• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Gary P. Walker blown out at KNUE

Sorry as hell to hear about it. But, Gary has lasted as long at one place as anyone, Maybe Jeff
Evans just as long at GAP? And, really that in itself is almost a miracle.

Gary is quality talent, he will surface somewhere.

I the meantime, I hope Gary looks in the mirror, tells himself about doing a job well done.
Has cold beer and gets a big bug or two or three from the missus.

Good job, Gary. Go get em, next station.

Chuck
 
Sorry to hear about Gary P. He's a class act and one of the "good guys" in radio. Hate to see this happen to anyone...but even worse when it's a guy like Gary.

Chuck, I think you are right about Jeff Evans. He's the last of the pre-Gulfstar, pre-Capstar, Pre-Clear Channel jocks left in the building as far as I can remember. Jeff is another one of those "good guys." Hope he is safe.

Have there been any other lay-offs at any of the other groups in town recently? Chuck Mckinley is the last one before Gary that I know of.
 
Well let's see....#1 afternoon jock since....well....as long as anyone can remember. Super clean rep and nomatter what ya do ya just can't find anyone anywhere to say a bad word about the guy! So common sense says he was making money hand over fist so they just could not afford to keep him anymore. Not the first time something like this has happened and it probably won't be the last. Hate to hear it!
 
When i lived in Logview, I remember him being on KYKX in the afternoons back in 83. He was one of the better joclks on that station back then. I din't like the whole Larry and Lou thing, that was awful. I would listen to KNUE to Mike Patrick who did mornings at KNUE back then.
 
Wow,
Mike Patrick was my PD at KNUE in late 84 til I guess early 87. That was when(1984)KNUE was 4 reels of tape and some CD's. KYKX and KROZ were the country leaders in Longview and Tyler respectively. Yes, Michael was mornings, I did overnights. I was Pecks bad boy at the time. Meaning, I was one write up away from getting canned and Mike took me in from KTBB, where I did afternoons. Mike Patrick let me do onights then nights. He was a good guy, fair PD too. Boy, those were the days. Before I met Roseanna, and drank WAY too much.
 
Bold moves by the new GM. Go into a successful station that's handily winning a 3 way format battle and make wholesale changes.

If it ain't broke...break it.
 
ARRadio1 said:
Bold moves by the new GM. Go into a successful station that's handily winning a 3 way format battle and make wholesale changes.

If it ain't broke...break it.
Click to expand...


Gap learned from CC. Sales staff can't cut it, then dump programming salaries. Gary's a REALLY great guy and was doin well...but his $$$ wasn't breaking the bank. I hope he lands on his feet, but I doubt anyone else will pick him up. They SHOULD...but who'd hire a good, talented jock? It's not often a guy's been in a market 20+ years and NOBODY has a bad thing, story, rumor to tell about him... But that's just where we are with radio today...espicially in markets like Tyler/Longview.
 
Very sorry to hear about Blue Eyes losing his job. He was one of the last of a dying breed and a great professional. I guess it goes to show that if you are still holding on to a job in radio, you must be must be able to say "Yes Massa" and "Boss, do you want me to bend over, or just go down on my knees"? Radio is done.
 
Gary P. Walker? an air name??

I worked with a guy who used the air name Gary Richards at KJCS Nacogdoches in the middle 80s. His real name is Gary Penney, and he was one of the funniest and most creative jocks I've ever encountered. He also does very good football and baseball play-by-play. On the air, he was funny as hell. Off the air, one of the most painfully shy people I've ever met. Like two different people.

Please tell me Gary P. Walker is not Gary Penney. Any station that would let him go should have their license revoked.
 
No. Gary Richards is at KYYK/KNET in Palestine, TX. He got blown out of Clear Channel-Lufkin years ago (or he quit... I don't know).
 
Posted by: johnqdoe"Gap learned from CC. Sales staff can't cut it, then dump programming salaries."

I could say so much about that statement... However, I will just say... Truer words have NEVER been spoken!
 
So where do you propose they cut from? Sales staff work on 100% comission...so they don't cost the company money. When the economy goes south and you have to cut expenses...what other choice does management have?

I'm not saying it's right...I'm just saying there are only so many places to cut. Let keep in mind that GAP took away 5% from everyone (and lowered sales staff comission rates) to try to avoid laying off personell...but the economy is just too bad. Why are companies like GAP being bad-mouthed? Businesses of all types are having to tighten the belt straps. No one wants to fire staff and work on a skeleton crew...but times are different than they were 10 to 15 years ago.

So where do all of you critics propose companies cut back...if not programming personell? As for jbodine's comment that "radio is done"...I disagree. Way to hold out hope that the industry we all know and love will make a come back. If you've given up on it...then move on...and quit living in the past.
 
