Re: Did somebody page me?
Rob,
I am in Northern Ky working for an aerospace company in sales/customer service and running a fast growing internet only radio station while going back to school for an MBA. So I'm staying busy.
One thing that hurt STO other than Files was Brill Media's refusal to accept WSTO as a CHR. I have some of the reporting playlists still from the last days of pre-Mix STO and it was almost as off the wall as The All Hit 96STO was. Lund consulting was horrible and Brill had no clue about what a CHR needed to be,especially after the format rebounded in the late 90s. Ambrosia should have never been a power on STO.
Trade was rediculous though as before I left in 2001 trade/barter spots made up 60% of an 18 minute spot load and the day after thanksgiving we once had a 30 minute spotload including remotes.
Also the second Cat Michaels and Kim both had the Ben & Jim syndrome with attitude and ego, though not as bad. Cat didn't want to work New Years eve and Kim became a "diva". It was a 13 inch dildo as I was there in the hall when she quit/got fired and me and Sky laughed and joked about it the rest of the night.
Anyway time to track my show on my net station (noon-3p Central time). Maybe South Central will have a 25 year reunion for WSTO.
Scott Evans
http://www.90sandnow.com
> >I have many fond memories of the few weeks I was there.
>
> I was there two days after the switch to “The New Mix” and
> was never on the air and my memories weren’t too happy.
> (More below)
>
> > Sky was one my favorite PDs. He is one of the best.
>
> Sky and I didn’t hit it off too well. A disagreement put me
> on Double Secret Probation and I was out of there a month
> after he took over. We hardly talked or had anything good
> to say until the “96STO Twenty Year Reunion” where I
> interviewed him live on the air. Luckily we put the past
> behind and both behaved. He and I worked together shortly
> after that at WBKR. He is now at WIXY Champaign, IL working
> for Alan Beck.
>
> > Jimmy Ocean was a genius. I think he is in Chicago or
> > Cincinnati with Clear Channel.
>
> He might be in Lexington at Z103.3
> >
> > Cat Michaels #1,2,or 3? Cat #1 was Sky Philips (when he
> was
> > St. Louis). #2 - a guy Jimmy Ocean knew, didn't make it
> too
> > long only around for a few months from what I remember
> > hearing.
>
> Cat Michaels #2 and Sky had a petty argument that placed Cat
> #2 on Double Secret Probation and his soon departure.
>
> #3 was Danny. He was easily one of the nicest
> > people you'll ever meet. He is in KY programming somewhere
>
> > now.
>
> Danny is a good guy. It’s worth noting Cat #2 and #3 had
> different voices and deliveries, so nobody was fooled this
> was the same “Cat Michaels”. Brill Media liked using the
> same air name for different people, who remembers the “Rusty
> James” war of 1998?
>
> > Mornings were brighter with Chris Kellogg and "The
> Breakfast
> > Flakes."
>
> Chris was at last report in Eastern North Carolina. His
> morning partner Kami Boyd exiled to WIKY along with weekend
> weather at Channel 14. The WIKY job ended last year so
> she’s just doing weather.
>
> > Kim was a character. One my most favorite memories is of
> > when she was fired and or quit. It wasn't clear which
> > actually happened. But, it was crystal that she was done
> > when the halls of the building on Frederica echoed with
> her
> > command that Sky, "sholve a 13" phallus where the sun just
>
> > don't shine. As I can recall best she was upset and being
>
> > taught a lesson. That's why she was moved to overnights. I
>
> > believe it was an ego issue. Scott Evans could probably
> > clear that up. He was MD I think. Brent Gardner was APD.
>
> I had heard it was a 24 inch dildo; regardless it was still
> a classic line. Kim is still in these parts and born again.
>
> Scott was Northern Kentucky at last report and Brent is “Dan
> The Van Man” at WBKR.
>
> > Soon after, things changed. STO moved to Evansville. I
> heard
> > the Brille building downtown had gold carpet throughout.
> > (maybe just a rumor) That same building is empty now. Sky
>
> > left and a new PD was hired.
>
> I was only in the Brill Building once and didn’t see Gold
> Carpet. The building is still empty on the radio floor
> except for some equipment. It’s worth noting the two 96STO
> vans and the old Boom Box are back in Owensboro part of
> Cromwell Radio owned by Alan Brill’s buddy Bud Walters.
>
> > Those were the days.
> >
> > p.s. Does anybody remember LaDonna "The Diva"? Where is
> she
> > now? Probably moved on to L.A. by now.
>
> Her whereabouts are unknown.
>
> I think to give an opinion from a different point of view,
> we need to hear something from our friend Radio Rob, who has
> some insight to those days.
>
> Well here ya go.....
>
> The New Mix 96STO was born Labor Day 1998 after a week of
> “The All New All Hit 96STO”. The temporary format was
> supposed to “fool” our competitors; in reality it was a
> chance to hear Michael Bolton and Christopher Cross every
> other hour. But what happened in the year prior was to say
> the least, a thrill ride.
>
> A little history, Brill Media had purchased 96STO and sister
> WVJS-AM in late 1996 from Century Communications; a cable
> company who had no idea of the dynamics of running a radio
> station. Both stations moved in with former competitors
> WBKR/WOMI. Outside of a few adjustments all seemed well
> until the arrival of Bill Files around Labor Day 1997.
