Christmas Time 1965 - KSTP-AM Radio Aircheck - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (12/21/1965)

Описание: In this KSTP-AM (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) aircheck, it’s the Christmas season in 1965. DJ Don DuChene is keeping his night owl listeners company with Christmas songs, news and info, holiday greetings from sponsors, and more. Don’s on-air shift runs from the late evening of Tuesday, December 21, 1965 into the early morning hours of Wednesday, December 22nd until 3:00AM, as he delivers his entertaining program (with an added sprinkle of holiday cheer) on KSTP’s Middle of the Road “Radio 15”.

Highlights on this show include a distinct focus on the deepening Vietnam War during the news breaks, and there is an interesting info segment (at 19:13) where Don gives details on the grand opening of the new helicopter taxi service that is beginning in New York City. It’s hard to imagine today, but in December 1965, an airline called New York Airways provided helicopter taxi service from their helipad on the roof of the Pan Am Building (later known as the Met Life Building), taking passengers to JFK airport and other airports. Can you imagine how cool that would be… living in Manhattan and when it’s time to catch a flight, you avoid the bumper-to-bumper traffic by zooming to the airport in a helicopter! Don says the fare was only 7 dollars. Wow! The Midtown helipad service ceased in 1968 before resuming again for a short time in 1977. But on May 16, 1977, the landing gear on one of the airline’s helicopters failed while boarding passengers on the Pan Am building’s roof. The helicopter then rolled on its side, its rotor blades killing four and injuring more in the process. The broken blade then fell down the 808-foot tall building, killing a pedestrian and injuring another. After the accident, the heliport was closed for good.

Also of note: Near the very end of this tape (at 28:16), Don starts playing a recorded comedy bit – which turns out to be a (presumably) rare bit starring Mike Nichols and Elaine May. Nichols was later well known as a movie director and then husband to newswoman, Diane Sawyer. He passed away in 2014. Back in the 1960’s, Mike Nichols was a comedian and improv troupe performer who often performed with Elaine May, who also subsequently had a lengthy and successful career as an actress and screenwriter. Sadly, after this tantalizing comedy bit is introduced by Don and the skit’s setup is performed, the bit suddenly cuts away because of an edit to the reel-to-reel tape – and we don’t get to hear the punch line!! If only we could go back in time to December 22, 1965 and hear it live and in its entirety!

Don DuChene was a radio disc jockey in the Midwest U.S. from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. In the early-to-mid 1960s, Don had a popular show on KDWB (AM 630) in Minneapolis/ St. Paul. In the Fall of 1965, his show moved to KSTP-AM 1500 where he worked through the end of the decade. Don wrapped up his Twin Cities radio career at KQRS in the early 1970s. The 1960s and early 1970s were a quickly evolving time for rock n roll and pop culture. These tapes are a peek into that time and the heyday of old-school American radio.