What's the deal with the lack of Christmas music in Columbia??? I hear very little. Even B-106 you would think would be playing more. Or 103. I know that the Christian station is playing all Christmas music but the overwhelming majority of it is unfamiliar and religious. Come on guys where's "Sleigh Ride" by the Ronettes? and the other chestnuts? This blows.
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Christmas cancelled in Columbia
- Thread starter Al Timiter
- Start date
I expected B106 to go all Christmas, too. Expecially because you could tell WLTY wasn't going to do it.
I guess B106 figured they needed to play Billy Vera, Fleetwood Mac, Rick Astley, and "Waiting for a Star to Fall" a couple more times. I think they've played all of those songs at least once a day since 1989.
I guess B106 figured they needed to play Billy Vera, Fleetwood Mac, Rick Astley, and "Waiting for a Star to Fall" a couple more times. I think they've played all of those songs at least once a day since 1989.
WOW!!!!! That is interesting!!! As for all the songs on B do they still play Burn Rubber from the Gap Band every Friday morning???. Give Kool 1027 over in Camden a try... I have not had my Christmas call to the station yet to wish the guys a Merry Christmas, but I bet Phil and Dave have some good tunes on... CC1
I don't think B has ever done anything really special for Christmas but it seems like they used to sprinkle more of it in the mix, especially this close to the 25th. I'm really surprised at 103. They always used to play a good deal of seasonal music. They, in particular, have a great deal of format-compatible songs they could use. I guess WLTY figured all Christmas music would go against their on-air branding, which is kind of arrogant in tone.
I guess B106 figured they needed to play Billy Vera, Fleetwood Mac, Rick Astley, and "Waiting for a Star to Fall" a couple more times. I think they've played all of those songs at least once a day since 1989.
Not a true statement. I listen to B106 most weekdays and they haven't played Billy Vera or Rick Astley or "Waiting For A Star" in years (except for specialty programming). It has become apparent that Dudefan hates everything and everybody in or around Columbia radio (except of course his superior low power station). B106 has been playing four to five Christmas songs an hour since Thanksgiving and doing Christmas countdowns on the weekends. They have been all-Christmas this whole week. I feel bad for people outside of Columbia who rely on this board, and Dudefan views in particular, to keep up with Columbia radio. Sad. And inaccurate.
By the way Al, just looked at Mediabase. B106 played The Ronettes six time yesterday alone.
Not a true statement. I listen to B106 most weekdays and they haven't played Billy Vera or Rick Astley or "Waiting For A Star" in years (except for specialty programming). It has become apparent that Dudefan hates everything and everybody in or around Columbia radio (except of course his superior low power station). B106 has been playing four to five Christmas songs an hour since Thanksgiving and doing Christmas countdowns on the weekends. They have been all-Christmas this whole week. I feel bad for people outside of Columbia who rely on this board, and Dudefan views in particular, to keep up with Columbia radio. Sad. And inaccurate.
By the way Al, just looked at Mediabase. B106 played The Ronettes six time yesterday alone.
Actually, Bugz, there are a lot of radio stations I like.
But WTCB has never been one of my favorites and never will be. I didn't like them in 1989 and, in almost 2009, that hasn't changed. But then, neither has B106. Funny thing, is that those particular tunes I mentioned were specifically mentioned because I heard them three weekends ago during a 4-hour stint of non-specialty programming on WTCB. That's when I realized that over 50% of what I heard they were playing back in 1989-1992! Come to think of it, the formatics and stop-set placement hasn't changed in at least 15 years. Good to be consistent, I guess.
I am not going to do TJ's job by posting recommendations on here. But my opinion is that B106 is not as good as it could be because it is unfocused, the music is stale and not quite right, and there is far too much clutter and talk. Someone now owes me $250 for that analysis. I am cheaper than Mike McVay... and I don't like any of his consulted stations, either, btw. I will give TJ this: he blew out all the CCM/Country cross-over music.
The positives: I do like WCOS. I like WWNQ. WMHK is awesome at what they do. The Big DM is heading back to where they were when I was Ops Manager over on Pinewood Road a decade a ago. I miss a lot of the folks from The Big DM that are no longer there. I am really happy to see Curtis Wilson on WLTX. I give props to Oldies 103 for being one the longest-lasting and highest rated Oldies stations in the market. God Bless Gene Decay and Bill Denture and crew at WWIS. They are doing what they love and they deserve respect, although most of the folks that remember them in their 56 WIS heyday are falling faster than the leaves in Rosewood. I miss Toby Knapp at WNOK and he owes me a tour of Clear Channel DC.