> Files was the new General Manager of WVJS and WSTO and it
> became obvious our world was about to change. Files was
> verbally abusive, corrupt as the day was long and overall a
> jackass, but he had the blessing of cluster manger Gary
> Exline and Brill number two man Alan Beck to do whatever he
> wanted.
>
> Files considered programming “The Sales Support Staff” and
> began to increase the work load. An example was combining
> the copy position with the midday position as Files
> considered both part time jobs. If all STO had was agency
> work that could be true, but Files was opening up the trade
> accounts for him, Beck and anyone considered privileged.
> There were lots of commercial to write and the only way to
> do it was to stay at the station until nine or ten o’clock
> every night. The first one thrown in the position was Kevin
> Osborne. After two months of working late and not seeing
> his wife and two daughters, Oz moved on to Bloomington.
> Cindy Mercer handled the position over for a couple of
> months and left for the same reason; working late and not
> seeing her husband and son anymore. The Sales Department
> was in just as much turmoil with the Bill Files’ “do what I
> say or else” style of management causing a staff turnover as
> well. Plus there was the “Debbie Concept” that Files
> claimed he created. Details of that idiocy are worthy of
> its own post. Eventually, Files was quietly demoted to
> General Sales Manager of WSTO since he neglected WVJS.
>
> But the downfall of 96STO was when Bill Files, Alan Beck and
> Gary Exline decided they were program directors. “The Bob
> and Tom Show” was successful on WGBF and the decision was
> made 96STO needed a morning show just like Bob and Tom. The
> three wannabe program directors failed to realize 96STO was
> the number one morning show Women 18-49 in the Evansville
> metro, but vision of syndication and being rich caused them
> to mess with a good thing. Program Director Barry
> Witherspoon was told to stay out of the way. “The Morning
> Crew” which consisted of longtime morning man Brian Jackson,
> Ethan Adler and Kevin Osborne (soon to be exiled to the
> ill-fated copy/midday position) were encouraged by upper
> management to be more like Bob and Tom. Brian failed to
> comply and after a few heated meeting with Files and a
> parody of “It’s A Wonderful Life” where Beej set up the
> concept of life without “The Morning Crew”, he was fired.
> Needless to say Brian’s untimely departure was noticed by
> the flood of phone calls and letters, but Files, Beck and
> Exline didn’t care. They had the answer, Ben and Jim.
>
> Files, Beck and Exline assured us Ben and Jim were major
> market talent and would take 96STO to the next level and
> possibly syndication. In reality, they had worked in major
> markets but only briefly. Their egos were off the scale
> which is why they only had brief visits at major market
> stations. Ironically Ben and Jim had worked for Brill Media
> before but the relationship abruptly ended and lawsuits
> ensued. Despite that, the wannabe program directors handed
> Ben and Jim an equipment catalog and $40,000 worth of
> equipment was ordered for the March 1998 debut of The Ben
> and Jim Morning show. Ethan Adler was now the producer and
> call screener. Files, Beck and Exline were giddy knowing
> they were going to be rich because of Ben and Jim. The show
> had its moments but was more along the lines of things that
> made Ben and Jim laugh. There were a few who liked the new
> show but rest wanted Brian back. Ben and Jim did little
> else beyond their airshift as they were exempt from the
> “Sales Support Staff” duties.
>
> Over the next few months the rest of us on the staff noticed
> something was happening. The fancy Ben and Jim phone system
> had five roll over lines and after installation it wasn’t
> unusual throughout the day for all five lines to ring, soon
> the phone only rang only once in a while. The same thing
> happened at station appearances. Before it wasn’t a problem
> motivating listeners to show up, now it was. Ben and Jim
> was a good reason for nobody listening but I think the 25 to
> 30 minutes of commercials an hour, mostly trade, had
> something to do with the listener abandonment.
>
> In early August, the ratings were released and 96STO tanked.
> In the 97 fall book Joe Blair and WIKY was number two
> mornings with a 17 share in the demo. Now Blair was number
> one with a 17 share and Ben and Jim took STO from a 24 share
> to a 14 share. STO slowly rose through the rest of dayparts,
> but the damage was done. A week later, Files, Beck and
> Exline fired Ben and Jim and since the wannabe program
> directors lacked anything resembling balls or character,
> they fired Program Director Barry Witherspoon, who had
> nothing to do with the station’s downfall. WBKR program
> director Sky Phillips was now adding STO PD duties. Sky
> took over the job dancing on Spoon’s occupational grave, a
> move that didn’t sit well with the remaining staff loyal to
> Spoon. By Labor Day 1998 and birth of The New Mix 96STO,
> only a handful of staff remained from a year earlier and a
> great station no longer existed.
>
> The New Mix 96STO and the short return of 96STO did what it
> could, but since there were at times more commercials than
> music neither had much of a chance. Ironically it was the
> excessive trade that caused Brill Media to collapse into
> bankruptcy. When South Central acquired STO in the fire
> sale there was little cash flow and lots of trade agreements
> for things like toys for management, a house and furnishing
> for one of the account executives and my favorite, a wedding
> for the business manager’s daughter who also happened to be
> an employee. Files made the trip to South Central but that
> didn’t last long. He was sacked when his new boss decided
> he was the root of the problem. Gary Exline survived past
> Brill into Regent ownership for a brief moment. He’s
> somewhere in Kansas. Sky and Beck are together again in
> Illinois.
>
> What a crazy trip it was.
>
