Why I am so bitter against the radio business.

[Madmansam]

Radio has changed so much when I first got in the business back in 1983 when I started as an intern for Pete Pappas then combo of KTRB 860/KHOP 104.1. Both Pete and Bessie were the best!Working with local owners is SO different from the big corporate guys. I was an intern at then CHR KHOP when it was known as "Stereo 104". It was mostly volunteering but it got my feet in the door, so to speak. My first REAL Radio job was at "THE ORIGINAL KDJK-95.1" in 1985. Now that station was fun. The format was AOR and was a perfect blend of New Rock as well as those Classics from the 60's and 70's. Joe Gross and his wife were the owners of KDJK. It was a very fun atmosphere. The on air format of the original KDJK reminded me of the legendary KZAP of Sacramento. I was at KDJK for a fun four years. Then I did the unspeakable and to this day I regret it. I jumped ship in 1989 for more money to join the new KVFX-96.7 The Fox, a station specializing in Classic Rock. I gave my notice, but Joe seemed so disappointed that I would join the competition. While I enjoyed my years at The Fox, it just wasn't as much fun as it was at KDJK. I stayed at The Fox for less than 2 years. In 1991, I tried returning to KDJK, but Joe just wouldn't hire me back. He felt betrayed my my earlier action by quitting. I then got an offer to work in Stockton at KFMR-100.1 which was then a "Country Music Station". Susan Carson was its owner and she too was a hands on type of owner, fully involved with the station including on air duties. She reminded me alot like the Pappas family. She was so friendly but my tenure there was kind of short, a little less than a year. I just didn't care for Stockton. I then got a job offer at a Contemporary Christian station in Merced (KAMB-101.5). I lived in Modesto but commuted to Merced. Then in 1992, There was a chance to return to "Rock Radio" and I was excited. I accepted a job with Citadel Communications which had just entered the Modesto market earlier by buying Price Broadcasting stations, KOOK-970 and KBEE-103.3. Citadel blew up Easy Listening KBEE and changed it to the now successful Kat Country 103. Now it wasn't Citadel that I initially joined, it was originally Fuller-Jeffrey. The station was KHOP-104.1 and they changed the format from CHR to AOR on November 2, 1992. Citadel acquired the station almost soon after the format change. I worked at the new KHOP-Rock 104 from 1992-94. It was initially fun but when Citadel came in, out went the fun.I just truely disliked my new boss, Scott Mahalick. Just like with Kat Country 103, the main purpose of Rock 104 was to kill KDJK-95.1 AND KVFX-96.7.The music was a blend of New Rock And Classic Rock just like KDJK but not as eclectic. Rock 104 played alot of the same songs over and over. With the combination of the 50000 watts plus the advertising blitz just doomed both KDJK and KVFX. I didn't know it at the time that Joe was having financial problems. He finally went bankrupt in 1994 and was forced by the courts to sell KDJK to Mondosphere which changed the format to Alternative Rock.I never had the chance to apologize to Joe and to this day, I don't the whereabouts of him or his family.As for my job at Rock 104, I was fast becoming disillusioned with the radio business. For the first time in my life, I WAS FIRED in 1994.I applied at KJOY-99.3 in Stockton but did not get the job and Bessie Pappas was my savier by offering a job to me at the then Spanish KTRB-860. I accepted the job but worked there for only two months. I decided to quit the business. Citadel forever spoiled my view of the business. I also wanted to get out of the Central Valley, and I moved to Kalispell, Montana to work at my father in laws lumber business in 1995. And I haven't looked back. I still have friends in the business who I keep in touch. Both were from my KDJK years, one works for Citadel and the other works for Clear Channel.And they both are considering getting out of the business. And I don't blame them. Now Everyone knows why I am so bitter against the radio business. I wish I can tell more. Maybe I should write a book? (Like a "Radio Station Confidential).

 

[moonbat]

I'm not bitter against the biz, just somewhat annoyed. I've had the oppurtunity to work for some mom and pop setups, as well as some corporate giants. It was the same [EDIT] everywhere I went. That's the busines brother. To everyone, enjoy it while you go it! It is the best job in the world, no matter whose teet you end up sucking.


[EDIT-profanity]

 

[fwdmo]

Now Everyone knows why I am so bitter against the radio business. I wish I can tell more. Maybe I should write a book? (Like a "Radio Station Confidential).

[EDIT]

You either have the rollers to deal with this business or you don't. And no one would want to read a book from someone didn't.


[EDIT-inflammatory]

 

[wangchung]

Madmansam...

As far as being bitter goes...get over it. Some people NEVER get to work in radio, so consider yourself lucky. Would you be so bitter if you still had a good job in radio? People who say they became "disillusioned" with radio were stuck in a timewarp and refused to evolve with the industry.

Funny, you've been out of the biz for over ten years and yet you still post here...becoming disillusioned with the lumber business already?

 

[Madmansam]

Madmansam...

As far as being bitter goes...get over it. Some people NEVER get to work in radio, so consider yourself lucky. Would you be so bitter if you still had a good job in radio? People who say they became "disillusioned" with radio were stuck in a timewarp and refused to evolve with the industry.

Funny, you've been out of the biz for over ten years and yet you still post here...becoming disillusioned with the lumber business already?

As for being disillusioned with radio, actually I mean't to say disillusioned with Citadel and their handling of radio staff compared to the local mom and pop operations.I'm actually more bitter at Citadel than Radio as a whole. Though I am no longer in radio, somehow "Radio" is still in my blood. I like reading about the current radio operations. I also still have friends still in the business. I am not disillusioned with the lumber business as it is pretty fun.So was working at the original KDJK. Back to Citadel, my old boss, Scott Mahalick was a tyrant. He was a mean old SOB, but then again he was a smart SOB. He was the perfect programmer. That's why Kat Country 103 zoomed to #1 in MOdesto and Rock 104 did very well. My favorite bosses were Joe "KDJK" Gross and Bessie "KTRB" Pappas. If I had a chance to work for a local owner, I might jump at it, but who knows. I know this is 2007 and not 1987 and radio will never ever be like the way it was. Deregulation and Satellite Radio is the reason.