A friend asked this of me the other day and it seemed like a thought provoking question. Hard to imagine rushing through a Voice Track session & being pushed out the door to do sales the rest of the day would be fun. Are there any "fun" radio gigs left today? Last time I had a blast was when I did part time on-air work at WCSI AM/Columbus 30+ years ago...records, carts, a live shift, actually playing requests, giving away money playing "Cash Carousel", taking the turntables & a home-made mixer out to the local skating rink & making $75 for 90 minutes work (which blew away a part time week's minimum wage pay)...it was a good time in life. When was your last "fun" time in radio?
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When Was The Last Time Radio Was Actually "Fun" For You?
- Thread starter BobOnTheJob
- Start date
Once upon a time, people who loved radio were the guys who were in this business.
Then along came men who loved money more.
These men who loved money changed radio by driving out the radio lovers.
Then along came men who loved money more.
These men who loved money changed radio by driving out the radio lovers.
Now, some of the money loving pigs have lost millions. Praise God! Now,
I predict radio lovers will make a comeback!
Bruce Quinn
I predict radio lovers will make a comeback!
Bruce Quinn
And with just a little luck, us new AARP members will be here to enjoy round two!Flying-Dutchman said:
F
First-time-long-time
Guest
You pose a good question Bob On The Job. I think, probably the last one in this part of Indiana to have fun is Flying Dutchman. This is similar to the question I posed early in February this year, “Why would anyone want to stay in radio as a career today?” The bean counter mentality and consolidation has done a lot to take the fun out of radio. The GM’s and owners who grew up in radio have vanished in droves.
Something I saw developing over the years was, when the local advertiser started to disappear as the big box stores took over, radio localism and fun also started to vanish. There was almost daily air check tapes sent to the station by great voices looking for the next gig. (Yea, I know, tape dates me) I mean really good sounding talent. As years went on, the talent and frequency dropped off significantly. I also saw the quality of sales staffs start to drop off as the churning of sales people ramped up. The proliferation of frequencies diluted the market. There are a handful of good people still in radio trying to hold things together, but they are very few now.
Radio has changed so much, as have the lifestyles and information sources people have today, that it (radio) may never return to the strength it once had. I guess we are dinosaurs now and those of us who grew up listing to the local jock on AM are a part of the past. I hope someone figures it out some day. I sure don’t have the answer.
And yes Bob On The Job, I remember listening up and down the dial and picking you up once in a while on Cloumbus radio back then during my early career in radio. I think every client in the early 1970’s said, “who listens to FM” and would buy the AM stations during that transition period in radio. So, what transition period are we in now? One thing that I see is hateful attacks and the, I know the answer to everything people on radio boards. I would imagine those kind of people are the never has been or never will be types. That’s a shame that common courtesy has also taken a big hit with the advent of impersonal communications now. I bet they wouldn’t do that if we all were sitting at the table together having a cup of coffee with our conversation. I’ll probably be ripped for this response to your question by those who enjoy trashing others, but I guess that is part of the problem today. I have worked with and for some real class gentleman in the past. That went by the wayside so I retired to enjoy life.
Something I saw developing over the years was, when the local advertiser started to disappear as the big box stores took over, radio localism and fun also started to vanish. There was almost daily air check tapes sent to the station by great voices looking for the next gig. (Yea, I know, tape dates me) I mean really good sounding talent. As years went on, the talent and frequency dropped off significantly. I also saw the quality of sales staffs start to drop off as the churning of sales people ramped up. The proliferation of frequencies diluted the market. There are a handful of good people still in radio trying to hold things together, but they are very few now.
Radio has changed so much, as have the lifestyles and information sources people have today, that it (radio) may never return to the strength it once had. I guess we are dinosaurs now and those of us who grew up listing to the local jock on AM are a part of the past. I hope someone figures it out some day. I sure don’t have the answer.
