Back in the day when I was the National PD of Fairbanks Broadcasting, each year just before Thanksgiving we’d have a management conference. In attendance at these suit and tie affairs were all our GMs, SMs, PDs, Promotion Directors, and Chief Engineers.
These annual confabs were mostly futuristic which meant that our boss, Jim Hilliard dwelled mostly on where things were going not where they were. We’d discuss at length how to take advantage of the current situation and be there waiting when the future arrived. In fact, when the economy was at its worst in America, we had our very best year because we’d planned for it.
At some point, Jim Hilliard would hand all the Sales Managers a folded piece of paper on which he had written what he expected them to bill the following year. When Jerry Bobo of KVIL in Dallas saw his number, I vividly remember him saying, “JESUS CHRIST” very loudly, followed by Dick Yancey of WIBC in Indianapolis, who said, “But Jim what if we don’t get the ratings?” Hilliard responded 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)
For programming, it went like this. A couple of weeks before our meetings in Indy, 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 out of it that you can. Oh, and good luck; you’ll be playing it for a tough crowd.
(Below is the tape of how WVBF in Boston sounded in 1974 which not only features Austin in Boston, Mark Davis, Harry Chase, Ron Robin, Charlie Kendall, Harvey Wharfield, a little taste of Benevolent Bill Freeman, and also the first-ever on-air BJ.)
GEO’S LIFE-LINERS
QUESTIONS?
One of the many neat things about Canada is nobody including politicians and rich folks, can buy their way to the front of the line. But then again, why would you want to work night and day if it didn’t get you any privileges?
Has anybody checked to see what taxes those whiny actors, singers, and athletes pay?
I wonder how the rest of the team treats the “fake athletes” whose parents bought them their sports scholarships?
How the hell did Hillary manage to go from a wife to a senator and then almost the presidency?
Wow, Duke got knocked out huh?
REALITY
62% of the millionaires in America. So much for the self-made man stories huh.
Everybody wants to be famous, but nobody has figured out how to handle it yet.
An idea doesn’t come to fruition on its own.
THINGS I DON’T BELIEVE
I don’t believe that our government didn’t know about Pearl Harbor.
I don’t believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
I don’t believe that OJ didn’t kill his wife.
I don’t believe that a few towel heads brought the twin towers down by simply flying into them.
I don’t believe that there were ever any “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq.
I don’t believe that Michael was not a pedophile.
I don’t believe that without rules, Mr. Businessman will do the right thing.
I don’t believe in Socialism, but I also don’t believe in specialism either.
I don’t believe that we need oil from Saudi Arabia.
I don’t believe America wants more people to move here.
I don’t believe that the wealthy need more tax breaks.
I don’t believe that the people who run charities should fly around in private jets and stay in 5-star hotels.
I don’t believe all who claim to be poor are poor.
I don’t believe that Cubans are better off under Castro than Batista.
I don’t believe any country is more important than your family.
I don’t and can’t believe that they dropped the charges against Jussie Smollett in Chicago. Wow!
PHILOSOPHICAL
If you get everything you want, pretty soon you won’t care if you get anything at all.
You know you’re getting old when you hear that Mick Jagger just had a stroke or something.
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 GeorgeJohns.com. On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio. Sharing and commenting is appreciated.
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So George, here’s the magic question: Do Michael Jackson’s hit songs come off the radio ? It would be like Turner Classic Movies refusing to air films by Woody Allen and / or produced by Harvey Weinstein. (Of course, it you read the unauthorized (i.e. “Hollywood Babylon”, etc.) biographies and studio histories, there are very few big stars, directors and producers, not to mention the studio heads themselves, that lived virtuous lives.). I understand that TV special program to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Motown Records have deleted all references and music clips of Michael Jackson ! (I guess they will focus on “The Jackson Five” by editing only parts of the performances.)
If one wanted to be subversive for April Fool’s day, one could promote via billboards and social media FALSE messages that a competitor would be featuring an all Michael Jackson & the Perverts Day (or weekend), complete with a film festival with films by Harvey Weinstein, Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. This is the type of stuff Randy Michaels did in Cincinnati to poor old WKRC-AM when he took over “The Big One”. Today, with everybody bankrupt or approaching it, nobody would spend the time or money ! Geez, I miss the good old days 🙂 !
Jed, some of the songs Michael recorded became hits just because it was him just like Elvis. (Do The Clam) Those we don’t need, but the ones that were hits because they were strong those I still need to hear because I like them. I still love those Milli Vanilli tunes and don’t care who really sang them. Maybe the industry needs to do what I did when Mr. Fairbanks ordered me to pull all of Madonna’s records because as he said, “She was a slut.” What I did was pull her name off all the Fairbanks stations but continued to play her hit tunes.
Great hearing the WVBF clip.
Some great jocks passed thru there. My favorites were Frank Kingston Smith, Ron Robin, Harry Chase, Dale Dorman and Bill Stephens.
Have met them all but Harry. Man what a voice. All these guys were terrific talents and wow what a great radio station that was!
Would still be listening if they were still around!
Mark Masley
Saint Augustine Florida