#7 All-Time. Radio Geo’s Media Blog (Gordon Zlot) Published 10/13/18

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Owners and businessmen say many things that really irk me, like, “I’m going to have to let you go, but it’s not personal; it’s business.” What the fuck is not personal about being fired?
I think some of these guys make this shit up so some disgruntled employee doesn’t hit them on the way out.

Thankfully, though, all businessmen and owners are not created equal, and one of the good ones lives in Santa Rosa, California.
His name is Gordon Zlot, and he deservedly is about to be inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall Of Fame.
(Gordon pictured on top)

Gordon, when he was just a young engineer, built his own FM Station in Santa Rosa, California, and launched it 50 years ago.
KZST not only became successful quickly, but to this day, it’s still #1 in Sonoma County.

Since launching KZST, Gordon has added four more stations to his roster.
I didn’t know Gordon back in ’71 because I was still in Canada working for Ted Rogers, who once told me, “For someone to become even more successful than they already are, sometimes they have to leave behind those who helped make them successful.”

Gordon Zlot totally disagrees with Ted’s philosophy, in fact, believes the exact opposite.
Gordon believes that you always stick with the ones that brung ya, which he has done year after year after year.

Over 30 years ago, Gordon and his crew, GM Tom Skinner and PD/ Morning Man Brent Farris visited me in Coronado, hoping that we could come up with a way for us to all work together.
I’m proud to say that we did and we still do, and in fact, whenever I visit Santa Rosa, it feels like I’m going home.

I’ve worked with many radio companies over the years, but I assure you that very few are run like Gordon’s.
How foreign does this sound? He pays his people well; they have the finest equipment available, and they do it out of a super modern facility. They also have profit sharing, a good health plan, and a super pension plan.

Gordon has had many opportunities to sell his stations for a huge profit, but I would venture a guess that he didn’t do it because of his staff.
He didn’t believe that the people who were pursuing his radio stations would take care of them as well as he had.

Even though Gordon runs his stations pretty fat, Gordon still manages to have two beautiful homes.
One of them is in Santa Rosa, and the other, which he travels to in his own jet, is in Palm Springs.

Knowing Gordon as I do, radio is not just a business; to him, it’s very personal!
Here’s to the newest member of the Bay Area’s Broadcasters Hall Of Fame, Gordon Zlot.

(As George Harrison once sang, “All Things Must Pass,” and so it has come to be.
Recently, Gordon decided to hang it up, so on 12/01/22, he sold KZST to ASMG.
ASMG is a local broadcasting company owned by Lawrence Amaturo, whom I’m happy to say, I’ve known for over twenty years.

The radio stations are run by Michael O’Shea, who is the company, President, along with Jim Murphey, who is the Vice President of Programming and Operations.
I’m very proud of the things Gordon, Tom, and Brent have accomplished in Sonoma County over the years, and I am very happy to announce that Lawrence, Michael, and Jim want me to continue contributing.

The Countdown Continues Tomorrow With #6

RADIO GEO’S LIFE-LINERS.

Sometimes, when you hold out for the best, that’s exactly what you get.

My writing goal is to simply write something profound. So far, all that’s shown up is the simple part.

According to publisher Jerry Del Colliano, the time to stop chasing your dream is never.

Movie star Sophia Loren says that sex appeal is 50% about what you have and 50% about what others think you have.

Radio guy Brent Farris claims that Lions don’t lose a lot of sleep worrying about the opinions of the Sheep.

My daughter Cami signs, so I excitedly told her that a deaf school coach invented the huddle used in football today because he wanted to hide the signing from the opposing teams. She said, “I know Daddy, and I also know that the coach’s name was Mr. Huddle. 

It’s never been about the money; it’s always been about the product. If it was about the money, who could be more focused on that than today’s radio leaders? Hey, they can’t even pay the rent.

Unfortunately, the only radio promotions that work are the ones the air talent loves.

No matter what Nielsen’s PPM device says, mornings are still the most listened-to radio daypart.

Women lose most of their power when we no longer desire them. Men lose theirs when they run out of money.

