Geo’s Media Blog (Restaurants & Radio) New for 12/09/19

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I’ve always thought of restaurants and radio as being very similar. Radio has music, air talent, and promotions. Whereas restaurants have menus, servers, and daily specials. Radio stations need to play great music and restaurants need a great menu and both the servers at the restaurant and the on-air talent at the radio station have to have pleasant demeanors.
The specials at the restaurant need to be outstanding as do the promotions at the radio station and the reputations and image of both the radio station and the restaurant need to be impeccable.
However, before any of the above becomes important, you first must decide what kind of a restaurant/radio station it’s going to be.
Very few, if any restaurants become popular if they try to feature Italian, Mexican, and French cuisine on the menu. Radio stations who play Oldies, Rock, Country, Hip Hop, or AC music would also suffer the same fate.
In my opinion, restaurants are much better at knowing who they are than radio stations. Radio today offers a very confusing menu, it can’t tell the difference between Hip Hop, and AC and now even Country is getting confused. Good luck to us all.

GEO’S LIFE-LINES
You tend to remember the things you want to remember. 
 
Why do the words, “For The Greater Good” and “Because Of National Security,” change an otherwise illegal activity into a legal one?
 
I wonder what the millennials are gonna do when no matter who they vote for, they will discover as we already know, “There is no free lunch.” 
 
In this day and age when opportunity knocks, it takes so long to undo all your locks that it’s already too late. 
 
Being out of time is not a good enough reason to finish a project that’s not done. 
 
He who truly knows may not feel the need to share unless asked to. 
 
You are who you hang with. 
 
California is so beautiful that half of the homeless in America have chosen to live there. 
 
You’re only one fuck-up away from the only thing that you will be remembered for. 
 
Real friends shouldn’t have to ask for help. 
 
According to Tim Reever, selling radio without ratings builds character. 
 
He who walks into a room with the best looking lady on his arm owns the room.
 
Being impartial is almost impossible. 
 

No one knows what’s gonna become popular.

COMMENTS
Paul Cavenaugh: Shame on you George.  You didn’t even scratch the surface of Ken Lemann’s remarkable abilities. Some talents are good, others great, and a few that are brilliant, Ken is amongst the latter. (I Got Lucky)

Geo: Paul, Kenny has always been one of my all-time favorite jocks, and even though he was #1 for over 20 years, nobody knows his name which was how he liked it. I still remember teasing him a jock meeting one day when I said, “Ken, because of your outstanding ratings on WRMF you get to introduce Fleetwood Mac at Sunfest. Knowing that Ken would rather have his teeth pulled than do that, everybody laughed, and Ken responded with, “George if I could do that I wouldn’t be working here, I’d be in New York.”

Tall Ted Farr: Daryl ‘B’ was one of my mentors. I was hired by CKLG Vancouver in the newsroom in 1969. I knew little about radio but I could write. ‘B’ taught me basics. It was a thrill when I was promoted to the evening news. Daryl’s show was from 6 pm to 9 pm so I was on the air with one of the Top 40 greats. (Remembering Daryl ‘B’)

Bruce Devine: The Health Spa you mention that Bill’s commercial was too good for, was a ‘Happy Ending’ establishment. I produced it, Don Parrish the then President of ACTRA & CHFI/CFTR announcer voiced it & it won a CLIO in 1973.
I very much doubt that the judges in NYC had any idea of the true nature of the business. I was lucky enough to work & learn from both Bill & Doug. (White Guy With Privileges)

Bob Christy: On Sunday, I had errands to run during the football games. When I got in the car I turned on KSPN 710 to listen to the Rams-Broncos game. KSPN is the originating station for the Rams and I think the games are also on ESPN Radio. Plenty of generic promos during the breaks but I did hear the PBP guys did do a great ad-lib promo. There was an oddball illegal motion call, the Rams center had double pumped the ball and the PBP team slipped in a promo for the upcoming NBA season, off the top of their heads. The color guy, Maurice James-Drew, explained the double pump penalty and JB Long said, “there will be a lot of double pumps from LeBron James when the Lakers start playing for real this week on KSPN.”
I was sitting in the parking lot of the DIY Center when I heard them say it, and the lady in the car parked next to me must have thought that I was nuts when I yelled: “Yes, god damn it.” (Comments)

