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Jim LaBarbara, The Country Professor?

robmadden1 said:
So what does "The Music Professor" know about country music? We'll find out when Jim LaBarbara subs for Duke Hamilton 3-7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday on WUBE-FM (B105.1).

http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2007/05/jim-labarbara-country-professor.asp#comments
Click to expand...

You might want to keep in mind that when Prof cut his chops, it was all just music. There wasn't country and rap and rock and blah blah blah, as there is now. Plus, he also learned at a time when you had to do all of your own prep -- there was no Internet and there were no prep services.

Kudos to Marty. Good for Jim. He's a true professional.
 
I don't wish the guy any ill will, but have you actually ever worked with him? I mean, work with him, not chat with him from down the hall for a few minutes.
He's pretty high maintenance. I doubt you could find a PD who would dispute that, at least privately. Maybe being let go this time has humbled him, but it never did before. He actually forced a deal at WGRR where he got first stab at any paid gig; the rest of the jocks got his leftovers.
He's a nice enough guy, a funny guy and a sometimes interesting guy, but true professional is not the phrase I'd use to describe him.

Now Marty Thompson: THAT'S a nice guy!
 
punchbuggy said:
I don't wish the guy any ill will, but have you actually ever worked with him? I mean, work with him, not chat with him from down the hall for a few minutes.
He's pretty high maintenance. I doubt you could find a PD who would dispute that, at least privately. Maybe being let go this time has humbled him, but it never did before. He actually forced a deal at WGRR where he got first stab at any paid gig; the rest of the jocks got his leftovers.
He's a nice enough guy, a funny guy and a sometimes interesting guy, but true professional is not the phrase I'd use to describe him.

Now Marty Thompson: THAT'S a nice guy!
Click to expand...

Yes. I worked with Prof, both directly and indirectly. Yes he's high maintenance, but so what... the man was on WGRR for years, saying the same calls and identifiers over and over, and not once did he miss a beat on B during his fill ins yesterday or today (not at least when I listened). THAT... is a professional. You'd have expected him to slip once or twice. I'd expect that of any human beiong in a similar situation.

As for whatever deals Jim may have "forced," that's how the game is played. Doesn't mean it's nice to be on the leftovers end of the deal, but that's life, and sometimes life sucks.
 
I'm confused about one thing from the Enquirer story. When did he become Marty's friend? That's not at all the impression I had of their relationship or lack thereof during the late 90's when Marty was in Las Vegas and trying to find a way to come back home and back to GRR.
 
Jc, coming from you that sounds credible, because you were there doing traffic for a year or two, so you probably know first hand who likes who, and who is a friend. The impression I got from a few years ago and seeing the comments on the board, was that anyone connected with 1530 WSAI as an oldies station was not a friend of anyone connected with WGRR. And Marty was voicetracking from Vegas for SAI, but then again CBS hired him for the B, so who knows?.
 
I never felt like they were close enough where Marty felt compelled to extend him a huge favor by allowing him to fill in for the Duker just to make a "tape". Marty was not in town when I was at GRR, but I always had the assumption from stuff I heard in the hallways, that they were not close enough to call each other a friend. I'm not trying to create something here, but I gave the article a double glance when I read the part where Marty said he was helping a friend. I never knew he felt that way about him.
 
Once again I'm forced to set the record straight on this board about the goings on at 2060 Reading Road. The past two nights I had to follow Mr. LaBarbara on the air. (By the way,he insisted that I will refer to him as Mister if I ever want to see my headphones again). Anyway, I would like to state for the record that The Professor and Marty With The Party were at each other's throats the whole time he was back here. So much so that an intern had to be dispatched to the area Walgreen's to replenish the kitchen first aid kit with bandages and hydrogen peroxide. It was ugly, folks, and unfortunately I was again stuck in the middle. I felt like I was doing an airshift on the Gaza Strip and was having to play requests that pleased both the Israelis and Palestenians. It got so bad that at one point the building was overrun with policeman, EMTs and for some reason a clown. (Later investigation determined that the clown was here for a festive sales presentation and had witnessed no carnage.) The Party and The Prof might say they're friends, but I ask you this. Would a "friend" get caught putting crystalized drain cleaner in someone's oversized tea mug? Or would a "friend" cut the brake lines on a friends scooter and then coat the exit ramp from the parking lot in bacon grease? I've barely even scratched the service here, folks. Once the legal issues have passed I'll be able to elaborate further. In the meantime, say a prayer for me and the rest of the hard workin' folks here in this building.
 
