There is no way that Vince Lombardi could coach football in todays world. Chapman was 85 years old. He always brought light to every room entered. To a person, everyone interviewed for this story believed that Chapman, if riled, could end his career. First it was six to nine. Knowing Ron over the years has been an adventure. In my mind, Chapman continues, I used to picture Mary Tyler Moore. Suite 2100 And thats the way Ron was. This is the story of how a chance encounter lead to a close friendship that would span four decades, and a revolutionary radio travel program that is in it's 46th year. Then by the following Tuesday, youre just gone. RIP to a #NTX legend," wrote Dallas County judge Clay Jenkins, in a tweet on April 26. Tags. People just trusted him, Dean said Monday. Not only is he 110 percent fireproof and the goose that laid the golden egg, but he is shadow management, and he must be catered to and appeased. Former Dallas Morning News columnist Robert Wilonsky contributed to this report. "In so many ways around here, Chapman was the pioneer, the seer," Rhyner said. He ended up following Chapman at KLUV in 2005. This was 1991. Who could follow Ron Chapman? We had several meetings in which we hoped to gain her attention about things we didnt feel were happening correctly on the nighttime show. Its a trap: if you are situated in Dallas, you look at things from the Dallas perspective, even unconsciously. During his 31 years at KVIL, Chapman became famous for his upbeat humor and his participation in outrageous stunts and giveaways. Ron Chapman is a dazzlingly entertaining intellect who has refreshed my life for 25 years with his insightful wit and unerring eye for the quixotic vagaries of the human kind. The Zoo crew used to regard KVIL's mushy adult-contemporary playlist as a punchline. / CBS Texas. A lot of people on this board are so young that they have never heard of Michael Selden. . The hand goes higher above his head: VEE higher now, almost pleading as it keens with the anticipation of all the wonderful, warm, cuddly, sensual things to come. RIP Ron Chapman. That was, perhaps, the last Most Meaningful Moment on local radio. Barnum. They were gonna change owners and he knew the new owner. Then it became Jane Fonda for a while. And yet, he would never ask me to be one of the [featured] dancers. She loved going to NorthPark to dance with other teenagers during the daily weekday broadcast of SumpN Else. Ron didnt say a word. One time, I finally asked him, You seem to like my dancing, but why dont you ever ask me to be one of the dancers? And he said, Well, to be honest, youre too sexy for our show. ", At that age, Fairchild said with a laugh, I didnt really know what he was talking about.. KVIL was always my mom's station, hogging up most of the pre-sets in the '76 Cordoba and later the '79 LeBaron station wagon; it was either Ron Chapman or a Helen Reddy 8-track. The other bold stroke by the founders of KVIL was its attitude toward Dallass sister city, Fort Worth. And we ran an electric cord out to the van, and while Im on the air with Ron, Im having my hair done. No spam, ever. Many years later, both of their first marriages ended (Chapman divorced in 1982) and Ron and Nance began seeing each other, but again, just as friends. Broadcasting great Ron Chapman, who introduced himself to Dallas radio in 1959 under the pseudonym of Irving Harrigan on AM pioneer KLIF, and who elevated his legend after more than 30 years at KVIL-FM and another five at KLUV-FM, died Monday of natural causes. Both of which I left, unconsumed, somewhere in Rons car. Our ears are in mourning. So, Chapman can afford to surprise his wife with a 4.9-carat diamond, keep houses in town and country, and fly to Madrid on a whim., Born in January 1936, Ralph Frederick Chapman was the youngest of three children raised in the back rooms of his dads store during the Depression. And the guy was the typical model. He was 85. In terms of logistics and creativity, hes a towering genius. Put on your walking shoes. Ron Chapman Obituary KVIL - Death : DFW Radio Legend Died: Funeral - KVIL and DFW Radio legend, Ron Chapman died aged 85, on April, 26th, 2021, with loved ones left in total devastation. Fifteen years later, this newspaper called it "the800-pound gorilla of Dallas radio," describing Chapman as "not only one of the top DJs in Dallas, but one of the most respected and feared in the country.". He was No. A year later, he suffered a stroke. But her memories of her tenure at the station are not pleasant. 