Ron Moore
The Coke Show

by Michael R Dougherty
(California)

Ron Moore

Remember Ron Moore and the Coke Show?

Click on the audio below for for a nostalgic visit with Ron Moore and the Coke Show -

The following is from an interview with Anchorage DJ Ron Moore.

Anchorage Memories - Mike and Mary:

Ron, how did you get the idea for a call-in request and dedication show?

Ron:

I have often felt that the Coke Show was successful largely because of all the various ingredients it had going at one time or the other.

Sometimes it felt like there were too many things happening at once.

Being live from the roof of a Drive In Restaurant, having dozens of cars in the parking lot honking their horns and being identified by names such as GTO Joe, T-Bird Tommy, etc.

Having a live mike way out over the intersection so I could pick up the sound of dual exhausts and tires peeling out.

Having local bands as guest in the "Chicken Coop" to answer phones, putting popular bands on either side of the roof on weekends and my spot ended up on the top of the chicken coop, playing all oldies on Sunday afternoon, etc.

So I felt it would be fun to give the kids at home a chance to be heard on the air by making requests and dedications.

This resulted in many of them having nicknames. Later when one of the few audience surveys that were taken back then was released, it gave yours truly the highest rating of my 37 year career. 72% of the people listening to radio were tuning in to The Coke Show" and more than 40& were above 18 which really shocked some folks back at the radio station that thought the only listeners were Teeny Boppers.

But it turned out a lot of parents and others were tuning in to find out what their kids or siblings were doing by listening to them on the air and discovering there was a new boyfriend or girlfriend.

So it really paid off and the advertisers like Coca-Cola, Sears, and Alaska Sales and Service were happy.

Anchorage Memories - Mike and Mary:

Ron, the small radio studio above the Bun Drive-in where the Coke Show was broadcast, was always referred to as the "Chicken Coop", where did that name come from?

Ron:

To my best recollection, "The Chicken Coop" was how Ruby Westin referred to the broadcast booth a couple of times and it stuck.

Ruby and Roy Westin built the original Bun Drive in on the SW corner of Northern Lights at Fairbanks St, facing Northern Lights (Where the Office Lounge was located later)..

It was quite small with little parking. The broadcast booth was quite small too.

It didn't take long for it too outgrow the location so a new and much larger Bun was constructed at the NE corner facing Gambell Street but open to Northern Lights looking across to the Sears Mall where parking spilled over from the Bun every so often.

The Westins sold to Ken and Bobby Haines and the broadcast booth was new and larger with room for a couple of guests.

The booth was also referred too as The Royal Roost (of course).

Anchorage Memories - Mike and Mary

A very big thank you to the Royal Coachman himself, Ron Moore, for taking the time to revisit his memories of The Coke Show, the Bun Drive-in and that very special time when Anchorage tuned in for a super fun time listening to Ron Moore play all the hits of the day, take our requests and read our dedications on the radio.

Your memories of that special time, and ours will live on right here on Anchorage Memories and these pages of Coke Show Memories.

Comments for Ron Moore
The Coke Show

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I'm Henry the Eighth
by: Anonymous

I remember the older kids up on the roof top of the Bun Drive-In singing "I'm Henry the Eighth I Am", over and over trying to break a record or something.

I was pretty little back then.

Anyone else remember that? You went to the Bun to have fun and the mall to have a ball on Saturday before the dance.

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Lovin the Coke Show
by: Randy

I was 14, loved the coke show.

I lived in Willow, and loved hot rods.

I would love hearing the cars tires spin on the speed humps and hear all the hit songs.

Thanks for the Memories, I loved that. Randy

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Responding to Sophie
by: Ron

I was stationed there in the Army with Armed Forces radio and television service and that's how I got to be a DJ for your senior sneak.

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Senior Sneak 1957
by: Sophie

Ron, did you ride the train with our '57 class to Whittier to be the DJ at a dance there?

It was our Senior Sneak trip.

Anyone else remember?

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The Top 30
by: Gale

The only time I listened to the Coke Show was on Saturday--the top 30 countdown.

I really couldn't get into people calling in and reading off a bunch of names. A couple times I heard my name. Sometimes they would play a song but normally it was people reading a bunch of names.

I remember I was allowed to have one can of pop a day and on Saturday I would save my can of pop to drink while I listened to the Top 30.

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The Royal Coachman
by: Ron Gray

Mostly I remember the Royal Coach and Earth Angel.

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My Coke Show Surprise
by: Gordon Parker

I also had a turn at hosting the Coke Show.

What a thrill it was to sit in that broadcast booth above the Bun Drive In and look out over that crowd of cars.

I remember one day in particular. I was in the booth doing my "disc jockey" thing when suddenly someone put their hands over my eyes from behind. I had no idea what was going on.

When they finally released me, I turned around to see Merrilee Rush (as in Angel of the Morning Merrilee Rush) standing beside a laughing Ron Moore.

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Great Interview!
by: Linda A. Wingfield

I really love reading the stories about what happened behind the scenes of the show I loved. Thanks!

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