Monthly Archives: December 2023

Radio Geo’s Media Blog (Oh, Oh, The Giant’s Awake.) New 1/15/24

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Of all the great gifts my daughter Cami gave me for Christmas this year, the two most interesting are shown above.
One is a book with all the front pages of the New York Times, starting on my birthdate and continuing every birthday right up to my last one. (Hate how that reads) 🙁

The other special gift was two whiskey glasses with George printed on one and The Jury on the other.
Oh, and they both had a couple of Fender picks stuck in them. Very cool! (See above)

As I looked at the first page printed on October 03, 1941, I was amazed that were no stories about the war, only a small one about Germany continuing to bomb London.
Canada, along with Australia and most of Europe, of course, had been involved in World War II since 1939.

However, the front page had changed a lot by the time my first birthday rolled around; it was filled with nothing but War stories.
A couple of months after I made my way into the world, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, which finally awakened the sleeping giant.

I lived in Canada for thirty-two years before moving to America, and as I read each front page up to my thirty-second birthday, I was amazed to discover how many of the big news stories I’d never heard about. 
I guess they never cleared Canada Customs and vice versa.

Well, it’s different now because every Canadian knows who the hell Trump is, but I’m not sure the Americans know who Trudeau is.
(I’m wearing another one of Cami’s Christmas gifts below) 

GEO’S LIFE-LINERS

Knowing the difference between a fad and a trend pays big bucks.

Some may say that a joyous “oh wow” trumps an “oh no,” but I beg to differ because I still live in a world where ten atta-boys get wiped out by one; “Aww, shit!”

It’s the days behind that pretty well determine the days ahead.

Most people aren’t special.

I wish the woke folks would leave us, old folks, alone; cuz we’re never gonna buy into your shit. Hey, but the good part is, we’ll all be gone soon, so back off and let it evolve like it always does.

Songwriters aren’t happy until they’re miserable.

Blues singers only sing the blues so they can lose the blues.

Love also has a dark side, I know, because I’m attracted to broken women.

There’s no such thing as a former wife.

If there’s something you can do about it, then fucking do it.

People who write songs about love are usually incapable of giving or receiving it.

If you want old white guys to back off, this would be as good a time as any for others to come up with the cure for cancer.

Just because somebody outranks you doesn’t make them smarter. Custer was a General because he was connected.

My generation may be the first one that future generations won’t be saying, “Oh, those poor folks, how did they live like that?”

Of course, I’m prejudiced; who ain’t?

After you dream it the real work begins cuz you gotta detail it.

Looking for a solution is the first step towards finding it.

I’m intrigued by the past and only wonder about the future, but it’s the present I’m confused about.

I wonder why Hollywood thinks we all want to watch movies about gay folks.

What kind of a person gives up his own life to save people he doesn’t even know?

I wonder what % of women have used sex to advance their careers?

The only people that wealthy folks have any power over are those who want their money.

So, if you don’t believe in anything, how do think that’s gonna work out for ya?

What do you think America wants more, the politically correct truth or the truth?

If you love your job, you’ll never work another day.

I love being bossed around by the women I love. However, good luck to the rest of ya.

The way women become equal is by giving up their need to be protected. 

Which is smarter, your instincts or your intellect?

I’m still amazed that Wayne Gretzky scored 1016 goals during his NHL career. In 2nd place and still playing with 899 is 38-year-old Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.
Oh, and the great one has a total of 3,239 points. Good luck with that one, Ovie; unfortunately, Father Time is riding on your back.

Speaking of Wayne, he played 20 seasons in the NHL, and nobody broke his jaw. It’s gonna be interesting to see what happens to Brendon Smith every time the Devils play the Black Hawks this season.

Understanding the problem doesn’t fix it.

How you respond to everything is everything.

So, if you were being attracted by a thug, do you have to be politically correct while yelling at him?

Does anybody know why black folks and Jews all around the world don’t seem to be Soup Du Jour? 

The only women I can’t handle are the ones I love.