And yes Bob On The Job, I remember listening up and down the dial and picking you up once in a while on Cloumbus radio back then during my early career in radio. I think every client in the early 1970’s said, “who listens to FM” and would buy the AM stations during that transition period in radio. So, what transition period are we in now? One thing that I see is hateful attacks and the, I know the answer to everything people on radio boards. I would imagine those kind of people are the never has been or never will be types. That’s a shame that common courtesy has also taken a big hit with the advent of impersonal communications now. I bet they wouldn’t do that if we all were sitting at the table together having a cup of coffee with our conversation. I’ll probably be ripped for this response to your question by those who enjoy trashing others, but I guess that is part of the problem today. I have worked with and for some real class gentleman in the past. That went by the wayside so I retired to enjoy life.
Flying-Dutchman said:
Bruce Quinn has been saying money ruined radio for 30 years now. I see they are writing about him on indystar.com today.
I was at Butler University with Bruce in the 1970s. He had a pirate radio station in his dorm room that could be heard half way to Ohio.
It says on the Indy Star site that Bruce started his legal radio stations after the FCC put him in jail for being Bruce The Radio Pirate
I was at Butler University with Bruce in the 1970s. He had a pirate radio station in his dorm room that could be heard half way to Ohio.
It says on the Indy Star site that Bruce started his legal radio stations after the FCC put him in jail for being Bruce The Radio Pirate
My best years in radio were with Roger Ingram. He made radio fun and was the best.
O
Onesimus
Guest
EVERY radio job I've ever had has been fun. WFMS was a GREAT place to work. I had "fun" being on the air up until my last week there. Working with Gary Todd at WXXP was "fun."The jobs in Columbus, Bloomington, etc. were all fun. If the job isn't fun...I WON'T do it. My next radio job will be "fun" too. If radio dies as an industry (and that's sadly a real possibility), my next career WILL be fun. Life is just too damn short. Very few make a good living doing jobs they hate.
Although I've not worked at WFMS or with Gary Todd, I agree with Onesimus.
True, you need to make the best of whatever is happening for you. By the late 50s the people who had done live radio drama were missing the days when it was the happening thing.
Radio has been heavily diluted. In 1979 we had at least 7 fewer viable FM stations on the air in Indy. What happened in each station's air studio mattered more. 30 years ago station GMs were concerened about making ONE station (or 2 at most) succeed. No station was merely a part of a cluster strategy.
Society has changed. You don't find mega mass appeal hits that are known to people from ages 10-60. We probably won't have another "Hey Jude" or another Beatles or Michael Jackson for that matter. Now days people can listen to Hungarian folk songs live from Budapest or drift off into their own MP3 world, listening to songs that only became hits because at one time, they were played on the radio.
Radio has been heavily diluted. In 1979 we had at least 7 fewer viable FM stations on the air in Indy. What happened in each station's air studio mattered more. 30 years ago station GMs were concerened about making ONE station (or 2 at most) succeed. No station was merely a part of a cluster strategy.
Society has changed. You don't find mega mass appeal hits that are known to people from ages 10-60. We probably won't have another "Hey Jude" or another Beatles or Michael Jackson for that matter. Now days people can listen to Hungarian folk songs live from Budapest or drift off into their own MP3 world, listening to songs that only became hits because at one time, they were played on the radio.
C
cspotrun
Guest
when i got a PAYCHECK.
F
First-time-long-time
Guest
Darren, I have always liked your upbeat, positive attitude. You are one of the great radio voices I referred to in my earlier post. I enjoyed you on air as a kid in Columbus and as a veteran broadcaster in Indianapolis.
O
Onesimus
Guest
Thank you so much First-Time. That means a lot to me coming from a pro such as yourself. Bob's question just reminded me of something Charlie Morgan once said in the "trades" about building a good team. He stated that it's not only important to have staff on the "right bus"....but also in the "right seat" on the bus. Those of us (myself included) who aren't strong at commercial production would be miserable managing a production department for a six-station cluster. Why would anyone take a job they knew they wouldn't enjoy? A friend of mine just took a job as a promotions director ...and she says she HATES people! Ummm...that will become problematic soon. Hopefully she'll get the gig she REALLY wants as a morning co-host soon.