And THAT my friends is one fine high falootin example of what is known as sarcasm.
:D ;D ::) :p
 
I've never heard Big Dave's show, sorry Dave, but herein may be one of the problems with the sad state of terrestrial radio. I'm assuming that Dave is not permitted to get this creative on the air in between the records. I've only talked to Dave one time in my life and it was when he did a call in during a program while I was on duty on the B on a Sunday morning last year. And he sounded like a nice guy, not a jerk or anything . But, man, if he was allowed to get that crazy in between the records, it might be a reason for me to turn off my Sirius and tune in the B to see what the hell is going on. Steve Hawkins and I did alot of that kind of stuff on the Q back in the mid 80's when Radio was really fun. Is it still fun today? geez, sorry, I've really veered off the topic.
 
[EDIT] The Prof put food on the plates of the Thompson clan for years, why would Marty not extend the help? Prof is one of the most outstanding individuals in this business, it will not work full time at 2060 but before we all know it Prof will be putting the "Legendary" back on Cincinnati airwaves.

[EDIT-inflammatory]
 
If LaBabbler put any food on the Thompson family table it's because it fell off the shovel on the way to his mouth or tumbled off his beard. The toddlers, at risk of limb and life were able to snatch it and sustain their existance.

Let's get this straight. It was Marty that hired the unemployed Video Professsor at WGRR after his video store went bellyup. Marty owes no favors to the Prof. He's just a nice guy and he also knows there's a little P.R. in the process.. Even Marty has a little PT Barnum in him.
 
You lost me at "Lababbler". How juvenile. Make fun of the guys appetite and the fact that he attempted to open his own business. Juvenile and petty.

I do agree that it's naive to think Marty Thompson offered to let Jim fill in out of the kindness of his heart. From what I know of him, Marty Thompson thinks of Marty Thompson and what will benefit Marty Thompson. He got his name in the paper and the station got some press. Good for him... but don't think that he did it to "help a friend".
 
CincyRed said:
[EDIT] The Prof put food on the plates of the Thompson clan for years, why would Marty not extend the help? Prof is one of the most outstanding individuals in this business, it will not work full time at 2060 but before we all know it Prof will be putting the "Legendary" back on Cincinnati airwaves.
[EDIT-inflammatory]
Click to expand...

My vote is...The Prof to do mornings on........Kiss 107 don't dare say FM.
 
[EDIT] I was replying to Cincyred's distortions of LaBarbara's value to the Thompson family. Those are fabrications and delusional suppositions. I was merely presenting facts. I know both very well and I can tell you Marty is the best PD one could ever work with or for. If I ever got back into it, it would be to work for him.

Nothing I said about Jim was untrue or cruel. It's been said to his face. He mumbles. Hence "LaBabbler" a rather endearing term. He cleans out the frig at every place he's worked in advance of the monthly refrigerator purge.. The front office loves it as they don't have to be disgusted by moldy yogurt. The Prof has scaped it off and devoured the cool, fruity sludge leaving traces in his beard for later savoring.

Marty gave the Prof the job at WGRR when all said he was finished in radio. Prof owes him and Marty still reaches out. Maybe lightning will happen again. Who knows? If he shows up just don't get between the prof and a twinkie.The eyes turn red, the saliva flows the thickness of slugs on salt and oozes down the beard. AT THAT POINT GET AWAY. The twinkie is going down and he may chew off a digit or two from your hand in the process.

BTW Punchbuggy pretty much had it correct.


[EDIT-inflammatory]
 
So all the times Marty got a ratings bonus because Prof's number were so strong didn't help the Thompson Clan? All the sudden things are different in Cincinnati?
 
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