#7 Radio Geo’s Media Blog (CFTR March 14, 1972) 3/14/22

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MARCH 14, 1972.
MEMO TO: ALL ANNOUNCERS
FROM: GEORGE JOHNS
RE: CFTR PROCEDURES

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, HERE ARE THE PROCEDURES FOR CFTR. READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY, AND FOLLOW IT TO THE LETTER – NO EXCEPTIONS.

1. YOU WILL HAVE TWO STACKS OF RECORDS TO WORK WITH FOR THE TIME BEING CURRENT SELECTIONS AND OLDIES. THIS IS THE ONLY – MUSIC TO BE PLAYED. YOU WILL PLAY A CURRENT, THEN AN OLDIE, CURRENT, OLDIE, ETC.

2. ALL EXTRANEOUS TALK WILL BE ELIMINATED COMPLETELY; THE ONLY THINGS YOU ARE TO SAY COMING OUT OF RECORDS ARE: CALL LETTERS, ANNOUNCE THE RECORD, THE TIME, AND YOUR NAME. FOUR ELEMENTS, THAT’S ALL! THEN HIT THE COMMERCIAL WITH NO OTHER CONTENT. NO RECIPES, BENEFIT FUND-RAISING ANNOUNCEMENTS OR GENERAL RAP OF ANY KIND; ONLY THE FOUR BASIC ELEMENTS PREVIOUSLY OUTLINED. VERY IMPORTANT: THE FIRST THING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH EVERY TIME MUST BE THE CALL LETTERS. EVERY TIME.

3. COMING OUT OF THE COMMERCIAL, GO DIRECTLY TO THE RECORD – GIVE THE CALL LETTERS FIRST AND ANNOUNCE THE RECORD OVER THE INTRO. IF THE RECORD HAS NO INTRO, GIVE THE CALL LETTERS AND INTRO THE RECORD, THEN HIT THE RECORD.

4. WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE A COMMERCIAL SCHEDULED, YOU WILL PLAY TWO OR MORE RECORDS WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. YOU WILL NOT STOP THE MUSIC FLOW; YOU WILL NOT LET A RECORD END, RAP, THEN START ANOTHER RECORD. YOU WILL RUN RECORDS BACK TO BACK, WITH NO EXCEPTIONS (EXCEPT WHEN THERE IS A COMMERCIAL SCHEDULED). AND DO THE BASIC FOUR ELEMENTS ONLY (DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH 2) OVER EXTROS OR INTROS, BEGINNING WITH THE CALL LETTERS.

(A) IF YOU ARE GOING INTO A RECORD WITH AN INTRO, AS THE FIRST RECORD FADES, HIT THE NEXT ONE, FULL VOLUME, AND DO YOUR FOUR-ELEMENT BASIC RAP OVER THE INTRO. NO GAP BETWEEN RECORDS.
(B) IF YOU’RE GOING INTO A RECORD WITH NO INTRO, DO THE BASIC FOUR-ELEMENT RAP OVER THE EXTRO OF THE OLD RECORD, AND HIT THE NEW RECORD DEAD ON.

REMEMBER, THE FIRST THING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH WHEN YOU RAP IS THE CALL LETTERS.5. THERE WILL BE NO NEGATIVE COMMENT ON THE AIR EVER AGAIN. NO BITCHING ABOUT HOW COLD IT IS, OR THAT YOU HAVE A BELLYACHE, OR WHAT HAVE YOU. DO YOUR BASIC FOUR ELEMENTS RAPIDLY AND WITH A SMILE ON YOUR LIPS. NO SNIDE REMARKS ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TIGHTENED UP OUR MUSIC AND FORMAT. ALL JINGLES WILL BE ELIMINATED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

PLEASE GO BACK AND READ THIS AGAIN. IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, COME AND SEE ME. ONCE AGAIN, FOLLOW THIS MEMO EXACTLY, POSITIVELY NO DEVIATIONS. FORGET EVERYTHING THAT OCCURRED ON CFTR UP TO NOW. TIGHTEN UP AND MOVE IT.

George Johns

Radio Geo’s Media Blog is a politically incorrect inside look at Radio, TV, Music, Movies, books, Social Media, Politics, and Life. For a peek at some upcoming Blogs, or to see some that you may have missed, go to GeorgeJohns.com. On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio.Sharing and commenting is not only encouraged; it’s appreciated.
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9 thoughts on “#7 Radio Geo’s Media Blog (CFTR March 14, 1972) 3/14/22

  1. Bruce Devine:I have one of those ‘Sounds Like a Bitch’ t-shirts somewhere…a little moth-eaten like me.
    I’d go shopping in Eaton’s with that thing on. The shoppers would part like the Red Sea. 🙂 (CFTR 1972)

    • Stirling Faux: I still have mine as well Bruce! Damn proud of it too! (CFTR 1972)
      Geo: Damn! Wish I had mine.

  2. Doug Thompson: NO recipes? You are a cruel taskmaster, George. (CFTR 1972)
    Geo: When I did it in Dallas a little over a year later, Doug, it was much looser. The jocks I had at TR except for Christian, had never done top 40 formatics before but they’d all done recipes so I had to tighten them all down. Scary times.

  3. Angela Manfredi: How did everyone do? Any memo-related casualties? (CFTR ’72)
    Geo: Surprisingly, Angela, they all sounded great but when our mid-day guy said, “CFTR with The Chicago,” I knew I had some work to do.

  4. Doc Harris: “IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, COME AND SEE ME.”
    Jeez, I’ve really got to get around to doing that. (CFTR ’72)
    Geo: Ya better hurry, Doc cuz we’re runnin’ out of time.

  5. Rick Dees: Recipes, as in ..cooking? lol. CFTR ’72
    Geo: I wanted them to cook, Rick, but they had to use my recipe.

  6. Bob SaintI remember taking that picture from my first adventure at CFTR. Great memories of radio without the internet… thanks, George. (CFTR ’72)
    Geo: Thanks for taking the photo Bob, it’s the only one I’ve got from my time at ‘TR

  7. Dave Charles: How boring George! Geez. Please tell me you didn’t author this memo.
    Tight, Bright, Boring and Brainless. What the fuck is that!!!ALL EXTRANEOUS TALK WILL BE ELIMINATED COMPLETELY; THE ONLY THINGS YOU ARE TO SAY COMING OUT OF RECORDS ARE: CALL LETTERS, ANNOUNCE THE RECORD, THE TIME, AND YOUR NAME
    I grew up on PERSONALITY RADIO. Joey Reynolds, Dick Biondi, Wolfman Jack, The Greaseman, Howard Stern, Shotgun Tom Rivers, John Rode, Scott Carpenter, Hal Weaver. Even Cactus Jack Wells could blow this format shit out of the radio water!.
    Time to burp the brain again! This is 2023 and radio needs a new playbook if your haven’t noticed.
    Dave Charles (still crazy…..for great radio) (CFTR)
    Radio Geo: ​If you would have heard what I was dealing with at CFTR in 1972,​ Dave​, you would have understood ​why​ I had to shock the jocks.
    Most of the talent I worked with after leaving CFTR are in some kind of Hall of Fame which obviously means​,​ “they didn’t get the memo.” 🙂

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