KNBR/68, San Francisco
“Class of 68” Promotion
1973
The KNBR “Class of 68,” Circa 1973
FRONT ROW (from left): Jane Morrisey (actually Jane Morrison), Rosalie Allen, Bob Stephens;
MIDDLE ROW (from left): Hap Harper, Gene D’Accardo, Frank Dill, Tom Haggarty and friend;
BACK ROW (from left): Ron Fell, Heber Smith, Mike Cleary.
A promotional photograph of KNBR’s current cast of characters, 1973 edition. The photo was a handout made available through the local Rusty Scupper chain of restaurants (“Where the food is great, the drinks are big and the price is right”).
KNBR’s program director and general manager at the time, Ron Fell (top left) and Heber Smith (top center), respectively, are featured along with several notable members of the station’s air staff, including Frank Dill, Mike Cleary, airborne traffic reporter Hap Harper and newsman Gene D’Accardo. Front and center is a little-known member of the KNBR team, Rosalie Allen, who served as Fell’s assistant. She would later become one of the Bay Area’s most respected and popular newscasters, anchoring the afternoon news on KGO/810
Commenting on the photograph in the Spring of 2008, Ron Fell said:
The photo was taken for the KNBR/Rusty Scupper 1973 calendar. Carter B. Smith was hired soon thereafter, I think.
Tom Haggarty was a fictitious character voiced by Mike Cleary. As a matter of explanation, I had Mike participating on Frank’s show (6-10 am) each morning and Mike would often appear in the Tom Haggarty character. Frank would also almost always stick around after his shift was over and participate in Mike’s first hour (10am-11am).
The reference to “The Class of 68” was not a reference to the year, but the dial position. And if you ever find a promo shot of the license plate “KNBR 68” that became a major ad campaign for the station, that was my personal plate. The campaign of billboards all over SF began in ’74 and I gave up the plates to the station when I left in ’75.
A few months after I left, they put Frank and Mike together for four hours and that lasted for maybe a decade. I never thought four hours of the two of them would work, but I was wrong. I also never had the budget to even try it. I think Mike’s moving to morning drive opened up the midday slot for C.J. Bronson.
Anyway, the guy playing Tom Haggarty in the calendar photo was actually Mike’s father. The woman was just a prop to support the gag. Bob Stephens was the stock market reporter on KNBR. Jane Morrison was the longtime Public Affairs director for KNBR, and she happened to be the wife of prominent San Francisco politician Jack Morrison (no joke).
Special thanks to Frank Dill for generously
contributing a copy of this item to the Museum
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