KCBQ-A Remembered With Monument In San Diego

Shotgun Tom Kelly At Dedication

A monumental dedication ceremony attended by at least 400 fans and former alumni of KCBQ-A/SAN DIEGO took place SATURDAY, AUGUST 28th. For 20 years from 1958 to 1978, KCBQ-A (1170) was the big Top 40 station in town, at times attracting 60% of the population.

The dedication ceremony to a legendary radio station and its 20-year era it produced premiered at the KOHL’s parking lot alongside Mission Gorge Road. The unveiling took place at the location where the building and six-200-foot towers once stood and sent 50,000 watts of music power to all points in SAN DIEGO.

With on-air hosts such as JACK VINCENT, SCOTTY DAY, DON HOWARD, CASEY B. QUACK, SCOTTY DAY, MAGIC CHRISTIAN, GARY ALLYN, NEIL ROSS, CHARLIE TUNA and many others, KCBQ put SAN DIEGO on the radio map and became a destination that many aspired to join.

Many former KCBQ-A air personalities, as well as behind the scenes staff attended. Among those were SHOTGUN TOM KELLY, LEE MARSHALL, NIELSON ROSS, JIM TALLEY, LEE MARSHALL and others. Unveiling monument were SANTEE Mayor RANDY VOEPEL, JACK VINCENT, LINDA IRWIN, SHOTGUN TOM KELLY and President of BARTELL HOTELS, RICHARD BARTELL. He is the son of broadcaster LEE BARTELL, who built the original KCBQ-A facility in SANTEE.

The monument was built with donations from former air staffers, engineers and the family of LEE BARTELL. It was BARTELL’s vision to put the station at the 50,000-watt level to provide a powerful punch in the AM waves.

The monument features the pictures of the KCBQ-A building and the famous six towers. A list of more than 100 talented radio disc jockeys and newscasters are honored below. The monument was designed and built with cooperation with the City of SANTEE. The city provided the land and private donations built the monument.

[Do you remember KCBQ? Please share your memories below.]

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