RKO General Instructions...

Was a time when RKO General owned the Top 40  format across the US.

Was a time when RKO was Program Directed by, first, Bill Drake and then Paul Drew, who had previously been Drake's VP/PD at KHJ and then took over at Drake-formatted stations across the country.

Both of these radio maestros communicated with their local PD's and jocks by mailed and redistributed memo and phone calls, before email and fax and all of the rest of the magic we use today.

Here's a couple of KFRC/San Francisco's PD, Jerrry Cagle, interpretations of the Drake GI's, in the 1980's.

Cagle1 (PDF)

Cagle2 (PDF)

They are very similar to the document I was given as my General Instructions when I went to work for John Long at WHBQ/Memphis, an RKO station, in the 1970's.

These always worked.  Follow the rules, do the basics and make a great radio station.

Thanks to Jay Philpott.