From Andy Thomas To The Radio Community At Large
For the record.. I gave up my 10 year statewide network in Columbia in December of 2006 due to the loss of my business partner due to divorce . It was a extremely tough decision for me and I was very excited with this recent morning show in Charleston. The following editorial should help to explain what has happened here in Charleston. Please keep in mind that every market has differences and I know that my approach here was on the money. I was only given one...I repeat...one ..rating book of January through March ...after the station had dramatically switched from Man-Cow to me and had also lost Dave Ramsey in December.The starting ratings on the station were 0.4 . I was well on my way to establishing listenership where none had existed before...but it takes time...and support from your station. They had given me free reigns to create an approach...I did....It was working......I was only given one book. Thats the truth.
It wasn't a show about..me......It was a show about Charleston. I loved it!
Here is the editorial:
Real Men Do Go To Ballet
On Friday, May 2nd, I lost a job that I loved with a passion. It was like creating a painting with words on a daily basis. I was hosting a radio talk show I had created called, “Your Charleston with Andy Thomas” and I was fast carving a niche for myself in my coverage and profiles of the many exciting personalities that Charleston has to offer. While most of Talk Radio has pontificating ego-centric hosts who act like they are experts in many subjects; I found great satisfaction in exposing the fascinating and true experts of Charleston. I made sure that I covered the politics but with the help of South Carolina’s best political minds from author Jack Bass to political strategists like Joshua Gross and Governor Mark Sanford and influential Senator Glen McConnell. I made sure we gave many perspectives rather than just one.
History was an important thread of the show also with Walter Edgar, Charles Duell, various historical societies and authors contributing their know-how on Charleston’s illustrious story. Rather than personal pontification, I loved challenging and thought provoking banter with the greatest minds here. It was a daily thrill to meet the John Harris of J K Harris and Noisette’s John Knott of the business world in Charleston, and a gratifying experience to learn about the lives of executive chefs of Charleston’s great restaurants; the passion of various artists; the conviction of the preservation groups. I realized that Charleston is a Mecca of the world’s most interesting people and I have been using my God given talents in helping them tell their stories. So, you see it really wasn’t about me, until that Friday, when I was told that I had it all wrong and that my coverage of the Arts and culinary were of no value, and my interviews with Charleston’s movers and shakers were “boring”; and that Charleston’s radio audience only wants to hear ego-centric pontification. In no uncertain terms, I was told that people don’t care about the Arts or culinary, and don’t like lifestyle interviews. In other words, to save my job I must be controversial, and yell and scream to illicit reaction from an audience. It was a defining moment of my career.
I asked one final question of my boss that day. Did he hear my interview of Louis Yuhasz of Louieskids.org who had recently been interviewed by Rachel Ray on TV? He replied by sticking his finger in his mouth in that untactful manner and I knew, at that moment, that what I considered important about the world was very different from his concept. It was, in my opinion, one of the best interviews I had ever done with one of Charleston’s most fascinating people. It had moved me to tears and I am sure the interview affected my audience in a similar way, as we had discussed the childhood obesity problem in America today. To not do those types of interviews would be against my grain.
I was most proud of what I had started here in Charleston in my coverage of The Arts. I was fascinated by the David Stahl’s of our Charleston Symphony to Stephen and Jill of our fabulous Charleston Ballet Theater. Their dedication and passion for their daily creation was amazing to me and I reveled in what we had here in Charleston that would rival even the great cities of Atlanta and Boston. Great artists have moved to Charleston including Clarence Felder of the movie world to the Jill Eathorne Bahr of the ballet world. Charleston has much to be thankful for. I delighted in exposing this world to my audience in hopes of encouraging people to try these art forms which could so enrich our lives. I understood that these performers gave of themselves for small salaries and the personal satisfaction of sharing their gifts with others. I knew that the Charleston art community deserved attention and I gave it. Spoleto is right around the corner and I was already underway with in-depth coverage working closely with Nigel Redden and his staff.
It was fascinating to hear that a radio “consultant” had told my former employer “real men didn’t go to ballet”, so why was I covering it? Had he ever been to see a ballet? If he had attended the “Best of Balanchine” or the recent stirring New York City Ballet performance at the Sottile Theater he would think otherwise. He had remarked that my show was “drawing women”, as though that was some terrible sin. After all, women make most of the buying decisions in America, and appreciate that there is more to life than Rush Limbaugh. I was proud of the contribution I was making on behalf of my company and was actively pursuing and networking to grow my grasp and expose Charleston’s greatness. I made it a point to get out the studio and to get involved. To understand a city you must be in it. You need to experience it. You need to be at meetings and attend functions. Otherwise, you are directing your company from a bubble and become so out of touch with the city that you were given an FCC license to serve.
Art is part of Charleston. The culinary is critical here. History resonates in our every cobblestone alley and historic building. Great minds are building our future. Why not tap into that? Why give that up? Why bore an audience with just idle pontification rather than delight an audience with all that Charleston has to offer us? There was no real data to say it wasn’t working as we had only begun this show 5 months ago. The paint was still wet on the canvas and the last act was far away. I had just begun to carve this niche and had only months ago found this stage. The reaction I got from the community and listeners was overwhelming. They understood it wasn’t about me. It was about them; the people of Charleston.
Here is yet another example of corporate broadcasting not understanding the communities they serve. Here is yet another example of men who are afraid of what they do not understand and refuse to expose themselves to it. Real men do like ballet, and theater, and symphonic music. Great companies understand how important it is to enrich lives and benefit The Arts.
So hear me say this loud and clear. I will pontificate on this one subject. I will yell and scream these words with great passion. I hope to illicit your response today and I hope these words will help me once again serve “Your Charleston” behind some sort of microphone. I am a real man who LOVES ballet, symphony and theater. I am a broadcaster who believes in serving my city. I am a talk show host who understands that I don’t know everything. I think it is important for YOU to make up your own mind regarding the issues of today. I want all sides to be heard. I adore Charleston and miss you. Please return me to my stage. I have much more to give.
I am an artist and proud of it!
Sincerely,
Andy Thomas
