KEEN Radio, San Jose
Grand Opening Broadcast
Saturday, June 21, 1947
On Saturday, June 21, 1947, at 8 p.m., United Broadcasting’s KEEN Radio made its inaugural broadcast with 1,000 watts at 1370 kilocycles from San Jose. The grand opening broadcast originated from the Hotel De Anza on West Santa Clara Street in downtown San Jose. (KEEN’s transmitter was located in an orchard on the Old Oakland Highway near Wayne Avenue, near the Milpitas town limits.)
The gala broadcast featured Red Skelton — a popular radio star who would later become a favorite on TV — and was followed by a reception for local luminaries and the station staff at the De Anza.
KEEN and United Broadcasting received its primary financial backing from George Mardikian, an Armenian freedom fighter who escaped from a Turkish prison and came to the United States in 1922. With limited knowledge of the English language, he made his way from New York to San Francisco to join his brother and sister. His first job in America was washing dishes in a cafeteria; from there, he took a job as a steward on an ocean liner and began learning the skills necessary to become a chef.
Upon his return to California, in 1932 he opened his first restaurant, Omar Khayyam’s, in Fresno, which led to two more restaurants of the same name — the most famous of which was located in San Francisco — and a chain of sandwich shops. From 1942 to 1954, Mr. Mardikian served as a food consultant to the United States Army. He also founded the American National Committee to Aid Homeless Armenians and worked with the Boy Scouts for more than sixty years. A naturalized citizen of the United States, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award an American can receive, for his service to the nation.
Mr. Mardikian became involved in radio through his “Dinner At Omar Khayyam’s” broadcasts on San Francisco’s primary NBC station, KPO, which led to a friendship with station executives George D. Snell, Jr., and B. Floyd Farr. The trio began discussing the ownership of their own radio station, and subsequently applied to the FCC for the available 1370 kc. frequency in San Jose, which they received authorization for in October 1946.
Along with Mr. Mardikian, Mr. Snell originally owned a 32% stake in United Broadcasting and served as KEEN’s first program director, while Mr. Farr held a 22% share and was its original general manager. Samuel A. Melnicoe (10%) and Alfred Aram (4%) held minority stakes in the company.
While KEEN soon became best known for its country and western music programming — with such notable personalities as Cottonseed Clark, Cactus Jack, Red Murrell, Black Jack Wayne, Cal Shrum and Foy Willing hosting shows on its airwaves — George Mardikian continued to host his own program, “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam,” at noon each Sunday on the station into the early 1950s.
You who have been born in America, I wish I could make you understand what it is like not to be an American — not to have been an American all your life — and then suddenly with the words of a judge in flowing robes to be one, for that moment and forever after. One moment, you belong with your fathers to a million dead yesterdays — the next you belong with America to a million unborn tomorrows. — George Mardikian |
Feature photograph and KEEN rate card courtesy of Keith B. Farr.
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I spent many hours of my youth listening to Cottonseed Clark (my favorite DJ), Red Murrell and Blackjack Wayne play the country songs of the day. Great memories. And I got to see the inside of the station on old Oakland Road.
Vic,
You just named three of my all-time favorites, and Cottonseed Clark happens to be a cousin of mine. I’ve written an article about Cottonseed for the Cowpoke Radio website, where you can also hear music from Red Murrell and Black Jack Wayne:
https://cowpokeradio.com/cottonseed-clark/
I have also written an article about Black Jack Wayne at:
https://cowpokeradio.com/black-jack-wayne/
D.J.
Used to love listening to country music on KEEN radio in the early 1970’s. The DJ’s had KENO the tap dancing robot among other funny skits. i even remember some of the commercials (Babes Muffler Service comes to mind)
I noticed my KEEN bumper sticker on my old tool box and wondered what became of the station. I’ll always remember the tag line they used for a while “K-E-E-N, 1370 on the AM dial. We’re to0 damn country for the FM!
Hi my father work for radio KEEN. Bill Meng he had the show called the gringo viajero! I still have the picture you used to promote the show.