When I arrived in Indy from Toronto, thinking my new job was to implement all of Jim Hilliard’s great programming ideas, Nixon was just exiting the White House, and I had no idea that some bad times were ahead.
Unfortunately, when Jimmy Carter became President, interest rates skyrocketed, and the Oil Barons claimed we had a gas shortage.
What I’m giving you, he said, “Is the right to be wrong. Oh, and what’s the catch, you may ask? Well, Unfortunately, this gift doesn’t come with the right for you to live with your mistakes.”
“When you leave this office today, you have the right to do anything you want on any of our radio stations.
However, the moment something doesn’t sound as good as it looked on paper, you have to get it off the air immediately, no meetings, no thinking it over, no twisting it, get it off!”
Oh, and would you mind closing the door behind you as you leave to make me some great radio.” (Jim’s the only guy I know who runs an open-door policy behind closed doors.)
Being the National PD of Fairbanks meant working with all the company’s Program Directors except at WIBC, where I was the local P D.
Having WNAP, which was an album rocker in the same house, you would think that it would be the long hairs at The Buzzard that would be the hardest to handle.
Nope, at the two-story brick on North Illinois, it was the WIBC folks who were the craziest. 
What a bunch of characters, Todd, Baker, Lamey, Orly, and Page, but they were all easy compared to Chuck Riley.
I’d known Chuck since I was a radio rookie back in Winnipeg, where not only did he teach me how to do production, but he also produced my first record, “Until You Do” by, The Jury.
(Riley shown above)
Chuck had two personalities, the one he used while holding court at the coffee machine, and the other he used behind closed doors.
The one you didn’t want to encounter was the one who was holding court because he was one mean bear.
Luckily for me, the one who showed up in my office for a meeting was mostly a Teddy Bear.
Unfortunately, at least once a week, the bad bear would arrive at the radio station, and before the day was done, he’d have both the switchboard girl and the traffic girl in tears.
Tiring of his antics, Jim finally had a come-to-Jesus meeting with him.
As I said in part 1, Jim would call me into all kinds of meetings without warning, and this was one of them.
Jim immediately responded, “You’re right, Chuck; in fact, this may be the most important meeting of your career, and George is here to bear witness.”
Chuck, with a shit-eating grin on his face, turned to me and said, “That’s very comforting, George.”
If your ratings slip even a hair, the staff will come for your head, and I will be forced to serve it up to them.”
“Yeah,” Chuck said, “Tell those pricks waiting for my ratings to slip not to hold their fucking breath.” Then with that, he walked out.
(Jim and I pictured below)
Why do the police always seem to be where they’re not needed?
Does anybody know the stats on how many women became successful without the help of a successful man?
I wonder what the dollar per hour is that will stop the whining?
People in love are as blind as those who vote as their grandparents did.
What fool would go into the southside of Chicago without a gun?
Why do people in love think that their being in love is a good excuse for doing bad?
I’m more suspicious of judges than I am of the police.
Men will do anything for the women they love including for those who don’t deserve it.
Speaking of love, why do men suddenly like everything that the love of their life likes?
Here’s what I’m thinking; if athletes make more for over-performing shouldn’t they make less for underperforming?
When people think that they’re untouchable, it’s time to attack.
What would you do if your daughter or granddaughter was raped, I know what I’d do.
I think employers are having a rough time adjusting to the new employee world.
The only time I feel compelled to dispense unasked-for advice is when I’m with family.
When I became a father, I discovered it wasn’t just about me anymore.
I just realized that all the teen idols named Bobby are gone. Darin, Vee, Rydell, and Curtola.
Books may make you more intelligent, but they can’t make you smart.
What happened to the fear of Gluten?
When I was growing up, my folks held politicians in high esteem; now, they’re ranked even lower than used car salesmen.
When asked if I’m a sexist, I answer, “Yes but only with those who deserve it.”
