History's Dumpster

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Hellmann's Big H Burger Sauce

In 1979, Hellmann's introduced Big H Burger Sauce a product that was briefly on the market. It was a near perfect carbon copy of a famous burger "special sauce" used by a famous worldwide mega-conglomerate burger chain. And that might have been why this product disappeared as quickly as it came. But I could put that stuff on nearly everything - including hot dogs and it would just taste FANTASTIC. I know it was popular because everyone was talking about it back then. So it must have sold very, very well.

But ever since then, finding anything about this product was next to impossible. It was like the product never existed. For years, I tried to describe it. But people would think I was talking about Thousand Island salad dressing (this was distinctly different.)

It was the only product marketed by Hellmann's on the West Coast that wasn't under the Best Foods brand name (as Hellmann's Mayonnaise has always been.) There were a few attempts to consolidate the name under the Hellmann's brand west of The Rocky Mountains. But we West Coasters FLATLY wouldn't hear of it and the idea never got off the ground. And we still won't.

So to this day, Hellmann's mayo is still known as Best Foods mayonnaise west of The Rockies. And that's that. Period.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Radio Disney

On August 13th, Disney announced it would be ending it's Radio Disney network on nearly all of it's mostly AM radio stations and selling the stations to concentrate on the network's digital platforms, such as online and satellite.

The stations affected are:

98.3 WRDZ-FM Plainfield/Indianapolis (their only FM station.)

590 WDWD Atlanta

620 KMKI Plano/Dallas

640 WWJZ Mount Holly NJ/Philadelphia

910 WFDF Farmington Hills/Detroit

990 WMYM Miami

990 WDYZ Orlando

1250 KKDZ Seattle (See below for more info on KKDZ)

1250 WDDZ Pittsburgh

1260 WWMK Cleveland

1260 WSDZ Belleville IL/St. Louis

1260 WMKI Boston

1300 WRDZ La Grange/Chicago

1310 KMKY San Francisco

1380 WWMI St. Petersburg

1440 KDIZ Golden Valley/Minneapolis

1470 KIID Sacramento

1480 WGFY Charlotte

1560 WQEW New York

1580 KMIK Tempe/Phoenix

1590 KMIC Houston

1640 KDZR Lake Oswego/Portland

1690 KDDZ Arvada/Denver

The stations will leave the air until they are sold. It's currently unknown if there will be a single buyer of all or if stations will be sold one by one. But one thing is guaranteed; the formats will change.

Radio Disney however is keeping it's flagship station, 1110 KDIS Los Angeles, but the rest are to be sold.

This brings to an end to the longest running AM children's radio network chain. Radio Disney was one of many networks started in the 1980s, '90s and 2000s to rescue failing 2nd tier, mostly AM radio stations with unique programming unavailable on most FM radio stations (such as hard rock, LGBT programming, personal motivation, progressive talk, business talk and others.) In Disney's case, programming for pre-teens.

However, they weren't the first network to cater to children. There were earlier networks, such as Radio AAHS (pronounced "Radio Oz", founded in 1990 and based at 1280 WWTC Minneapolis - now a conservative talk station.) Radio AAHS also offered a monthly magazine with a CD or cassette tape.

Radio AAHS entered into a early deal with Disney which quickly turned sour, as Disney was quietly preparing it's own radio network (unbeknownst to Radio AAHS.) It's been said the only reason Disney entered into the deal was to learn all they could about Radio AAHS's successful children's radio programming model. And then use it to their advantage and shutting out it's benefactor.

Seattle based KidStar was an aspiring competitor to Radio AAHS. Founded in 1993 and based at 1250 KKDZ Seattle, KidStar offered similar programming to Radio AAHS, but KidStar was a bit edgier, offering more rock based music selections than the mostly kiddie-tune Radio AAHS. There were plans to expand into a full network, like Radio AAHS, but they were quickly dashed as Disney began flexing it's muscles with Radio AAHS.

Both the Radio AAHS network and KidStar relied on advertising from giants of kid marketing, such as Disney, Warner Bros., Mattel and General Mills. However as Disney became more powerful in the children's radio format at an alarming rate, these accounts quickly dried up by the time Radio Disney was launched in 1996 and there was no way tiny KidStar could compete with the Disney empire. KidStar had no other option than to sell it's one and only station, KKDZ Seattle to Radio Disney in 1997.

Radio Disney is scheduled to end programming on their affiliate stations around September 26th.

(UPDATE: Radio Disney will continue to operate on all it's current stations until each are sold. - L.W.)

98.3 WRDZ-FM Plainfield/Indianapolis 590 WDWD Atlanta 620 KMKI Plano/Dallas 640 WWJZ Mount Holly NJ/Philadelphia 910 WFDF Farmington Hills/Detroit 990 WMYM Miami 990 WDYZ Orlando 1250 KKDZ Seattle 1250 WDDZ Pittsburgh 1260 WWMK Cleveland 1260 WSDZ Belleville IL/St. Louis 1260 WMKI Boston 1300 WRDZ La Grange/Chicago 1310 KMKY San Francisco 1380 WWMI St. Petersburg 1440 KDIZ Golden Valley/Minneapolis 1470 KIID Sacramento 1480 WGFY Charlotte 1560 WQEW New York 1580 KMIK Tempe/Phoenix 1590 KMIC Houston 1640 KDZR Lake Oswego/Portland 1690 KDDZ Arvada/Denver

Read more at: http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/89717/radio-disney-to-sell-all-but-one-station/

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

"I Was Only 19" The Herd feat. Redgum (2005)

In 1983, there was a major hit record in Australia nobody in America has ever heard at that time.

But one they should have. Sadly, it didn't get any American radio airplay or distribution.

The song was called "I Was Only 19 (A Walk In The Light Green)" by Redgum, an Australian folk group that described the Australian experience in the Vietnam War and it's aftermath in a way any American veteran of that war could easily relate.

The early '80s seemed to be filled with songs about the Vietnam War. From "Still In Saigon" The Charlie Daniels Band, "Goodnight Saigon" Billy Joel, the ubiquitous "Born In The USA" Bruce Springsteen (among many he wrote.) The Clash also recorded several songs about the Vietnam War. And of course, there was the just plain dopey "19" Paul Hardcastle.

Time warp to 2005.

Australian hip-hop group The Herd (no relation to Peter Frampton's late '60s band, of course) remakes "I Was Only 19". Their version included John Schumann, Redgum's lead vocalist in the song's bridge and, most surprisingly, in the song's final rap. He is also highlighted in the song's video.

The Herd's remake became another major hit in Australia. Their version went to #18 on Triple J Radio's Hottest 100 countdown of 2005 and got regular airplay on the network.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Eating Like A Trooper: 12 Days of MREs

An old friend of mine recently sent me a package - and a challenge: Review these MREs.

What are MREs?

They are Meals Ready to Eat. They are issued to army troops in combat or anywhere outside the mess hall. They are in nearly every army around the world.

And so, always up for any challenge that involves eating. Beginning tomorrow, I'm going to review each MRE. There are 12 of them in this box. Each one contains one meal. Plus other essentials in a vacuum sealed bag (necessary because soldiers do a lot of fighting in dirty areas.)

But to do this, we are not going to go on the battlefield front line (I'm totally missing out on the atmosphere and service, I know.)