josh out at krth

[gcreedle239]

Two factors for major market board-ops in the 70's. FCC regs at the time called for a licensed operator on duty at all times. By then, remote control was permissible, so having a board-op/engineer allowed the the hiring of non-licensed talent in big markets - AND - live copy woven into commercial beds and back-timed sing-outs was much more common during the day.

Also, remember the tranisition from 45's to carts. Our first song carted - 1976 Life in the Fast Lane / Eagles, that had to be cut down to remove "Goddamed". Good news about carts: no more "groove burn" caused by cuing records, a big problem with soft intros, and of course, jocks had 45's laying all over the place unprotected - it wasn't unusual to bail out of a skipping record. And no 33/45 rpm mis-starts (ALWAYS FUNNY). Bad news- stereo carts had bad phase problems leading to phase errors and tinnyness in mono. And if you punched a song cart early, the re-cue time, even with FF was torturous.

BTW, tape noise on carts was a good reason to pre-compress songs when mastering to cart, and made for a more consistent jock to music ratio... I've read that Jahni Kaye uses this practice at K-Earth, obviously for the latter reason since music is now a digital file.

 

[gcreedle239]

One more piece of 45/cart trivia - most stations initally carted only their top40, mainly to kill groove burn on high rotation songs.

 

[Bob_Hudson]

Outside morning drive, or the rare pm drive star, jocks are a joke. Sorry
it's true, wish it wasn't the case.

Gotta say I've recently come to realize (or admit) that's true. Midday jocks have become interchangeable pieces with no distinct personality that sets them apart from any other announcer who could fill the slot. That's why I get a kick out of Shotgun Tom in the afternoon: Tom doesn't do jokes or schtick but his energetic delivery sets him apart from the crowd and evokes the hey day of Boss Radio. I hear a lot of that kind of thing too on the oldies channels on my XM satellite radio - essentially using "Top 40" jocks to play Top 40 music for people who grew up with that kind of sound. Here in San Diego every time someone does oldies radio they use those lame mellow jocks who put you on a downer when they open the mike. It's been about 30 years since radio really started to decree that anyone not doing mornings should basically stick to time and temp and liners. Heck we've got machines which can do that quite well. Maybe it's time to again use announcers who are also entertainers, and not just in AM drive.

 

[calguy]

Outside morning drive, or the rare pm drive star, jocks are a joke. Sorry it's true, wish it wasn't the case.

That's a little harsh isn't it? Don't think it's true either. Sadly, that may be the same kind of thinking that company CEO's have, and look where that's taking radio. There are some pretty decent jocks outside of morning drive that may not agree with you either. Cynthia Fox has a great personality, and so does Jim Carson. What about Shotgun Tom? None of these jocks could be considered jokes although Shotgun Tom could fit your criteria as pm drive star. They may be rare though because they're pretty talented, but there are many who are. Perhaps the problem is that many jocks aren't allowed to show personality.

 

[XM RADIO]

Bobby Ocean and John Mack Flanagan are #1 in my book for "afternoon drive" Legends

 

[davideduardo]

One more piece of 45/cart trivia - most stations initally carted only their top40, mainly to kill groove burn on high rotation songs.

Not always, though. In '65 I had everything carted, which allowed the vinyl originals to be kept in my office in case the cart went bad and we needed to dub a song to a new one. With carts at just about $2.50 at that time, it was cheap insurance.

 

[OldSchoolWoman]

Back in the sixtis in medium markets, the LA 3 hour shift was a rarity. The usual shifts in markets like Pittsburgh and Richmond could be:

5-9 AM
9-12
12-3
3-7
7-12
12-5
This was because Top 40 radio was boss when the kids came home which made the PM drive and evenings the most hyped up times . Morning radio still belonged to big AM MOR full-service stations like KDKA and WRVA.
Often the Top 40 outlet was locked into carrying a network news block like ABC news from 6:30-7:15PM and a farm hour at 5 AM. It was not until I got to LA and Miami that I found Top 40 stations that were music driven 24/7.

