KUJ--Walla Walla's Pioneer Radio Station

If you are entering the City Of Walla Walla from the west, the first thing you may notice is the twin radio towers of KUJ. KUJ is Walla Walla's oldest and most powerful radio station. At 1420khtz, it was between K-HIT and KTEL on the dial. If K-HIT was the station that your father would listen to, chances are, in the 60s and early 70s KUJ was the station that your mother would have on. It's soft adult contemporary music and low keyed radio hosts were probably perfect for a "stay at home" housewife. For many years, it carried the Arthur Godfrey show. The owners of the two other stations in town had both worked early in their careers at KUJ. It's owner, Verne Russell , was perhaps the valley's best broadcaster, known mostly for his recorded end of day sign off ("we will shake those watts and Kilocycles out of bed..."). While KTEL carried most of the high school sports play by play, KUJ carried the local minor league baseball team's broadcasts. Russell himself did play by play in his smooth broadcaster's voice. Eventually, he bought the team.
In the mid 70s , Russell sold the station as well as the baseball team to Jim Nelly.