No Prophet Is Without Honor

[spymovie7]

Here's a one minute mp3 aircheck of what I regard as the highlight of Ron Chapman's last morning show:

http://www.geocities.com/[email protected]/actuality.mp3

Here's a transcript for those of you who might not be able to listen:

Chapman: Yesterday morning, The Vocal Majority stood out on the top level of our concrete parking lot, with a microphone in front of them, and sang a song to me yesterday morning, and it’s pretty remarkable, so I want to do both of those –

Dean: I think that’s a great thing to do, and I want to get out of the way for the next 45 minutes, so I want to do this right now. I don’t want to be on the radio for the next 45 minutes.

Chapman: Okay. You take over at nine?

Dean: Well, yeah, I “follow” you. I’ll never “take over.”

Chapman: Alright.

Dean: So, I wanted to get this out of the way now, and now that I think about doing it, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do it or not. For the past several days, I’ve thought about what I was going to say right now. And I guess in the back of my mind, I’ve thought about it for several years. To be honest, I haven’t any more grasp of the right thing to say right now then I did six weeks ago. But the story of Elijah keeps coming to mind. When the great prophet was caught away, Elisha picked up the mantle of his mentor, and could only manage two words: “ My Father!” And in every way a man could be, you are that to me. I’d like a double share of your spirit – but half would do!



I'm a religious fellow, too, and enjoyed the scripture references. Here's the passage about Elija that Jody Dean was talking about in its full context:


(2 Kings 2:1-13)

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

"Stay here, please," Elijah said to Elisha. "The LORD has sent me on to Bethel." "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live," Elisha replied, "I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel, where the guild prophets went out to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD will take your master from over you today?" "Yes, I know it," he replied. "Keep still."

Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, Elisha, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho." "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live," Elisha replied, "I will not leave you."

They went on to Jericho, where the guild prophets approached Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD will take your master from over you today?" "Yes, I know it," he replied. "Keep still."

Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here; the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan." "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live," Elisha replied, "I will not leave you." And so the two went on together.

Fifty of the guild prophets followed, and when the two stopped at the Jordan, stood facing them at a distance.

Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up and struck the water, which divided, and both crossed over on dry ground.

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha answered, "MAY I RECEIVE A DOUBLE PORTION OF YOUR SPIRIT."

"You have asked something that is not easy," he replied. "Still, if you see me taken up from you, your wish will be granted; otherwise not."

As they walked on conversing, a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

When Elisha saw it happen he cried out, "MY FATHER! MY FATHER! Israel's chariots and drivers!" But when he could no longer see him, Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.

Then he picked up Elijah's mantle which had fallen from him, and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan.

 

[BrainDeadPrez]

Re: No Profit Is With Honor

When the
> great prophet was caught away, Elisha picked up the mantle
> of his mentor, and could only manage two words: “ My
> Father!” And in every way a man could be, you are that to
> me. I’d like a double share of your spirit – but half would
> do!

I cna appreciate your religious convictions, and I don't challenge those...but sheesh, this is just a friggin' RADIO SHOW here, folks. Not God passing the baton to Jesus. Once the hoopla settles down (and yeah, I do admit to being somewhat moved amidst today's show,) most of us will likely revert to a reality check of who Ron is and was...a person celebrated for his accomplishments, but not for the means he took to attain them. The other reality is that Ron didn't 'go out on top'; that his show had been in 11th place the last time I checked, and that his routines and humor were showing signs of serious wear. (Not that 11th place is bad in general, but consider that not every station has a dedicated "morning show.") Going out on top would have required stepping down around 1990 while at KVIL. Considering what radio has turned into since 1990, Ron probably would have been better served by quitting then. His quest for excellence and perfection never fit the corporate radio model, and that was the cause of much of his head-butting with Chuckie and company. When Ron quipped today that his departure would "help the bottom line" at Infinity, the Infinity prez admitted on-air that "Indeed; you always were conscious of that end of the business." I read that to mean, "Yeah, nice having you here, Ron, but the bottom line is the only thing that matters."

