of my favorite shows in high school, and a favorite of my friends, was the Rowan and Martin Laugh-In. Like much 60s humor, it is now cringeworthy (stereotyping gays and women), but it was funny at the time. We must just accept art for the context in which it was created. Everyone at KBPS,  my high school radio station, was in awe of the work of Gary Owens, the on-screen announcer (read about one of his shticks, making up meanings for the acronym NBC). You can hear his voice here, but rest assured the date is wrong. This is late Owens, not early Owens.

For more, catch the Netflix special Still LAUGH-IN: The Stars Celebrate, or any of the original episodes on Amazon Prime. You bet your bippy.

John Humes Fan Club

This picture of a 1969 sweatshirt requires a little explanation for 98% of you. Students who worked at KBPS, the radio station at Benson High, Portland, Ore., loved to go sit in the control rooms of area radio stations, an activity frequently facilitated by fellow alumni―there wasn’t a station in the area that didn’t harbor at least one KBPS alum.

Jim Fenwick was a phenomenally popular talk show host at KGW-AM; famously full of himself. His engineer, John Humes, was a KBPS alum. A few of us were regulars in the control room during Fenwick’s nightly show. We came up with the idea of irritating Fenwick by forming a fan club… for his engineer. Many’s the time I proudly wore this shirt―obscure outside of a small circle even at the time.

I have been in recent touch with a high school buddy, Gene Carbaugh. I mentioned casually I wished I hadn’t thrown out my JHFC sweatshirt. The next thing I know, this arrives in the mail.

Radio News: KBPS at 100

Most of you who would really be interested already know. But just in case you wonder where I came from, here are a couple of files I’m sharing for KBPS’ 100^th Anniversary in March.

Portland Radio in the 60s, as it affected Paul

KBPS at 43