Howard Miller employees

[Goldilocks94941]

Anyone here ever work for or with Howard Miller? (The radio maven, not the watchmaker.) I was a part timer at his suburban WFXW in Geneva (AM 1480) for a few years in the 1980s. The old guy paid us under the table so he wouldn't have to report payroll tax (it might have been as much as $4 an hour back then), and seemed to prohibit much music from black singers in the station library, even tho' his claim to fame was introducing Johnny Mathis to the world on WBBM some years earlier.

Howard was a crusty old conservative patrician sort of chain-smoking character, but I have to say he was also one of the few managers who bothered to provide me with feedback to help me become a better air personality. He also wouldn't let us segue music back then and, in true Chicago style, wanted us to have something to say on the air - even tho we eventually didn't have any AP wire copy to give us material. I resorted to quoting from old garage-sale Readers Digest filler material. At the time, Howard also ran a local AM in Melbourne, Florida, where I think he eventually relocated to keep warm.

Any other memories of Uncle Howard out there in radioland?

 

[radioman148]

>>his claim to fame was introducing Johnny Mathis to the world on WBBM some years earlier>>

It had to be WIND not WBBM. Howard Miller owned the mornings in the 50s & 60s. Nobody ever came close to him in the ratings.

 

[b344077]

This may sound odd but in those days (in the 50's), the radio networks ran 15 minute shows. Howard Miller had one on CBS for a few years (at 10:45am). Locally, it was on WBBM and so he may have "introduced" Johnny Mathis to a national audience.

 

[radioman148]

This may sound odd but in those days (in the 50's), the radio networks ran 15 minute shows. Howard Miller had one on CBS for a few years (at 10:45am). Locally, it was on WBBM and so he may have "introduced" Johnny Mathis to a national audience.

I didn't know that. Thanks for setting me straight.

 

[Prais]

Goldi,
I was an often visitor, then a producer (I put 2000 oldies on cart) at WIND, Chicago. Howard, though he was justified if he had an EGO, was always friendly and professional. A stand-up guy. He was always good to me.

Really, Geneva was just like LOTS of 1kw suburban stations in those days, struggling. No wire service, and barely enough to make any profit for the owner. The "suburban" audiemce may not have accepted "black artists" too well back then so they were often eliminated in that type of station. When I programmed in Indiana at a similar station to Geneva, we "limited" play of black artists becausae SADLY people of my parents (now in their 80's) and grandparents generaation were MUCH less accepting of "race music" and even standards by most black artists. Sad but true. Glad things have improved.

 

[Charlie Gee]

I was a board op at WIND in 1959 and I had listened to Howard Miller before I worked there. My day started with the last hour of his program. I have to say he was very professional (as he should have been) in the way he handled the program.
I wasn't present for a couple of his go rounds with Jim Dale. Poor Dale, he had to step up to a mike and read a 60 second spot with Miller doing all he could to screw up Dale's read. Somewhere I have a recording of one of those episodes where a 60 second spot lasted about 5 minutes.

As I remember it, there seemed to be less and less of the free flowing fun radio as time went on. Not only in Chicago, but in other markets as well.

 

[radioman148]

Did he ever try the old favorite--lighting the news copy on fire?