10/11/1929 - 05/23/2020 . Theyre gone. Legendary radio host Ron Chapman has passed away. Between his junior and senior years, he interned at The Washington Post during "the Watergate summer" of 1973. Warmth, a man who seems to genuinely feel that his biggest contribution to the world is sending his listeners off to work happy and chipper, so that each in her own little way can help make a kinder, gentler Dallas. This time, the gala planners were prepared; the system had been checked and rechecked by technicians. Many of us grew up listening to him on #KVIL. Im paying you to write! According to Littauer, Chapmans massive energy manifested itself during his youth in a series of class-clown pranks. Trusted friend and colleague Jody Dean does not disagree, comparing Chapman to 1960s coaching legend Vince Lombardi, who led the Green Bay Packers to multiple championships as an unyielding taskmaster. Chapman and his morning cohortsSuzy Humphries, Jody Dean, Michael Rey, et al.are saying, in effect. Hes like the man who juggles chain saws while singing Verdi. CHAPMAN, Ralph Frederick (Ron) Born January 25, 1936, in Newton, MA, Chapman has been heard on the airwaves in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since the 1950s. Ron Chapman Was a Warm and Fuzzy Tyrant. Skip to content. His rages and abuse must be swallowed whole. . His hard-scrabble experience inspired him to say, Ill show them. And his broadcasting career accomplished exactly that he showed them. It was, after all, the city's top radio station for years, throughout the 1970s and '80s and even into the '90s, when it was finally capsized by country radio. Ron Chapman has passed away. Not all of Chapmans career was limited to radio. A lot of people couldnt handle it, Dean said of Chapmans style. His older sister, Florence Littauer, now a motivational speaker, used her seniority to motivate Ralph, teaching him tongue twisters and then persuading him to repeat them for amazed visitors at the store-for a small fee. While Ron was 85 years old at the time of his death, Nance Chapman's age remains a mystery. He killed the competition. We decided we would keep Fort Worth, and treat her like the lady that she is. Ronald V. Chapman, age 80, passed away Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at Mount Carmel East Hospital in Columbus. That was the power of Ron Chapman. Ron preparing to parachute out of an airplane and broadcast all the way to the ground. And now, it is no longer.". The things that attracted Marilyn to me in the first place were the things that drove her crazythe drive, the ambition, the living in the eye of the tiger eventually drove her crazy. Bud Buschardt worked as the unit manager on Away We Go and Sumpn Else, two television shows that Chapman did for WFAA Channel 8 in the mid-60s. CBS Radio's local market manager Brian Purdy, in announcing the format change, made just a brief nod to the station's past by insisting 103.7 is "not your mother's radio station any more," which hit a little close to home. Says Littauer, Only Ron could spend two weeks on a ship, do nothing, and then get a commendation for it.. One infamous incident occurred during last years gala for the National Craniofacial Foundation. He always has some grand scheme bubbling up to the surface, she says, and hes always looking for some way to convince the rest of us that its a good idea. Ron Chapman Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Just heard radio legend Ron Chapman has died. Chapman is a perfectionist in every way, Nance says. I cannot say I will miss KVIL, mostly because I haven't listened to it in years -- couldn't tell you its format since, oh, 1985? "But a well-respected punchline," Rhyner said. It was a woman who had a pink sweater wrapped around her neck. I froze. Ron Chapman announced his retirement on 98.7 KLUV at age 69 saying he was retiring from the morning program and going on vacation with his wife Nancy. Chapman had a . Dean later called it a dream come true. I just never mellowed out. Chapman admits. It was Chapman who gave KVIL its sound in 1969: music foryoung adults who'd grown up listening to him on KLIF. Maybe for forty-eight hours, max. Id just started with Chapman, and I did that two or three times before he slammed down the headphones and blew up. Our thoughts and hearts are with his frien - 2 years ago. Ron Chapman was born on 25 January 1936 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. Two things worth noting: back then, no one had any fear about writing "$20" on an envelope - and we never gave our street address. And no decision is really final until Chapman signs off on it. He's now a news anchor for CBS Channel 11 and will replace Chapman on KLUV's morning show. We had this little kinkajou honey bear. And guess what? Even Ron Chapman was not at all shocked to hear of its demise when I called him Wednesday afternoon to tell him his beloved KVIL was now, um, the Amp. He works on his show twelve, fourteen, sixteen hours a day. Trust me, Chapman didnt laugh at all. January 20, 2023 by Jacob Pococontons. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2012. I tell people this story, and they think its one of those urban legends. But KVIL saw a huge, underserved demographic: women listeners between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four account for some 22 percent of the Dallas/Fort Worth radio market. The Radio Hall of Famer died at the age of 85 by leading an exemplary life being the pioneer of radio hosting in the country. We did that to our audience constantly. Born plain old Ralph Chapman in Haverhill, Massachusetts, Ron began performing at the ripe age of three. In 1969, he teamed up with local radio men Hugh Lampman and Jack Shell at the newly born KVIL. I hear it., I said, Yes. Chapman invited him to come watch the show at some point. In a 1985 issue ofBillboard, the music industry's trade publication, a radio consultant called it "dominant" -- "the best-run radio station in Dallas" among a pile of worthy contenders, including K104. But Chapmans vaunted ego and his famed temper have only enhanced his hold on the Dallas radio market. The station is branded as "Alt 103.7" and airs an alternative rock radio format. Dick Clark is an old friend of Chapmans. Ron Chapman Obituary Kvil Death | Obituary | Ron Chapman Dead | Died | Has Passed Away | Funeral Plans - We are immensely sad . We were in the groove together. I can make her feel good about the day, or I can make her feel crappy about the day, and of course, the choice is to make her feel good. He died Monday at age 85. Who is available? About all they had were some call letters, and not very good ones at that. In the late 1990's Chapman joined KLUV-FM, an Oldies format that saw high ratings upon his arrival. Chapman, who was inducted to the Radio Hall of Fame three times, started his career in 1953the day he graduated from high school, according to his bio on the organization's website. In fact, the jingle was the fastest 45 in the West. It was based on Rons experience with Top 40 radio. Ron Chapman, a Dallas - Fort Worth radio legend, has died at the age of 85, according to CBS 11 KTVT in DFW. But they werent really buying the station. And I did everything. Turns out that a few years back, during a race around the world for a promotion, Chapman arrived late at the airportno ticket, no cash, no passport. But if anyone were to remember me, I would hope it would be as someone who took radio disc jockeying and maybe gave it a little respect. So if anyone were to remember me. A unique soul with a great personality has an amazing sense of humour, diligent and caring. Chapman began his career in Dallas radio in 1959 at KLIF as a member of the "Charlie and Harrigan" team. . Hes right. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, Dallas radio legend Ron Chapman dies at 85, Rousing Mendelssohn, Parry from Paul McCreesh and the Dallas Symphony and Chorus, Jerry LeVias remembers triumphs and struggles at SMU in event at The News, Whos playing in D-FW: Buddy Guy, Carrie Underwood, Steve Aoki, Bob Schneider, WizKid, Meet FCC Presents, the Dallas comedy troupe that starts from a very Black place, Movies in North Texas theaters on March 3 and coming soon, American Airlines, flight attendants file for mediation during contract negotiations, New Uptown office tower lands second major lease, Years after North Texas bid for Amazons second headquarters, retail giant halts plan, Mesquite to become the site of new 2,500-home community, North Texas builders see influx of activity in new year, but challenges persist, Woman arrested in killing of 3 children at Italy, Texas, home in Ellis County, Frisco Liberty battles back vs. Lubbock Cooper to claim UIL Class 5A state championship, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defers comment on revival of sexual harassment lawsuit, What we know after 3 children killed, 2 wounded at Ellis County home, The Cowboys are closer than you think to a total makeover at running back, Mark Wahlberg pours tequila for fans at Dallas restaurant during thunderstorm, Ex-Cowboys OC Kellen Moore opens up on Dallas departure, shows gratitude for Mike McCarthy. Net Worth Inspector Menu. Ron Chapman made Vocal Majority . And one morning, I was going to go do a speech for the Dallas Board of Realtors at 9 oclock. I can give you failure after failure of people whove come on the air in this market and tried to do that. He doesnt want to look for cuff links., And as for keeping up with the competition, well, Chapman has a television parked in front of his toilet. Because of my vast admiration and liking for this protean man, I was shocked beyond dismay when he publicly stated that inviting me to roast him was the worst mistake hed ever made. According to Tony Garrett. Thousands showed up. He is the chairman of Southwest Airlines. The radio industry took to social media to reflect on Chapman's life and career. He knows what people want to hear. Back then, Chapman says, wed latch on to anything. #1. He served with the Army in South Korea from 1957 to 1959, producing a radio show for Voice of the United Nations Command. He was always very warm and sweet with me and very welcoming, as he was to all the kids. When we first went to KVIL to do the Cowboys games, Ron brings Brad Sham and me into his office and starts giving us this big speech on how we should broadcast a football game. But the most telling