 

[BruceC]

Seems we've ventured far off the original topic: Josh out at KRTH! With so few on air jobs available now with downsizing and all-night voicetracking (on some stations) it's a tough assignment to find the "next" gig. For every jock ON THE AIR in L.A., there must be 20 "on the beach"....anyone have any suggestions as to where Josh might fit?? Was he right for "Classic Hits"? Should he seek out an AC station somewhere else in So. Cal?? Also...anyone checking in here have school aged kids? Would anyone recommend a career in radio to their offspring or do you feel it's a "dead end" now? I still love the business and think it's the most personal and immediate form of mass communication out there. WORDS and MUSIC. To the poster who said that outside of morning drive and the occasional PM driver there isn't any other talent on the air, it may be the FORMAT. Anyone lucky enough to be on the air in Los Angeles knows what it took to get there and should make the most out of the brief time they have to "relate" to the listener. Show prep is a MUST. Information trumps "one-liners" BUT if that particular "jock" has the right timing and delivery for humor, then info plus a bit of humor -- add in approachability (is there such a word? You know what I mean) and likeability, warmth and friendliness, and you've got a winning combination. You also must KNOW your product. That may be where Josh didn't fit in; not his fault that he may have been too young to really KNOW the 60's and 70's music...and there's SO much to know. Anyone has to admit...the 60's and 70's were really the most powerful years of rock and roll music. With Elvis, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dylan, Elton John, Neil Diamond and too many more industry HEAVYWEIGHTS to mention, those decades had it ALL.

 

[Bob_Hudson]

Seems we've ventured far off the original topic: Josh out at KRTH!

Well no, not off-topic at all: we were all just trying to keep up with a good case that Josh was fired because three-hour air shifts were passe, not because he was annoying DJ.

 

[calguy]

Seems we've ventured far off the original topic: Josh out at KRTH! With so few on air jobs available now with downsizing and all-night voicetracking (on some stations) it's a tough assignment to find the "next" gig. For every jock ON THE AIR in L.A., there must be 20 "on the beach"....anyone have any suggestions as to where Josh might fit?? Was he right for "Classic Hits"? Should he seek out an AC station somewhere else in So. Cal?? Also...anyone checking in here have school aged kids? Would anyone recommend a career in radio to their offspring or do you feel it's a "dead end" now? I still love the business and think it's the most personal and immediate form of mass communication out there. WORDS and MUSIC. To the poster who said that outside of morning drive and the occasional PM driver there isn't any other talent on the air, it may be the FORMAT. Anyone lucky enough to be on the air in Los Angeles knows what it took to get there and should make the most out of the brief time they have to "relate" to the listener. Show prep is a MUST. Information trumps "one-liners" BUT if that particular "jock" has the right timing and delivery for humor, then info plus a bit of humor -- add in approachability (is there such a word? You know what I mean) and likeability, warmth and friendliness, and you've got a winning combination. You also must KNOW your product. That may be where Josh didn't fit in; not his fault that he may have been too young to really KNOW the 60's and 70's music...and there's SO much to know. Anyone has to admit...the 60's and 70's were really the most powerful years of rock and roll music. With Elvis, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dylan, Elton John, Neil Diamond and too many more industry HEAVYWEIGHTS to mention, those decades had it ALL.

Okay BruceC, here goes. Escondon was all wrong for KRTH. Yes, my thinking is he was too young to know the music. That was evident on many occasions. But he could have done some prep and made up for that. Still, that wouldn't have changed much. He was doing the exact same act that he did at KBIG, and that was no great shakes, and knowing him, he wasn't about to try and change what he was doing. Honestly, almost all of the talent at KRTH did Top 40 in the late 60's & 70's and that brings a great understanding of not only the music and its history, but how to do the format as well. Before KBIG his experience was doing weekends at stations in rim shot markets for very short periods of time. You could still hear him make many of the mistakes on the air that rookies do. No knock on KRTH's PD, but he hired a friend, a nice thing to do for the friend, but what about the station? Should Joshua look for work in AC? Where would he go? He burned his bridges at KOST and KBIG and I don't see him leaving the market.

Yes I have a school aged children and I wouldn't recommend radio. Jobs are too scarce as it is and honestly, listening to others on this site and taking into account my own thoughts on the industry, would my child have a shot at a long career? No, I don't think so.

I agree with your opinion of radio though, it is the most personal & immediate form mass communication and it's a business that I like most who post here dearly love. Looking at the artists you've listed it's obvious to me that you're correct, they were heavyweights, and I don't care what anyone says about today's artists, most of them couldn't hold a candle to the Beatles, Stones etc... Sadly, times change, and not always for the better.

 

[TVC1500]

What's funny Cal Guy is I notice you have really been hard on Josh. He isn't what I would consider a great jock, but most of these guys you defend and especially anyone at KLOS is laughable. So, what did he replace you at KBIG or just exactly what is your problem with the guy?

