from - PASSING THRU

BY John Rook 

The estate like setting of my Northridge home had been all I ever

wanted. Life in California was all I had imagined after living in the

east.  I spent many days on the beach at Malibu and Paradise

Cove, often evenings at elite celebrity gatherings and traveling to

Las Vegas via private jet on the weekends. Although life was good,

I felt I had tasted most of the good wine in life and longed to return

to my earlier upbringing in a rural setting.

I had traveled the nation, humidity, heat, urban sprawl and crime

chased me to north Idaho, where all of that was missing.  

Summer looking north

Views of my little sliver of Idaho Paradise

Winter looking west

Two close friends, Neil Bogart and Bill Gavin urged me to follow

through. While sitting court side at a Lakers game Neil asked,

"What do you want to do with the rest of your life John?" 

Explaining my boredom and desire to return to a more

reasonable life, Neil replied, "Then do it John....do it now before

 its too late." A few weeks later Neil was gone, dead of cancer. 

One of the recording industry icons had died in his 30's but not

before calling me from his hospital bed to say "I love you John,

Now go and do what we discussed."

My search for a new life would start the day after his burial. I

often think of both Neil and Bill and thank them for shoving me

away from California.

"Advising associates of my decision to move from California to

Idaho, one major recording executive asked if Coeur d'Alene

was anywhere near Des Moines.  "Idaho", I replied..."not Iowa".  

Winter from our front porch

Son Clifford and I arrived on July 4th, 1983.  Later David would

arrive with his bride Rhonda and still later sister Dottie would call

Coeur d'Alene home. In time brother Charles would take a job

anchoring the news on a nearby Spokane TV station.

Raised in rural Nebraska, I grew up on the back of a horse.  So

following 25 years in Denver, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Los

Angeles, I was eager to return to the sanity of small town

America. Years earlier I learned of the beauty of north Idaho and

especially Coeur d'Alene. In the early 80's I visited and fell in love

with what would become my new home.  Purchasing a small horse

ranch south of the city, I returned to a life of "fixing fence",

"cleaning the barn" and looking after my animal friends, Babe,

Lilly, Topper and Missy  who represented my equestrian family.

Sundance, Lady, Tiny, Tammy and Cinder my canine family, also

allowed us to live with them in our new home.  

In that first year I often questioned why I would have left

"the good life" in California for what was a totally different

existence. It was a time when Californians were not that

 welcome in Idaho and I was not comfortable with this strange

new surrounding. The telephone kept me connected with my

friends of the past, but except for the ranch, I felt disconnected

here.  It would take sometime before I began to be accepted

as a resident of Idaho and no longer "a damn Californian".         

As the broadcast licensee of KCDA, I was first in the entire

northwest to introduce satellite fed programming to radio stations.

The Transtar network was attempting to complete with the much

larger Satellite radio network, so we were a prized addition to

that fledgling company operating out of Colorado Springs. I think

it took only a few days before it was obvious stronger air talent

was available via satellite, than I could attempt to mold myself. 

Even with my expertise in creating programming, I found myself

faced with obstacles that would speed my decision to go satellite. 

The key was to localize the satellite programming and we did so.

Most Arbitron ratings gave KCDA a #1 rating over all stations in

North Idaho even with those in nearby Spokane as competitors.   

Luke Williams

My partner, Luke Williams, was a pillar in the Spokane

community.  As a pioneer and founder of American Sign, a

forerunner of electronic billboards, Luke was a staunch Christian

conservative who matched my financial stake in creating our

broadcast company. I liked Luke, a good partner and a good

friend.  Watching me work for the first few weeks, he tipped,

�John, you�re too fast for the class�. Luke�s advice was invaluable

and introduction to his friends even more so.  

I was surprised when the publisher of the nearby Spokane

Spokesman-Review, Bill Cowles,  invited me to lunch,

applauded my stance in exposing issues important to the public,

and directed KCDA be given an annual advertising contract.

Ron Rankin

Ron Rankin, a brilliant gentlemen, was demonized by the local

Coeur d'Alene Press and it's owner, Duane Hagadone, who for

years held court as the owner of the local radio station, the

newspaper, various businesses and the Coeur d'Alene Resort. A

year after giving his daily commentary an airing on KCDA, Ron

ran for county commissioner and was elected. He departed this

world in 2004...but I still think of him almost daily.  

I personally manned our KCDA booth�s at the county fairs in

North Idaho and Spokane and attended the various gatherings to

enlist listener comments. 

Mathew & David

In 1985 son David introduced me to my grandson Mathew Rook

Mathew Rook & Garth Brooks

Our Real Country KCDA presented Garth Brooks, who took

time to furnish grandson Mathew Rook with a great "show

 and tell" at school.  

In 2004, tragedy claimed son David's life in a trucking accident.

He would have been so proud of Mathew, who chose a

career as a Georgia police officer.  

Officer Mathew Rook

I was able to purchase Luke�s share of the company and became

sole owner of KCDA. I joined in adding a new FM radio station to

Casper, Wyoming.  

I also built new radio stations, KEYF in Spokane & KEYW in

Pasco, Washington as I began to establish my �Key chain� of

stations. I also arranged to add three additional fm stations in the

Spokane market in anticipation of congressional action

deregulating broadcast ownership rules.  I unveiled a previously

unavailable format with Spokane�s Z-Rock and KCDA�s

 �Real Country�.    

Deregulation of the media was even more destructive than I

predicted. Perhaps it would have been best if regulators had not

allowed the monopolization of radio that resulted. A feeding frenzy

of unethical lawyers to devour anyone offering competition.

Within days of congressional passage the nations media was

gobbled up by three billionaires.

 Deregulation chased most small owners out of radio and

within a year I was no longer an owner.

The system clearly didn't work for the small broadcaster relying

on regulatory agencies to protect them from the "over reaching"

 of big public funded companies.

Jason Rook & his Sheba

Another member of our Idaho Rook family is nephew Jason Rook. 

Over the years he brought great joy into my life. His good friend

Aaron Culpepper took up the task of training our horses.

Sadly while skiing with Jason in December 1997, Aaron would

suffer a fatal injury, hospitalized in a coma, only to die a week

later, one day after Christmas.

Aaron Culpepper, John & Topper    

My favorite escape has always been the beaches of the Pacific.

A close second  would have to be riding the trails and fishing the

streams of north Idaho.  I awake every morning in deep

appreciation of my "little sliver of paradise", hidden from the

harshness of the real world.

                                                 John & Missy        

                                   John fishin' the St. Joe river

Sister Dottie made quite a difference at the ranch.

 Retirement for both of us has been enjoyable with our dogs,

 cats & horses.

Dottie with Topper & Lilly

That move to north Idaho more than twenty five years ago

provided me with many experiences. The southern California I

loved in the past is no more, the change is too much to bare. Life

here in "gods country" is bout' as good as it gets.

I'm very appreciative.             

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