Geo’s Media Blog (Back Home Again in Indiana) 5/26/22

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Image: Indy 500 2021: Start time, lineup, TV, streaming schedule for race

Dick-Fairbanks

With the Indy 500 coming up this weekend, I’m reminded of when I worked in Indianapolis at the corporate office of Fairbanks Broadcasting, where one of our goals was to try never to have any meetings with Mr. Fairbanks.
This was because Mr. Fairbanks had no problem making decisions, but unfortunately, we had to live with them.

Jim not only ran Fairbanks Broadcasting, but he was also the President of the Indiana Pacers and was one of the guys involved in the ABA NBA merger.
Unfortunately, the NBA was in the driver’s seat for that deal, so they punished the ABA by cutting them out of TV revenue for several years.

The lack of TV money didn’t sit well with the investors, so they forced Jim to find a buyer for the team.
Subsequently, Jim was gone quite a bit, so I’d come up with an idea that needed an immediate answer during one of his Pacer selling trips, so a meeting with Mr. Fairbanks was unavoidable.

Back then, every radio station in Indianapolis ran the same network feed because it was unpatriotic not to do so.
However, most of the announcers on the network were from WIBC, and because there was no TV coverage, I wanted to run a one-day Arbitron survey.

I was hoping to prove that everybody listened to the race on WIBC or thought they did.
If I were right, we could charge a ton of money for the commercials the following year. However, If I was wrong, we could dump the project into the garbage can, and nobody would be the wiser.

It was a no-brainer, but it wasn’t cheap, so I had to meet with Mr. Fairbanks to get his approval.
With all my ducks in a row, I reluctantly trudged into his office and nervously began my big presentation.

Surprisingly, before I even got half started, he interrupted me with, “George, I think you’re right; let’s do it.”
I was shocked, but because I’d gone to a lot of trouble preparing a lengthy presentation, I continued.

Once again, he interrupted me, but this time he said, “George, you’ve already got a yes, so if you insist on continuing, the only place it can go is to a no.”
To this day, whenever I hear a yes in any meeting, I’m outta there!

GEO’S LIFE-LINERS

Hopefully, most people managers are aware that the quote, “The beatings will continue until the morale improves” albeit funny, is not true? The loudest voice may not be right; in fact, they seldom are.

Having an (R) or (D) in front of your name doesn’t make you any more right nor a better human being.

Making laws doesn’t change the rules. Rule #1 he with all the gold makes all the rules is still true.

I find it interesting that Berkley College does not promote that they are located in Oakland. Hmmmmm.

We now live in a world where nobody cares what you think, only what you know.

Depression is a killer which is proven by Niomi Judd taking her life with a gun one day before being inducted into the Country Hall Of Fame which is the highlight of every Country performer’s career.

My brother Reg says that it might have been Niomi Judd’s pending induction into the Country Hall of Fame the next day that triggered her suicide because she may not have felt worthy.

People may hear what we say but they only believe what they see.

Is it true that there are tons of baby formula at the Mexican Border?

The other day my Son Curt told me that when we’re at home with family, we’re all communists, with friends we’re socialists, and with acquaintances, Capitalists. My Brother Reg added, and with employees, Dictators.

The only sure way to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace is by making it illegal to sleep your way to the top.

People are surprised when I tell them that my daughter Cami doesn’t have a driver’s license, which means that she also doesn’t have insurance or car payments. She doesn’t need any of that; she has Uber and me.

Does Biden think that the American people care more about the environment than they do about the price of gas?

Somebody else’s therapist already knows what you’re really like.

Most great things did not start out perfect.

When I first moved to America, the most outstanding sales line I ever heard was said in response to my question, “How the hell will I be able to afford this Cadillac Eldorado,” Jim Hilliard responded with, “Uncle Sam is gonna help you pay for it. (Interest on car payments was deductible back then)

I have no idea why let alone respect the people who vote for a particular political party just because their grandparents did.

Speaking about respect, the thing I respect about the native Americans was at least they fought back.

There’s no truth waiting at the end of a politically correct question.