 

[BruceC]

If I may interject a thought here...I think Josh sounded very professional. He may have had a few "crutches" but anyone who knows what it takes to really shine on the radio knows that you can't be great in 4 years, 6 years, 10 years, even after 20 years full-time, personalities keep evolving and getting more and more confident when doing a shift. You have to admire the ones who last in a market for 10-20 years, even 30. Yes, they are few and far between, but if you listen to old airchecks of anyone on the air here in L.A. now, you can actually hear how MOST of them have smoothed out, gotten to sound more natural, self-assured; it's an ongoing process. It certainly, MOST certainly, isn't as "easy" as it seems. I also want to say that a jock has to take care of his voice. Long time smokers or heavy drinkers or BOTH start really losing the quality in their "pipes" ala Dan Ingraham. Not everyone improves with age. And...speaking of improving, just listen to Vin Scully in the mid 60's, compared to now. He was fabulous the, but you can hear a difference in his delivery. Listen now and he's the epitome of super super relaxed natural professional. Even he's improved over the years like fine wine, and I know that back in the 60's, it didn't seem like he COULD get any better; but, he has! This is why you have to admire someone that's been on mike regularly for so long. They CAN grow and morph into something "finer"...I think, in a few years, Josh, if he finds a place to ply his trade and grow, will get better and better, more and more confident. He's, what, in his mid 30's? Yes, too young perhaps to be playing 60's and 70's, BUT, in ten-twenty years, if he sticks with it and preps more and concentrates more on what he's doing; keeps prepared, he does have what it takes to shine. I've noticed a big improvement over his delivery on KOST; much more relaxed and natural. Hopefully, radio won't get so "cookie cutter" as to take the chance to learn and grow away from any future major market stars who are just getting into it. That's the future of radio; being host in the smaller markets to people who have the raw potential to evolve into super communicators and entertainers.

 

[calguy]

Well TVC1500, first off I like the Bowie reference, secondly, I really haven't been that hard on him. When he 1st got a job at KRTH there was another poster who actually called him a psycho. That wasn’t me, but I will admit that I'm far from a fan, and there have been many posters showing hate for him. Oh and no, he didn't replace me anywhere.

If you guessed that I know quite a few people who really DO NOT like him, you'd be on target. When someone is cruel to a friend or co-worker who doesn't deserve it, you tend to dislike the person who is being mean especially when it’s uncalled for. So I have knowledge about the guy, and it's not flattering. But hey, everyone makes mistakes and I've been trying to be objective about this from a professional standpoint. If you read what I wrote earlier I said that I didn't think he fit in at KRTH on the air. I have no knowledge about his behavior there when the mic is off. I also said that his youth may have worked against him at an oldies station that played a lot of music that he didn't seem to know much about. I don't think that was mean, just an assessment of his act made by listening to him on the air. It may seem that I'm picking on him, and believe me I could, but what purpose would that serve? Why kick him when he's down. I will say that I know many people who were actually happy at the news of his exit.

BruceC. If you are who I think you are let me say that I have always respected you and your talent. I understand that you might think I've been harsh as well, and I understand that you're sticking up for Escondon as he was a colleague. If you had no problems with him, that's great, but I think that it was an exception and not what many have experienced at his previous jobs.

You are totally correct that he had crutches, as we all do from time to time. What one tries to do is listen to the airchecks after shift and correct the problem. It's not easy as I'm sure you know, and we all fall into bad habits. You’re also right that while most improve over time, many get worse. The reasons can be many as you've stated, and Vin Scully is a great example. He's been the best for over half a century and like a fine wine seems to improve every year. We Angelinos are blessed for having him and should thank the heavens for every game he calls for the Dodgers.

As for me, I don't really care for my sound, and most certainly wouldn't want a soul to hear an aircheck from my early years. Guess I've slipped off topic again as this was about Josh exiting KRTH and not Vin Scully, but he's the best baseball announcer on earth and I just love the guy. It also isn’t about me, but I was asked a question by TVC1500 and felt like I would’ve been a coward to not answer.

 

[BruceC]

Cal Guy...you said...

"As for me, I don't really care for my sound, and most certainly wouldn't want a soul to hear an aircheck from my early years."

I think most of the on air people who've been in the business for quite a few years would "cringe" if they heard old airchecks of themselves We all should hope so...worst thing would be to hear a decades old aircheck and think "Hey, I sounded a lot BETTER then!"

That's when it'd be time to hang up your headphones!

 

[TVC1500]

Cal Guy: Thanks for your honest answer, I appreciate it. I have worked with similiar talent in LA that I would feel the same way about.

Bruce: You're correct to a certain point, although some jocks were much better in their early days. Some jocks (will go unamed) have simply been around for 20 or more years in LA because they tend to fly under the radar and are consistently medicore. While speaking of KRTH, if Kaye had some huevos he would bring back Humble Harve at least for part time. Harve is the last of a rare breed of boss jock and Philly soul man. The best KRTH ever sounded was the brief period when Harve, RWM and RDS were all on the air.