Cat Daddy Miller's stations are solid. WWKT Power 99 is F'in awesome, although I wish they were not co-channel with WXRY.
On the other hand, I don't get WLTY, but I know I am in the minority because a lot of folks do. C'est la vie. The actual Paragon-researched Jack stations are so much better in my view, but Columbians wouldn't know that. WVOC is a withering shell of its former glory. Clear Channel finished off what Ridgely Communications and Clayton Radio started.
Fox 102 is no longer what it used to be when Benji and Brad Messer were on the air. Sad. The Fox was once a really solid station, although we were tasked with taking it down. I thought WZLD and Yes 97 were great. WCEZ used to pull an 8-share and the Barbara, Barry, and Neil was so saccarine that it was good.
And sure, I think very highly of what we are doing at WXRY. We don't apologize for being a low power station and we don't hide that fact and we certainly are very happy at what folks within and without the industry think of what we are doing. It's our experience that the only heat we get are from radio folks that feel the need to dismiss WXRY or are former radio folks that didn't have the wherewithal to do the legal work, the capital raising, and commit to the build out of a station themselves. We did the work, no one else has the last FM license for Columbia, absent a third-adjacent protection roll-back.
We've done alot of work; we reach a significant portion of the population and count a number of folks that stopped listening to the radio are coming back and turning on the dial. WXRY will be two years old in March with a format that no other station in South Carolina is doing, outside of 96 Wave. And it is a format that all the incumbent radio folks in Columbia said no one would listen to.
We're still just getting started and the plans for the next decade are exciting, too.
And yes, we do think WXRY puts on a superior product, as compared to radio programming in general. If you don't think highly of your own station, then changes need to be made!
There is nothing inaccurate about anything that I stated on here. They are observations and opinions based upon 20 years of experience in the business and very, very frequent and close monitoring.
But WTCB has never been one of my favorites and never will be. I didn't like them in 1989 and, in almost 2009, that hasn't changed. But then, neither has B106. Funny thing, is that those particular tunes I mentioned were specifically mentioned because I heard them three weekends ago during a 4-hour stint of non-specialty programming on WTCB. That's when I realized that over 50% of what I heard they were playing back in 1989-1992! Come to think of it, the formatics and stop-set placement hasn't changed in at least 15 years. Good to be consistent, I guess.
I am not going to do TJ's job by posting recommendations on here. But my opinion is that B106 is not as good as it could be because it is unfocused, the music is stale and not quite right, and there is far too much clutter and talk. Someone now owes me $250 for that analysis. I am cheaper than Mike McVay... and I don't like any of his consulted stations, either, btw. I will give TJ this: he blew out all the CCM/Country cross-over music.
The positives: I do like WCOS. I like WWNQ. WMHK is awesome at what they do. The Big DM is heading back to where they were when I was Ops Manager over on Pinewood Road a decade a ago. I miss a lot of the folks from The Big DM that are no longer there. I am really happy to see Curtis Wilson on WLTX. I give props to Oldies 103 for being one the longest-lasting and highest rated Oldies stations in the market. God Bless Gene Decay and Bill Denture and crew at WWIS. They are doing what they love and they deserve respect, although most of the folks that remember them in their 56 WIS heyday are falling faster than the leaves in Rosewood. I miss Toby Knapp at WNOK and he owes me a tour of Clear Channel DC.
Cat Daddy Miller's stations are solid. WWKT Power 99 is F'in awesome, although I wish they were not co-channel with WXRY.
On the other hand, I don't get WLTY, but I know I am in the minority because a lot of folks do. C'est la vie. The actual Paragon-researched Jack stations are so much better in my view, but Columbians wouldn't know that. WVOC is a withering shell of its former glory. Clear Channel finished off what Ridgely Communications and Clayton Radio started.
Fox 102 is no longer what it used to be when Benji and Brad Messer were on the air. Sad. The Fox was once a really solid station, although we were tasked with taking it down. I thought WZLD and Yes 97 were great. WCEZ used to pull an 8-share and the Barbara, Barry, and Neil was so saccarine that it was good.
