Geo’s Media Blog. (Kay Ville’s Obituary) 11/19/18

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When I heard about the death of one of America’s finest radio stations, KVIL, in Dallas, it brought back many of my memories of her storied journey. In fact, I still remember the day I introduced the new Kay Ville to Ron Chapman.
Earlier in the week, I’d put together a tape together at the company’s headquarters in Indianapolis utilizing some of the great voices we had at WIBC and WNAP. I did a couple of two-man newscasts using stuff out of the two Dallas papers, mixed in a few commercials, added some killer promos voiced by Chuck Riley and sweetened it with some beautiful jingles from Hugh Heller. Next, I added a new form of music which would later be called Adult Contemporary.
Once all the elements were blended perfectly, I started inserting some local content from Ron off the tapes the GM had sent me. I had lots of stuff like weather, traffic, what was going on in town and the Cowboys. As Ron took you around the format clock, he, of course, hit all the posts, hey he ain’t no rookie. 
After listening to the tape, all Ron said was, “Well there’s no sense saying I can’t do it because there I was doing it. When does it start?”
My next memory was my getting a phone call back in Indy from Jim Hilliard who pulled his rental over to call me from a payphone near Love Field. He asked how my search for an afternoon guy was going and when I told him that I’d narrowed it down to three, he said, “Hire them all, man, we’ve got a shot!” Not only did we hire them, but before I knew it, billboards promoting them were springing up all over Dallas and Fort Worth. (see above) 
One of those three guys was Bill Gardner who right out of the box won Billboard Magazine’s Radio Personality Of The Year Award. Wow, how cool was that? Unfortunately, we were so new that they even misspelled the call letters on his trophy because nobody had ever heard of us.
Besides Bill and Ron, (Ron is now in three radio hall of fame’s) we also had a bunch great talent like, Mike Selden, Jack Schell, Larry Dixon, Major Tom Lewis, Cat Simon, Andy McCollum, Bob Morrison, Ben Laurie, Suzie Humphrey, Bill Mercer, Billy Bob Harris, along with so many others who also are now enshrined in the Texas Radio Hall Of Fame.
Oh,and how could I ever forget the endless giant promotions we did like, The Great Race, The People’s Choice, The Magic Ticket, The Prize Catalog, The KVIL Bumper Sticker Campaign that gave away well over a dozen cars, and Ron’s, “If you’ve got a spare twenty, send it to me.” (In three days they sent him a quarter of a million dollars which got us some national press.) Or what about our shutting down the expressway twice, once when we had some pretty girls in Bikinis swinging high above Dallas on a billboard, and again when we ran the 50% off free fair, and the whole city wanted to be there at the same time.
Then, of course, there was the time Ron did his show underwater with seven sharks when folks were afraid to go into their pools because of the movie Jaws. Next, he decided to do his first ever parachute jump live on the air which made the newscasts on all three networks. Speaking of billboards again, do I dare mention the naked one of Mike Selden which went up right across the street from a nunnery which put us in the newspapers and back on TV again. As I think back now about how great KVIL and its Hall of Fame staff sounded, I’m not aware that the station ever won an award. Hey, but I guess to win you have to enter huh? Hell, we were too busy winning the rating game to do that. R.I.P Kay Ville, you were a fine girl.

LIFE-LINERS

FAMILY.

My only fear about someday exiting the planet is that nobody will care about my kids as much as I do.

When a girl gets engaged, the first thing she needs to stop doing is saying, “Well my Dad says.”

The only thing stronger than any religion or country is your family

POLITICAL & POLITICALLY INCORRECT.

The Democrats are in such a state about Trump that they forgot to find us, somebody, to vote for.

Twenty years ago I had no idea who was a Republican or Democrat but, unfortunately, I sure do today.

Some people today are still saying that they wish Hillary were president, but I shudder at the thought. Hell, even Michelle Obama said, “Hillary, If you can’t manage your own house, how are you gonna manage the white house?”

