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THE WOODY GUY!!!!!!

> I did afternoons and was PD from the summer of '88 until
> early '89...Bob Michaels. Lots of Al and Bob stories...but
> the summer of '88 we did Big Bob's Barbeque. Every Saturday
> afternoon, I would take the mobile unit out and take hot
> dogs and hamburgers and fixings to someone's house and we'd
> have a picnic. By the end of the 13 week promotion, I was
> pretty beat...and realized if I drenched the charcoal
> briquettes with LOTS of lighter fluid, the fire would burn
> faster and we could eat (and I could go home!) earlier!
> Well, I drenched them one time - like half the can of fluid
> - and WHOOSH! Up went the flames! Unfortunately the grill
> was close to the house of the "winner" and it scorched the
> side of their house! They didn't mind though...they were
> happy to win the prize and were having a great time (since
> they had been drinking since morning waiting for my
> arrival!)
>
> Bob and Rene now live in Albany...Rene is the GM of the ABC
> affiliate there. They still have their winter home near
> West Palm Beach. Both are doing well...I talked with them
> over the holidays. Me? I've been with Arbitron for the
> past 17 years and will be leaving to help stations with the
> transition from diary measurement to the Portable People
> Meter after a few months vacation.
>
> Bob Michaels
> Dallas, Texas
>


That's amazing. Most people would never talk to them by choice. Have you been reading how unpopular this guy was with radio people or non radio people?
 
>
> That's amazing. Most people would never talk to them by
> choice. Have you been reading how unpopular this guy was
> with radio people or non radio people?
>
I guess it's all a matter of relationships. I've worked in the past with people I thought were a$$holes, but who other people thought were great.
I could never figure it out, but obviously some sort of connection was made.
I never had any encounters with Woody and from what I read here, I wasn't missing out on anything. He sounds like your typical Big Fish in a Small Pond who is his own biggest fan, and they're a dime a dozen.
 
> Alright...my first post on the big board.
>
> Since the Yonkster mentioned MIKE RAYMOND in one of his
> previous WOODY posts, it jogged my memory. My first radio
> job was at Mike's old romping grounds WSGD and I started
> there when the studios were still in the tiny house at the
> top of Salem Mountain in Carbondale. It's 1988...I'm
> 17-years-old...and I'm filling in for the late great Scotty
> Young on the STEGMIER RING-A-DING THING (Sunday 8pm to
> midnight).
>
> At about eleven o'clock, I hear this relentless banging on
> the front door of the "house." Now, keep in mind...this
> house is kind of in the middle of nothing. It's the dead of
> winter, it's dark, and I'm this kid who's been working in
> radio for a whole two months. Scared to death, I finally
> open the door...and who's standing there...but BOB WOODY.
> Now granted, I didn't know that at the time, but he handed
> me a 7-inch reel of tape and said something like "Hey I'm
> Bob Woody! This spot starts tomorrow so you gotta dub it
> tonight!" All I could think was "You're who...and I gotta
> do what with what?" But my song was ending (oldies are
> short)so I said "Yeah fine," shut the door and that was
> that.
>
> About 45 minutes later, my midnight relief came in. For the
> life of me, I can't remember his name. But he was this kind
> of short guy who used to work at WSCR during its final days
> as a satellite oldies station. I told him what happened and
> I swear his reaction was "Bob Woody! I hate that f**ker!"
> So...there you go...not a great story...but my first...and
> just about only run in with the legend.
>
> mevansrock
>
That's a great story.
Yonkstur
 
Re: THE WOODY GUY!!!!!! WOODY & WERNER

> > > >
> > > NEXT POST: Woody As A Neighbor and his biggest regret.