And sure, I think very highly of what we are doing at WXRY. We don't apologize for being a low power station and we don't hide that fact and we certainly are very happy at what folks within and without the industry think of what we are doing. It's our experience that the only heat we get are from radio folks that feel the need to dismiss WXRY or are former radio folks that didn't have the wherewithal to do the legal work, the capital raising, and commit to the build out of a station themselves. We did the work, no one else has the last FM license for Columbia, absent a third-adjacent protection roll-back.
We've done alot of work; we reach a significant portion of the population and count a number of folks that stopped listening to the radio are coming back and turning on the dial. WXRY will be two years old in March with a format that no other station in South Carolina is doing, outside of 96 Wave. And it is a format that all the incumbent radio folks in Columbia said no one would listen to.
We're still just getting started and the plans for the next decade are exciting, too.
And yes, we do think WXRY puts on a superior product, as compared to radio programming in general. If you don't think highly of your own station, then changes need to be made!
There is nothing inaccurate about anything that I stated on here. They are observations and opinions based upon 20 years of experience in the business and very, very frequent and close monitoring.
And sure, I think very highly of what we are doing at WXRY. We don't apologize for being a low power station and we don't hide that fact and we certainly are very happy at what folks within and without the industry think of what we are doing.
That's the problem with people like you. You are looking for cool liners, formatics and industry kudos. People like WTCB just keep killing it with the female demos and raking in the money. It is a business, after all. While Clear Channel flounders around the pool and their billing continues to sink, WTCB has been the top market biller most of the year. So the listeners love it and the clients get results. Hey, that's radio. And just like kudos to Oldies for staying Oldies, WTCB is the only Columbia radio station that refuses to voice track and stays live and local.
You are mistaken on the titles you mentioned on WTCB. I agree with bugz...those titles have not been played in a decade. So much for close monitoring. DudeFan shows the result of what happens when you marry a longtime board op with a law degree.
A know-it-all with nothing to show for it. So you keep on kicking beach balls around Five Points and leave the radio to people who get it.
That's the problem with people like you. You are looking for cool liners, formatics and industry kudos. People like WTCB just keep killing it with the female demos and raking in the money. It is a business, after all. While Clear Channel flounders around the pool and their billing continues to sink, WTCB has been the top market biller most of the year. So the listeners love it and the clients get results. Hey, that's radio. And just like kudos to Oldies for staying Oldies, WTCB is the only Columbia radio station that refuses to voice track and stays live and local.
You are mistaken on the titles you mentioned on WTCB. I agree with bugz...those titles have not been played in a decade. So much for close monitoring. DudeFan shows the result of what happens when you marry a longtime board op with a law degree.
A know-it-all with nothing to show for it. So you keep on kicking beach balls around Five Points and leave the radio to people who get it.
Now we are way off topic now.
Those titles I mentioned were all played in the window of time between 12 :00 and 4:00p on Saturday, November 25, 2006, inclusive, prior to the football rigamarole, and/or on Sunday 12-3. Time flys, but not that quickly as a decade.
Yes, WTCB deserved kudos for having live folks on the air. Big plus in good column there. It's what I aforementioned that I see, in my opinion, as things that are holding WTCB back from greater potential.
Here, btw, is just an example of what I was talking about:
11:00 AM, Monday December 18, 2006, WTCB played these four songs out of the 12 played that hour:
Eagles - One of These Nights
Madonna - Holiday
Elton John - Your Song
Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money
These four tracks were being played by WTCB circa 1991 when we signed WAAS Star 93.5 on the air (a not-so-great McVay station, admittedly). That's wholly 1/3 of the hour's music composition. Other hours are similar.
Not sure what you meant by nothing to show for it other than it was a ad hominem attack from an anonymous poster.
I will say the beach ball promotion was a great guerilla technique. In fact, Toby when he was at WNOK borrowed the idea. Two years later you're still talking about it so it had some impact. I still have one or two beach balls left if you'd like one for your collection. I'll give one to you if you take the studio tour. We're out of lollipops in the visitor drawer...
Those titles I mentioned were all played in the window of time between 12 :00 and 4:00p on Saturday, November 25, 2006, inclusive, prior to the football rigamarole, and/or on Sunday 12-3. Time flys, but not that quickly as a decade.
Yes, WTCB deserved kudos for having live folks on the air. Big plus in good column there. It's what I aforementioned that I see, in my opinion, as things that are holding WTCB back from greater potential.