What I can’t understand is when the French took the land from the Indians in Canada the French didn’t change their language, but when the Brits took it from the French, somehow Canada had to become bilingual?

When a lawyer knows that his client is guilty of a horrendous crime, but uses every legal trick to get him off.  Should he fail, I think that he should suffer the same consequences as his client.

If anybody doubts that our government works for big business, just check out who got bonus checks when the Feds bailed them out with our tax dollars.

Do liberals really like Arabs more than Russians? Weren’t the Arabs the ones who brought down the twin towers and are continuing to kill people all over the world?

How are we sure that the FBI and CIA aren’t just thugs with credentials?

I love how the Media who bash Trump, get offended when he bashes them.

MARS & VENUS.

Women love money much more then men do, hell we only use it to attract them.

There’s no way an American woman is gonna go back to how it used to be a thousand tears ago. The Muslims might as well move on.

REALITY.

If you were a pedophile wouldn’t you become a Preist?

I think Uber should be in charge of ambulances, the rates these bandits are charging are outrageous. 
 
Most folks don’t realize that what’s easy for them to do is what they’re good at. 
 
To succeed one must be an Alpha type or at least act like one. 
 
To grow, one must continuously test their limits. 
 
Nobody is gonna go for a health plan that gives the medical monsters want. (unless you have one like Obama’s) 
 
Why is California not outraged by their taxes? 
 
Isn’t Lite Beer just regular Beer with more water? 
 
I believe that the oil companies are doing everything in their power to keep gas under four bucks cuz they know waiting on the other side of that number is electric cars.
 
The moment a man discovers something worth dying for, he becomes very dangerous.
 
Nobody gets dragged into a street fight.
 
Not that long ago Americans were terrorists to the British.
 
People are much more loyal to their religion than their country.
So it’s Calgary and Edmonton in the Grey Cup, Eh!
 
MEDIA
Radio’s biggest problem is that nobody under 25 listens to it. Right, Nielson? 
 
Nobody told me how to do good radio; I just overheard it. 
 

Content is King but if you’re not a great performer, give it to someone who is, it would be a shame to waste it.

The Godfather movie was long but not near long enough.

 

For sneak peeks at new blogs or to see some that you may have missed, go to GeorgeJohns.com. On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio and doing a new Blog with Bob Christy called Writing Radio’s Wrongs. Sharing and commenting is appreciated.

In Flanders Fields – Bruce Walker (The Jury) 11/11/18

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poppies

At some point during the Great War, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrea, (pictured above) a Canadian from Guelph Ontario was visiting the gravesite of his good friend Alex Hemer to pay his last respects. While doing so, he noticed that the only thing that appeared to be growing amongst all the crosses were poppies. As he sadly gazed around at the final resting place of the fallen soldiers, he was inspired to write his immortal poem, “In Flanders Fields.”
My old bandmate from The Jury, Bruce Walker, (shown below) after enduring the butchering of Mr. McCrea’s poem at a Remembrance Day service, decided upon returning home to plug in his guitar and give the famous poem a melody.
Bruce dedicates his version of “In Flanders Fields” to all the fallen soldiers from all wars.
It’s a beautiful and haunting work Bruce, and know this, the rest of the “The Jury” were there with you in spirit as you recorded it.
 

 

 

 

