KCAC tapes & personal recollections

Hi everyone-

The treasure trove of KCAC tapes provided by Jeff & Jennifer Crawford is still languishing in my living room. The tapes have been carefully removed from the moldy/dirty boxes, and they are now kept in clean plastic storage bags while I explore options for preservation and copying. So far no less than three recording studios have said something along the lines of "we can't do this but you should check with...", and only one has provided even a rough idea of cost ($100 per hour of studio time and "count on it being a fairly lengthy effort"). There's also a less ambitious/less expensive alternative being looked at, which would involve some professional tape cleaning, a home tape deck (probably mine) for playback, and speed correction software to slow the resulting audio down to the proper 1 7/8 IPS speed. Be patient and stay tuned; this is worth doing right the first time.

Here's a new idea. Everybody please start writing down your personal stories and memories relevant to this historical project. How did you get involved with KCAC/KDKB? What were your responsibilities or associations? Who did you know or work with at the station? How did you meet? What significant dates or events in the stations' history can you recall? Got any behind-the-scenes stories? (Not gossip or dirt, just operationl/business stuff that the public didn't necessarily see or know about. Or hey, gossip and dirt, if you prefer - there must have been personality conflicts, "creative differences," power struggles, etc. going on.) How did these radio stations influence, interact with, or reflect the socio-political mood of the times (anti-war activism, womens' lib, free speech movements, other alternative media, etc.)? What sorts of contacts and relationships did KCAC/KDKB have with the "straight" media of the day (Arizona Republic, local TV, other radio stations, etc.)? What did KCAC/KDKB do to support local musicians and artists? What was the drug scene like in those days? (Don't worry, the statute of limitations has long since expired.) What was most important to you about these radio stations and the people associated with them? How do you feel about them with 30-plus years of hindsight? And so on, and so forth. Respond to these topics and/or any others you want to, on the blog or as private emails to me at tomwright666@yahoo.com. These will all go into the archive, either with your names attached or as "anonymous" contributions if you prefer. Park yourself in front of the computer and get to work!