Jim Harper: Great blog post, Buddy!
I have always felt the same way about morning prep-service, but NOW the whole idea of a prep service seems like a waste of time and money. They were started years ago before the internet. Now, every civilian under 60 has read every interesting little feature story and showbiz update on Facebook, Twitter and the web before they leave for work, as well as all the local and national news they care for.
WHY would anyone pay to have some 20-something stay up all night on Red Bull clipping stories that they send out to hundreds of stations? If management doesn’t have confidence in their own talent to let them do their own prep, why hasn’t any of the companies hired a couple of people to do a general top 10 list of things to talk about each morning for all their formats? (There really are LESS than 10 things that are new to cover each day). Why not a V.P. of morning prep? The big groups have no shortage of Veeps, Captains, and Cluster-Monkeys…why not save a few 100 grand? (Wrong But Right Anyway)

Bill McDonald: Nothing like a daughter to turn a father into a poet. (Dear Nathaniel)

John Wells: George you forgot to mention the white gloves we had to wear to keep our fingerprints off Herbie Brittain’s classical records.
One moment in time I’ll never forget was trying to play the George Dawes time and temperature tapes on the hour.
George’s voice announced that it was 11 o’clock, the temperature in Winnipeg is 57 degrees. Then I heard George’s voice announced that it was 12 o’clock and the temperature in Winnipeg is 58 degrees, and on it went until it was saying that it was 2 o’clock and the temperature in Winnipeg, is 59 degrees … It took forever to turn down two pots and play a record by Percy Faith….. 50 years later the day is still etched in my memory. (Some Other Guy)

Tom Snyder: Father time is still the greatest teacher of all time.
George JohnsUnfortunately, though, he kills all his students.
Tom Snyder (Comments)

Dick Taylor: Geo,
Your question so resonates with me.
This will be my last year in Kentucky and Western Kentucky University.
All my life, I’ve moved for my career. My plan this time is to move for the family. To be close to my kids, grandkids, and friends.
The most important thing in life is being with people you love and who love you.
That’s my plan for the next chapter of my life.
Dick (Still Thinking About My Birthday)

Nathaniel Marko: Be safe Buppa. (Hurricane Mathew Aftermath)
Love, N and Mom.

Buppa: I’m doing my best buddy, but if you were here we’d be kicking Mathew’s butt. However, I’m glad you’re not.

John King: George, your innovative contests had the gumshoes scratching their heads in the FCC’s Complaints & Compliance Division. We ran around ’em in circles for sure, didn’t we?! The most rewarding aspect (and I know the FCC was sympathetic to this) was that what you did with audience involvement was great radio. (Thank You)

Geo: Thanks for keeping all of our licenses intact, John, and keeping me out of jail.  

Bill Johnson: I think Jim Hilliard was teaching us how to be successful in life – not just in radio.
Looking forward to the WIBC/WNAP reunion! (The Hatchet Men Get Cut)

Ron Chapman:  Nice to be part of the Climb. I’ve never been as Good since You. (Sounds like a song by Cilla Black) (Thank You)

Geo: Thank you Ron, but I don’t think there’s any headroom left for you to get any gooder. On my side, though, I never had as much fun doing radio as I did while working with you at KVIL.
However, my favorite Ron Chapman moment didn’t even occur at KVIL. We were doing a project together at KZST in Santa Rosa which included doing an aircheck session with longtime morning man, Brent Farris. Brent, who was used to my wimpy approach, was startled to hear, following his opening line on the aircheck, your saying, “That’s absolutely unfucking unacceptable.” Needless to say, it went downhill from there. 🙂
 

Michael O’Shea: Cami, I’ve known your dad (and your uncle Reg) for perhaps 30 years…and while I like Reg a little bit more, I still think the WORLD of your dad. While we have never met, I follow your dad on Facebook, so I feel like I know you, through so many wonderful photos and terrific tributes from him to you. It’s so obvious that he’s very proud of you and his love for you is precious and real. Congratulations on your graduation, and on whatever your future life-paths will take you. Enjoy the ride. And, when you face speed-bumps or difficult decisions, just ask yourself “What would DAD do?”. Then, be sure you do the exact opposite. (Camera Anne Graduates Today)

Geo’s Media Blog is an inside look at Radio, 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 appreciated.

3 thoughts on “Geo’s Media Blog (Restaurants & Radio) New for 12/09/19

  1. George: it’s true…we ARE only one F-up away from our most defining moment. Leadership is lonely; some of our most shining moments come when we’re unapplauded and alone. But a decisive leader always prevails, because
    everyone else is indecisive.

    • Yep, It reminds me of that old joke, Tim. I build bridges, I build roads, and I build skyscrapers, but just one time I …, and now I’m known as Benny the —!

  2. I have worked in radio and at fine dining establishments in my lifetime, and the most egotistical people I have ever worked with by far are food servers. (waiters). Not that there aren’t egos in radio, it’s just that the egos of some of the waiters I worked with were far more over inflated than most I have experienced in radio.

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