Westwood One Home. AM RADIO5. 70 KVI News Talk Sinclair Broadcast Group SEATTLEOriginally licensed to Tacoma back in 1. With over 8. 0 years of history serving the Pacific Northwest, KVI is known as one of the pillars of Seattle radio. From humble beginnings in November 1. Tacoma, the station bounced around the AM dial a little bit before settling at its current 5. You can now stream all eight SBS Radio stations on the brand new app including our language program services on SBS Radio 1, 2 and 3 World Service on SBS Radio 4 plus. Fostering positive social change by entertaining, informing, and educating our community through the presentation of diverse music, cultural, news, and public affairs. We were located in the historic Camlin Hotel now a private residence for awhile, as our first move from Tacoma to Seattle. When Gene Autrys Golden West bought the station in the late 1. Tower Building 7th and Olive into what were considered state of the art studios at the time. We carried the pre Mariners Seattle Rainiers for many years, and stepped up to the real major league team when the Mariners showed up in townThrough the 1. KVI was a dominant personality station, featuring incredible talent such as Robert E. Lee Hardwick, Jack Morton came to KVI from KMO in 1. Robert O. Smith, Michael OShea, Bill Taylor, Jack Spencer, along with so many others. In the mid 1. 98. KVI moved to an oldies format. True to the heritage of the station, it not only did the format, but became an Oldies Powerhouse with a unique emphasis on Northwest artists as well as worldwide artists such as Elvis, the Beatles, and Rolling Stones. Dick Curtis and Scott Burton were among those who defined and grew this format over the years. In the early 1. 99. KVI led the way as one of the first conservative talk stations in the country. Soon, it became one of the most emulated and most successful, and helped establish Rush Limbaugh as a nationally known talent. A few years later, Gene Autrys estate was liquidated and KVI and sister KPLZ were sold to Fisher Broadcasting, owner of KOMO AM and KOMO Television. That move brought three of the most exceptional radio stations with Seattle heritage under one roof, and the three continue to operate collaboratively today. In 2. 00. 2, the station left its home of over forty years in the Tower Building although it had moved in 1. Fisher operations in the brand new Fisher Plaza, a state of the art communications facility on the site of the old KOMO Television building across from the Space Needle. November 7, 2. 01. Sunday, one day ahead of scheduled switch KVI switched from conservative talk to Oldies rock n roll. DJs to be introduced in January 2. Adobe Acrobat Reader Windows 7 Crack Codes. Tom Hutyler and Marina Rockinger mornings, Mark Christopher PM drive time, and Ric Hansen in the evening. Seattles Greatest Hits 5. KVI KVI switched back to Conservative Talk in January 2. Fisher Communications sold their TV and radio properties to Sinclair Broadcast Group in August 2. Seattle Times June 4, 1. Radio Personality Commits Suicide, Police Report. By Tomas Guillen, Kit Boss. Longtime Seattle radio personality Bob Hardwick was found dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound yesterday, Chelan County Sheriffs Detective Bill Patterson said today. Robert E. Lee Hardwick, 6. Kent, was once the king of Seattle morning radio, making his mark on KVI AM. In 1. 97. 8 he was Billboard magazines Radio Personality of the Year. He was found dead about 3 2. Highway 2 just east of Stevens Pass. He had been shot in the head with a handgun. It was undetermined when Hardwick apparently killed himself, but a suicide note was dated 1. Tuesday, said Patterson. The note, Patterson said, simply asked police to notify his wife and be gentle with her. Hardwick wrote several notes before he killed himself, said Patterson. One note indicated he was getting older and unemployable and he didnt want his wife to support him, Patterson said. Apparently Hardwick first tried to asphyxiate himself with the exhaust of his truck, Patterson said. When that didnt work, he shot himself in the right temple with a. A