Most companies in America are so yesterday that they haven’t noticed that it’s an employee world today. Good luck with your bonuses.
Watching Dave Letterman’s Netflix series, “My Next Guest is,” I find it very revealing that he’s an arrogant smart ass with everyone but black folks. Hmmm.
Are there any countries more racist than Japan? What’s that you say, “How about China, Iraq, Iran, and France?”
Most people’s biggest competitors are themselves.
If you think something is good or bad, it is.
It may be time to rethink the “It’s better to have 1000 bad people go free than lock up an innocent man.”
If it really is supply and demand, then both wine and gas should be less than a buck a gallon.
Nobody has the strength nor the wherewithal to deny their destiny.
COMMENTS
Paul Ski: Hey George:
Wonderful story. Of those early years. Thanks for not taking ALL the great staff that you hired for Sudbury and Ottawa – the two places I followed you to!! (The Suits)
Geo: I noticed that you also robbed Sudbury, Paul when you brought the great Mr. Drake to Canada’s Capital with you. 🙂 Can you imagine how tough it was for me when I hit the States and couldn’t bring anybody with me?
Dave Charles: Morning George,
How did you handle gender bias in our business over many years in radio? Curious to know. (The Suits)
Geo: I never thought about it much, Dave; I was all about the ratings. When I found Delilah, I didn’t give a damn if she was a man or a woman; I just liked how she sounded.
Jed Duvall: George: Your thoughts about the comments of CFRA’s G.M. and the Sports Director about hiring great talent that will likely be hired away reveal much about managers that are comfortable in their ruts. Your intensity to hire talent that would make a difference and make things happen is what critical factor between winning and losing. While continuity is a winning virtue, so is achieving higher performance and a greater rating footprint. Yes, better, more demanding talent brings more issues to the forefront of management, and the opportunity to do great things on a larger scale is worth the risk of flying too close to the sun. In the words of the late, great Jean Shepherd, “Excelsior, You Fathead !” (The Suits)
Thank you for your comments, Jed, but the truth be known, I would have no idea how to do radio without “Hall of Fame” talent.
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, a bunch of radio stations in Indy stopped carrying the race.
Eugene Ferraro: Hello George, enjoy your blogs…I grew up in Philadelphia and still live here…as a youth, I enjoyed listening to Top 40th stations not only in Philly but also nationwide…I always gave equal time to all of the stations I heard–WFIL, WIBG, and WIFI-FM…I listened to the major flamethrowers –WABC, WLS, CKLW, WKBW, and when I could get them in–WRKO, CFTR, WCFL, CHUM, and some other mid-market stations.
I know that Fairbanks Broadcasting put a lot of capital into WIBG, but they were, in my opinion fighting a losing battle because AM radio was in the early stages of listener decline, and this also held true for WFIL… F.M. was gaining in popularity…lastly, I feel if Fairbanks had bought WIBG at the beginning of the ’70s, they may have finally toppled WFIL.
Lastly, you were the P.D. at WIBG, corrected? Also, I know that Phil Garner is still working on-air at a Christian radio station in Ft. Wayne, In, using his real name…is anyone else who worked in the Fairbanks chain, still doing on-air work?
In closing, I did enjoy some of the DJs I remember working at WIBG–the Magic Christian, Chuck Rielly, and Big John Gillis, among others. Thanks for your time and consideration.
Geo: Thank you for your comments, Eugene. WIBG was one of the finest sounding stations in the Fairbanks chain, but alas, we were in an F.M. world. We were an F.M. company back then, but Jim Hilliard couldn’t resist buying WIBG, a station that he had scorched when he was the P.D. of WFIL in the mid-’60s.
Very few of the crew are still alive, Eugene, but Bill Gardner and Chuck Knapp who were the Co-PDs are still doing well, in fact, Bill is an airline pilot now in Las Vegas (not a Christian jock in Ft. Wayne) and Chuck is hanging out with his beautiful wife in the Ozarks.