Here, btw, is just an example of what I was talking about:
11:00 AM, Monday December 18, 2006, WTCB played these four songs out of the 12 played that hour:
Eagles - One of These Nights
Madonna - Holiday
Elton John - Your Song
Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money
These four tracks were being played by WTCB circa 1991 when we signed WAAS Star 93.5 on the air (a not-so-great McVay station, admittedly). That's wholly 1/3 of the hour's music composition. Other hours are similar.
Not sure what you meant by nothing to show for it other than it was a ad hominem attack from an anonymous poster.
I will say the beach ball promotion was a great guerilla technique. In fact, Toby when he was at WNOK borrowed the idea. Two years later you're still talking about it so it had some impact. I still have one or two beach balls left if you'd like one for your collection. I'll give one to you if you take the studio tour. We're out of lollipops in the visitor drawer...
I'm glad to know there's a market where radio is not obsessed with Christmas. Even though soft rock isn't what I like, B106 is to be commended. I've picked it up a few times, but WEND pretty much guarantees I won't hear it at home.
I'm not familiar with WXRY. What is that? I know those letters used to be on an easy listening station I could pick up in the car (and also where I used to live where I could pick up several Columbia area stations, including WPUB and WSCQ and of course The Big DM) until Bible Broadcasting Network added an affiliate on that frequency. By that time it was a rock station which had also been adult contemporary with a number of different call letter changes.
I'm not familiar with WXRY. What is that? I know those letters used to be on an easy listening station I could pick up in the car (and also where I used to live where I could pick up several Columbia area stations, including WPUB and WSCQ and of course The Big DM) until Bible Broadcasting Network added an affiliate on that frequency. By that time it was a rock station which had also been adult contemporary with a number of different call letter changes.
Those titles I mentioned were all played in the window of time between 12 :00 and 4:00p on Saturday, November 25, 2006, inclusive, prior to the football rigamarole, and/or on Sunday 12-3.
Checked Monitor and Mediabase. Other than Fleetwood Mac, none of those tunes played then (and I never disputed Fleetwood Mac) And what Mainstream AC doesn't play Fleetwood Mac? Checking year-to-date for all of 2006, "Waiting For A Star To Fall" played one time on WTCB...during specialty programming (Retro Pop Reunion) early on a Sunday morning in February. Billy Vera and Rick Astley also have only played during 80s requests show or specialty programming. So you must have been listening to closely monitoring something else.
11:00 AM, Monday December 18, 2006, WTCB played these four songs out of the 12 played that hour:
Eagles - One of These Nights
Madonna - Holiday
Elton John - Your Song
Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money
Just like a lawyer to try to make a case out of only part of the story. What were the other eight songs that played that hour? None of the above songs played back to back...so trying to represent it as a dated station is inaccurate...here's what Monitor says is the entire hour:
Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name
James Taylor - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Eagles - One Of These Nights
Five For Fighting - The Riddle
TLC - Waterfalls
Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song
Anna Nalick - Breathe
Madonna - Holiday
Mannheim Steamroller - Deck The Halls
Elton John - Your Song
Donna Summer - She Works Hard For The Money
Alabama - Christmas In Dixie
That is the whole story. Not the best hour ever, but not circa 1991 either. But I would think Citadel tests their music with their P1s, so it must work for them. And it is a Mainstream AC station. They don't play many currents. That's what your station is there for, right?
Your personal attack was very rude and inappropriate. I don't know you.
Oh my goodness! Everytime someone posts something here praising anyone or asking a question, DudeFan jumps in with a sarcastic comment or a personal cutdown. That's your right, but someone has to call you on it. In this very post, you made age jokes about two legendary broadcasters, then said they deserve respect? Please. It is not my desire to cut you down. It's my desire that when people from around America check in this board to see what's going on in South Carolina that the view is not dominated by someone with a "hobby" low power FM. There are a lot of people in this state that bust their humps for low pay in this profession that don't need someone speaking for us who's twenty years of broadcast experience is weekend/swing at Star/VOC in the days of Chuck McKay. I just recently figured out who you were and was outraged at your comments, based on your experience. Again, I love a good debate. I love radio, too. If you are going to write it as fact, just know someone is going to fact check it from here on out.