 

[HelloUnEmPloyedPeople]

Cmon how can you actually take someone seriously that refers to themself as the Hispanic Seacrest.

Plus from what I heard he was always losing on the poker sites.

Back to poughkeepsie

 

[Nick Gerard]

anyone who knows what it takes to really shine on the radio knows that you can't be great in 4 years, 6 years, 10 years, even after 20 years full-time, personalities keep evolving and getting more and more confident when doing a shift.

Excellent point, Bruce. I've done radio for over 35 years, and for the past 15 years or so I've been obsessed with getting to sound more "natural" on the air. It sounds crazy and almost counter-intuitive to have to "work" at sounding natural.

A PD called my attention to this when I was working at a triple-A formatted station in the early 90's. He said I needed to get the "radio" out of my delivery. Once I got past my initial indignation at this critique, I came to realize that this was valuable advice and something worth working on.

Before opening the mic I often ask myself "how would I say this in an off-air conversation?" I aim for "real people speak" and strive to avoid the "radio-isms." (You know..."got a little Springsteen comin' up for ya!" or "68 degrees on your Wednesday." Gag me.)

I also work with a single earpiece with the volume down so low that it functions simply as a monitor. Loud phones always cause me to use my voice in an unnatural way.

When listening to airchecks from as recently as 5 or 6 years ago, the first thing I notice is a certain "rigidity" in my delivery, which, thankfully, seems to be nearly gone today.

So, as Bruce suggests, I'll aim to keep evolving, working to be more and more comfortable and confident behind the mic, even after all these years. Every air personality knows the rush of having a great day on the air. Being pleased with the way we sound is its own reward!

Nick Gerard

 

[LKellerIII]

anyone who knows what it takes to really shine on the radio knows that you can't be great in 4 years, 6 years, 10 years, even after 20 years full-time, personalities keep evolving and getting more and more confident when doing a shift.

Excellent point, Bruce. I've done radio for over 35 years, and for the past 15 years or so I've been obsessed with getting to sound more "natural" on the air. It sounds crazy and almost counter-intuitive to have to "work" at sounding natural.

A PD called my attention to this when I was working at a triple-A formatted station in the early 90's. He said I needed to get the "radio" out of my delivery. Once I got past my initial indignation at this critique, I came to realize that this was valuable advice and something worth working on.

Before opening the mic I often ask myself "how would I say this in an off-air conversation?" I aim for "real people speak" and strive to avoid the "radio-isms." (You know..."got a little Springsteen comin' up for ya!" or "68 degrees on your Wednesday." Gag me.)

I also work with a single earpiece with the volume down so low that it functions simply as a monitor. Loud phones always cause me to use my voice in an unnatural way.

When listening to airchecks from as recently as 5 or 6 years ago, the first thing I notice is a certain "rigidity" in my delivery, which, thankfully, seems to be nearly gone today.

So, as Bruce suggests, I'll aim to keep evolving, working to be more and more comfortable and confident behind the mic, even after all these years. Every air personality knows the rush of having a great day on the air. Being pleased with the way we sound is its own reward!

Nick Gerard

And your listeners thank you, Nick. For a number of years, there was a weekend and fill in DJ at KFRC in San Francisco who talked up almost every single song intro with "(fill in name of group or artist) for ya! Kaaaaay-Efffff-Ooooarrrrr-Saaayyyy"

Between the "for ya" crutch, and the theatrical mispronunciation of "R" and "C" - the guy was impossible for me to listen to. That management would let it go without setting him straight just proved to me how asleep at the switch CBS radio management was in those days.

But my favorite call letter mis-pronunciation was the young female jock in the 90s who called her station "Kay-Ass-Oh-Al" (KSOL). I always imagined a big guy named Al with a large rear end.

I've always wondered why jocks think that kind of thing sounds good.

I guess some

 

[airpab]

I have a couple of old favorites that I thought were always kind of underrated! They both sounded very natural on the air and more importantly, like they were having a great time.

Remember Charlie Fox? Great voice and really had great delivery/timing.

And Mucho Morales.....Anyone remember these guys?

 

[BruceC]

The last I heard about Charlie Fox's whereabouts, he was in Dallas, TX, waiting for the Drake satellite - delivered OLDIES format to start. He was hired to be part of the full time staff. Unfortunately, the format never took off; never left the ground. It's a tough business and, I suppose, it didn't get enough interest to ever start. I don't know where Charlie is now.

Mucho Morales is doing weekends at Dial-Global's KOOL GOLD format, where he's been for the past 6 or 7 years, maybe more.

Humble Harve is also doing weekends there.