COMMENTS

Dave Charles: Irk on Brother George. We’re irked by Trump and his MAGA lunatics. Please explain because we think America is having a conniption fit. Thanks for your INK and IRK’s in 2023.
It was nice to have the rest of the Canadian media know more about you in the FYI Media article this year. Thanks for sharing.
Wish you great wine, a good time, and loads of laughs.
Hi to Reg. Miss those super creative radio campaigns that only the Johns Brothers could do. By the way, what prize package did JACK MC COY finally win? Was it the airplane or the tugboat? Classic Jack…Behave, BE BAD, or just be George. Best of the season to you and yours. (Gordon Zlot)
Geo: Dave, first of all, thank you for interviewing me in FYI. Always good to get some press in the Motherland. 🙂 Here in America, just like in Canada, the far right and the extreme left appear to be a lot bigger than they really are because they’re so noisy, and the press loves noisy people. However, the truth is most of the population is either slightly left or slightly right of center.

Scott Courant: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-making-fun-reporters-disability/story?id=35463888 (Unthinkable Trump)Geo: Yep, as I said above, Scott, one; Aww, Shit always wipes out ten Atta-Boys!

Bill Gardner: I had the extremely good fortune to be Jack McCoy’s morning man at KCBQ and later with him at WMYQ Miami. Talk about a pure genius. Jack and I talked about the Ferrari Prize Package one time.  He told me he had to get Enzo Ferrari’s personal approval by phone to air it and then showed me how he created the sound of an accelerating Ferrari so purely.  Only Jack McCoy could do this…  He took an old sound effects album in our production studio and qued up to a DUMP TRUCK sound effect but played it at 78 RPM instead of 33 1/3!  Then, when dubbing to permanent on a tape cartridge, he’d pinch the tape while it was playing to make the sound of shifting gears!  AND, Enzo Ferrari approved it!  Tell me that’s not genius!  Happened long ago, but I’ll never forget the moment, or the amazing Jack McCoy. (The Last Contest.)
Geo: Well said, Bill, and the even weirder part was the Ferrari promo, along with all the other mind-boggling creations, only aired once. Whew!
Bruce Devine: Merry Christmas. George can’t remember what we did on CFTR for Christmas, but I remember the Christmas parties. (Seasons Greetings)
Geo: Merry Christmas to you, too, Bruce. I, too, remember the parties, especially the one where a Neilson tune drove Ted Rogers out. 🙂
Bruce Devine: Yes, and I told Ted it was Don Labrecque, our sister station’ CHFI’s PD, who picked the tune.
Geo: Smooth move, Bruce.

Radio Geo’s Media Blog is a politically incorrect inside look at Radio, TV, Music, Movies, Books, Social Media, Politics, Religion, and Life, primarily written with men in mind.
For a peek at upcoming blogs or to see some you may have missed, go to GeorgeJohns.com.
On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio.
Sharing and commenting is appreciated.
If you’d like to subscribe, email your address to radiogeo@gmail.com.

Radio Geo’s Media Blog (Another Epiphany) New 10/28/24

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A couple of months ago, I woke up with another Ephinay. “Hey, why not sell my condo and live in a luxury apartment for the rest of my days?”
Selling now, I figure, would spare my kids, Candis, Curtis, and Camera, from getting ripped off by the condo commando’s exorbitant HOA fees after I passed.

Tiring of resort living back in 2008, I asked Rhys Hollyman, a fellow Canadian who had just gotten his real estate license, if he could help me find a cool place.
What I was looking for was something that overlooked either a golf course, a lake, the intercoastal, or the ocean.

When Rhys showed me my place, he said, “Sorry about the intercoastal, Man, but three outta four ain’t bad.”
What I overlook from my nineteenth-floor apartment is a brand-new Jack Nicklaus golf course and a beautiful lake. Plus, I can see cruise ships going by on the ocean.