Geo’s Media Blog. (Jury Reunion) 11/12/18

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Recently I told my grandson Nathaniel the secret of life, “Figure out what you would like to do, then find someone to pay you to do it.” However, if you’re lucky enough to get that done, unfortunately, your life flashes by, and like me, you’ll wonder what the hell happened?
When I was a young lad growing up in Transcona, a suburb of Winnipeg, all I dreamed about was being in a Rock & Roll band. So I bought a guitar, learned to play it, and then started a few bands with my friend Rolly (Termite) Blaquiere. The next thing I knew our band, The Jury was signed by London Records, and soon we were releasing records along with the Guess Who, BTO, and Neil Young. Wow, what a heady experience, but unlike how I dreamed it, it did not come with a lot of cash, so I needed a day job too. Luckily I got a part-time job at CKY which was very fun.
However, when my daughter Candis was born, and even though we had the #1 Canadian record in Canada, I decided to leave The Jury. The band thing just didn’t look like it was ever going to pay enough to support a family so I thought that I would give radio a shot. It turned out to be an excellent choice because not only did I love doing it, my radio career exploded. Not only did I own a syndication company, I also owned several radio stations and was headquartered in San Diego.
None of that was easy of course, and because I was working hard and trying to stay focused on my company’s future, I never thought about my old band days much. Then I got an invitation in the mail to attend the reunion of all the Winnipeg bands at a concert which was going to be held at the Winnipeg Convention Center. Not only that but the whole thing was going to be Televised. Wow, how fun!
Now, not having touched my guitar for twenty years, I only planned to fly back to Winnipeg for a couple of days to see some old friends and hang with my old bandmates. When I arrived home, the whole town was just buzzing about the concert and the press was all over it. 
The highlight of the evening for me was watching Randy Bachman of BTO, Burton Cummings of The Guess Who and Neil Young on stage together doing a twenty-minute version of American Woman. The scariest moment though was when Randy and Burton strapped a Strat on me and pushed out on stage to join the rest of the Jury who were laughing their asses off. Standing there in front of a sold-out crowd and a bunch of TV cameras, I was scared to death. I told the roadie to make sure my guitar was turned off, and as our lead guitar player Terry Kenny hit the first few notes of our first record, the strangest thing happened. After twenty years of not touching my guitar, I had no idea what the chord progressions were, but my hands knew them all. (to view some of what went on that night, click on the link at the bottom of the Blog.)
GEO’S LIFE-LINERS.

MEDIA

Radio Consultant Tracy Johnson said that Kidd Kraddick told him that he gave some of his funniest stuff to his co-workers because it didn’t match his image. Wow!

The folks listen to the radio for 227 minutes every week. Can you imagine what it would be if it was any good?

PHILOSOPHICAL
Your true value is measured by how many people became successful because of your success?

If you want to accomplish something, you’ll find a way. Otherwise, you’ll find an excuse.

Making magic memories is what our life’s mission should be all about.

We all respect that which we cannot do.

The Loss of your word is the biggest loss of all.

MARS & VENUS.
Marriage makes no financial sense to a man.

Little girls are fun and easy to make happy, but when they turn into women, almost impossible.

Why is it that its the not so good looking women who complain about men hitting on them, whereas the beautiful ladies never mention it?

Do women stop being naughty when the moment they no longer can conceive or were they never naughty?

If the ladies really do like sensitive men the best, why do they always go home from the party with a Clint Eastwood type?

The only women I can handle attitude from are my daughters and even that’s kinda tough.

POLITICAL & POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
The government is the same as its always been but unfortunately, we the people are smarter.

Before escaping to Canada you may want to consider this, the far right is a little bit left of center.

Is it just me or do all the presidents upon leaving office, live like, and near all the people they railed against?

REALITY.

Telling me what’s wrong with this picture pays a dollar an hour but fixing it pays a thousand.

If you can’t change the situation then it is you who must change.

NFL kneelers ain’t gonna get the police’s attention, only what threatens their pensions can do that.

(For a little taste of what went on at the band reunion in Winnipeg, click on the link below.)

The short story above is about my going back to Winnipeg for a band reunion with #TheJury, #TheGuessWho, #BTO and #NeilYoung followed by #Geo’sLifeLiners which deals with #Kneelers, #TheFarRight, #Canada, #NaughtyWomen, #Respect, and a few other #PoliticallyIncorrectOservations. For a sneak peek at some upcoming Geo’s Media Blogs, go to GeorgeJohns.com. On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio and you can subscribe by putting your email address in the comment section below. Sharing and commenting is appreciated.