If you want to appeal to 30-something women, you have to look and act like you’d make a wonderful Daddy. However, I’d advise you to make sure you wear a condom; women in their thirties tend to forget about birth control.

HBO’s “Game Of Thrones” has sex, violence, nudity, booze, adult situations, adult talk, great actors, and great scripts. It’s gotta be the perfect series; what the hell else could you possibly want?

Is the reason Bernie Madoff is one of the very few guys from Wall Street who are in jail because he stole from the 1%ers instead of the 99%ers like the rest of them do?

It takes a lot of courage for a person to apologize.

The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel.

I’m always hearing that Social Security is about to run out, but never Welfare.

Don’t you just hate when you realize that you’re wrong in the middle of a very intense argument?

How come Asians never whine about their life or demand special privileges? What the hell’s the matter with them? Don’t they realize that they live in America?

My Father always advised me to stay away from the bad girls which made no sense. Unfortunately, I now understand.

Speaking of bad girls, is there anything more powerful than one that’s beautiful walking into the room?

If you’ve ever wondered whether or not you’re crazy, you’re not. Crazy people never have crazy thoughts about that kinda stuff.

Geo’s Media Blog is an inside look at Radio, Music, Movies, Books, Social Media, Politics, and Life. For a peek at upcoming Blogs or to see some you may have missed, go to GeorgeJohns.com.
On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio. Sharing and commenting is encouraged and appreciated.

 

22 thoughts on “#7 All-Time. Radio Geo’s Media Blog (Gordon Zlot) Published 10/13/18

  1. Well said Brent. It sort of puts it all in perspective regarding one’s position in life. Too many lions, or people who think they are, these days.

  2. Well, George, a mere six lines after you typed about not having been profound yet, you were. SO true about promotions and air talent.

      • And I loved your comment on “not personal, but business” too. My nine years as successful morning drive guy at KOOL Phoenix ended with my SEVENTH GM (really) calling me into the conference room and saying “I didn’t get much sleep this weekend, since I have to tell talented people like you that I can’t afford to keep you.” I’m thinking, “Wait, I’m getting canned, and I’m supposed to be concerned for YOU that you didn’t sleep well this weekend?” By the way, during the time of my SEVEN GM’s, Tom Skinner was ALWAYS the GM at KZST!

        • In the over 25 years I have been going up there Bill, Tom skinner has always been the GM and Brent Farris has always been the Morning Man. Great station, fun to hang out at.

  3. There’s a great radio connection to the story of he origin of the football huddle. Twenty some years ago I was driving in the U.S. during afternoon drive time and Paul Harvey came on with his “The Rest of the Story” during which he’d tell a story, leaving out one crucial fact until he brought it to a climax.

    He spoke about the origin of the football huddle. He told us that back in the late 1800s when there was no grass on the field, one quarterback started gathering his team together a few yards away from the line of scrimmage. He would use a stick to sketch the play in the dirt, and then when leaving the huddle, the players would scuff up the dirt so the defense wouldn’t see what they were planning to do.

    Now football is played on well manicured grass, and even expensive artificial grass. It has been a hundred years now, since that first recorded football huddle. It happened first at Gallaudet University. (then Paul’s impeccably timed pause….)

    For the deaf.

  4. My reaction to your comment, “No matter what PPM says the truth is that mornings are still the most listened to Radio daypart”…

    ..is AMEN! People grab the device out of the charger on the way out the door! (Even so, your former baby is still rocking mornings in PDX).

  5. Mornings is the most listened day part, but I wonder if TSL has shortened over the past 20 years in some markets. I begin a morning show in two weeks on an AM sports talk station. I have not been on a regular morning radio in 15 years. The first thing I did, upon accepting the job, was remember two things George told me 40 years ago: “The word You connects in a personal way. Say You every time you open the mic,” and “We have a license to broadcast. We do not have a license to bore.”

    • Bob PPM is right and wrong. First of all it is missing probably a half hour of listening each morning but what it did right was show us that people didn’t listen to their favorite morning show as often as we thought so the combination has brought morning ratings down significantly.