Final Woody Post
In 1980 I was on my way to Yankee Stadium for Old Timer's
Day. The bus was sailing along when we were told we had to
make a turn to come back and pick up some stranded passengers
who's bus broke down. I became very good friends with a guy
who was Woody's next door neighbor. Through the years this
guy and I remained friends. In my visits to this guy's house,
I saw Woody as the neighbor. Quiet, kept the place up, at
one point had his parents living with him. In the winter
when I had to pick up dubs in that box outside the studio
it was an adventure going down that sidewalk on the side of
the house when it was icy. I seem to remember getting dubs
for Music Box Playhouse, Motor Twins and a few others. One time
I asked Woody if in his long career he had any big regrets.
He thought a moment and said, "I wish I hadn't driven George
Gilbert as crazy as I did. I wish I was a little bit less
confrontational and easier on him. I'd like to tell him "I
get" what he was trying to say to me". I don't know if he
ever told "double G" that but I'd like to think he did.
The house at 317 Harrison Avenue belongs to someone else,
my friend still lives at 309 Harrison. Because of my
accident I can no longer make the steps but every once in
a while when I drive down Harrison Ave to pick up my
buddy for a Barons game or a night out, I half expect
Woody to be charging out of his house on some mission that
only he "gets" in its full magnitude.
Yonkstur


>
 
Re: THE WOODY GUY!!!!!! WOODY & WERNER

> > > > >
> > > > NEXT POST: Woody As A Neighbor and his biggest regret.
>
>
> Final Woody Post
> In 1980 I was on my way to Yankee Stadium for Old
> Timer's
> Day. The bus was sailing along when we were told we
> had to
> make a turn to come back and pick up some stranded
> passengers
> who's bus broke down. I became very good friends with
> a guy
> who was Woody's next door neighbor. Through the years
> this
> guy and I remained friends. In my visits to this guy's
> house,
> I saw Woody as the neighbor. Quiet, kept the place up,
> at
> one point had his parents living with him. In the
> winter
> when I had to pick up dubs in that box outside the
> studio
> it was an adventure going down that sidewalk on the
> side of
> the house when it was icy. I seem to remember getting
> dubs
> for Music Box Playhouse, Motor Twins and a few others.
> One time
> I asked Woody if in his long career he had any big
> regrets.
> He thought a moment and said, "I wish I hadn't driven
> George
> Gilbert as crazy as I did. I wish I was a little bit
> less
> confrontational and easier on him. I'd like to tell
> him "I
> get" what he was trying to say to me". I don't know if
> he
> ever told "double G" that but I'd like to think he
> did.
> The house at 317 Harrison Avenue belongs to someone
> else,
> my friend still lives at 309 Harrison. Because of my
> accident I can no longer make the steps but every once
> in
> a while when I drive down Harrison Ave to pick up my
> buddy for a Barons game or a night out, I half expect
>
> Woody to be charging out of his house on some mission
> that
> only he "gets" in its full magnitude.
> Yonkstur
>
>
> >
>

There was also a sorry going round that Woody threw his parents out of the apartment they had in his home. Don't know if it's true, but it sounds like something he would do. I know Double G hated him with a passion.
 
> Hey....didn't you marry raymonds daughter?
> What he and bozwell did to SG94.
>
> Amel
>
Marry Raymond's daughter??? Ummm...NO!
 
> That's amazing. Most people would never talk to them by
> choice. Have you been reading how unpopular this guy was
> with radio people or non radio people?
>
Well, when I was only 15 years old, Bob allowed me to hang out at WARM when he did his Saturday night show (he got in a lot of trouble with PD George Gilbert when he found out I was in the station) and I got my start in this biz producing his top and bottom of the hour newscasts from 8p-1:30am. Yes, he got something out of it (someone to put the newscast together), but look what I got - to say at my first official job at WHEX-AM in Columbia, PA that I was a news writer/producer at WARM at the age of 15! When you are in your teens, you sometimes just take all the experiences in and figure you will sort it out later.

After I graduated from college, Bob gave me my first full-time job at 13Q. Yes, he was sometimes difficult to deal with...but he wasn't the first nor the last in our biz who had people that had problems dealing with them. Face it, this business has some very strong egos in it and many times paths cross and clash.

Having said that, he worked his *ss off at 13Q (I recall being short of airstaff in November 1980 - our first-ever Fall book and WKRZ-FM was on the air with non-stop music for nearly the entire book) and I ended up working 7 days a week for the entire month.

