I’ve worked with a lot of great owners and GMs during my radio career, but there were a few who weren’t so great like Bob Price. What a prick!
Bob was like somebody who graduated from Harvard, which somehow works its way into the conversation within minutes of meeting them. With Bob, it was his table a “21.”
Old Bob never liked me from the start and believe me, the feeling was mutual.
In fact, he fired me several times but much to his dismay, he just couldn’t make it stick.
The Price saga began the day Frank Osborn who ran Fairmont Broadcasting which Bob owned, invited me to meet with him in San Francisco.
Frank told me at our meeting that he was very concerned about K101’s lackluster ratings and wanted to know if I could fix them. (Frank is pictured above)
In fact, he fired me several times but much to his dismay, he just couldn’t make it stick.
The Price saga began the day Frank Osborn who ran Fairmont Broadcasting which Bob owned, invited me to meet with him in San Francisco.Frank told me at our meeting that he was very concerned about K101’s lackluster ratings and wanted to know if I could fix them. (Frank is pictured above)
Seeing as I’ve always loved the Bay Area, I told him that I’d sure like to try.
A few days later, he called to say that we were close to a deal, but we had one more hurdle to jump, I had to meet with him and the owner in New York.
A few days later, he called to say that we were close to a deal, but we had one more hurdle to jump, I had to meet with him and the owner in New York.
The owner’s name was Bob Price and after Frank got through singing my praises, Bob’s only comment was to say that I was too expensive.
Then he threw his hands up in the air and said, “Whatever, Frank,” and with a wave, we were dismissed like Hop Sing at the Ponderosa.
Then he threw his hands up in the air and said, “Whatever, Frank,” and with a wave, we were dismissed like Hop Sing at the Ponderosa.
OK, now that’s out of the way, it’s time to head to San Francisco and meet with K101’s GM, the charismatic Jack McSorley.
Taking advantage of Jack’s charm, I talked him into doing our TV commercials which would distract everybody and buy me some much-needed time to strip the radio station bare and find some air talent.
Taking advantage of Jack’s charm, I talked him into doing our TV commercials which would distract everybody and buy me some much-needed time to strip the radio station bare and find some air talent.
The TV spots showed Jack hanging out at various neat places all over San Francisco.
When the camera zoomed in, Jack said he was remodeling K-101, but he couldn’t do it without the listeners’ help which he was willing to pay for.
When the camera zoomed in, Jack said he was remodeling K-101, but he couldn’t do it without the listeners’ help which he was willing to pay for.
Then, as the camera pulled back, he would point out the various cars, boats, motorcycles, and posters of vacation spots all over the world that he was going to use to say thank you with.
Not only did the TV spots buy me time, but they also made Jack a star.
Not only did the TV spots buy me time, but they also made Jack a star.
He was now welcomed with open arms at all the agencies by the lady time buyers who also managed to find him a bone or two which once again proved that ratings are only one of the ways you sell radio time.
It all worked out much better than we ever could have imagined because before the remodeling was even half done, the ratings exploded.
It all worked out much better than we ever could have imagined because before the remodeling was even half done, the ratings exploded.
When Frank first hired me, he said that he was hoping that I wouldn’t get to see much of him because I only visit a station to deliver bad news.
True to his word, the next time I saw Frank, he did have bad news; he was leaving to start his own company.
True to his word, the next time I saw Frank, he did have bad news; he was leaving to start his own company.
With Frank’s departure Price decided to move Jack McSorley, to New York to replace him.
Jack, who was not excited at all about leaving San Francisco, told Price that he’d only do it if he could have me as the corporate consultant.
Jack, who was not excited at all about leaving San Francisco, told Price that he’d only do it if he could have me as the corporate consultant.
I bet Jack’s request was the last thing ol’ Bob wanted to hear because he was probably getting ready to deep-six me the moment Frank Osborn was out the door.
While working with the Fairmont group, I met some pretty amazing people, and some of them like the legendary Jim Harper from Detroit Bobby Cole from San Francisco, and Mark Hubbard from Cincinnati, remain, friends, even today. (Jim is pictured with me above and Mark and me on top)
While working with the Fairmont group, I met some pretty amazing people, and some of them like the legendary Jim Harper from Detroit Bobby Cole from San Francisco, and Mark Hubbard from Cincinnati, remain, friends, even today. (Jim is pictured with me above and Mark and me on top)
Things were going well at Fairmont, and I was having a ball when all of a sudden, Jack does a Frank.
With Jack also leaving to start his own company, I guess Price was tired of training guys to become owners, so he put the whole group up for sale.
With Jack also leaving to start his own company, I guess Price was tired of training guys to become owners, so he put the whole group up for sale.
I was probably the first person to hear about it when he excitedly called to fire me.
A few days later, hat in hand, ol’ Bob had to call me back and say that Jim Hilliard, who was buying the company, insisted that I be put back on the payroll.
A few days later, hat in hand, ol’ Bob had to call me back and say that Jim Hilliard, who was buying the company, insisted that I be put back on the payroll.
Wow, how exciting was this going to be? Jim and his wife Barb had already picked out a mansion, so everything looked good.
Then the money guys started piling on more and more fees, so Jim walked from the deal.
Then the money guys started piling on more and more fees, so Jim walked from the deal.
Once again, my phone rang, and once again, it was an excited Bob Price telling me that I was fired.
Bob must have had bad karma because, with me, he just couldn’t win for losing; the new buyer was Frank Osborn, who also insisted that I be put back on the payroll.
Bob must have had bad karma because, with me, he just couldn’t win for losing; the new buyer was Frank Osborn, who also insisted that I be put back on the payroll.
When Bob called me back once again to rehire me, he couldn’t resist asking what kind of pictures I had of these guys.
When Frank’s deal went through he hired John Hayes to run the group. (John is pictured above)
John was a no-nonsense buttoned-down kind of guy, and even though he was very different than most of the others I’d worked with, surprisingly, we got along quite well.
Legend has it that the first thing John did was tour all the stations.
Then when he hit KKOB in Albuquerque, he told the driver to take him downtown, and when he was told that he was downtown, John said, “Then take me back to the Airport.”
Then when he hit KKOB in Albuquerque, he told the driver to take him downtown, and when he was told that he was downtown, John said, “Then take me back to the Airport.”
Unfortunately, just like those who came before him, John also left to start his own company, so Frank put Mark Hubbard, from his small market division in charge of it all.
Mark and I hit it off instantly, and I’ll never forget our first visit to KKOB in Albuquerque.
Mark and I hit it off instantly, and I’ll never forget our first visit to KKOB in Albuquerque.
While there, I was surprised to learn that the GM, Art Schreiber, was part of the news crew that traveled with the Beatles on their first American tour. Wow, how cool was that.
When I quizzed Art about how the Beatles managed to resist the charms of all the pretty things, he just laughed and said, “They didn’t, and we were amazed that they still had the strength to play.”
When I quizzed Art about how the Beatles managed to resist the charms of all the pretty things, he just laughed and said, “They didn’t, and we were amazed that they still had the strength to play.”
Our next stop was to attend the K101 Christmas party in San Francisco, and I can still see the look on Mark’s face as our married with kids, News Director slow-danced his way by us with one of his fellow newsmen.
Then when the music director holding our sweet young receptionist in her arms floated by, Mark leaned over to me and said, “Let’s get the hell out of here before this place gets struck by lightning!”
Then when the music director holding our sweet young receptionist in her arms floated by, Mark leaned over to me and said, “Let’s get the hell out of here before this place gets struck by lightning!”