aspect of Ron Chapmans house may be his shower. . It was also an opportunity, and that night Rons car found itself parked outside every cool bar and nightclub on Greenville Avenue. Fort Worth was the butt of all the jokes by DJs sitting in Dallas talking about people over in Fort Worth. No spam, ever. Chapman had served as emcee for a couple of years in a row and had complained both times about the sound system. He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Deborah Chapman; mother Helen Chapman; twin sister Connie Smith; sons Eric . He wants to control that station twenty-four hours a day, hotlining jocks in the middle of the night for mispronouncing some street name, says Tom Tradup, now general manager of a Chicago station and, until last July, the general manager at KRLD. You treat her with respect. What followed was story after story about Chapman, who started as a DJ in 1953, and his more infamous bits. It was just ambition. The longtime host of KVIL died in April 2021 at the age of 85. When Ron Chapman, Morning Host of KVIL in Dallas, Texas, asked his listeners back in 1998 to send $20 to the station, they did to the tune of $240,000. Chapman died Monday at the age of 85, the Texas Radio Hall of Fame announced on its Facebook page. And Ron says, When youre doing your broadcast, I want you to think that these people here are your audience. Dallas most important news stories of the week, delivered to your inbox each Sunday. Its a small industry. The kids had to wear coats and ties on the show. And this is, like, in the 80s. The Amp is now playing a handful of pop-radio hits, by the likes of Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift and DJ Snake, over and over and over, ad infinitum. The money was donated to charity. They filmed it. And we stayed in touch over the years. Jody Dean was Chapman's producer at KVIL from 1987 to 1994. However, Ron Chapman's cause of death remains yet to be known but it is suspected that he died of natural causes. So we all lined up, and we said, Okay, hoooo! And we started to walk. In 1969, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort . RONALD E. CHAPMAN Ron passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2020, at the Scarborough Extendicare long-term care home, from pneumonia at the age of 90. The station would cycle through many owners, all of whom readily admittedthey were really buying Chapman-- "a warm and fuzzy tyrant," D called him in 1989, which he took as compliment. In 1969, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort Worth as morning disc jockey, music director, and program director, bringing the "adult contemporary" format to FM radio. Ron Chapman made money by Directors niche. It was our mascot for the show. Chapmans radio station has been number one in Dallas. We had a contest to name the honey bear. So settle down with one of these throws. Talk about a cush gig. So youre that egotistical S.O.B., They became fast, but platonic, friends. We just knew where the other one was headed. Theyll still be talking about that twenty years from now. While many have attempted to imitate his formula, nobodyat least locallyis likely to remotely approach his mastery of it. Ron was one of those guys who made this a better place to live.. Each year, I am more and more aware of the power we have in that room, Chapman confides. As she perfected her skills, the dean of Dallas radio, Ron Chapman, hired her at KVIL-AM/FM as News Director alongside his other show members: Suzy Humphries, Len Mailoux, Andy McCollum, and Larry . And then they put me on from midnight to six. And the little guy loved Coca-Cola. The magic is about to happen, the same magic thats been running nonstop for twenty years. I dont believe that any one person can be in that much control and yet allow for the station to be the living, breathing organization it has to be in order to survive. On April 13 in Las Vegas, Ron Chapman will be inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters' Radio Hall of Fame -- a momentous occasion that comes exactly one month after the Citadel . In one infamous stunt, Chapman told his listeners to each send $20 to the station; within three days, the station had received $200,000 (the money was donated to charity). Ironically, Chapman so dominates the KVIL lineup that the DJs around him seem unremittingly unmemorable. FACE FOR RADIO: Chapman hosted a popular TV show. Hes now an announcer and does several shows for ABC radio. You know, because Id just paid to have the jacket cleaned. The organization said no service will be held for Chapman, but a public gathering of friends and colleagues is planned. 2023 Audacy, Inc. All rights reserved. I wouldnt even park near one. Woods was Charlie Brown. After I left, there were several attempts to be 'the new KVIL,' but KVIL left such an impressive mark on Dallas that they were neverable to shake this old image of its old people there, me being among them.". And you were supposed to live up to them. Thats reflective of some pretty strong public service. Chapman says. He was the Dean of Dallas/Fort Worth Radio spending 31 years hosting the morning show at KVIL, most of those in the number one position. And I do have a good memory. Everyones going to do a 50-mile hike. Garrett remembers Chapmans blowing up at him for reading the same filler story at several news slots. But the youngsters came to understand their poverty., I liked applause early on, said Chapman, who took on Ron as his radio first name in 1965. Ron Chapman and Mitch Carr Photo credit Courtesy Mitch Carr. However, Mylife.com suggested that Nance Chapman was born on 25 February 1941 which made her 80 years old as of . Theyre over. And Id walk a mile for an impression., Part of the magic of KVIL is that it is positive and upbeat, even when its poking fun at the news, the politicians, or the Cowboys. Beneath that rasp, he's still very much the manwho once broadcast while skydiving and whoin April 1988 asked listeners to send $20 without explaining why and wound up collecting $240,000 he dispensed to charity. Ive got a speech at the Board of Realtors this morning, and Im getting my hair done., And I said, Hes giving me a real nice blow job., Oh, Lord. He spent 19 years at the Los Angeles Times before returning to Dallas. But his desire was for you to get the best out of yourself. This is a secret, but we take a lot of the staff to the big derrick at Six Flags and put them on top. But I got my bucketful of him a long time ago. "Dallas radio legend Ron Chapman dies at 85. Ron actually holds up a picture that hed cut out of a JCPenney catalog. And brother, let me tell you something: It was a different age., In 1989, The Dallas Morning News devoted a High Profile cover story to Chapman, noting that peers described him variously as a genius, tyrant and hero. I have the same type of personality, just not as much discipline. There is no excuse for making a mistake. One former employee, who asked not to be named, speaks for many when she says, Hes the most unfeeling, cold-hearted son of a bitch I ever met., And this woman counts herself among his admirers because of his genius at making KVIL a raging success. Shes divorced, and may have a kid at home that shes sole support for. If Chapman knows just what to say on the air, he also knows what not to blurt out: no jokes that have females as the butt. And it suddenly became a craze. On the mike, butter wouldnt melt in his mouth. Chapman himself acknowledges his mortality, but only in the vaguest way, putting retirement plans out there some years down the road. The people who dont understand the program., A recent case in point, says Chapman, was the popular evening jock Lynn Haley, who was dismissed in early August. Imagine working in a situation for five or six years where your first question every day had to be, What kind of moods he in today?, Tony Garrett got a dose of it too, though he took it philosophically. KVIL TIDBITS: Ron Chapman's radio show was simulcast live with video on KXAS-TV as a 30-minute daily program (mid-1970s.). Ronald Chapman July 23, 2021 Ronald Monroe Chapman, 77, of Jordan, died peacefully in his sleep at 2:32 am on July 23, 2021 while at home surrounded by his loving family. About 20 years ago, Id barely started working at KVIL and was the overnight deejaythe lowest life form in radio, with an equivalent lifestyle. Chapman realized that if he won Fort Worth, he could almost double the stations numbers. By KLTV Digital Media Staff. Michael Granberry, Arts Writer. Hes the sports anchor on ABC Channel 8. Ron Chapman passed away earlier this week at the age of 85. Drive-time shows have opposite hours from most other jobs, starting in the very early morning hours. He began by working as a disc jockey for WHAV in Haverhill. *To hear some classic clips of Chapman from the old KLIF days, go to www.reelradio.com/se and www.historyofklif.com. Chapman was on his way to becoming, twenty years later, a small industry unto himself. But hes been trying to play Creative Tension to the point that it became creative chaos. Barack O-blame-a. The country was going to get in shape. And I was going to run faster, work harder, get street-smarter. Ron was a legend already in the 60s in Dallas, Fairchild said Monday from her home in Los Angeles. He had spent his last few years on 98.7 KLUV in Dallas/Forth Worth. In honor of his life, we reproduce this 1989 profile of Chapman. Incidentally, the quarterback is the guy behind the center. Then ten to midnight. Chapman first hit the Dallas airwaves in 1959 on the Mighty KLIF. Ive always tried to make my sportscast understandable to the non-sports fan. Please enter valid email address to continue. We used a two-way radio. He is best known as the morning drive anchor of radio station KVIL, on the 103.7 frequency. But off-mike, in what employees call his little Come to Jesus talks, that mouth can get hot enough to melt pig iron. The call letters have been tossed in the