The reason I asked Bob is that it seems the fun has gone out of radio. Some say (the business) but since my work with non commercial stations started I haven't been in the business end of it. There is "business" involved in anything but the niche formats, multiple stations doing the same thing, sat formats, etc. leave a big whole for anyone to come in and do something fun, new, and unique that lots of people would enjoy. Radio people seem to replicate what they have done in the past.
Many consultants speak of stations ruined by owners who program what "they want". Other side is as noted the first 3 letters of consultant.
Say you had a local station, local ownership, with absolutely no debt. Income almost equal to debt. You have the OPPORTUNITY to do ANYTHING. The caveat is to serve the community or communities you are in. You have to be able to maintain income to operate the place.
I am sure there are visionary (and out of work) sales, air staff, and management people out there. Why can't we (us - you and me) do something visionary and legendary that will be copied by all the other radio nerds?
There is a need and with all the corporate manipulation of our market the locally grounded operators can do something fun, something good, something that everyone else in the world will look at and say "I already thought of that but never had the salty meatballs to put it in place."
Many consultants speak of stations ruined by owners who program what "they want". Other side is as noted the first 3 letters of consultant.
Say you had a local station, local ownership, with absolutely no debt. Income almost equal to debt. You have the OPPORTUNITY to do ANYTHING. The caveat is to serve the community or communities you are in. You have to be able to maintain income to operate the place.
I am sure there are visionary (and out of work) sales, air staff, and management people out there. Why can't we (us - you and me) do something visionary and legendary that will be copied by all the other radio nerds?
There is a need and with all the corporate manipulation of our market the locally grounded operators can do something fun, something good, something that everyone else in the world will look at and say "I already thought of that but never had the salty meatballs to put it in place."
Glad to hear there are still people enjoying what they do. In my case, the "fun" has probably settled into what I'd call "enjoyment". I thoroughly enjoy running around taking care of smaller radio stations. Perhaps the word fun more approriately is tied to on-air work & "contentment" or "enjoyment" might be better applied to other phases of radio work. If I had it to do over, there's little I would change with the possible exception of stepping out of the rat race into where I am now a year or two sooner.
Probably the last fun paid gig I had was Kool 95, oldies out of Piqua doing a great job and making lots of revenue from the Northern Miami Valley, and getting 6 shares in Dayton. Equipment left a lot to be desired, but it was a fun place to work. Course I was the evening jock and I was away from the daily drama. Cox bought us and turned a six share into a one share, then flipped formats. WULM in Springfield was fun and pure hell at the same time. Now I'm doing volunteer jocking at an LPFM and having fun. There was never a time in my radio career when it was pure utopia, however.
My best experiences were really in small and medium markets. We were like family.
The major markets-Indy and Chicago are less than friendly. The bigtime is not as much fun as they say. Backstabbing and infighting within the station. Someone always has some stupid drama going down.
Working with John Krom at WIAN was a fun time for me.
The major markets-Indy and Chicago are less than friendly. The bigtime is not as much fun as they say. Backstabbing and infighting within the station. Someone always has some stupid drama going down.
Working with John Krom at WIAN was a fun time for me.
The last time it was fun for me was this past Sunday, when I spent 4 hours board opping. Sure, I'd have rather done an actual show, and like many others, would prefer to do that, daily, but in all seriousness, that 4 hours of babysitting the prerecorded shows, while adding spots and features to AV for future play? It's still more fun than my current fulltime gig of selling tires.
I might date myself by answering this, but...it was slip cueing vinyl, playing spots and jingles on cart machines and using the remote start on the board to record an incoming feed on the Ampex reel deck. Fortunately, I was able to do it until 1998 when the station kind of went under and I departed.
Marco53 said:
Yep radio was much more fun to do then. Back in those days the jock was in control, not the computer. Running a tight board was not an automatic thing.
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