I was trading messages (rants) yesterday with my old friend the legendary Jim Harper whom I’d worked with at WNIC in Detroit (I kept the coffee cups full). Jim (pictured above) told me that he felt sorry for the young broadcasters who don’t know who Johnny Carson is. He went on to say that unless you study the masters, you’re relegated to make the same miserable salary you’re paid today, or even worse, get fired.I agree with Jim, because for as long as I’ve been in radio I know of only two concepts that work on morning radio and they were created almost 100 years ago. Unfortunately, the much more music morning show ain’t one of them, but it is the easiest one to sell to management though. I’m not sure what Jim’s favorite is because he’s done them both, but mine is the one Jack Benny invented and Johnny Carson along with Jerry Seinfeld and others copied as did Ron Chapman at KVIL in Dallas. The other one was created by Laurel and Hardy and was used by many including Abbott and Costello, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Rowen and Martin, the Smothers Brothers, John Madden, and on radio by Jeff & Jer in San Diego.
Once you come to understand how these concepts work you won’t have to be nice to management anymore; they’ll be nice to you. But then again that only leads to more tax problems.
SOME MORE RANTS…
The only way you make money in radio is by making management afraid that you’re gonna leave. Hey don’t look now but from where I’m standing, they don’t even look nervous.
I’ve always been comfortable being the “other guy.” Being “the guy” in a relationship is expensive, and you’re always wondering about the “other guy.”
Sometimes giving reminders instead of instructions may be the way to go.
How much land did Israel have in 1948 compared to today?
Are any of the folks who do hard drugs non-smokers?
Occasionally men grow weary of begging and need to be begged.
Transgender and Transsexual are not the same.
Why do the radio executives today make more money than those who came before them? Is it harder to lose money?
Is it better not to know what you’ll never have?
You’re always pretty good at what you like doing.
Success is located at the very end of a long and winding road.
The most expensive women in the world in order are as follows:
(1) Your Wife
(2) Your Mistress
(3) Your Daughter
(4) Your Girlfriend
(5) Your Mom
(6) Your Sister
(7) An Acquaintance
I remember a time when some people thought they were hip because they didn’t dig The Beatles.
One of the smartest things Ted Rogers ever did in Canada was to buy CHLO in St. Thomas and then give it back to them. Albeit with a different frequency.
Young and old alike will listen to a young deejay, but only the old will listen to someone who doesn’t sound young.
Is it just me or did Dick Chaney always look evil?
I understand why Mr. Businessman wants the government to send millions of dollars to other countries, what I don’t understand is why they think we do?
I wonder how much money businesses are losing while saving money not having enough staff to serve their customers?
Knowing what you should do and your doing it, is light years apart.
Somewhere between the Republicans and the Democrats lies the truth.
The most exhilarating thing that you can do is accomplish a task that previously looked impossible.
Guys are a hell of a lot more fun to hang with than women, just ask the girls.
It’s true that the folks listen to the radio, they don’t watch it, but if you don’t get them to look at it once in a while, find a new trade.
Unless you’ve got skin in the game, your opinion doesn’t count.
The only break that means anything on the radio is the one you’ve got coming up.
Wow, bad boy, Jay Cutler signed by the Dolphins. I hope they told him that they were paying him ten mill for his arm, not his mouth.
I’ve always been a student of radio but it ain’t been teaching me nuthin’ lately
Much More @ GeorgeJohns.com and on Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio
You left out one important point of that rant I was on, my Friend.
I learned to study The Greats of entertainment on YOUR suggestion:
Johnny, Disney, and the rest did the hard work…and it doesn’t matter that their ideas are 50 yrs. old. Deconstructing how they did their shows, or projects and then translating it for 2017 is what it’s all about.
By the way…I don’t think I’ve EVER heard anyone make this suggestion at any seminar or camp in my entire career. And as you often said “The Muses NEVER hang out in the conference room”. (If you don’t know what a Muse is…you’re not an artist.) Thanks for including me in your blog.
Jim, I always felt that it was my job to show talent a menu of the various ways they could make their art better. It is said though that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink, you have to make him thirsty first. You were very thirsty my friend. 🙂 By the way, did you know that the muses also don’t fly coach?
One of the greats in morning radio, at least in my mind, was Jungle Jay Nelson when he was at CJAY Fast and funny…. We need more of him today !
Dale, are you talking about Jungle Jay on Chum?
The name Jim Harper sounds familiar. In 1978, on my drive in to do the afternoon shift for Gene Autry, I would sometimes catch a midday guy on WNIC (I think) who inspired me with his infectious laugh. Could that have been the subject of your blog?
I’m not sure Ken, I worked with him in the 80s & 90’s and he was the morning man then.
George you forgot to mention the white gloves we had to wear to keep our fingerprints off Heerbie Brittain’s classical records.
One moment in time I’ll never forget was trying to play the George Dawes time and temperature tapes on the hour.
George’s voice announced it was 11 o’clock the temperature in Winnipeg its 57 degrees …. Then when the operator turned down the pot George’s voice announced it was 12 o’clock and in Winnipeg 58 degrees on it went until it was 2 o’clock and in Winnpeg it’s 59 degrees … It took forever to turn down two pots and play a record by Percy Faith….. 50 years later the day is still etched in my memory.
John, I hear you only too well. I have a chapter in a book that I’m writing that describes exactly what you’re saying. I’ll send it to ya.