The Lost KUJ Sign-Off Lost No Longer

Thank you to Charles Luce, Jr for finding this. From the 1960s through the '70s Legendary Walla Walla area broadcaster Verne Russell signed his pioneer radio station off with this audio.

KUJ carried the broadcasting of, at one time, The Seattle Pilots and the Walla Walla Minor League team, which Russell eventually purchased. It also had CBS network news and programming along with local Djs playing easy listening music. The sign-off would occur at 10:00 or whenever a game that was broadcasted, would conclude.

Lost Audio May Have Been Found

A couple of years ago, I wrote a series about growing up with Walla Walla radio. Focusing on KUJ, the grandaddy of broadcasting in the region, I mentioned a distinctive "sign-off" from station owner Verne Russell. Perhaps only handful of people ever read it, but one former listener asked if there was still a tape left, that lead to another post, A couple of nights ago, I received an e-mail from the son of a prominent former Walla Walla resident saying they may have the "sign-off" on tape. His mother was enjoyed the hymn of "Peace In The Valley" which played after Verne's descriptive monologue. Verne was kind enough to send a tape to the family of both the sign off and sign on. If they can find the tape, we will attempt of course, to post it here.

Lost Audio? Verne Russell's KUJ Sign Off

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote a series of articles about Walla Walla radio stations. I went in depth on the city's oldest, most powerful, and most well known, KUJ. I also touched on the late Verne Russell and his memorable daily sign-off.
"And so we come to the end of another broadcast day." Russell, the station's owner, was able to use his voice as a paintbrush as he described the area where the station was located at. Last weekend, I received an e-mail from someone who read the piece and was wondering if the recorded sign-off was still in existence in some dusty attic. I sent a few e-mails, and heard a few suggestions, but so far, no answer. Stay tuned, because if it turns up, I will try to put it on the blog.