 

Writing Radio’s Wrongs 8/11/18

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The Story Tellers…

Let’s talk about storytelling, here’s one, it’s true and I lived it the Halloween I was in the 8th grade.
gorilla3

A local doctor had a gorilla costume, Hollywood level quality. Little kids would come up to his door and he’d run out from the side of the house and scare them so much they’d pee in their pants, I know this for a fact because my sister did pee in her pants one Halloween, after seeing the gorilla…

My 8th grade friends and I were doing Halloween for the last time, there were 4 of us. One of my friends Ron was one of those 13-year-old boys who was already a grown man. Ron had hair on his chest and he shaved every day. Ron was around 5-9 and weighed 165, you can imagine what he accomplished in Jr High football, nobody wanted to or could tackle him.

We followed a group of little kids up to Dr. H’s door, he came out from the bushes beating his gorilla chest and the little kids started to scream, maybe they peed their pants. Ron took off as he did on the football field, the doctor turned to run, halfway across the yard, Ron tackled him. Ripped off the gorilla head and came back like Conan the Barbarian holding up the King Kong head. Ron tossed the gorilla head out in the street and left to the adoring cheers of the little kids holding their trick or treat bags. The Doc never did his gorilla act again.

George, I’ve given that true story to 4 different jocks over the years. Each one of them used it to great effect. One used the story to generate calls from his audience about their great Halloween moments, he got almost 2 hours out of it from 8 to 10 AM

Another pre-produced it with music and sound effects and narrated it like an old-time radio drama.

The other two told it and sold it as a stand-alone.

The story worked every time, no matter how they used it.

Good air talents are the kind of people you want to sit next to on a long airline flight or strike up a conversation with at a bar. In short, storytellers.

Bobby, it’s like you and I talked about. The moment you buy a lottery ticket, you start fantasizing about what you’re going to do with the winnings. Unfortunately, it’s only the buying of the ticket that kick-starts the dreams so I would suggest when the money gets enormous, the whole morning crew buy a ticket and start sharing their fantasies. It won’t be long till the listeners will chime in, and now you’ve got a whole show.
jeff and jer

One of the best ever storytellers was Jer of Jeff & Jer fame. I always loved coaching them because their show was so fun to listen to. The thing about Jeff & Jer was that they didn’t hang out together so when they saw each other every morning they always spent some time catching up.

Jeff was the marrying kind with a bunch of kids and lived modestly. Jerry, on the other hand, was also married but lived a totally different lifestyle. He lived in the hills of La Jolla overlooking the ocean and dined out each night with superstars.

The premise of Jef & Jer’s act was that they only had a few listeners and they didn’t make a lot of money so Jerry was always looking for bargains. (highest paid un syndicated talent in the biz) Jerry, of course, was reluctant to talk about his real personal life but Jeff was genuinely intrigued by whatever it was Jerry did the previous night which always led to a great story.
On one of my visits, I remember hearing Jeff ask Jerry how his family reunion went back in Michigan over the weekend. Jer said, “I don’t want to talk about it.” Jeff said, “You don’t want to talk about it, you drove us all crazy for months about how excited you were about seeing all your aunts and uncles and cousins again, and now you don’t want to talk about it?” Jerry then proceeded to say “I didn’t go.” What,” Jeff says, “You didn’t go, why not?” Jerry replied, “I told you, I don’t want to talk about it.”
They got an entire show out of Jeff slowly prying the story out of Jer. They did their regular radio stuff but then Jeff would keep coming back to his inquiry which was hilarious. I won’t bore you with it all because there is no way a blog can reflect how they did it on the air. However, Jer finally confessed to Jeff that a friend of his who worked for the airlines had given him a buddy pass. The way a buddy pass works is that as long as the flight isn’t sold out, you’re on the plane. Jer supposedly was at the airport for the whole day but was getting bumped off of every flight. Only Jeff & Jer could do a whole show out of being bumped off an airplane.

Bob, as the saying goes, “Great morning hosts are great storytellers and their listeners tell great stories about them.” Geo