So if old rich white guys are so bad, why would old anything be better?

The world is changing, but unfortunately, not all changes are good.

The only people in South Florida who are ruder than New Yorkers are Quebecers.

I’m not too fond of the women who use obscene language unless they whisper it to me.

Now would be a good time to put your retirement plan together because if you don’t have one, your wife sure does, and you ain’t gonna like it.

Sometimes your being smaller makes you better than the rest.

Do you really think that the banks or the government want us to pay down our credit cards?

I find it amazing when a woman who spent her day trying to look her best, says, “I think you only like me for my looks.”

COMMENTS

Wendy: Well, George, I think we better live our lives to the fullest, however short they might be! Looking forward to seeing you again when you’re in the Peg. Are you staying at the Fort Gary Hotel? That would be quite convenient for you. (It Was A Very Good Year)
Geo: Yes, I am staying at the Fort Garry, Wendy, and it has been a minute since I’ve seen you.

Jerry Baker: Jeez, George: Why weren’t you this clever when you were pushing our buttons at WIBC? (It Was A Very Good Year)
Geo: You just weren’t listening, Jerry. 🙂

Geo’s Media Blog is a politically incorrect inside look at Radio, TV, 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 is not only encouraged; it’s appreciated.
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2 thoughts on “Geo’s Media Blog (Back Home Again in Indiana) 5/26/22

  1. Bill Gardner: Did I miss the results of that Indy 500 survey? I was guessing a 90+ share for WIBC, or did the omission mean it was tossed?
    Loved the story. Even with many years at Fairbanks Broadcasting and friendships with you and Jim Hilliard, it’s one more I hadn’t heard until now. 🙂
    Geo: I can’t remember the exact numbers Bill, but when the word got out what they were, a bunch of radio stations stopped carrying the race.

  2. Jed Duvall: Unfortunately, after 1979, when Indianapolis’s Arbitron ratings periods went to quarterly from just the last two weeks in April and the first two weeks in May, WIBC found out that too-much Indianapolis 500 coverage (wall-to-wall) was not quite as golden and lucrative ratings-wise as it had been prior to 1978. The on-air hand-wringing over the challenge by the newly-formed Championship Auto Racing Teams (C.A.R.T.) (the drivers and most of the car owners) against the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s sanctioning body, the United States Auto Club, (U.S.A.C.) (Speedway President Joe Cloutier and Tom Binford, Chief Steward since 1974 as well as U.S.’s representative to the international F.I.A.in Paris). C.A.R.T. wanted to takeover the sanctioning and running of the 500 from the Speedway and U.S.A.C. and wanted more money from the Speedway, already the richest automobile race on the planet. C.A.R.T. sued U.S.A.C. and the Speedway (which had NEVER accepted ultimatums from any team, driver, or outside racing interest since 1909). The matter wound up in federal court. The Speedway was forced by the court because of the accepted entry form language to allow C.A.R.T. teams to practice, qualify and race in the 500 for 1979. U.S.A.C. withdrew, and the S.C.C.A. (Sports Car Club of America) sanctioned the race with Tom Binford as Chief Steward. WIBC covered every blow-by-blow from gavel-to-gavel with disappointing results. What we learned was that all the average Indianapolis metro area race fan cared about was Lou Palmer’s hourly practice reports, Lou and Donald Davidson’s qualification coverage, Donald Davidson’s nightly and weekend call-in programs, and the entire pre-race, race, and post-race coverage, including traffic reports from the 10-7-Oh Whirlybird! The U.S.A.C.-C.A.R.T. soap opera was of little interest to the average race fan. After 1979, the intense interest in anything beyond the key coverage of WIBC’s highly-successful and lucrative “Thirty Days In May”, was, in my opinion, a tune-out to the vast majority of WIBC-AM’s listeners. Such are the trials and errors of a program director of a heritage AM full-service radio station. George: As you always admonished us at WIBC in the glory days, “If it isn’t important and top-of-mind, wrap it up and play “Hey Jude”!” (Back Home Again)
    Geo: Those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end but end they did.

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