About Al

Al Kirton commenced his career on 4VL Charleville as trainee announcer/copy writer in 1970. He then went to 4CD (now 4CC) Gladstone soon after they were launched. He can remember selecting his drivetime programme from piles of records on the floor, as the shelves for the vinyl records had not yet been constructed. As the newbie, his first task each morning was to go next door to the neighbours and get a bucket of tank water for the morning tea, as the reticulated water in Gladstone in 1971 was “foul”.

Later in 1971 he was invited to join 4RO Rockhampton as drivetime announcer. Al believed that this invitation was as a result of 4CD Gladstone’s success in the Rockhampton radio survey. He loved his time in Rocky, especially as 4RO had recently moved into palatial studios overlooking the Fitzroy River. Al become an established personality in Rocky as a compare of the Hoadley’s Battle of the Bands and chief judge for the 4MK event in Mackay. But after a time at 4RO, he had his sights set on “moving  up the ladder” in Radio. To do this, he needed experience in advertising sales.

Al and his girlfriend Kayleen went on a holiday to NSW in 1973. They called in to see his old mate Garry Bowles (ex 4VL) at a new station, 2ST in Nowra. Whilst there, Garry introduced Al to the managing director Bert Button, who offered him a job as salesman/announcer. Al accepted on the spot, but said he would have to give reasonable notice to 4RO. He commenced at 2ST in May that year.

Al liked Nowra and 2ST, but management was on his mind. He successfully applied for the job of sales manager at 2LT Lithgow as head of a 3 person sales team, and had several weekly air shifts. He was successful in dramatically almost doubling the local revenue at 2LT.

One Saturday morning whilst he was on air from the recently constructed studios, Joe Mantle an executive from 2CH Sydney (AWA Network) and his wife were visiting Lithgow. They asked if they could come and see the new station. Whilst there, Joe offered Al a position of Sales Promotions Manager at 3BO Bendigo. Al accepted and was soon on the way to Bendigo with his new wife Kayleen.

Life at Bendigo was good for Al and 3BO was truly a professional Radio station, three of the six announcers were ex capital city DJs. He was responsible for many promotions including the Coca Cola Superboat and Keymania car giveaway. According to Al, his biggest success was to attract Myer Bendigo as one of the largest advertisers on 3BO.

After quite a while in Bendigo, Al still had the management “itch”. With family help from a mate, he offered to buy 3CV Maryborough, a station with a very strong signal in Bendigo. He was excited despite the fact that station had no studios; only a transmitter site, a record library and an outside broadcast (O.B.) caravan. The deal finally fell through when the vendors decided that they also wanted to sell 3SH Swan Hill. At that time 3CV was on fulltime relay from 3SH. Clearly, the two young entrepreneurs did not have the financial capacity to buy two Radio stations.

Al’s first opportunity at management came in 1976 when he applied for, and got, the job as manager at 4ZR Roma, then a truly independent station. Of the 8 people on staff, Al was the second youngest. Financial records reveal that he was able to get 4ZR back in profit within six months, after having made losses for several years.

Difficulty in Al’s marriage caused his wife of 4 years to leave him, and  Roma. Soon after that time Al successfully recommended to his 4ZR Directors that they upgrade some of the ageing equipment. The standby transmitter was ex 4GR Toowoomba from the 1920’s !

Neighbouring station 4VL Charleville were downsizing, and the owners, the Color Radio Network, placed the station on relay to station 4LG Longreach from 9am to closedown each day. Only a breakfast announcer and a young receptionist were needed to staff Charleville. There was no need for the  five year old console in the production studio. So, Al seized the opportunity to phone their network general manager Allen Brandt in Brisbane offering to buy the production studio console for 4ZR. Brandt advised the Al would have to ring the Chairman of The Color Radio Network Mr Frank Moore (later Sir Frank)”.  Al phoned Frank, and to his great surprise Frank said, “why don’t you buy the whole Radio station instead of just the console ?”

After seeking financial partners, Al was able but the station on behalf of the group and assume the position of General Manager/Director of 4VL in September 1978. The same month 8 years earlier, he had first walked up the stairs of 14 Wills Street as trainee announcer.

During his 8 years at 4VL he was successful in overseeing a big number of improvements at the station, these included –

• Increasing live transmission hours from 110 to over 122 hours per week. For the first time at 4VL, there was 24 hour operation on special occasions such as New Year’s Eve.
• Over time, increasing the local staff from 2 to 12.
• Appointing freelance sales staff in Toowoomba & Sunshine Coast.
• Completely upgrading the office furnishings and equipment.
• Upgrading the Quilpie Road 918 kHz main transmission site and installing a standby transmitter.
• Installing Western Queensland’s first commercial Radio translator station at Cunnamulla on 1584 kHz via a 63 metre mast.
• Over many years raising funds for the Queensland Cancer Fund in an annual Radio-A-Thon.

Al fell in love with the western lifestyle of Charleville and its people. In 1981 he married Diane and by 1985 the couple had two young sons.

In February 1986 big celebrations were planned to celebrate 4VL’s 50^th Anniversary. Invited guests included the station’s founder Ern Marrs and Al’s first radio boss Dick Eversen. Another guest was Graham Schmid the general manager of 4AY Townsville and managing director of station 4KZ Innisfail. The M.C. on the night was Bruce Ferrier the voice of Channel 7 in Sydney, a former 4VL announcer.

Following the success of 4VL, Al was seeking another rundown Radio station to revive. He wrote to Graham Schmid asking, potentially, if 4KZ was for sale. Graham invited Al to come to Innisfail and have a look at 4KZ. Al was able to convince the chairman of 8HA Reg Harris and the GM Dave Prior to have a look at 4KZ. The trio flew to Cairns in early 1986. Shortly after their initial visit, Cyclone Winifred devastated Innisfail and 4KZ. Reg, being the businessman he was, offered to buy 4KZ at a lower price than the figure originally quoted. The price was accepted by Graham Schmid, on condition the Al was to come to 4KZ for “three weeks” as the 4KZ GM  was in hospital for an unspecified time due to a car accident.

The “three weeks” turned out to be 38 years, but that’s another story for later !