Time to get hold of Rhys, who now owns his own real estate company called Logan Reality, and get things rolling.
As I said, I like doing business with Rhys because he’s a Canadian, so because I’m comfortable with how he does things, we put my place on the market.

Before long, Rhys and his trustworthy side-kick Heather Hatt had a few folks taking a peek at it. Now, the best thing about my place is the million-dollar view. (See on top)
The other good thing is my apartment is on the northeast corner of the building, so it only gets the morning sun, resulting in much lower AC bills than my neighbors.

The bad things are it needs to be completely remodeled, and it looks like a clothing store.
My daughter, who lives with me while getting her master’s, also works at O’Neill’s and loves clothes, so they are everywhere.

My plan is to put the money from the sale into a trust fund, which my kids and I will share each year until it runs out.

Okay, now flash forward a couple of months, and I finally get a decent offer, which luckily fell through a few weeks later.
Now, the reason I say, luckily, is because after signing all the documents, I began stressing out.

Most of the stress was coming from the fact that all the rental places I found that I thought would be cool to live in had gone up in price by several hundred dollars.
Not only was that bumming me out, but I also realized that even though I’ve lived in 20 different places, I’ve never moved.

Whenever I got a new job at a radio station in a new city, my wife Lana took care of everything.
My job was to go to work, and when I got home that evening, everything was hooked up and in its place, and dinner was on the table.

So, my only question now is… “How the hell do you move?”

GEO’S LIFE-LINERS

It’s a lot easier to remember the questions than the answers.

I’d much rather do the two-step than the twelve-step.

Ignorance of what’s right or wrong is not acceptable.

According to what I’m watching, I think backup QBs are overpaid, and starters are definitely underpaid.

Being able to focus is not an intellectual gift; it’s a learned skill.

Opportunity follows disaster everywhere.

Can someone tell me how America benefits from Corporate funding and lobbyists?

Nothings free.

If you don’t think you’re a big deal, neither does the rest of the world.

Burning your guitar ain’t gonna make you Jimi Hendricks.

I believe America changed when George Bush suffered no consequences after it was discovered that there were no weapons of mass destruction. That freed up all the powerful people in the US to do whatever the fuck they wanted.

If you’re not paranoid by now, it’s probably too late, so you might as well “forget a ’bout it.”

Why do kids think they’re smart?

Why do protesters think they have the right to disrupt everybody’s life?

Why do I think that most of the laws were created to protect the rich from us?

Is there anything louder than silence?

You can’t change the past, but you can change your future right now.

Hey, if we don’t allow anybody to fuck with our kids, why would we allow God to do so?

Why, even though Black people only represent 13% of America, they make up 20% of the government workforce, whereas Hispanics, who make up over 20% of the population, only have 9% of the government jobs.

White bands must feel obligated to have a black musician in them because I seldom see a white player in a black band.

Unfortunately, when something becomes popular, two things happen, it becomes more expensive, and the service goes to shit.

Have you noticed that ever since big business got involved in the medical profession, you can’t understand what the fuck the people who are answering the phone are saying?

COMMENTS

David Langford: Great Blog, George. I really enjoyed this. Those were the days when radio was creative, as young minds came up with great promotions. The Millionaire gag was brilliant. (The Greatest Promotion)
Geo: Thanks for the read, David. Unfortunately, I don’t think those days will ever return.

Craig Walker: George, What a great story. Not only is it true, but other developments made it even stranger. However, it turned out to be the most important career decision I ever made. I did mornings at k103 for almost 20 years, and we had extraordinary success from start to finish. I didn’t do it alone. My on-air partner was John Erickson, who was not only our news director but also a major contributor to the numbers.
I was blessed to be on the air in this market for over 30 years with only one job change. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks for sharing the story, George.
Ps. I thought of including a photo of the napkin, but I decided to keep it between us. I will say that we ended up about three times higher than that original offer. (K103 Craig Walker)
Geo: Unfortunately for me, Craig, my wanting you and only you caused us to sell the station. It all began to spiral down when the money guys refused to guarantee your salary, and the only way we could rid ourselves of them was by selling. 🙁 Lucky for you, though, because I’d have never let you retire when you did. 🙂

The countdown of my ten most read blogs in 2023 begins New Years Eve

Radio Geo’s Media Blog is a politically incorrect inside look at Radio, TV, Music, Movies, Books, Social Media, Politics, Religion, and Life, primarily written with men in mind.
For a peek at upcoming Blogs or to see some you may have missed, go to GeorgeJohns.com.
On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio. Sharing and commenting is appreciated.
If you’d like to subscribe, email your address to radiogeo@gmail.com.

