Ron Jacobs (broadcaster)

Ron Jacobs (September 3, 1937 – March 8, 2016)[1] was an American broadcaster, author of books and magazines, record producer and concert promoter.

In 1957, Jacobs teamed with fellow KGU DJ Tom Moffatt to jump-start Henry J. Kaiser’s new KHVH Radio.

Radio's first "rockumentary," which aired on KHJ and subsequently other stations in the RKO chain, and was accepted into the Library of Congress as the "first aural history of rock and roll music."

While programming the RKO radio chain from KHJ, Jacobs teamed again with Moffatt and Tom Rounds to form Charlatan Productions to produce films featuring recording artists in strange but eye-catching settings.

In 1970, with Tom Rounds and veteran LA deejay Casey Kasem, Jacobs co-created the syndicated radio program American Top 40.

At Watermark, Jacobs also produced the award-winning Elvis Presley Story, written by rock author Jerry Hopkins and narrated by broadcast personality, Wink Martindale.

Next, Jacobs produced a 15-album record series of legendary top-40 DJs re-creating their station's sound with the original music, commercials and jingles.

It was at KKUA that Jacobs introduced Home Grown, a radio station promotion in which contest winners had the opportunity to record their winning songs for release on a compilation album with the proceeds being donated to Habilitat, a drug/alcohol rehabilitation facility in Honolulu.

In 1977, Jacobs expanded his television work, producing Home Grown TV specials; a one-hour documentary on contemporary Hawaiian music entitled "Slack Key and Other Notes" (co-produced with the Hawaii Observer and Videololo II), and a quarterly magazine-format series, Pictures of Paradise, for CBS affiliate, KGMB-TV.

In 1985, in conjunction with Hawaii's visitor industry, Jacobs conceived, wrote and produced a nationwide radio promotion, The Hawaiian Chief, that ran in 48 markets in the continental United States under the sponsorship of American Airlines and Sheraton Hotels and Resorts.

In 1994, Jacobs returned to Los Angeles where he joined Radio Express as executive producer of The World Chart Show.

On July 7, 2007, Jacobs debuted the WHODAGUY website, which streamed live, 24 hours a day, traditional and contemporary Hawaiian music.

At the time of his death, Jacobs was completing Locker Room Confessions, written with Todd Hewitt, longtime Rams equipment manager.