There’s an old saying my Dad used to quote on a regular basis, especially when my Step Brother Stephen and I were lagging a bit doing farm work. The saying went, “Time stands still for no man” The correct saying is Time waits on no man. Be that as it may. Resting on ones laurels or contemplation means your competitor is racking up points while you sit and stew. The thing is when opportunity knocks, at least open the door. Granted the results all the time are not good at least you opened the door. Yoda said it best, Do or Don’t, no maybe. Which is one of many reasons I took a leap of faith, and jumped into moving radio werx operations from Woods Cross here to Evanston. Yes the effort is constantly an uphill battle, and there are many hurdles involving infrastructure. But then challenges are what builds character, and sometimes builds bank accounts. While I will never say that the Knytes are the only innovators I will say we have done more with less, and brought to fruition more advancements in technology in rural America than just about anyone I have known or as it is, been involved with. The Knytes-of-Anarchy, started life as a mini bike club, in Layton Utah back in 1968. Yes a bikers club, but thing is we evolved. The Hazzard thing didn’t get into the mix until mid 1979. Long before that the organization of some 100,000 strong nationwide, was created under the idea of how about a working young training platform for youth wanting to go trailer trucking or at least commercial over the road trucking? In 1973 a few of us, found CB radios. They were popular at the time. Soon after a meeting between my Dad and I with the Gooding County Extension Service, office there’s director, and the only and has not been invaded since, 4-H truck transportation project was created, under the guise of the TeenAge Truckers Association. Modeled after the infamous Independent Truckers Association or ITA, the President of which was Mike Parkhurst the original creator and publisher of the only owner/operator truckers publication at the time Overdrive. In 1974 I attended a High School that was really progressive in Lewiston Idaho. Of course my roots in broadcasting was in there, and got on a high school radio station, little did I know at the time that this was a turning point for myself and the organization. One night doing board work during a basketball game, that after which I did two hours of radio targeted to truckers. The show was heard all the way to Moscow Idaho, and as far East and south as Grangeville and McCall Idaho. People liked what we did. By the time I got home back to Hazzard(Hagerman) Idaho, there was bundles of fan letters. OTR drivers wanted what we did, so the TTA created albeit short lived the station KDSL FM. Using some donated military radio equipment that my Dad had secured from HAFB Utah. Originally called Long Haul Radio, became after the conversion to all things Hazzard County Dixie Diesel Trucker Radio. KDSL, became KTOW in 1984 and now runs as KDXC FM based in Buhl Idaho. Thing was at the time of Long Haul Radio there were no real OTR radio shows west of the Mississippi . One was created in Bountiful Utah as JOC Radio which for tax problems failed, but the idea was sound. Had we waited there would have been no trucker radio west. So we did. Operated for 2 years in 1975 to 1976 as a pirate station going on air at midnight to 5:00AM by the time I went into the Marines in 1977, we became licensed through work of the club. Most of you who read this knows the story of the creation of the Knytes, but for those who don’t I’ll do this as quickly as possible. In search of diorama props for our entry into the 1981 Salt Lake City AuatoRama, we discovered a rusting out Dodge Charger. We abandoned the General Jackson, and went full steam ahead. Had we waited to buy that car then, the western Hazzard County Empire might never have occurred. But we bought the car, took it to Hagerman rebuilt the dod stuff out it, and took home a few awards at the 81 AutoRama. But once home the idea of opening the original off TV real to life Hazzard County Garage was opened in March of 1982, then shortly after My partner in the company Jimmy MacDonald and I decided to bring all the grassroots rural gearheads to one organization that became the Hazzard County Knytes(KNIGHTS) modeled after both the Dukes of Hazzard and the hit movie at the time the HollyWood Knights. We wanted cable TV out in the boonies but hey no cable company wanted to run cable to the boonies. So we conjured up a method of using old radar dish antennas with cable set top boxes and created the first satellite tv service, that was called HazzComm or Hazzard County Communications . Had we waited, the royalties that we get now from both satellite services might never have been, we were the first. Of course the story of converting the Hazzard County Knytes to the Knytes-of-Anarchy is not an obscure one. This is where you get the omens from divine inspiration, perspiration and dedication. It was a winter night in Glenn’s Ferry Idaho in the year of 2008, a few of the Hazzard Knytes were gathered there, God decided to let it snow, and snow it did. The only TV channel on DIRECTV was FX, and the only show on there was the 1st season opener of Sons of Anarchy. There at the time was a growing need to expand the Hazzard Knytes beyond its original kountry rural roots and go more urban. The idea was to rebuild the Hazzard Knytes on the original platform of the TeenAge Truckers Association. Our thought was and remains, instead of a bikers club, lets go trucking as both vocations are based on open roads, full fuel tanks and fancy rigs etc. So with that what is now then as the Rode Knytes, was recreated as the Knytes-of-Anarchy, and the rest of it is history. Thing is, had we waited, the organization might have disbanded and been mostly forgotten. Which brings me to now and back to relocating here to Evanston. Sure few if anyone would aim to making Evanston Wyoming with a population of 16,000 a media hub, but if we wait, somebody with deeper pockets, and more governmental ties might beat us to the starting line. So yes buying CenturyLink at $1,100.00 a month is steep as hell, thing is we can create a new opportunity here for ourselves and the community we reside in. Using AllWest as a backup our streaming radio network kicks butt, more importantly by this fall if nothing disturbs the forces, we should be on over the air.
More L8R ya’ll I need to go, just stay tuned.
TTYLY
Quote of the Day:
A man who lives right, and is right, has more power in his silence than another has by his words.
--Phillips Brooks
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