  6. Gordon and I grew up in Vallejo and both started working at a 250 watt daytime, KGYW/KNBA when we were 12 and 13. I was more interested in on-air work; he was more interested in engineering, although he did on-air work as well. Even at that age he built a carrier current station at home and we broadcast to the neighborhood from his bedroom. No one deserves the Hall of Fame induction more than Gordon.

  7. George, with regards to “bad girls”, hind sight is 20/20. But then I just see the double entendra of hind sight so maybe I’m a bad girl!! Perish the thought!!

  8. Winnipeg Wendy: George, regarding bad girls, hindsight is 20/20! But then, I see the double entendre in my comment, which would possibly suggest that I might be a bad girl! Ya better stay away from me!! (Gordon Zlot)
    Radio Geo: Wendy, when my father told me to stay away from the “Bad Girls,” I was only hoping that I’d get to meet one.

  9. Jed Duval: George, as someone who had the honor and privilege to try to implement and oversee many of the promotions you created for 1070 / WIBC-AM, I would like to add that a successful promotion is not only one that the air talent loves but one that shows forethought, preparation, and investment. The key to buy-in is belief in the simplicity and impact in audience response. Your promotional ideas were easily understood and embraced by our listeners. Thank you. (Gordon Zlot)
    Geo: No, thank you, Jed. However, the hardest part for me was getting the promotions past Hilliard, after that the rest was easy.

  10. Dave Charles: Irk on Brother George. We’re irked by Trump and his MAGA lunatics. Please explain because we think America is having a conniption.
    Thanks for your INK and IRK’s in 2023. Nice to have the rest of Canadian media get to know more about you in the FYI Media article this year. Thanks for sharing.
    Wish you great wine, a good time and loads of laughs. Hi to Reg. Miss those super creative radio campaigns that only the Johns Brothers could do. By the way what prize package did JACK MC COY finally win. Was it the airplane or the tugboat? Classic Jack…
    Behave, BE BAD or just be George. Best of the season to you and yours. (Gordon Zlot)
    Dave Charles: Irk on Brother George. We’re irked by Trump and his MAGA lunatics. Please explain because we think America is having a conniption.   Thanks for your INK and IRK’s in 2023.  Nice to have the rest of Canadian media get to know more about you in the FYI Media article this year.  Thanks for sharing.Wish you great wine, a good time and loads of laughs.  Hi to Reg.  Miss those super creative radio campaigns that only the Johns Brothers could do.  By the way what prize package did JACK MC COY finally win. Was it the airplane or the tugboat? Classic Jack…Behave, BE BAD or just be George. Best of the season to you and yours. (Gordon Zlot)Geo: Dave, first of all, thank you for interviewing me in FYI. Always good to get some press in the Motherland. :-)Here in America, just like in Canada, the far right and the extreme left seem a lot bigger than they really are because they’re so noisy and because they’re so noisy, they get lots of press. However, the truth is that most of the population is either slightly left or slightly right. My best to you and yours.

  11. Nick Alexander: The stations in Santa Rosa are in good hands. Michael O’Shea has a long track record of running very successful stations. He was one of my mentors and nominated me for the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2017. Back in the day I used to be his go-for when he did high school “sock hops” around the north Texas area as a KLIF jock. Good times, great memories and many lessons learned. (Gordon Zlot)
    Geo: The funny thing, Nick was when we first launched KVIL I needed a great afternoon jock and the two I liked were O’Shea and Selden. Before even I got to approach Michael, he left for Ft. Lauderdale so I got Selden.

  12. Jed Duval: George: One of my favorite YouTube videos is one of a wildebeest (gnus) stampede on the veldt in Africa with the video photographer (with a very long lens) behind a fully grown male lion. The male lion is calmly watching the speeding procession of wildebeests, yawning and flipping his tail, the action moving left to right. Then, all of a sudden, out of the left of the screen, the lioness comes charging into view, quickly taking down a wildebeest. All the male lion does is slowly get up and amble over to the carcass of the dying gnu that the female has taken down, nudging her out of the way. It must be nice to be the KING! Merry Christmas, George!
    Geo: That reminds me of the movie the outlaw Jose Wales and Chief Dan George says, “Sometimes it’s good to be Chief.” Where did we go wrong, Jed?

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