Hi Fi Club on 1360AM

[balam]

Okay...I read about this show here on radio-info and decided to tune in last night. Yikes! The Hi Fi Club's production value is lacking a lot...loose segues, dead air, etc. They seldom give the station's frequency, calls, web address OR THE NAME OF THEIR SHOW! They even back announced a couple of artist names wrong.

Mike Shannon has been heard all over the dial doing traffic, but has he ever been a jock? He sounds kinda creepy. I've never even heard of the other guy. They played a fairly entertaining Dave Ambrose KLIF aircheck near the end of the show. That was pretty cool. I suggest more old airchecks and less of Mike and What's His Name??.

If you want to hear the Hi Fi Club, ya better tune in soon. I don't imagine this one is going to last long...even on the tiny 1360AM.

Uncle Dick Balam

 

[klifhanger]

Actually it is "loose" for a reason. It's Laid back and informative just like it was in the early days of KXOL. Hello? Funny how many "prominent" veteran broadcasters of many past decades (and present) have praised the idea and show. Bob Schieffer among them BTW.Jack Schell.Rowdy Yates,George Carlin have sent their praises as well among several others. Mike Shannon never was a top 40 jock and was never on the air in that capacity. He certainly makes no pretense or excuses about it. He's laid back and that is appropriate for a sunday evening. The show will last until Mike,John,and Chad call it quits. It's also LIVE AND LOCAL,no net,no voice track,etc. the show is also still developing and has only been for a month,once a week for 2 hours. It is firming its base and growing.
The show will stay.

 

[klifhanger]

Actually it is "loose" for a reason. It's Laid back and informative just like it was in the early days of KXOL. Hello? Funny how many "prominent" veteran broadcasters of many past decades (and present) have praised the idea and show. Bob Schieffer among them BTW.Jack Schell.Rowdy Yates,George Carlin have sent their praises as well among several others. Mike Shannon never was a top 40 jock and was never on the air in that capacity. He certainly makes no pretense or excuses about it. He's laid back and that is appropriate for a sunday evening. The show will last until Mike,John,and Chad call it quits. It's also LIVE AND LOCAL,no net,no voice track,etc. the show is still developing and has only been on for a month,once a week for 2 hours. It is firming its base and growing.
The show will stay.

 

[MarvinMiles]

I checked it out too. I would agree. Pretty Cheezy. I just heard Mike Shannon for the first time on WBAP and his sound is very monotone. I was listening to WLS and their weekend traffic anchors are pretty damn good.

Hey klifhanger, i'm willing to bet those big time jocks are praising it because someone has decided to replay "old radio" which no one cares about except jock wannabes and jocks with big egos. LOCAL? Who cares! If it's bad, it's bad! Local or not!

And "laid back" and "Boring" are not the same. 1360 is just plain BAAAAAAD. :'(

 

[klifhanger]

Hey klifhanger, i'm willing to bet those big time jocks are praising it because someone has decided to replay "old radio" which no one cares about except jock wannabes and jocks with big egos. LOCAL? Who cares! If it's bad, it's bad! Local or not!

And "laid back" and "Boring" are not the same. 1360 is just plain BAAAAAAD. :'(


'The no one cares about " line is pretty funny to me as if the person who wrote and spoke it actually interviewed every single person on the planet. Its better to say "I" don't care about it.
The show itself is going through some growing pains. Try listening to some old RM airchecks when he was at KTER,KAAM, or Terry Dorsey at KPLX,etc. They refined their craft OVER TIME. I pointed out Mike was never a big time DJ and he it didn't really persue it,and he admits it shows. If he was so bad doing traffic I would seriously he would have lasted this long on WBAP AND WFAA-TV.
You may gotten your career started in the early 80's+,and therefore have no true concept or appreciation of what radio was like. Too bad. Back then it had passion and creativity to it ,now its an assembly line of mediocrity. The "Hi-FI" club is (by todays radio) NEW based on old concepts and with guests(including Carlin) scheduled to make some on air appearances,the pace and quality will pick up. Do yourself a favor keep your ipod on sunday evenings and save on the aggravation and asprin.

