Geo’s Media Blog (KVIL-Dallas 1974) New 3/07/2019 #10

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Back when I was the National PD of Fairbanks Broadcasting, just before Thanksgiving each year, Jim Hilliard would hold a management conference. In attendance at these suit and tie affairs (most of us waited until that time to buy our new duds for the year) were our GMs, SMs, PDs, Promotion people, and Engineers.

These annual conferences were very futuristic and Jim Hilliard dwelled mostly on where things were going and how we could best take advantage of the situation by being there waiting for the future when it arrived. In fact, when the economy was at its worst, we had our best year.

On the sales side, here’s how it worked. At some point, Jim Hilliard would give the Sales Managers of each station a folded piece of paper on which was written the number that he expected them to bill the following year. When Jerry Bobo ( shown above with me at a recent KVIL reunion) saw his number, I remember him loudly saying, “JESUS CHRIST”, followed by Dick Yancey of WIBC in Indy, who said, “But Jim what if we don’t get good ratings,” which Hilliard responded to with, “Well that may make it a little tougher Dick.” (Jerry, by the way, hit his number less than three quarters the way through the year)

On the programming side, it went like this. A couple of weeks before the meetings, I would call the various PD’s and say, “Tomorrow’s your day in the box baby, tape your station and make the best presentation tape you possibly can out of it; you’ll be playing it for a tough crowd.”

(Below is how KVIL sounded during their first year with us. It features Ron Chapman HOF, Ben Laurie HOF, Bill Gardner, Jack Schell HOF, Mike Selden HOF, and Major Tom Lewis.)

https://app.box.com/s/j0be5i7bh8mv6pj84obu8pfpz3j70bwo

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

 

3 thoughts on “Geo’s Media Blog (KVIL-Dallas 1974) New 3/07/2019 #10

  1. George, I had the most delightful conversation with Jack Schell earlier this week. We had never met. Bill Gardner gave Jack my number. From the instant he answered the call, he had me laughing. Half an hour with him provided more entertainment than I’ve heard on all American radio stations I’ve heard this year combined. Pick the market, pick the talent — Jack would draw higher ratings within a month. That airstaff you assembled at KVIL will never again be duplicated. Simply the best talent ever collected on one radio station.

  2. George – thanks for posting this aircheck. It brings back many memories. In 74 I was across the turnpike at KXOL Ft. Worth doing mid-days. Back then separate rating books were issued for Dallas and Ft. Worth. The Ft. Worth battle was between KFJZ and KXOL. But I would always learn by listening to Ron in the mornings rather than Casey & Duckie! It would be 10 years before my career would bring me to KVIL as Operations Manager. It was the station I always wanted to work at and was the high point of my radio career. It lasted until Mel bought the place and ultimately ran it into the ground.

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