Radio Geo’s Media Blog (“All New”) 6/30/24

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Recently, somebody posted on Facebook a composite of the launch of The All New WIBG from 1976, which brought back a ton of memories. (You can hear what I heard by clicking on the link at the bottom of this tale.)

It all started back at CKY in Winnipeg in 1963, when I was a board op, and my boss, Jimmy Darin (Hilliard), was the program director.
Shortly after leaving Winnipeg, Jim became the PD of WFIL in Philadelphia, where he completely demolished WIBG, which the legendary Paul Drew was programming.

Okay, fast forward ten years to when Jim is the CEO of Fairbanks Broadcasting, and I’m his National PD.
Now, what I’ve always known about Jim is that even though he loves radio, he’s always been a businessman first.

So, with that in mind, and even though Fairbanks was mostly an FM company, when Jim was offered WIBG for pennies on the dollar, he couldn’t resist.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t gonna be a walk in the park, which I blame on Hilliard because back in the day, he’d scorched Wibbage so badly that they barely made the rating book anymore.

Unlike in Dallas, where we slowly built KVIL into a powerhouse, we decided to go full-throttle in Philadelphia.
Figuring that the call letters may still have some value, we freshened them up a little by adding “All-New” to them.”.

The first thing we did was get Hugh Heller in LA to create a bunch of new jingles and then in Indy, we produced some great promos using one of the best voices in America, Chuck Riley.

Next, we gathered together some of the talent from the Fairbanks stable: Bill Gardner and Larry Dixon from KVIL in Dallas, The Magic Christian from F105 in Boston, Chuck Riley from WIBC in Indianapolis, and old pal, Chuck Knapp from KSTP in Minneapolis.

Lord knows what went on in that huge suite that we stuffed them in, but whatever it was, I wish I could have bottled it because, for the next five days, they pounded Philly unmercifully with some great radio.
Oh, and did I mention how hilarious the dinners were every night at the Hungry Pilgrim?

When the dust finally settled, and most of the guys headed home, Bill Gardner and Chuck Knapp stayed behind as Co-Program Directors.
We also hung on to Don Cannon, featured in the first Rocky movie and hired a couple of talented folks that Bill and Chuck knew to round out the air staff.

Speaking of talent, we had Ken Matz, Richard Hunt, Mary Margarite Myers, and Don Henderson doing news you could dance to.
And speaking of news, the good news was, with some help from the Phillies, our first book came in at a 6.9.,

Unfortunately, the bad news was we were living in an FM world. Oh, what I wouldn’t have given to have “All New” on an FM signal; it would have melted Philadelphia.
However, today, I’m very proud to say that it was some of the finest radio I’ve ever heard or been associated with.

(Click the link below to hear how great those guys sounded even though the engineers were still crawling around wiring stuff.)

Audio: https://app.box.com/s/ikh34k9p9hfmlsz0mr6ufk8it45hdzsc

COMMENTS

Steve Eberhart: “If you can see it, you can be it.” I paused when reading that this morning. When I was at my first radio station at the age of 16, a co-worker and I visited KVIL in Dallas. It was thee station I aspired to work for.  They let us see the control room, and we stood there and admired the guys on the air. It was almost noon, so we saw Bill Gardner do his last break, and Jack Schell do his first break of the day. Behind us in an office, Ron Chapman walked out and said hello.  He couldn’t have been nicer and said, “Well, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like; just stay out of the way.”  I stood there mesmerized.  It was a funky old control room with a huge Gates board, and they even still played records on turntables. I watched and could figure out what knob controlled what and envisioned myself there being on the air.  A few years later, I was hired at KVIL, and my first night stood there, where I watched Bill and Jack.  I felt perfectly comfortable operating that board my first night because, in my mind, I had already done it over and over. I could see it, and I did it. (To Play or Not to Play)
Geo: You understood visualization early on, Steve, and it’s probably why you own a radio station today. 

