DYK: The Creator Of Radio's Cash Call Also Sold Real Estate To Diane Sawyer, Henry Kissinger And Joan Rivers

Tom Zarecki called my attention to this obit for David Klemm in the Danbury (CT) News-Times and then added some personal insight about his early career in radio:

I worked for Dave for 6 years in the early 80's. He taught me the delicate art of consulting radio PD's and jocks. What I learned from Dave over those years I was then able to parlay into my own radio successful radio consulting business from 1986-1994.

Klemm worked for Blair Radio, a major national radio rep firm based in New York City, for many years, from the sixties into the early 80's when he began Klemm Media, his own radio consulting firm. During that era, Klemm personally coached literally hundreds of radio programmers, station managers and air talent, including many legendary jocks in all of America's top 20 markets as well as many other stations in groups in all market size, before making his final radio segue into a real estate career with his wife, Carolyn, in 1986.

Besides writing hundreds of slogans, station jingle lyrics and designing radio ad campaigns for top-rated stations nationwide, Klemm was generally credited with inventing the original and highly successful "Cash Call" radio call-in contest of the late 50's and early 60's, later duplicated by hundreds of other stations.

In Memoriam: Steve Young

I have been staring blankly at Steve's impressive LinkedIn resume tonight, wondering what to say, to express my sadness and grief.

Young spent the last eight years working with Jones Radio Networks (now Dial-Global) where resonances of his smile will long reverberate in the halls, he had programmed such high-profile stations as WAXQ (Q104.3)/New York, KISW/Seattle, CJAY/Calgary and CITI-FM/Winnipeg. He also was operations director of WNEW/New York and spent some time as Nationwide's western region group PD, overseeing a roster that included KLUC/Las Vegas and KRQQ/Tucson. He joined Jones Radio Networks in October 2000 as director of rock and pop programming, transitioning to senior programming consultant when the company became Dial-Global in June of this year. Young started consulting at Joint Communications Corp. in 1986, and eventually opened his own firm, Youngradio Management, in 1995, working with a lineup that included WHTZ (Z100), WKTU and WTJM (Jammin 105) in New York.

At WAXQ, Steve took the station from a 22nd place ranking in the 25-54 demographic and in three Arbitrons, moved it to 5th place in the New York metro. Steve also served as a research consultant for Z-100, WKTU and WTJM during his time with AM/FM Inc. Steve worked on the air in several Canadian markets at such stations as CJFM, a Montreal Hot Adult Contemporary station; CKRC, a CHR in Winnipeg; and CITI FM an Album Rock station also in Winnipeg.

Trained in Communications at York University in Toronto, Steve was also the Program Director of one of the first campus radio stations in Canada, for two years.

To say the least, he was an expert in research analysis and strategic thinking, database marketing, and talent development. Steve was reportedly struck by a heart attack on a cruise to Cabo San Lucas, was hospitalized and died Monday.

Young unselfishly gave his intelligence, friendship and enduring wit to those of us whose lives he touched during his 32 years spanning all aspects of radio, on-air and management.

Rock radio will be playing some very sad songs today.