Here we were, an AM station when, at night, I called on the Insta-Mike mobile unit to ask if the station was on the air. I was on Keyser Avenue south of the station and could see the tower lights but not hear the station. We were on - but were so directional you couldn't hear the station! Still he (like many others in the station) put many hours in to be the best we could.

Another piece of trivia - Kelly Brennan, the weather gal in the afternoon (who was also the receptionist) today is a VP with the Radio Advertising Bureau in New York!

The point is - you take the opportunities where you see them...and if you don't like the situation you move on when you can. Still, I will be forever in his debt (and Bill Kelly, formerly with WARM and now at WVIA-TV) for allowing me to hang out and learn the biz. That, to me, shows the real side of these pros.

BM
 
Re: THE WOODY GUY!!!!(another post)

<html>I've been accused many times over the years of looking at life through rose colored glasses. Oh well - beats the alternative. I worked with Woody on-air at WBAX (had to fill in for him at the last minute after he taped the WNEP New Year's Eve show and came down with laryngitis), WILK (The New 98)and finally 13Q as Chief Engineer.
Aside from his insistance that we should sound as good as an FM station (we did sound damn good for an AM)and my inability to convince him otherwise, I had no problems with Bob. I knew he was difficult to work with and if you took that in stride, life was good. I also knew he was very entertaining on the air and he had assembled a cast of characters at WBQW that made every day a fun one at work. (Speaking of 13Q, whatever happened to Raine from the front office, Laurie in traffic, Rene's brother Jeff - our copywriter, and Lee Flynn - our news director?)</html>
 
Re: THE WOODY GUY!!!!(another post)

This was so much fun!!! I can't remember any thread in any message board that I've enjoyed more. It's a great combination of jistory and hijinks. I have a great story about Woody and Elliot Katuna, but I just can't tell it. Sorry guys.





> I've been accused many times over the years of looking at
> life through rose colored glasses. Oh well - beats the
> alternative. I worked with Woody on-air at WBAX (had to fill
> in for him at the last minute after he taped the WNEP New
> Year's Eve show and came down with laryngitis), WILK (The
> New 98)and finally 13Q as Chief Engineer.
> Aside from his insistance that we should sound as good as an
> FM station (we did sound damn good for an AM)and my
> inability to convince him otherwise, I had no problems with
> Bob. I knew he was difficult to work with and if you took
> that in stride, life was good. I also knew he was very
> entertaining on the air and he had assembled a cast of
> characters at WBQW that made every day a fun one at work.
> (Speaking of 13Q, whatever happened to Raine from the front
> office, Laurie in traffic, Rene's brother Jeff - our
> copywriter, and Lee Flynn - our news director?)
>
 
I never met him...but in 1981, when I was PD of WOAI-FM in San Antonio, the GM there asked me to assemble a list of air candidates for the station, regardless of where they were or how expensive they might be. Bob Woody was on my list for PM Drive
 
> I never met him...but in 1981, when I was PD of WOAI-FM in
> San Antonio, the GM there asked me to assemble a list of air
> candidates for the station, regardless of where they were or
> how expensive they might be. Bob Woody was on my list for PM
> Drive
>

Oh yeah Kevin, he was great on the air. Very talented.
And I bet he'd have made a good transition into a Talk
Show host too.
Yonkstur
 