dustbin; they no longer serve a purpose. Says Chapman, Electronically, we dont do much, but we are very conscious of highs. He had spent his last few years on 98.7 KLUV in Dallas/Forth Worth. The piece coincided with Chapman's 20th anniversary at KVIL, where, The News noted, "His hyper, happy-talk 'Ron Chapman and the Morning Group' has been the almost-constant No. "But it's a different world in radio, isn't it?" If someone leaves KVIL and wants, a year later, to work for Y-95, and theyve just been in the Dallas Observer calling me a, uh, you -fill- in-the-blanks, well, they know better than to call me for references.. And yet, as he prepares to send his message radiating into those hundreds of thousands of receptive minds, he is more aware of them than perhaps anyone has ever been in the history of this city. Chapman returned to the states in 1959, took a radio job in New Haven, Connecticut, and then, when a co-worker landed a job with KLIF in Dallas, Chapman went alongat $175 a week, more than double his Connecticut salary. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, We can't say goodbye to KVIL until its legendary voice Ron Chapman gives it a proper sign-off, CBS Radio has rebranded 103.7 on Your FM Dial as the Amp, Charles Meeks acquired a broadcast license from the feds to open up shop in 1958, Woman arrested in killing of 3 children at Italy, Texas, home in Ellis County, Frisco Liberty battles back vs. Lubbock Cooper to claim UIL Class 5A state championship, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defers comment on revival of sexual harassment lawsuit, What we know after 3 children killed, 2 wounded at Ellis County home, The Cowboys are closer than you think to a total makeover at running back, American Airlines, flight attendants file for mediation during contract negotiations, New Uptown office tower lands second major lease, Years after North Texas bid for Amazons second headquarters, retail giant halts plan, Mesquite to become the site of new 2,500-home community, North Texas builders see influx of activity in new year, but challenges persist, Mark Wahlberg pours tequila for fans at Dallas restaurant during thunderstorm, Dude Perfects trick-shot town could find a home in North Texas, or somewhere else, Slow start for Luka Doncic? Steve Eberhart was a deejay at KVIL. Other than that, Im real comfortable.. When it comes to his precious radio station, the man is as fiercely protective of his listeners and his formal as a mother sow is of her litter. It was a 45-minute show. Suzie was initially an airborne reporter, but was later given her trademark "KVIL-o-Van" (bearing the vanity plate, "SOOZIE.") Her efforts were honored in 2004 as an inductee to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. The longtime host of KVIL died in April 2021 at the age of 85. Of course, back in those days, I was also given to partaking in the pleasures of cannabis and had a couple of joints with me for the ride. Longtime North Texas disc jockey Ron Chapman, who spent more than four decades on the air in Dallas-Fort Worth, died Monday. But the precise age, her birthday, and zodiac remain unknown. He claims more listeners than any DJ in Texas. Jody Dean was Chapmans producer at KVIL from 1987 to 1994. His family received condolences from thousands . I know something the others havent figured out.. KVIL tried to take on powerhouse KLIF-AM in the late 1960s; on 4/17/1967, they changed to a Top 40, "solid rock sound" format (formerly a talk/music format,) and renamed all of their jocks "Dave" to emphasize their 'David . Ron was a longtime morning host at our sister station KVIL 103.7, where he worked with KRLD's Mitch Carr. It was Chapman who convinced owners to ditch their paltry AM signal and go with its powerful 100,000-watt signal. Dallas, Texas 75201. It would dance on kids shoulders. I havent done it all alone, but in this company, Ive been the thread that has taken the spirit of it through twenty years, and I think Ive done it rather well. We just hit. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. And thats a problem KVIL itself will have to face one of these days. Brings new meaning to the phrase Sunday Funday. But it was impossible to replicate a station that made a growing big city feel like a small town. Following his tenure at KLIF, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM, Dallas-Fort Worth, in 1969. Selden went full circle in his personal life too, abusing drugs and alcohol until he wound up doing some time in what he calls the Home for the Occasionally Coherent, the state hospital at Rusk. There will never be another run like his. His wife says the best way to get him frantic is to put him in a car without a phone. Hey, says Chapman, most people like living here. Also, his people say that his expectations for others are not nearly as high as those he imposes on himself. A secretary, yeah, sure, absolutely, but she wont be for long. Ron, how come my offer to buy KVIL never worked out?