I can tell you that GAP doesn't cut staff with any rhyme or reason. They just cut. Also, does it make any sense at all, to cut the commission rates of those who are out there trying to sell your stations? "We want you to go out and sell our stations, during a horrible economy. However, we are also going to pay you less for what you are able to sell in this horrible economy." Ha, Ha, Ha... how does that make ANY sense. You should be rewarding those who are out there actually selling your station in this horrible economy. Also, if you have a sales staff that isn't able to do their job i.e., selling stations with good ratings etc... then cut them loose, gives those accounts to the ones who ARE selling. Even though they are working on commission and aren't costing the company anything, they still aren't a productive employee. Cut them loose and reward those who ARE selling... with more accounts, which means more opportunity, more $$ for them. Also, I don't believe anyone is purposely picking out Gap to beat them up, it was just by chance the "company" of conversation. If anyone thinks Gap is the only company that is operating in this manner, then they are truly mental.

However, WHAT THE HELL DO I KNOW.
 
I think everyone knows GAP isn't the only company doing this. It just goes to show the folks that are dead set against CC and Cumulus that EVERYBODY does it. Big companies, small companies...it's all the same anymore. EVERY SINGLE SALES STAFF has some dead weight. 90% of the job losses have been in programming...Meanwhile I wonder how much $$ has been paid on guarantees to sales people hired off the street with no experience that can't sell. Or how much $$$ has been pocketed in bonuses by GMs while the cluster flounders and has layoff after layoff.
 
I can tell you that GAP doesn't cut staff with any rhyme or reason. They just cut. Also, does it make any sense at all, to cut the commission rates of those who are out there trying to sell your stations? "We want you to go out and sell our stations, during a horrible economy. However, we are also going to pay you less for what you are able to sell in this horrible economy." Ha, Ha, Ha... how does that make ANY sense. You should be rewarding those who are out there actually selling your station in this horrible economy.
Click to expand...

GREAT IDEA...let's only punish those who make the least amount of money in the building! You know...the one's that make the product for the sales people to sell, the one's who schedule the spots, and the one's that produce it. We'll just take the 5% away from those programmers, traffic, and production people, but continue to pay sales their normal rate. I mean...it's not like they can write their own paychecks or anything. God forbid it may actually encourage them to pick up a new account or two to make up for the money they are losing!


Which begs the question...What the hell do you know?
 
someone said a long time ago...."nothing happens until you sell it".

Think about it...what has happened to the jocks that created something to sell. I am certain this will raise quite a few opinions (like mine). But the "show business" aspect was lost a long time ago. Jocks were performers who understood that a remote was more than standing around smoking and gossiping with the promotion assistant. The live broadcasts were a performance where the jock ran around with a live mic and talked to people unscripted and ad-libbed and made the events carnival-like (while I am certain smoking and chasing the promotion assistant) :). We don't see that anymore or very rarely.

I believe, and am deeply saddened, that todays jocks are lost and have not a clue what real radio can be. I believe that is an attitude that is reflected by some of the radio operators that have failed to help coach younger talant. While the older talant has long been burned out by the bean counters. Sad...but I believe something can still be done to save this industry....if only the whining would stop about how pitiful things have become. The casualties are unfortunate (very!!)...It is what it is...but make the best of things...the finger pointing solves nothing. If you really want to make a difference then HELP turn the industry around then quit the arm-chair, college professor radio play calling and do something about it!! I think people again might take notice of this thing we love called RADIO!!!
In my humble opinion..
 
old_skuel said:
I can tell you that GAP doesn't cut staff with any rhyme or reason. They just cut. Also, does it make any sense at all, to cut the commission rates of those who are out there trying to sell your stations? "We want you to go out and sell our stations, during a horrible economy. However, we are also going to pay you less for what you are able to sell in this horrible economy." Ha, Ha, Ha... how does that make ANY sense. You should be rewarding those who are out there actually selling your station in this horrible economy.
Click to expand...

GREAT IDEA...let's only punish those who make the least amount of money in the building! You know...the one's that make the product for the sales people to sell, the one's who schedule the spots, and the one's that produce it. We'll just take the 5% away from those programmers, traffic, and production people, but continue to pay sales their normal rate. I mean...it's not like they can write their own paychecks or anything. God forbid it may actually encourage them to pick up a new account or two to make up for the money they are losing!


Which begs the question...What the hell do you know?
Click to expand...

Are you HIGH? Seriously? Wait, wait, wait... you are correct. Cut/Punish programming... that's EXACTLY what I was saying.
 
Gary Walker was a tradition within a culture on Texas radio! In his hay day, he broadcasted at KPLX and even moving to Longview's small market KYKX did not stop his success from peaking. Gary was the 1987 small market air personality of the year voted by the CMA. He had a remarkable radio personality & will be missed by all in and out of the industry. Gary upheld and participated in community involvement year round and even led community efforts with his friend and Country Music artist, Neal McCoy. I still find myself listening for him to re-surface but have yet to locate him. KNUE lost a great talent in him & hope they are regretful for thier decision. Steve Young ~ Missoula, MT.
 
Yeah, I worked with Gary "back in the day" and words cannot begin to describe what a wonderful person and tremendous air talent he is! I am very sad and angered to hear he was axed!

Corporations have ruined radio!! There I said it! Corporations are only worried about one thing, getting the most profit out of the LEAST possible investment which, in radio, will always create the WORST product.

I haven't spoken to Gary in awhile. I think I'll give him a call and see how things are going, relive some of the "Glory Days" of radio!
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom