[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 91 (Friday, July 14, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IN HONOR OF JIM DUNBAR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2000

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor one of San Francisco's best-
known and best-loved radio personalities as he assumes new 
responsibilities at the station which has been his home since 1963. Jim 
Dunbar is leaving the morning show at KGO Radio after 25 years of being 
San Francisco's favorite way to start the day.
  Jim Dunbar's career in radio began in 1952 in East Lansing, MI, where 
Dunbar worked for WKAR providing commentary for Michigan State football 
games. Over the next eight years, Dunbar worked as a disc jockey, a 
newscaster, and a program director, and his work took him from Kansas 
to Detroit to New Orleans. By 1960, he was working as assistant program 
director and on-air talent for WLS in Chicago. During the three years 
he was there, WLS flourished and Dunbar attracted the attention of KGO 
in San Francisco.
  By 1963, KGO had tried a variety of formats, but it always ended up 
last in the ratings. Dunbar was hired as program director and given the 
charge of turning around the station's fortunes. By any measure, he has 
had enormous success. Dunbar began many creative segments, including 
``The Man on the Street,'' but his most lasting innovation was the 
``Newstalk'' format. It combined news coverage, commentary, and call-in 
talk radio in a way that no other station at the time had done. By 1978 
``KGO Newstalk AM 810'' had become the most popular station in the 
market. It has never relinquished that position.
  Although Dunbar intended to work solely as the program director, he 
soon found himself on the air as the afternoon talk show host 
implementing the Newstalk format. In 1974, he switched from the 
afternoon show to become the co-anchor of the KGO Radio Morning News. 
On this program, for the past 26 years, Dunbar has informed and 
entertained San Francisco as host of the most popular morning show.
  Dunbar also hosted KGO Television's morning talk show AM San 
Francisco from 1965-1979 and anchored the 5 p.m. news from 1974-1976. 
He not only reported the news on AM San Francisco but became the news 
when the ``Zodiac'' serial killer, still at-large, agreed to call 
Dunbar on the air. The program was so dramatic that rival television 
stations encouraged their viewers to watch Dunbar's program instead.
  In recognition of his leadership and excellence in the field of 
broadcasting, Dunbar was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1999. 
He is currently the only San Francisco radio personality with that 
distinction. He has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from 
Northwestern University's School of Journalism and was part of the 
Associated Press Television and Radio Association of California-
Nevada's ``Best Anchor Team'' in 1994, along with Ted Wygant.
  Though he is leaving the morning show, Jim is not retiring quite yet. 
He will continue his work at KGO with topical essays and, when called 
upon, news reports.
  I join with his wife, Beth, his children, Brooke and Jim Jr., and all 
of his loyal listeners in congratulating Jim on a wonderful career thus 
far and wishing him many more creative years.

                          ____________________