One reason Ron's show had taken a hit in the past few years was that he didn't surround himself with A-level talent anymore. Suzie was a jewel. I think listeners ate up that interaction and Suzie's occasional cluelessness and getting to beat Ron to the punch line sometimes. Ron never used Kathy Jones in the same way. They didn't like each other and he never let her fill the Suzie void (he thought he did her a big favor by keeping her on staff from the previous "Mike [Wade] and Kathy" morning show.) Craig's a good guy, but he's no seasoned sports anchor. Mitch Carr was effective enough as a newscaster, but his stern tone couldn't compete with the affable Andy McCollum. And Nancy Jay? Please. Bringing Judy Jordan back from Tyler would have made more sense. Maybe Ron's salary was the reason he was limited from hiring top-tier talent during his last few years at KVIL, and onward to KLUV. It would have been worth a small cut in pay to arm himself with the right supporting cast. That was SO much of the magic at KVIL in the 70s and 80s. Ron could be a one-man show if needed, but he worked SO much better when he could share the mic with someone who could keep up with him. That's why there was a CHARLIE with a Harrigan, and later a Suzie and a Jody. You can't hire warm bodies to be placeholders and expect to "groom" them into being radio pro's on the level of a Ron Chapman. It just didn't work. And Jody's going to have to be VERY conscious of that going forth.

 

[StacksofWax]

Re: No Profit Is With Honor

> When the
> > great prophet was caught away, Elisha picked up the mantle
>
> > of his mentor, and could only manage two words: “ My
> > Father!” And in every way a man could be, you are that to
>
> > me. I’d like a double share of your spirit – but half
> would
> > do!
>
> I most of us will likely
> revert to a reality check of who Ron is and was...a person
> celebrated for his accomplishments, but not for the means he
> took to attain them.

I know Ron could be tough, but I had never heard anyone imply that he used questionable means to get to the top. I never worked with him so I don't know...but I am curious what you are specifically refering to...

 

[StacksofWax]

> Here's a one minute mp3 aircheck of what I regard as the
> highlight of Ron Chapman's last morning show:
>
ht> tp://www.geocities.com/[email protected]/actuality.mp3
>
>

Thanks so much for making the effort! Not to be greedy but...if you have more it is definately worth a post on reelradio.com...this is a true piece of radio history....

 

[edwardrmurrow]

Re: No Profit Is With Honor

The big thing "Prez" was brushing on was ,Ron was NOT a people person. Shocking yes, but like Chuck Brinkman only a SELECTED few were treated with respect from Ron. When he was in public he was "Ron on the radio",at the station off the mike, and off the air,he was negative. He rarely went to a staff memeber's Christmas or birthday party unless it was(as one staffer put it) "to honor himself". That was his serious flaw,butyou can't argue with success, and that he was.

 

[nuzguy]

Re: No Profit Is With Honor

> The big thing "Prez" was brushing on was ,Ron was NOT a
> people person. Shocking yes, but like Chuck Brinkman only a
> SELECTED few were treated with respect from Ron. When he was
> in public he was "Ron on the radio",at the station off the
> mike, and off the air,he was negative. He rarely went to a
> staff memeber's Christmas or birthday party unless it was(as
> one staffer put it) "to honor himself". That was his serious
> flaw,butyou can't argue with success, and that he was.
>

You and Prez have put Ron's existence and radio career in a very well packaged nutshell.

He had always said he would go out on top, not wanting people to say he "used to be good." I heard one of his KLUV morning shows a year ago this week and it was a notable drop in energy and content from the good old days at KVIL. Unfortunately it sounded like so many other shows around the country. My reaction that he was tired and bored with the bit and was suffering heavily from corporatitis and restraints that robbed him of the incentive to carry forward with his standard of entertaining the public. Nice of the suit to condescend to appearing and making his snide remark about finances. In light of that attitude, Ron did the right thing in checking it to them.