Radio Geo’s Media Blog (Radio Secrets I learned Along the Way) New 7/07/24

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When I moved from Canada for a new career in the US,  I came bearing secrets.
After ten years of working with the diary method of harvesting ratings, I was very hip to its bias.

(b) While at CFTR in Toronto, I stumbled on a way to attract adult women to the radio using hit records. (It was later called AC)
(c) In Indianapolis, @ WIBC/WNAP, with the help of Jack McCoy, I discovered surge hours.

What are surge hours, you may ask?
Surge hours are those four special hours when 85% of the listeners in any given market are listening to the radio. You win those hours, and you win the whole day.The first time I put the surge hour concept on the air was at WIBC AM in Indianapolis.
Next, we created “appointment tune-in” using a contest called “The Magic Ticket.” (We only played the contest four times a day and heavily promoted those times.)

When the new rating book came out, we went from a 13.1 to a 19.4, 12+, in an FM world.
Wow, color me a believer, and of course, we immediately put the concept on in Dallas at KVIL. 

Later, when I began consulting, I met a potential client named Gordon Zlot at a radio convention. (By then, I had gotten the hours down to half hours.).
Gordon, who was the owner of KZST in Sonoma County, wanted to know how I thought I could help him.

I responded, “If you bring me your rating book, I’ll give you a free sample of my work. 
The next day, when I gave him the four times he needed to win in order to be #1, he said, “How can that possibly be true?”

“Gordon,” I said, that’s when 85% of the people who listen to the radio in your market are listening. Gordon, being skeptical, took my surge hour concept to Arbitron and got them to do a special run for him.

The next time I saw him, he said, “Hey George, Arbitron claims you’re wrong; they say it’s 87%, not 85.
(Gordon and I ended up working together for over thirty years.)

COMMENTS

John Keogh: Great read, George. Radio never did adjust to new challenges; we all know that, but here are my 5 it should have met … and never did. 1)  Solve the disconnect between the advertiser and the service provider (station). 2)  Reduce commercial load while increasing revenue.  3) Eliminate tune-out points to extend Time Spent Listening.  4)  Respond to the ever-increasing need for better signal quality.  5)  Revive its lost ability to create talk. (An Ephinay)
Geo: Well said, John. It’s also nice to hear from the folks in the Motherland.

John King: George, you’ve shared an amazing and outstanding curriculum vitae. I am honored to have been along for a small part of the ride; it was uniquely rewarding. (About George Johns)
Geo: Thanks for being on board, John.

“Doug Thompson: George, I can’t sing, and I certainly can’t draw…so I guess I’m in BIG trouble. (To play or not to play)
Geo: What you are, Dougie, is brilliantly creative, which in its own way makes you gifted. However, you weren’t born with it; you learned it.

Marc LaFrance: Always enjoy your blog. Love hearing about the Winnipeg music scene back in the day and all the places you have worked due to the various positions you have held during your radio career. Keep on Rockn’ (To Play or Not to Play).
Geo: I’ve had a great life, Marc, but I’m kinda envious of yours; you’re still out there rockin’ with the likes of BTO. I put my guitar down in 1967. 🙁

Mike McVay: George Johns: I feel bad for those who have never worked with or competed against you! My experiences grew from our AC Wars. You made me better. Great respect for you!
Geo: Back at Ya, Mike. It was pretty easy sledding till you came on the scene.
Mike McVay: George Johns, I am honored to have received your attention. You are the GOAT.