> > That's amazing. Most people would never talk to them by
> > choice. Have you been reading how unpopular this guy was
> > with radio people or non radio people?
> >
> Well, when I was only 15 years old, Bob allowed me to hang
> out at WARM when he did his Saturday night show (he got in a
> lot of trouble with PD George Gilbert when he found out I
> was in the station) and I got my start in this biz producing
> his top and bottom of the hour newscasts from 8p-1:30am.
> Yes, he got something out of it (someone to put the newscast
> together), but look what I got - to say at my first official
> job at WHEX-AM in Columbia, PA that I was a news
> writer/producer at WARM at the age of 15! When you are in
> your teens, you sometimes just take all the experiences in
> and figure you will sort it out later.
>
> After I graduated from college, Bob gave me my first
> full-time job at 13Q. Yes, he was sometimes difficult to
> deal with...but he wasn't the first nor the last in our biz
> who had people that had problems dealing with them. Face
> it, this business has some very strong egos in it and many
> times paths cross and clash.
>
> Having said that, he worked his *ss off at 13Q (I recall
> being short of airstaff in November 1980 - our first-ever
> Fall book and WKRZ-FM was on the air with non-stop music for
> nearly the entire book) and I ended up working 7 days a week
> for the entire month.
>
> Here we were, an AM station when, at night, I called on the
> Insta-Mike mobile unit to ask if the station was on the air.
> I was on Keyser Avenue south of the station and could see
> the tower lights but not hear the station. We were on - but
> were so directional you couldn't hear the station! Still he
> (like many others in the station) put many hours in to be
> the best we could.
>
> Another piece of trivia - Kelly Brennan, the weather gal in
> the afternoon (who was also the receptionist) today is a VP
> with the Radio Advertising Bureau in New York!
>
> The point is - you take the opportunities where you see
> them...and if you don't like the situation you move on when
> you can. Still, I will be forever in his debt (and Bill
> Kelly, formerly with WARM and now at WVIA-TV) for allowing
> me to hang out and learn the biz. That, to me, shows the
> real side of these pros.
>
> BM
>
Great post. Woody was very generous to a fault with his
time and his tutoring as long as you showed the desire. God
help you if you didn't but if you did show the enthusiasm,
he'd back you 1000 per cent.
My guys at WARM were Joey Shaver and T.J. Lambert III. I
escaped double G's detection by going to WARM on Sunday
afternoons when T.J. did his program. As you said, the real
side of the pro is how they treat the wide eyed kids
hoping for a break.
Yonkstur
 
Re: THE WOODY GUY!!!!(another post)

> > (Speaking of 13Q, whatever happened to Raine from the front
> office, Laurie in traffic, Rene's brother Jeff - our
> copywriter, and Lee Flynn - our news director?)

Don't know about Laurie or Jeff, but Lee Flynn went on
to work in TV ad sales at WNEP and WBRE TV. Might have
done a stint at Fox too.
Yonkstur
>
 
> As you said, the
> real
> side of the pro is how they treat the wide eyed kids
> hoping for a break.
> Yonkstur
>

Sorry Yonk, but I gotta disagree. I rate a person's professionalism by the way they treat and interact with their fellow employees. As a program director I have fired people without prejudice if they did not work or play well with others. Anyone can take advantage of a young person looking to break into the business. Sure, get them to do your production, write your news or run your board while you take a dump, and if they manage to glean some knowledge or experience out of it that's a bonus. To me, the true measure of a pro is the respect with which they treat their fellow professionals.
BTW I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on Joey Shaver as well---when I worked with him I found him to be a pompous little ignoramus.
 
> > As you said, the
> > real
> > side of the pro is how they treat the wide eyed kids
> > hoping for a break.
> > Yonkstur
> >
>
> Sorry Yonk, but I gotta disagree. I rate a person's
> professionalism by the way they treat and interact with
> their fellow employees. As a program director I have fired
> people without prejudice if they did not work or play well
> with others. Anyone can take advantage of a young person
> looking to break into the business. Sure, get them to do
> your production, write your news or run your board while you
> take a dump, and if they manage to glean some knowledge or
> experience out of it that's a bonus. To me, the true measure
> of a pro is the respect with which they treat their fellow
> professionals.
> BTW I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on Joey Shaver
> as well---when I worked with him I found him to be a pompous
little ignoramus.

