Geo’s Media Blog. (The Sting) New 2/8/21

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When I started my radio career, I was a board op at CKY-FM in Winnipeg when FM wasn’t cool. I had to play a whole bunch of Montovani and Ray Conniff while across the hall at CKY-AM, Jimmy Darin, (Hilliard) Chuck Dann, (Riley) Gary Todd, Daryl ‘B,’ and Mark Parr were all playing the Beach Boys.

Luckily for me though, the PD Jimmy Darin (Hilliard) took a liking to me and the next thing I knew I was the AM production engineer.
Not only did I get to hang out with all my favorite Jocks, but I also got to attend all the jock meetings which was very, very cool. (Me pictured above at CKY-FM.)

While working in production, I learned all the tricks from the very best, Chuck Dann. (Riley) I loved Chuck, but as brilliant as he was, he wasn’t the most dependable guy in the world, so I soon was named CKY’s Production Director.
I just loved being in production, especially when I was doing promos, and deep down, that’s who I still am, I’m a production man.

I learned a lot while I was doing production and one of the things I learned was that the sales folks don’t work for the radio station; they work for the client, we just pay them. 
The salesforce wants what the client wants and what a lot of clients want is to be interviewed.Can you spell b-o-r-i-n-g?
Years later after doing a lot of stuff I ended up becoming a programming consultant which meant that I got invited to more promotion meetings than I ever wanted to attend. I guess it was because I’d done a few good ones in my day.
In fact, at some point I even became Toney Brooks’ personal promotion taster. Toney was the President of Sandusky radio and every quarter we would travel to all the Sandusky stations to listen to their promotion plans. My job was to make them better.

Anyway, on this particular day, I was at a promotion meeting being held in the conference room at KKOB in Albuquerque. In attendance was the GM, the SM, and long-time morning man and ratings magnet, Larry Aherns. (pictured on top)
When they got to part where they told Larry that musical composer and orchestra leader Marvin Hamlisch (pictured above) would be coming by the next morning to be interviewed about his upcoming concert, I couldn’t help myself, I had to say, “Boring!”

The sales manager, of course, explained to me that to get on the buy, it was a requirement, and I responded with, “The need for money doesn’t make it any less boring.” Ok, he said, “What would you suggest, smart guy?”
I responded with, “I’d get a piano and wheel it into the studio.” The SM, who was now redfaced, said, “You expect us to ask Marvin Hamlisch to play the piano for us?”
My response was, “You won’t have to” was my response, “He won’t be able to resist.”

The next morning bright and early, when Marvin stopped by the KKOB studios for the first of his multi-station interviews, Larry told me later, “You were right, George, as soon as Marvin walked in and saw the piano, he said, may I sit here?”

I heard the whole show, and it was wonderful. Marvin was very animated and was telling great stories while tinkling the ivories.
He even played some cool intros like “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” into sports and “Blue Skies” while going into the weather.

Larry recently told me that it was the best interview he had ever done. Oh, and Marvin was having so much fun that he stayed all morning and never made it to the other radio stations. 
 
GEO’S LIFE-LINERS

How ’bout dat Tom Brady, Eh!

When they first get married, all men are Kings until the little Princes and Princesses show up. 

I think most men would like the end of their days to be at home, but first, they must decide where home is.

When do we get to the part where all the politicians stop sellin’ and start helping?

You can’t change how your life begigins, but you can sure change how it finishes.

Why do government workers need so much time off? Do they look tired to you

The only female capable of changing a man is his daughter.

Ponder this, California has already collected a billion dollars in taxes from marijuana sales, but the homeless continue to live in the streets.

Is Infidel a prejudiced or racist word?

Unless you love them, most women are only wonderful the first night.

I’m pretty sure that China is out to destroy America, so I’m hoping slow Joe has a better plan for them other than loving them to death?

When I moved to America in the early ’70s, the whole world, it seemed, wanted to be an American. Now, even the polite Canadians are laughing at us.

Speaking of the ’70s, that’s when San Francisco was one of the most beautiful cities in the world; which ruined it, the people or the politicians?

According to my son, Curt, the folks fleeing California for Texas will eventually become more like Texans than the other way around.

Do you find it as strange as I do that the things you don’t give a shit about never seem to break?

Guns changed everything because bullets are forever.

When you’re writing a song, you’re creating something that never existed before.

You’ve got nothing to fear when you’ve got nothing to lose.

Intuition always has your best interests at heart. 

Only when you master the fundamentals do you have any shot at greatness. 

I may not be as “connected” as some,  but I may know a guy.” 

Is it true that around the same amount of people died in the US in 2019 as did in 2020?

When you’re on the air, your listeners are probably already aware of everything you’re saying, so you’ve got to say it in a way they’ve never heard before.

Your technique is not natural; it’s a learned thing.

The only mysterious women to me are those who don’t want children. I wonder what the purpose of going bald is? 

Someday your life may depend on your knowing the difference between a Marksman and a Sniper. 

Being a Centrist, I’m curious what the almost 75 million folks who voted for Trump are gonna do? Are they going to throw as much hate at Joe as the 63 million who voted for Hillary did at Trump? Buckle up. 

The bigger the conspiracy theory, the bigger the people involved.

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

4 thoughts on “Geo’s Media Blog. (The Sting) New 2/8/21

  1. Great idea putting the piano in the room. That’s the one thing that people who don’t yearn to play music don’t understand. We love it and will do it anywhere any time. It is the perfect place to get into and forget your worries and cares. Just have fun and be creative.

  2. Sensei, thought provoking questions as always. Doing my retired guy show prep I looked up CDC death figures for 2020/2019/2018. Only had 48 weeks of 2020 on the books but looks like for whatever reason 48 weeks of 2020 had 200,000+ more deaths than all 2019 and 400,000+ more than all of 2018. #forwhatitsworth #yourmileagemayvary

  3. To further your “ I know a guy”…Even after all these years when a particular concert or show comes to town…My first thought is who has trade…

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