I enjoyed Bill Moeller’s reminiscences of working with Bob Robertson — the voice of the Cougars — back in the day. During my senior year at Tenino High School in 1965 and 1966, I often worked for a neighbor doing odd jobs. They were always set up for a Saturday afternoon, and there was always a radio on, tuned to Cougar football. Bob Robertson was just getting started with the Cougs then, and I’ve never forgotten his distinctive voice. The neighbor was trying to get me excited about WSU, of course, and it worked.
I also joined the fraternity of which his son was a member. One day we loaded the pickup for me to drive to the dump, and I welcomed the chance to get away from the radio for a few minutes. I got in, started it up, and the radio blared Cougar football. As soon as I left the driveway I changed the station to rock music, and heard the Beatles song “Taxman” (or was it “Paperback Writer”?) for the first time. Of course, I dutifully changed back to the Cougs before I got back.
I also remember Bill Moeller on KELA presiding over “Record Roundtable,” the station’s only concession to rock and roll music. Bill always played it pretty straight, but not so his occasional substitute, Bill Tilton, who didn’t even attempt to conceal his contempt for the genre. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he made side comments during his introduction of the records. My mother grew up on the same street as Bill, and got a big kick out if it. The program was on at 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m., and I often listened on my little transistor radio in bed. I invariably fell asleep, and by morning, of course the battery was dead. Those 9 volt batteries were not cheap! I never kept track, but I’m sure Bill owes me at least 20 bucks! But then, I suppose the statute of limitations has run by now.
Mike Mittge,
Centralia