Point well taken. I have never been in a managemenmt
situation where as a supervisor, I could can someone
because he or she didn't jell with the team. So I can
only envy that work plan you find yourself in.
A lot of it has to do with personal relationships too.
Obviously, Big Bob got along well with Woody and got
what he needed from him.
But you are right on the respect issue. You have to
give it to get it.
Yonkstur
>
 
Yonkstur, in case you didn't know, TJ Lambert III is now just TJ Lambert...and works for ESPN radio based in Dallas. I see him at all the media events (just saw him at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville 3 weeks ago) and he is doing great there! I first met him at the JP Penney's remote at the Wyoming Valley Mall in 1973 (yikes!).
 
Re: THE WOODY GUY!!!!(another post)

Rene is GM at WTEN (ABC) in Albany...Bob and Rene live there...

Speaking of WNEP...I was on that show (Party 77) and we taped the 6 hours New Years Eve show which covered up an early Dick Clark countdown show. I danced with my girlfriend on the show with about 20 other peope...we taped it after Bowling for Dollars...we used the elevated bowling lanes as the "stage" on the dance floor, and we taped an hour each night (we did two hours one night) and did the last hour to air first (since it wouldn' air until the wee hours and we could afford mistakes). We had to go home and wash our sweaty clothes every night, since you couldn't have new clothes on each hour! And you have to overact your moves because otherwise it looks like you are standing still!

The night of the broadcast, at the tender age of 20, I got to sit with Hank S. in the news control room and type in jokes that ran on the bottom of the screen. All this while we did window shots of Dick Clark's show from NY. It turned out I would type the jokes during the "dancing" part, and run the joke when Woody was on camera between songs and doing his bits. He got really mad when I ran the jokes, since it took attention away from him doing his bits! There wasn't a book written on producing a 6 hour live/pre-produced TV show when you are 20 years old! GREAT experience...but how was I to know?!? Anyway, Woody still busts me on it when we talk (every few years) and I still try to explain to him I was a 20 year old who was going to college for a Government degree! Anyway, that show was fun to do...and I will be forever grateful for the experience!

Maybe next time I'll tell you the outside weather set story...

BM
 
> I never met him...but in 1981, when I was PD of WOAI-FM in
> San Antonio, the GM there asked me to assemble a list of air
> candidates for the station, regardless of where they were or
> how expensive they might be. Bob Woody was on my list for PM
> Drive
>
Kevin:

How about Bob Charger from Philly? Was he on that list?
 
Re: THE WOODY GUY!!!!(another post)

> Rene is GM at WTEN (ABC) in Albany...Bob and Rene live
> there...
>
> Speaking of WNEP...I was on that show (Party 77) and we
> taped the 6 hours New Years Eve show which covered up an
> early Dick Clark countdown show. I danced with my
> girlfriend on the show with about 20 other peope...we taped
> it after Bowling for Dollars...we used the elevated bowling
> lanes as the "stage" on the dance floor, and we taped an
> hour each night (we did two hours one night) and did the
> last hour to air first (since it wouldn' air until the wee
> hours and we could afford mistakes). We had to go home and
> wash our sweaty clothes every night, since you couldn't have
> new clothes on each hour! And you have to overact your
> moves because otherwise it looks like you are standing
> still!
>
> The night of the broadcast, at the tender age of 20, I got
> to sit with Hank S. in the news control room and type in
> jokes that ran on the bottom of the screen. All this while
> we did window shots of Dick Clark's show from NY. It turned
> out I would type the jokes during the "dancing" part, and
> run the joke when Woody was on camera between songs and
> doing his bits. He got really mad when I ran the jokes,
> since it took attention away from him doing his bits! There
> wasn't a book written on producing a 6 hour
> live/pre-produced TV show when you are 20 years old! GREAT
> experience...but how was I to know?!? Anyway, Woody still
> busts me on it when we talk (every few years) and I still
> try to explain to him I was a 20 year old who was going to
> college for a Government degree! Anyway, that show was fun
> to do...and I will be forever grateful for the experience!
>
> Maybe next time I'll tell you the outside weather set
> story...
>
> BM
>
I remember the time you had an apartment at Woody's and he and Rene left for dinner and hadn't ask you to go. They werer laughing sayiong that you looked liek you were going to cry. A lovely couple for sure.
 
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