Geo’s Media Blog. An Inside Look at Radio Music & Life. (Livin’ Large) 7/16/18)

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The only thing finer than being in Carolina in the mornin’ is when you’re going to work in the morning at the “Big One” in any state. In fact, as my friend Mark Hubbard said, “Being the GM of the top rock station is the best job in the world, you pay for nothing.” Hell even being a part-timer their gets free tickets down front. 
When I was working out WVBF/WCLB for a few years, the station was located in the Pru Tower as was a great restaurant named Legal Sea Food. This made fine dining very convenient but unfortunately, the line waiting for a table was usually a block long. However, a few of us had been given a special business card by the owner who had written on it, “Please seat my friends as soon as possible.” Within minutes of presenting that card, we’d have a table and an apology for the delay. 
At Gritzbys in Indy, when they brought our drinks over, we simply said, “WIBC tab” and just like that, there was no tab.
In Palm Beach, we had several radio stations that we were operating, but if you needed something special, the call letters WRMF usually got what you needed, including the best table in the house at Cinderella’s Castle.
One of my more fun memories of being treated like radio royalty occurred in Dallas when Ron Chapman and I were attempting to lure Bill Gardner into joining us at KVIL. Bill was flying in from Minneapolis later that afternoon so we planned on taking him to an early dinner at the hot new restaurant in town which was out of New York and was the prototype for TGIFridays. We couldn’t have planned Bill’s visit any better, it was the middle of January but the weather was just beautiful, which I’m sure Mr. Gardner would not be able to say about Minneapolis.
Bill claimed that we’d be able to spot him pretty easily because he looked like a “Dallas Cowboy Hippy.” Sure enough, when we picked him up at Love Field he’d nailed it, but we went with a sexier description for his billboard. (see above) Anyway, after putting Bill and his luggage in the car, we headed for the restaurant, unfortunately, when we got there, it was already packed. Hey, no problem, with the weather being so nice, we didn’t mind standing outside to get our name on a list.
As we stood there chatting, all of a sudden the manager was standing beside us with a horrified look on his face. “Mr. Chapman, Mr. Chapman, he said, “What are you doing outside, your favorite table awaits you inside!”

(Ron and I are pictured above at two of his three Hall of Fame inductions. The smaller photo on the bottom is at the NAB Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, the other, in Chicago where I had the honor of inducting him into the National Radio Hall of Fame)

GEO’S LIFE-LINERS

FAMILY
If a family member’s life was in grave danger, would you stand down and let the law handle it? I doubt I would.

Children make even the strongest vulnerable.

Having dinner with my friend Heidi Reever who is a new “empty nester”, I asked her if it had been tough raising three sons? She claimed that it really wasn’t because unlike daughters there was absolutely no drama. However, she went on to say, there are those times like if one of the boys farted, there’d be hysterical laughter for at least 45 minutes.

I never thought about abortion or equal rights until I had daughters.

BUSINESS

The fun part about working for Jim Hilliard was that if your presentation for some wild new idea was at least half decent, you more often than not heard, “Hell we’ve gotta do that!”

Where does Mr. Businessmen get off thinking that he should be rewarded while only attempting to succeed when the rest of us have to wait?

All the air talent hear when the sales folks talk to them is a quacking sound.

POLITICAL & POLITICALLY INCORRECT

Seeing as most politicians become rich after they get elected, I think we should make them buy their jobs just like they do in Vegas.

Do you know anybody besides lobbyists and politicians that think lobbying is a good thing?

Only people who win the lottery know that they were lucky, everyone else thinks they deserve all they’ve got, if not more.

Is it true that they are thinking of making people on welfare do a little work for their check?

If a man is financially responsible for a child how is it that he’s not involved in any discussions about having the child?

Watching the movie called Glory Road which is a true story about a coach by the name of Dan Haskins who fielded the first ever all-black starting line up. They won the 1966 NCAA basketball championship but what the movie never explains is how Dan managed to recruit these kids from the streets of New York, drag them to El Paso, and then enroll them in college when they didn’t even have a high school education?

Because of Fathers Day, I’ve been thinking about my Dad a lot. He was on his own since he was fourteen and went through the depression in the 30’s without ever collecting welfare. In fact, he called those that did, bums. Who am I to argue with him?

RANDOM THOUGHTS

The only good thing about not listening to advice is that you get to take full credit for everything that happens to you, good or bad.

Only strangers call it LA, locals call it Los Angeles but it’s just LAX to me man.

It’s true that guns can only change things temporarily, but bullets are forever.

How come most people in films smoke?

The only people who think a lady should cut her hair are envious girlfriends, hairdressers, and gay folks.

I wonder if gifted people understand that they’re just members of the lucky sperm club?

Brent Farris wants to know if you suddenly die, does your obit or your job opening appear first?

Think about this the Red Sox who have the best record in baseball this season have already won 66, oops now 67 and now 68 games. In 2004 when they won their first World Series in the modern era, it only took 98 wins. Should we order up the tickets?

And as for you Winnipeg, I’m canceling my Grey Cup Tickets again.

Women will share everything except their money.

Stuff about the #RedSox, #BrentFarris, #GloryRoad, and how to #LiveLarge, is above. Everything else is @ GeorgeJohns.com. On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio. Sharing and commenting is appreciated.

 

 

 

 

8 thoughts on “Geo’s Media Blog. An Inside Look at Radio Music & Life. (Livin’ Large) 7/16/18)

  1. So when FairWest owned WZPL in Indianapolis, did you still put the tab on WIBC and leave it for Roy to pay ?

  2. That professionalism, charm, and savvy of Chapman and Johns worked well on that job interview, and I wisely joined the original on air crew at Fairbanks Broadcasting’s KVIL-FM & AM, Highland Park, Dallas, Ft. Worth.

    Adding a note to your story….

    Although none of us probably need a reminder of how old we are, here’s the rest of that story: That “favorite new restaurant” was the first franchise “prototype” with many significant improvements from the New York original, TGIFridays. Brand new, in January 1973.

    • Wow, I never realized it was a Fridays Bill, but how would I have? I added that fact to the story plus a tidbit I just remembered about picking you up that day.

      • 6′ 5,” single, and sounded like it, as your amazing billboards to come would say. But with 1973 style long hair, more like some called a “hippy” back then.

        One other sidebar.

        As much as I would come to learn from both you and Ron Chapman, I also knew the “man at the top” at Fairbanks Broadcasting was a guy I ALREADY knew well and respected back then, my former “Famous 56” WFIL Philadelphia Program Director the legendary Jim Hilliard!

        • Yep, as they say, Bill, it takes a Dreamer, a Businessman, and a Son of a Bitch to make something successful. I’ll let you put the appropriate titles on the three names above. 🙂

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