 

[MarvinMiles]

Hello Klifhanger, I'm not in commercial radio. But i know the difference in good and bad radio. Actually i think there is a lot of good radio still, but having said that, there's more stations today than 30 years ago increasing the odds there will be crappy radio.

Just an outsider looking in. Hey let's take a poll. Best stations in DFW. (top 10)

The Wolf
KISS
KSCS
KLIF
KLTY
WBAP
KZPS
The Ticket
KLUV
KRLD

 

[MikeShannon914]

HA!! Love the posts AND the free publicity--good or bad, it's still publicity. (Reminder: Sunday nights, KMNY-1360, 6PM-8PM, and the new website should be up later this week--www.thehificlub.net)

Yeah, I don't proclaim to be ANYTHING when it comes to jocking or running a talk show. I just go by what I think will be interesting, and roll with it. I'm not after ratings or anything, and not out to be God's Gift to Radio. Fortunately, the reviews have all been good until this posting came along, and I fully expected the board to do its usual share of blasting eventually. All in a day's work, and I will continue on without worrying about it. My quest with the show is to do something different, and honor those in radio who paved the way before us, and maybe dredge up some memories for those listeners who have lived in this area for a long time. If it's not your cup of tea, there's plenty of other choices on the dial.

I make no excuses for my "monotone" voice or my inability to hit the post, talk up songs, tighten things up, etc. My last jocking experience was in high school, 20+ years back. I've been back in radio for the last three years, and sure, traffic reporting doesn't permit a lot of personality or comedic interaction. That's just the way WBAP wants me to do it, and I oblige. I don't mind cashing the checks. I'm just happy to be working, and to have the chance to experience all that I have in these last three years. It's almost a Cinderella story: taking a promotions grunt job at Infinity in '03 just because I needed PT work to supplement unemployment (and having NO aspirations or expectations for it to turn into anything,) then getting fired over the Russ Martin flap, then getting a lead from co-worker Jim Prewitt about a traffic job, and going from there. I have no regrets or anything to be angry about. If it all ended tomorrow, I know I accomplished many things that I only dreamed of before. I've been VERY fortunate, and I'm very thankful for what I have. Sure, I could want for more, but this all suits me just fine. I don't have to own the market to be happy---just let me carve out a little niche and do my own thing and I'm perfectly ok with that.

But the best part of "The Hi-Fi Club" is that "I" am in control, I choose what I want to say and play, and I don't have management dictating controls over me, or pressuring me for anything. And no, I don't buy the time. Can you beat a gig like that? And, I'm having FUN to boot. Now THAT'S what radio is supposed to be about! I make no apologies or excuses for that.

And if anyone has something constructive, instead of DEstructive, to say or suggest, I'm all ears. It's evolving, and it's not going away anytime soon. Could it be better? Of course. I'm working on it, but I don't have the savvy and finesse to pull off a real oldies show or a talk show. I just do my best and roll with it. I would appreciate your patience, and please tune in again sometime. It WILL get better as time goes on!

Mike Shannon

 

[MacOConnor]

Hi,

I enjoy the show. However, at least some of the songs are sped up. This week Back In The USSR and Windy for example were off pitch substantially. Was the pitch control on the CD players set to 0.0%? Or is there an effect you are after?

 

[MikeShannon914]

Good question. I don't have much of an answer, unfortunately. The pitch was set at 0.0%; I used the Beatles' 1967-70 greatest hits CD; and for "Windy," that was on an old cassette tape (couldn't get a clean copy in time for the show. I do know that I used to be adamant about slightly speeding up songs I would tape myself back in the 80s, and this was apparently one of those tapes!)

Another song came up ("A Kind of Hush"? I think) that sounded sped-up when played. May be a faulty player or something. I'll get it checked out. (And for those listening closely, "Hush" is actually Herman's Hermits and NOT Jay and the Americans as I promo'd it--what a silly gaffe. I'm usually anal about that kind of stuff.)

Thank you for the input!!

 

[AndyWaldrop]

Good question. I don't have much of an answer, unfortunately. The pitch was set at 0.0%; I used the Beatles' 1967-70 greatest hits CD; and for "Windy," that was on an old cassette tape (couldn't get a clean copy in time for the show. I do know that I used to be adamant about slightly speeding up songs I would tape myself back in the 80s, and this was apparently one of those tapes!)