Checked Monitor and Mediabase. Other than Fleetwood Mac, none of those tunes played then (and I never disputed Fleetwood Mac) And what Mainstream AC doesn't play Fleetwood Mac? Checking year-to-date for all of 2006, "Waiting For A Star To Fall" played one time on WTCB...during specialty programming (Retro Pop Reunion) early on a Sunday morning in February. Billy Vera and Rick Astley also have only played during 80s requests show or specialty programming. So you must have been listening to closely monitoring something else.
11:00 AM, Monday December 18, 2006, WTCB played these four songs out of the 12 played that hour:
Eagles - One of These Nights
Madonna - Holiday
Elton John - Your Song
Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money
Just like a lawyer to try to make a case out of only part of the story. What were the other eight songs that played that hour? None of the above songs played back to back...so trying to represent it as a dated station is inaccurate...here's what Monitor says is the entire hour:
Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name
James Taylor - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Eagles - One Of These Nights
Five For Fighting - The Riddle
TLC - Waterfalls
Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song
Anna Nalick - Breathe
Madonna - Holiday
Mannheim Steamroller - Deck The Halls
Elton John - Your Song
Donna Summer - She Works Hard For The Money
Alabama - Christmas In Dixie
That is the whole story. Not the best hour ever, but not circa 1991 either. But I would think Citadel tests their music with their P1s, so it must work for them. And it is a Mainstream AC station. They don't play many currents. That's what your station is there for, right?
Your personal attack was very rude and inappropriate. I don't know you.
Oh my goodness! Everytime someone posts something here praising anyone or asking a question, DudeFan jumps in with a sarcastic comment or a personal cutdown. That's your right, but someone has to call you on it. In this very post, you made age jokes about two legendary broadcasters, then said they deserve respect? Please. It is not my desire to cut you down. It's my desire that when people from around America check in this board to see what's going on in South Carolina that the view is not dominated by someone with a "hobby" low power FM. There are a lot of people in this state that bust their humps for low pay in this profession that don't need someone speaking for us who's twenty years of broadcast experience is weekend/swing at Star/VOC in the days of Chuck McKay. I just recently figured out who you were and was outraged at your comments, based on your experience. Again, I love a good debate. I love radio, too. If you are going to write it as fact, just know someone is going to fact check it from here on out.
I omitted the Christmas tunes from that hour because we don't know what categories/eras were taken out and substituted with Holiday tunes. It doesn't decrease the 1/3 proportion noted in my email.
To keep everyone else from being in the dark. I'm Steve Varholy. My pseudonym on here is a tribute (and a inside joke referring to a good (and very talented) friend of mine that was "The Dude" on air. I still am a big fan of him and his work. He's in a management track with Beasley. I haven't changed it because it really hasn't been on my list of things to do.
Just for background, I started doing overnights for Price Communications at then WPRH Columbia, in the spring of 1988 when I was a freshman at USC. I left for the summer break and did not return to the station. I think Brent Johnson (then a young PD) would say he fired me. Fair enough on that. At 19, I frickin hated oldies music and I had really enjoyed the Power 103 CHR format.
While serving as PD for WUSC, in 1989, David Adair hired me to run board for WVOC in the evening. I did my accounting homework, pushed the buttons for TalkNet and went to USC. When Rick Dames and Chuck McKay bought the stations, they were happy enough with me to keep me on. On New Years Day 1990, when I was poor as a church mouse and literally almost starving, Chuck McKay called me at my parent's home and asked if I would work overnights for what would be Star 93.5. My parents and I scraped up the last fifty dollars we had and I was on a Greyhound back to Columbia, where I crashed on various couches until the dorms opened up.
I managed to stay on through three different owners and at least two formats. At one point I was doing nights on WARQ and hosting the 5pm afternoon newshour on WVOC. Rick, Chuck, Jodie and Jennifer were great teachers. To this day, I am grateful. I learned a lot about programming, sales, and station ownership from them. They, along with Steve Bunyard (Olympia Networks), bought and ran the stations.
I graduated USC in 1994 (6.5 year plan) after earning a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications in Broadcast Management.
When I left in 1997 as an active on-air talent, I was APD/Operations Manager for Clear Channel Communications (only 24 or maybe 32 stations at that point) and was running their nascent IT operations, as well. The company grew a little bit more after that. I least that is what I have been told.
During the course of my career at WARQ, I was shuffled from nights to mornings (twice -- I hated mornings) and then to middays. Usually, I was #2 or #3 18-34 persons in middays... the rankers depended on how the book fell between WARQ and WNOK.
So, you are correct. My twenty years of radio experience shockingly only consists of being a board op for Chuck McKay!
During law school at the Catholic University of America, I studied communications law, wrote a published paper on DBS (direct brodcast satellite TV) ownership issues and studied the early regulation of satellite DARS. My conclusions in my paper were mostly accurate. The DirectTV (Huges)/Dish (Echostar) merger did not go through because of the ownership issues raised by the transaction.
Also during law school and after, I voice-tracked several markets from my home studio including WOXL Asheville. Had great numbers on that facility, from what the contractor told me. As an aside, read up sometime on the allocation mess involving that facility, it is very interesting.
As you have pointed out, I am a principal of the WXRY licensee. I also am a practicing litigation attorney specializing in complex litigation and regulatory issues. I represent a number of large retailers and trade groups and assist my clients negotiating and closing in millions of dollars of commercial transactions every year. There are folks much smarter and with better diplomas on the walls than mine. But, for the great grandson of immigrant factory workers and carpenters, I do ok and I can hold my own with folks whose parents were on the Supreme Court and who went to Stanford, Harvard, or the like. Like I said, there's always someone smarter and better than you.
I currently hold a license to practice law from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and hold bar memberships from all Virginia courts, the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The U.S. Supreme Court Bar Membership hasn't proved necessary, as of yet. I also hold a personal PMRS license from the Commission. It's for those little walkie-talkie things. I also earned an ADDY award for copywriting and production for a campaign developed and written by a colleague of mine. Chuck McKay was and is an excellent radio copywriting teacher.
You're right. I have nothing to show for the past twenty years. I should have continued to work for admittedly and shamefully low wages in what appeared to me in 1997 to be a dead-end production/programming career path. My goal in 1988, 1997, and now was to own a radio station. I quickly realized that Dj's don't have the capital to own radio stations unless you are one of the top 1% with a name like Stern or Imus or Geronimo or Muller or Steve Kingston. I'm pretty competant, but I am not one of those guys.
Along with colleagues, we built WXRY from the ground up. All the engineering and legal work and all the office space refitting. We had a contract engineer do the wiring of the board. I was awful at that and after burning myself on a soldering iron at least three times, it was time for a real pro. We had a contractor put in the carpeting. No skill in that area, either. Three of us built the antenna and erected the mast on the rooftop. You're welcome to think of it as a hobby. The listeners don't care one way or another.
Radio for me is a passion, a hobby, and a business. If I come across as a know-it-all, there aren't many aspects of radio that I haven't read up on or have at least have enough working knowledge of. If you're going to put a station on the air from the ground up, full-power, low power or otherwise, you have to know a lot about a lot of things.
Because I don't know you and many of the folks on the board don't know me, that is my background in 60 seconds. You now know where I have been and what I have done.
I don't purport to speak for anyone but myself. Never have stated that I do. I express my often strong opinions and share my observations. I don't apologize for them. If anyone thinks I speak for the industry as a whole, there's more going on there. Certainly, if you rely only one discussion board for information, you really have issues that I can't help with.
So who are you Whopper? Care to tell us what you've been doing for the past twenty years?
To keep everyone else from being in the dark. I'm Steve Varholy. My pseudonym on here is a tribute (and a inside joke referring to a good (and very talented) friend of mine that was "The Dude" on air. I still am a big fan of him and his work. He's in a management track with Beasley. I haven't changed it because it really hasn't been on my list of things to do.
Just for background, I started doing overnights for Price Communications at then WPRH Columbia, in the spring of 1988 when I was a freshman at USC. I left for the summer break and did not return to the station. I think Brent Johnson (then a young PD) would say he fired me. Fair enough on that. At 19, I frickin hated oldies music and I had really enjoyed the Power 103 CHR format.
While serving as PD for WUSC, in 1989, David Adair hired me to run board for WVOC in the evening. I did my accounting homework, pushed the buttons for TalkNet and went to USC. When Rick Dames and Chuck McKay bought the stations, they were happy enough with me to keep me on. On New Years Day 1990, when I was poor as a church mouse and literally almost starving, Chuck McKay called me at my parent's home and asked if I would work overnights for what would be Star 93.5. My parents and I scraped up the last fifty dollars we had and I was on a Greyhound back to Columbia, where I crashed on various couches until the dorms opened up.