It was a great run. Chapman epitomizes the line, "There's no people like show people." Except that he couldn't smile when he was as low as the company had dragged him. And he didn't steal an extra bow--he just said goodbye and went his way.

Thanks, Ron, and good luck Jody. Soar with eagles and don't let the turkeys keep you on the ground where they can trample you.

 

[BrainDeadPrez]

Re: No Profit Is With Honor

> You and Prez have put Ron's existence and radio career in a
> very well packaged nutshell.
>

The bottom line is, you can't argue Ron's contributions to the industry and his effect on what we hear locally every day from every jock. From the schtick to the formatics to running contests at certain times during the hour to hit the ratings markers, from the banter to the sound quality, etc etc etc...Ron perfected the 'sound' of radio and was rewarded by seeing KVIL hit #1 for so many books in the 70s and 80s. His formula indeed worked, no doubt about it.

BUT...his undying quest for perfection wasn't shared by everyone, and no one should dare get in his way. I wasn't implying on my other post that Ron did anything questionable...I think he generally played by the rules, and made a few up along the way as needed (and he covered lots of uncharted territory along the way, to his defense.) But his ego and power trip and powerplays ran off good people like Mike Selden, Lynne Haley, etc along the way, and intimidated countless others who just 'put up and shut up' to keep their jobs. I've yet to hear ANYONE say that Ron was a joy to work with or for. However, most do say that they learned more from Ron than anyone else they've ever worked with. So, it depends on what one wanted to get out of the experience...to be Ron's buddy or equal, or to learn from the master and take those skills elsewhere. Selden was a renegade. He sometimes broke format, he told double-entendre and occasionally off-color jokes, and was very edgy for his time...much to the delight of DFW's virgin ears. He also beat Chapman's numbers, even with Chapman having the morning drive advantage (Selden was afternoon drive.) Instead of Ron thanking God that he had a Mike Selden on his staff, keeping KVIL at #1 in another daypart, Ron let his bruised ego get the best of him and worked for years to build a case for firing Selden. Selden could have easily taken his talents to KNUS in 1973 instead of KVIL and history may have been written differently. By 1978, KVIL was handily beating KNUS and Selden's presence at KNUS at that point didn't help matters much. Selden was on a downhill slide from that point on (and I'm sure being in the throes of drug abuse and such by then didn't help, either.)

Far as Lynne Haley, I don't know the details of why she was let go, but Ron did hire her back to produce his morning show some years later. Tom Dooley was another one fired at Chapman's behest. And a couple of other people (nameless by request) were either let go or intimidated out the door by Ron over various circumstances...one, because Ron thought this person was shirking his duties one time by passing off a project to another employee (when the other employee was actually the person responsible for doing that particular chore,) and another, who said that Ron told him in a meeting that, "I (Ron) want to be bigger than the Beatles." This person chuckled, thinking Ron was kidding, but he wasn't!

So suffice it to say that Ron wasn't everybody's piece of cake. The important thing is that the listeners loved him, and the stories that occasionally leaked out about his tyrannical style of management and his never-ending grudges against those who didn't comply or share his quest for perfection never seemed to sway the public away from him. Those co-workers that DID comply and did things as Ron expected have, for the most part, succeeded...Jody Dean to KRLD and KTVT, and now taking Ron's spot at KLUV; Michael Rey, who's done quite well with TXCN and WFAA; Suzie Humphreys, who "retired" to a successful career doing motivational speaking; Ken Barnett, still at KVIL some 25 years later; Steve Eberhart, later to KLUV and still going strong at ABC Radio and doing voiceover work, etc etc...so, sure, there's arguments on both sides of the issue.

Sure, it's probably not the best time right now to bring the whole Chapman experience to the surface, but to properly know the man, I think it's important to know all sides. And I'm not one to know it all firsthand from personal interaction; Ron and I crossed paths very few times and I wasn't there to see much of what folks have complained about...so feel free to correct me or offer more insight.