R.I.P. - Casey Kasem

**mel** · June 15th, 2014, 08:59 AM

Legendary radio personality Casey Kasem dies at 82

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/15/showbi...bit/index.html

Casey Kasem, who entertained radio listeners for almost four decades as the host of countdown shows such as "American Top 40" and "Casey's Top 40," died early Sunday, according to a Facebook post from his daughter Kerri Kasem.

Sad to hear the passing of legendary DJ / radio announcer Casey Kasem. He is best known for the nationally syndicated radio show AMERICAN TOP 40 which aired on a number of Hawaii radio stations through his tenure from 1970 to the late 1980s.

Kasem also branched out into TV doing voiceovers for the cartoon character "Shaggy" on the Scooby Doo TV series and even did a guest spot on the original "Hawaii Five-0".

Radio stations that carried "Amercian Top 40" back in the day here in Hawaii included KPOI 1380 AM, KKUA 690 AM, KIKI AM 830, KMVI AM 550, KPUA 970 AM, KHLO 850 AM and KIVM 1350 AM in Kauai. The show later aired in the 1980s on KMAI 93.9 FM in HNL.

AT 40 was created in part by Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs back in 1970 who were both at one time the original "Poi Boys" of the old KPOI radio. Rounds passed away earlier this month.

I was a regular listener of American Top 40 during the Casey Kasem era and have a few shows preserved on tape and I think one on LP (vinyl) that I bought at Froggie's many years ago.

Casey Kasem, R.I.P. - "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."

**Frankie's Market** · June 15th, 2014, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by mel

Kasem also branched out into TV doing voiceovers for the cartoon character "Shaggy" on the Scooby Doo TV series and even did a guest spot on the original "Hawaii Five-0".

He appeared on two separate episodes on H50 in 1974. Different characters, but probably filmed within a short time of each other.

Originally Posted by mel

Radio stations that carried "Amercian Top 40" back in the day here in Hawaii included KPOI 1380 AM, KKUA 690 AM, KIKI AM 830, KMVI AM 550, KPUA 970 AM, KHLO 850 AM and KIVM 1350 AM in Kauai. The show later aired in the 1980s on KMAI 93.9 FM in HNL.

In between KKUA and KIKI, AT40 was broadcast on KDEO in the early '80s. Why was AT40 being broadcast on a country music format station, of all places? Perhaps it had something to do with Ron Jacobs being the owner of KDEO at the time.

Getting back to Casey,... it is simply tragic to think that the man whose voice was ubiquitous in 1970s radio and TV had become totally silenced by ill-health in the last few years of his life. May he R.I.P.

**mel** · June 15th, 2014, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Frankie's Market

In between KKUA and KIKI, AT40 was broadcast on KDEO in the early '80s. Why was AT40 being broadcast on a country music format station, of all places? Perhaps it had something to do with Ron Jacobs being the owner of KDEO at the time.

Yes for about 1 year the show was on KDEO. I had forgotten about that. This happened in 1980 when the call sign was changed to KDEO from KAHU at 940 AM. The country music format was abandoned at that time and the new KDEO radio (at that time) aired a mixed music format block program kind of thing where Ron Jacobs was the morning guy, somebody had a talk show after that, and in the afternoons Robert Zix (aka Kamasami Kong) I think had a music show there. The format was not successful and the station switched back to country for several years after that.

AT 40 aired on Monday nights.

**Frankie's Market** · June 15th, 2014, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by mel

Yes for about 1 year the show was on KDEO. I had forgotten about that. This happened in 1980 when the call sign was changed to KDEO from KAHU at 940 AM. The country music format was abandoned at that time and the new KDEO radio (at that time) aired a mixed music format block program kind of thing where Ron Jacobs was the morning guy, somebody had a talk show after that, and in the afternoons Robert Zix (aka Kamasami Kong) I think had a music show there. The format was not successful and the station switched back to country for several years after that.

Interesting. Even if KDEO labelled itself a mixed-music station, it sounded more "country-ish" than anything else on Honolulu's airwaves back then. Not to mention that the call letters brings to mind the word "rodeo."

My recollection of Jacobs taking over KDEO was that he thought money was to be made in filling the void of country music on the local AM dial. Instead, he reportedly ended up losing his shirt. Sad that the man whose ideas made so much money in broadcast radio for other people and corporations in the '60s and '70s found himself in a financial bind.

Originally Posted by mel

AT 40 aired on Monday nights.

When I was a regular listener of AT40 during the KKUA-KDEO-KIKI era, it initially aired on mid-day Sunday. (11 AM start time if memory serves me right.) Maybe the program was replayed the following day, but during AT40s heyday, each show debuted on Sunday, no question. For it was on Monday that the topic of conversation in school centered around which song was #1 that week and which favorite artists had a record going up (or down) the singles chart. If you wanted "in" on those discussions, you had to tune into AT40. There was no internet back then to serve as a cheat sheet.

It was a simpler time...