I managed to stay on through three different owners and at least two formats. At one point I was doing nights on WARQ and hosting the 5pm afternoon newshour on WVOC. Rick, Chuck, Jodie and Jennifer were great teachers. To this day, I am grateful. I learned a lot about programming, sales, and station ownership from them. They, along with Steve Bunyard (Olympia Networks), bought and ran the stations.
I graduated USC in 1994 (6.5 year plan) after earning a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications in Broadcast Management.
When I left in 1997 as an active on-air talent, I was APD/Operations Manager for Clear Channel Communications (only 24 or maybe 32 stations at that point) and was running their nascent IT operations, as well. The company grew a little bit more after that. I least that is what I have been told.
During the course of my career at WARQ, I was shuffled from nights to mornings (twice -- I hated mornings) and then to middays. Usually, I was #2 or #3 18-34 persons in middays... the rankers depended on how the book fell between WARQ and WNOK.
So, you are correct. My twenty years of radio experience shockingly only consists of being a board op for Chuck McKay!
During law school at the Catholic University of America, I studied communications law, wrote a published paper on DBS (direct brodcast satellite TV) ownership issues and studied the early regulation of satellite DARS. My conclusions in my paper were mostly accurate. The DirectTV (Huges)/Dish (Echostar) merger did not go through because of the ownership issues raised by the transaction.
Also during law school and after, I voice-tracked several markets from my home studio including WOXL Asheville. Had great numbers on that facility, from what the contractor told me. As an aside, read up sometime on the allocation mess involving that facility, it is very interesting.
As you have pointed out, I am a principal of the WXRY licensee. I also am a practicing litigation attorney specializing in complex litigation and regulatory issues. I represent a number of large retailers and trade groups and assist my clients negotiating and closing in millions of dollars of commercial transactions every year. There are folks much smarter and with better diplomas on the walls than mine. But, for the great grandson of immigrant factory workers and carpenters, I do ok and I can hold my own with folks whose parents were on the Supreme Court and who went to Stanford, Harvard, or the like. Like I said, there's always someone smarter and better than you.
I currently hold a license to practice law from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and hold bar memberships from all Virginia courts, the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The U.S. Supreme Court Bar Membership hasn't proved necessary, as of yet. I also hold a personal PMRS license from the Commission. It's for those little walkie-talkie things. I also earned an ADDY award for copywriting and production for a campaign developed and written by a colleague of mine. Chuck McKay was and is an excellent radio copywriting teacher.
You're right. I have nothing to show for the past twenty years. I should have continued to work for admittedly and shamefully low wages in what appeared to me in 1997 to be a dead-end production/programming career path. My goal in 1988, 1997, and now was to own a radio station. I quickly realized that Dj's don't have the capital to own radio stations unless you are one of the top 1% with a name like Stern or Imus or Geronimo or Muller or Steve Kingston. I'm pretty competant, but I am not one of those guys.
Along with colleagues, we built WXRY from the ground up. All the engineering and legal work and all the office space refitting. We had a contract engineer do the wiring of the board. I was awful at that and after burning myself on a soldering iron at least three times, it was time for a real pro. We had a contractor put in the carpeting. No skill in that area, either. Three of us built the antenna and erected the mast on the rooftop. You're welcome to think of it as a hobby. The listeners don't care one way or another.
Radio for me is a passion, a hobby, and a business. If I come across as a know-it-all, there aren't many aspects of radio that I haven't read up on or have at least have enough working knowledge of. If you're going to put a station on the air from the ground up, full-power, low power or otherwise, you have to know a lot about a lot of things.
Because I don't know you and many of the folks on the board don't know me, that is my background in 60 seconds. You now know where I have been and what I have done.
I don't purport to speak for anyone but myself. Never have stated that I do. I express my often strong opinions and share my observations. I don't apologize for them. If anyone thinks I speak for the industry as a whole, there's more going on there. Certainly, if you rely only one discussion board for information, you really have issues that I can't help with.
So who are you Whopper? Care to tell us what you've been doing for the past twenty years?
The Outer Banks are GREAT! Sales are good, so I can't complain...but I do anyway...lol.
I sent you an email at the email addy you used a year ago.
If that's not an active address, write me at [email protected].
I'm sure we both know who Whopper is. I'm thinking he's either still in the biz or isn't anymore and has way too much time on his hands to corroborate stated airplay with actual airplay.
Hope all is well, F. Lee Varholy.
I sent you an email at the email addy you used a year ago.
If that's not an active address, write me at [email protected].
I'm sure we both know who Whopper is. I'm thinking he's either still in the biz or isn't anymore and has way too much time on his hands to corroborate stated airplay with actual airplay.
Hope all is well, F. Lee Varholy.
DudeFan said:
Hah! I'll be damned...
I used to love listening to you on WARQ, hell, I'd bug the hell out of you whnever Massive Metal wasn't on WUSC. In fact, when you left for law school, I actually stopped listening to WARQ. I just stuck with WUSC, NPR, or my cd collection.
Believe it or not, you were one of the reasons I got into radio. I just enjoyed listening to you, the same way I enjoyed listening to Danny V when he was on WAVF in Charleston.
Thanks for being an inspiration.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled flaming.
MetalMan:
Thank you. That is a real honor to hear that someone heard me and was inspired to get in the business.. just like I heard guys on the air when I was young and was fired up to get into the business.
Hopefully, you've still got the passion for the business. There are so few folks that care about radio these days. Try finding someone in high school these days that wants to do radio. The response would be disappointing!
What are you doing these days?
Thank you. That is a real honor to hear that someone heard me and was inspired to get in the business.. just like I heard guys on the air when I was young and was fired up to get into the business.
Hopefully, you've still got the passion for the business. There are so few folks that care about radio these days. Try finding someone in high school these days that wants to do radio. The response would be disappointing!
What are you doing these days?
I handle production/automation programming duties for an AM cluster in Charleston as well as host an extreme music show on WYBB.
I thoroughly enjoy myself bringing the best in metal, hardcore, and industrial from any corner of the world where I can find it. From Taiwan to Long Island, NY, Brazil to Singapore. It's all about the metal.
I just try convey my passion for the music on the show and I love it when people call in and express just how happy they are to hear it. I just strive to do the best I can. It's just been a slightly odd transition coming from sports/talk into music, though. That being said, it's been a blast and I hope it continues.
Most of the people I come into contact have an appreciation for what is done on the radio. We're there to entertain and inform, to serve our audience. I'm happy that our listeners go out of their way to make it known how much they like what we do. It's a constant lesson that isn't lost on me, that's for sure.
I thoroughly enjoy myself bringing the best in metal, hardcore, and industrial from any corner of the world where I can find it. From Taiwan to Long Island, NY, Brazil to Singapore. It's all about the metal.
I just try convey my passion for the music on the show and I love it when people call in and express just how happy they are to hear it. I just strive to do the best I can. It's just been a slightly odd transition coming from sports/talk into music, though. That being said, it's been a blast and I hope it continues.
Most of the people I come into contact have an appreciation for what is done on the radio. We're there to entertain and inform, to serve our audience. I'm happy that our listeners go out of their way to make it known how much they like what we do. It's a constant lesson that isn't lost on me, that's for sure.
Fantastic! Congratulations!
What I think has been lost somewhere in the past decade is passion put into the on-air product. Whether it is a lack of passionate folks (which I find hard to believe) or a lack of time to put any passion into it because of forced multi-tasking, I don't know. But it's happened.
Even heavy music can draw a respectible audience, as you stated. Way back in the day before consolidation, KNAC Long Beach/LA was a world wide beheamoth of heavy music. And it did well, just not as well as subsequent owners wanted.
I've got an old-fashioned view on radio that aligns with what you said: entertain, inform, and serve. Give the potential audience all three, and they will be there. Do you think folks would respond if local news and information were consistently offered outside of morning drive?
What I think has been lost somewhere in the past decade is passion put into the on-air product. Whether it is a lack of passionate folks (which I find hard to believe) or a lack of time to put any passion into it because of forced multi-tasking, I don't know. But it's happened.
Even heavy music can draw a respectible audience, as you stated. Way back in the day before consolidation, KNAC Long Beach/LA was a world wide beheamoth of heavy music. And it did well, just not as well as subsequent owners wanted.
I've got an old-fashioned view on radio that aligns with what you said: entertain, inform, and serve. Give the potential audience all three, and they will be there. Do you think folks would respond if local news and information were consistently offered outside of morning drive?
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