.
Eugene Ferraro: George. thanks for your reply…In my e-mail I did mean Phil Gardner, not Bill, who by the way I have contacted with by e-mail in the past about some old WFIL and WIBG questions I had for him, which he has always kindly answered for me. Phil Gardner spent most of his career at WGAR In Cleveland and only worked at WIBG for a short time. Since my last e-mail I did find out that Phil has retired from his radio career…at the end of August of last year…he was using his real name–Phil Reaser on the air at his Fort Wayne gig, which he began in 1996. (The Great Gift)
Geo: I thought I knew all the Gardners, Eugene, brothers Bill, Al and Andre but I guess I missed Phil.
Bill Gardner: Hello Eugene and George, from Las Vegas in December 2022!
As usual, George got it right. There are three radio Gardner brothers, starting first on the air with me, Al, and STILL Philly PM Drive dominator Andre on the air at WMGK-FM.
Andre is definitely the most Philly famous these days. Funny story: I actually had a couple dozen Philly visitors on one of my flights here out of Las Vegas where I shared a little of our family radio story with one of the passengers. He shouted out with joy, “Hey guys….our pilot ACTUALLY KNOWS Andre Gardner!” Yep. Known him since birth!
When Phil Gardner was hired from Cleveland, he arrived in my PD office one day at WIBG and was told “this is BILL Gardner.” His head snapped up, saying in all serious-ness, “YOU’LL have to change your name!” After being both born with and using my real name on the radio for decades, I just smiled and laughed inside.
Didn’t know “Gardner” wasn’t HIS real name 🙂
Phil didn’t stay too long at WIBG. And Eugene, I’m glad you still remember our staff members! We had an amazing collection of on-air talent. Don’t forget voices like Jack McCoy, Eric Chase, Steve Kelly, and more. All were chosen by amazing dudes George Johns, Jim Hilliard, or even me. Jim Hilliard was my former Program Director at Famous 56 WFIL in ’68 after Paul Drew and I parted ways at WIBG originally.
Radio Geo: Bill, only you could handle the great Bill Gardner being told that he would need to change his name. Wow!
Bill Gardner: Thanks, George! Funnier yet that “Gardner” wasn’t even HIS real name 🙂 Didn’t know that. And I was Morning Man back then. Phil was coming in to do Noon-3.
Geo: He was either very ballsy, Bill, or very stupid.
Doug Thompson: George, re: WIBC transmitter site being turned into condos. I had the same feeling when CTV bought CHUM and decided 1331 Yonge street would also be turned into condos. SO much history in that building over 50 years at 1050 CHUM with Program Director’s Allan Slaight and later J. Robert Wood, General Manager Fred Sherratt and Mr. Waters for President. You couldn’t have had a more perfect group. Then there was CHUM FM with Ops Managers Bob Laine, Duff Roman, Program Directors Warren Cosford, Ross Davies and many others over the years. As well as Roger Ashby’s amazing career on both AM & FM. As Chuck Riley once said in a voice track to a CHUM promo, “Time Marches On”. I also never realized that after working with Chuck Riley on many, many projects, that he had such cute knees. (The Great Gift)
Geo: Doug and Dougie, you’re both right, we thought that the great stations would last forever. Sad!
Doug Herman: A lot of us have similar feelings regarding a station that helped “make” our careers. KCBQ comes to mind for me. The station still exists (in a Salem right-wing and religious format with near-zero numbers), but the original building and the field with six towers that rocked the industry way back when are now a Lowe’s store. (The Great Gift)
Angela Manfredi: I love “the gift.”
While I’m here…how does one become Hall of Fame-worthy?
Angela
XO
Geo: Wow, the beautiful Angela checks in. xo back at ya! The way one becomes Hall of Fame Worthy, Angela, is by becoming more popular than the music they play. Easy answer but very difficult to do. 🙂