Another song came up ("A Kind of Hush"? I think) that sounded sped-up when played. May be a faulty player or something. I'll get it checked out. (And for those listening closely, "Hush" is actually Herman's Hermits and NOT Jay and the Americans as I promo'd it--what a silly gaffe. I'm usually anal about that kind of stuff.)

Thank you for the input!!

Mike,

I hear good things about your program. If there is anything I can do for you (including any music that you may need), please let me know.

Andy

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

It seems like there are certain people on here who come on to knock others, especially ones that sound bad.

So what if it's brokered time or sounds bad? You know what? He's making a difference. He's been given a chance and he's taken it.

This reminds me of a station up north. People complained when it went from English newstalk to Spanish. They said it didnt serve the majority of the community and complained they didn't understand the language.

Yet, when asked to support it via buying blocktime or advertising on it, before the flip to spanish or when it flipped back to english..no one budged.

Instead of criticizing this man so negatively, tell him how he can improve or what he's doing right.

 

[Top40Dawg]

I heard about this too on Radio Daily News. I was pumped at first. Growing up in Dallas I remember well the great top 40 days of KLIF as well as KXOL. So many seem to talk about KXOLs greatness but I never seem to see it, maybe because I was in Dallas and not Ft. Worth. Nevertheless, I listened and the first night I heard seemed rough, disorganized and as others pointed out "loose". The interview with Norm Alden was interesting. I did not know he was Aquaman! ;D
The following week was really good. Nice mix of great tunes, the chit-chat was better and they played an old radio show of Bill Enis along with old radio commercials. That was classic! It seemed they were really enjoying the show themselves. A good concept that if done right would make for good radio. The other show from a week or two back could have rivaled 770AM for great oldies "AM" radio with a great old Top40 sound and feel. So I look very forward to the next show and got the recorder ready. However, this past Sunday it was back to what it was like the first time and they had some other guy on. I guess Mike is the host and the others are there for the ride. The show was just.....corny sounding. If you have to resort to telling Michael Jackson jokes on the air you need to stop talking and play a record.

 

[klifhanger]

I agree the "current" topics " of today should be tossed aside for this show. I said before it is under going "growing pains". For example can anyone here remember watching Conan 's first show after he took over for Letterman,and the next couple of weks thereafter. They were bad,and even he admits it. Now he is viewed by a large audience and will succeed Leno in a couple of years. Mike is fine tuning the show as he goes along and he constantly gives out his email address for comments and suggestions. The show is a labor of love and different compared to the assembly line radio we have today. Some one mentioned it before,if you don't like it change the channel. That sums it up.

 

[MikeShannon914]

Ouch! That hurt a little! (Re: Top Dawgs' post).We were missing a key element last week with John Lewis being out. He can talk radio and local history with the best of them, and he and I can interact pretty well on the air. Chad is not a historian, but a good conversationalist nonetheless...but the best part is when the three of us are all there and can bounce off each other. But hey, it's not perfect, it won't ever be, and it's not a show that serves the masses. The music-intensive show you heard before was all of John's doing, and maybe that's the way it should sound. But I'm not out to make this something you could hear the same of on KLUV or KAAM, so the talk stays, the airchecks stay, the occasional "cheesy" bits and features stay (OK, the Michael Jackson reference was lame--no more of that) but I'll be more conscious of what works and what's filler, and try to cast off the filler. It's an evolving process where I learn something new every time. With only 2 hours to fill once a week, it's not like we get a lot of practice along the way, and I can tell you that I don't get a lot of prep time during the week! But I appreciate the input. I can't promise you protection from further disappointment, however. I say you should take it for what it is, and don't measure it against other talk/music fodder on the air. I just don't have the chops to compete with the big dogs, and I'm not under any pressure to try to do that. I'm doing what I know and what's fun and interesting...to me, at least. You gotta start somewhere.

And I know we've been more KXOL-intensive here at first, but it will expand as time goes on. A KLIF aircheck was played last time, and a KBOX reunion is planned in the next couple of weeks. I just can't run the whole gauntlet of deserving stations and personalities to feature in such a short time on the air.

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

I'll definately be listening if i can this weekend...

 

[Chuck]

But the best part of "The Hi-Fi Club" is that "I" am in control, I choose what I want to say and play, and I don't have management dictating controls over me, or pressuring me for anything. And no, I don't buy the time. Can you beat a gig like that? And, I'm having FUN to boot. Now THAT'S what radio is supposed to be about! I make no apologies or excuses for that.

I don't think you have anything to apologize for. I think it is great that you are taking the time to pay homage to radio's past. "Slick" and "Good" are not synonyms. Good (and interesting) radio comes in many forms. It always has. Radio is supposed to be fun.

 

[Top40Dawg]

Ouch! That hurt a little! (Re: Top Dawgs' post).We were missing a key element last week with John Lewis being out. He can talk radio and local history with the best of them, and he and I can interact pretty well on the air. Chad is not a historian, but a good conversationalist nonetheless...but the best part is when the three of us are all there and can bounce off each other. But hey, it's not perfect, it won't ever be, and it's not a show that serves the masses. The music-intensive show you heard before was all of John's doing, and maybe that's the way it should sound. But I'm not out to make this something you could hear the same of on KLUV or KAAM, so the talk stays, the airchecks stay, the occasional "cheesy" bits and features stay (OK, the Michael Jackson reference was lame--no more of that) but I'll be more conscious of what works and what's filler, and try to cast off the filler. It's an evolving process where I learn something new every time. With only 2 hours to fill once a week, it's not like we get a lot of practice along the way, and I can tell you that I don't get a lot of prep time during the week! But I appreciate the input. I can't promise you protection from further disappointment, however. I say you should take it for what it is, and don't measure it against other talk/music fodder on the air. I just don't have the chops to compete with the big dogs, and I'm not under any pressure to try to do that. I'm doing what I know and what's fun and interesting...to me, at least. You gotta start somewhere.

And I know we've been more KXOL-intensive here at first, but it will expand as time goes on. A KLIF aircheck was played last time, and a KBOX reunion is planned in the next couple of weeks. I just can't run the whole gauntlet of deserving stations and personalities to feature in such a short time on the air.

Mike,
Well, after re-reading my post I guess it was a little "blunt". I was only pointing out the things I liked and hope to hear more of since you did ask for feedback. : Maybe I should have rephased things. Nothing personal. I might be in the minority with AM radio desire. Hell I still own a black and white TV.
What you guys are doing, NO ONE is doing and what you did a few weeks ago was AWESOME and was hoping to hear more of. In otherwords GREAT JOB! Sorry if it came across as a rant. Also, nice to see a show host involved and engaged on the board.
Good luck with the show. I hope you find what works and knock'em dead with it. The other guy in the post who made the Conan O'Brian comparison. Good way to put it.

 

[CatfishJimPrewitt]

Mike,

Haven't heard the show but i wish you luck. Hang in there!

 

[adguy]

Sounds like a very interesting show. Is the time coming from MRBI or Dan Frishberg? If coming from Frishberg, then maybe he should consider this type of programming for both DFW and Houston. BizRadio has never been more boring than it is right now. Something fresh like this program might raise the value of the property.

 

[MikeShannon914]

First off, thanks Catfish for the well-wishes! That means a lot to me, and I appreciate it.

Far as BizRadio and MRBI, MRBI is the one who is graciously donating the time to me (and my time is not paid--just like my website, it's all a labor of love.) However, the show can be heard over BizRadio's Dallas stream, simply because the stream stays hooked up 24-7.

Nah, I'm nowhere near ready to be a part of BizRadio's schedule! I have enough problems juggling all the elements AND trying to keep the conversations going--I couldn't imagine having to hit the marks to take commercial breaks and such!! I do P/T production for BizRadio already, hence my connection and relationship with both MRBI and BizRadio. And the show is so DFW-intensive that I don't think Houston would even care about it. My knowledge of Houston radio is about 20 years out of date anyway.

And Top40Dawg, no offense taken at all. I'd rather know the truth if something sounds bad. I need to know these things if I'm going to improve and make the thing grow and EARN the listenership!

Also, the show's website is now live at www.thehificlub.net. Not much on there so far, but you can at least see who we are and what we're trying to do, plus connect to the stream.