TRUE SEATTLE LEGENDMost recently, Hardwick was morning co host at news talk KING AM. He joined KING in February 1. April because of ratings the morning show was rated 1. Seattle Tacoma market and because thestation wanted a younger audience. Hardwick was replaced by Pat Cashman. Said Jack Swanson, general manager of KING AM FM Over the years, his talent brought happiness to hundreds of thousands of radio listeners. He was, and always will be, a true Seattle legend. All of us in the Seattle radio industry were better for what he gave us, and all of us feel a real loss at his passing. For years, Jack Morton worked with Hardwick at KVI. Morton now does the weekend marine report for KIRO AM. It was a big shock, said Morton. They dont come any bigger or better than Robert. Thats a fact. Ill always remember his laugh. He loved to set people up and laugh in the background. Hed always mention that we were getting older. The business is getting younger. You have to scratch to hang on. ADVENTUROUS LIFEHardwick worked at KVI from 1. Those 2. 1 straight years were interrupted only by a four month sojourn at Los Angeles station KMPC AM in 1. On his KVI morning show, Hardwick would sometimes play only two or three records an hour. The rest of the time was filled with jokes, skits, ad libbed advertisements and promotions for his latest escapade. In 1. 96. 5, Hardwick piloted a tugboat to British Columbia to haul back Namu, the killer whale, for the Seattle Aquarium. He jet skied 7. 40 miles from Ketchikan to Seattle, about the time it was reported he had was the highest paid radio personality in Seattle, hosting the highest rated program on local radio. In 1. 98. 0, he swam the Bremerton Seattle ferry route. That same year, disgruntled with KVIs decision to abandon its successful music format and switch to all talk, he quit walking out in the middle of the 8 a. I was so frustrated. Emotionally I was a wreck, Hardwick said later. I dont know what happened. I took my briefcase and walked out the door. That wasnt a businesslike way to do things. Later he popped up at the old KAYO AM. Several months passed. One Friday he called in sick and didnt return the following Monday. Seattle radio is a bore and I have been boring right along with it, he said at the time. DEALING WITH TRAUMAHis two disappearing acts were not publicity stunts, Hardwick said, but an emotional trauma in my life. He eventually landed at an AM station in Tacoma, did another hitch at KVI, had a failed venture to transmit computer programs via radio and spent a year at KIXI AM. Then in 1. 98. 7 the Seattle native left the medium altogether. He worked for a time as communication director at Pacific Institute and helped several local drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers market their programs. Said Hardwick, when asked once to sum himself up Im a professional smartass. I love to tease people. I love to make people laugh. Im a communicator. KVI Personalities Harry Stewart Yogi Yorgesson in the 1. KVI was located in Tacoma, Bill Goff, Jack Hemingway, Harry Holland, Buddy Webber appointed Program Director in 1. Bob Cooper left for KEXPortland, Buck Richey 2. KVI, Jerry Dexter, Lou Gillette, Dick Mc. Garvin, Don Riggs, Cliff Murphy Air Traffic reporter, Dick Stokke, Robert Hardwick, Dick Keplinger, Lee Lucas, Ray Court, Jack Morton, Tracy Steele, Don Furhman, Dick Cross, Ed Kaufmann, Jim Blossey, Bob Hawkins, Dave De. Soto, Roall Erickson, Humble Harve, Dick Curtis, Jack Allen, Brian Gregory, Al Vanik, Sky Walker, Paul Thompson, Johnny Carver, Heidi May, Kirby Wilbur, Michael Medved, Dave Allen, Scott Burton, Art Kevin, Peter Boam, Greg Aust, Joe Fiala, Jim Martin, Terry Mc. Manus, Clark Race, Bill Taylor, Bill Cavanah, J. J. Valley, Michael OShea, Ron Erak, Bill Cooper, Brian York news, Buzz Barr, Perry Allen, Tam Henry, Tom Reddick, Robert O. Smith, J. Michael Kenyon, Jack Mc. Donald promotion director, Rip Collins newsman, Dave Henderson newsman, Jack Spencer news director, Bob Roberts newsman and commentator, Bill OMara newsman, Jack Barton newsman, Bob Robertson sportscaster, Bill Schonely sportscaster, Al Cummings 1.