#5 Radio Geo’s Media Blog (Ridin’ the Rails Again) 6/13/22.

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A few weeks ago, I wrote about taking my grandson Nathaniel college shopping in Massachusetts to Harvard and Boston College, in New Jersey to Princeton, and then on to D.C. and Georgetown.
So far, I think he’s leaning towards Harvard, but I liked Princeton, but of course, it’s his call.
 It all started last summer when we jumped on Amtrak to visit Stanford and Berkley in the Bay Area and then the beautiful University of Wahington in Seattle.
(Nathaniel and me shown above at an Irish pub in D.C.)I’ve been riding the rails for quite a while now, but one of my bucket list items that I haven’t done yet is to go across Canada on ‘The Canadian.’
However, now that Covid seems to be under control and I’ve recently reunited with my brother Reg, we’re going to do it together.

Next Saturday, June 18th, Reg and I will meet outside customs in Toronto and then head to the Royal York Hotel.
Once we’ve checked in, we’ll proceed to the bar and hopefully get to hang out with some old friends like Al Mair, Dougie Thompson, Earl Mann, Roger Klein, Larry Fedoruk, and maybe even Joel Thompson and some new friends like Larry MacInnis.

(Reg and I who both did a little radio in Toronto, albeit years apart are shown above)

After the drinking and the telling of tall tales are done, we’ll board ‘The Canadian’ bound for Winnipeg the next morning.
We’ll arrive in the ‘Peg Monday night on the 20th and spend most of our time hanging out at the bar of the gorgeous Fort Garry Hotel. Hopefully, a bunch of family and friends will show up to hoist a few with us.

(Reg and I also did radio in Winnipeg, me at CKY, and him at CKRC much later as Garry Roberts.)

Hey, even a couple of my bandmates from the Jury, Terry, and Bruce will be there. Also, I understand that my best friend from Highschool, Jim Quail is organizing a breakfast with some of our teammates, Huey Coburn, Lo Lo, Syd Hepworth, and Bruce Rand from the famous Transcona nationals.

No doubt there’ll also be some musicians and radio guys from my brother’s era which will tend to keep things a little younger.
Of course, Reg and I are going to rent a car so we can do the obligatory drive to Transcona and check out our old stomping grounds.

Then after three fun-filled days in Winnipeg, once again we’ll board ‘The Canadian’ bound for the Rockies and eventually arrive in Vancouver on the 26th.When we arrive in Vancouver, we’ll be hanging out at the Hotel Le Soleil bar where we’ll hook up with some old radio buds, Doc Harris, Stirling Faux, the legendary Red Robinson and some old friends from T.C.I., Willy, and Wilma Parasiuk.
I’m also hoping that Rolly Blaquiere, the co-founder of the Jury, will be there along with Marc LaFrance from Randy Bachman’s band to hoist a few.

The following day we’ll catch a West Jet flight to San Francisco where we’ll dine with the Hilliards and the Smiths.
I’m not sure what Reg is doing, but after a couple of days in the Bay Area, I’m going to jump on Amtrak and visit my old friends Bob Christy and Jan Hall in Camarillo, California.

Then after drinking too many of Bobby’s giant Martinis and overeating Sheperd’s pie, I’m back on the train bound for Burbank.
Once in Burbank, I’ll be hanging out with my Grandson Nathaniel before jumping on a flight back to West Palm Beach the next day.

(To see what we will be experiencing on ‘The Canadian’, click on the link below.)

RADIO GEO’S LIFE-LINERS

More laws create more criminals.

There is no reward for laziness.

With what’s going on in Ukraine, the media is having a tough time trying to keep us frightened about Covid and Climate Change stuff.

Speaking of Ukraine, I wonder why instead of just defending themselves, figure out how to attack Moscow, seeing as the Russian troops are all in Ukraine, that would scare the shit out of them.

I wonder what the Oil Barrens did with all that gas we didn’t use for a year and a half?

After not listening to country music for a minute and then watching the A.C.M.s, I realized that I must have missed the transition.

Know what you’re doing rather than trying to act like you do.

When 300-pound linemen can run the 40 in 4.5, I thank God I no longer play football.

If you don’t dream about it, you don’t have a future.

Most criticism is about you, not your work.

One of Trump’s biggest mistakes was trying to make Putin our friend; he should have scared him like Ronnie scared his predecessor.

The ability to do something few can do leads you to a place where the very few can live.

Isn’t it weird how years later, you find out that on the court, Lary Bird was a “Smart Ass,” and on the rink, Gordie Howe was a “Bad Ass?”

According to my friend Tim Moore, there is nothing less conclusive than the half-time score.

Genetics trump nurturing every time.

New discoveries were not created logically.

While reading about Tiger Wood’s induction into the Golf Hall of Fame by his 14-year-old daughter, the author couldn’t help but throw in words like; the too white P.G A. My immediate reaction was, you mean like the too black N.B.A. and the too black N.F.L.?

I wish businesses had as many people answering their phones as they do caling us.

Being born a female is unique but still not special enough; you have to earn the rest.

Some people are too busy belly laughing to bitch.

Hey, the Tampa Bay Lightning are in the Stanely and my daughter Cami who is a hockey freak needs to go. Unfortunately, I’m going to be on a train in Canada so I need some help for tickets for her and a friend?

COMMENTS

Bill Gardner: And HOW did you and Austin in Boston connect  One afternoon during my time at KVIL Dallas-Ft. Worth, my phone rang, and it was my friend George Johns. George said, “Bill, you know all kinds of radio guys across the U.S. I’m looking for a morning guy for F-105 Boston….but I need an absolute maniac!” I said, “Boy, do I have JUST the right guy for you, let me connect you with my friend Greg Aust (soon to be Austin in Boston.).”
I had known Greg since 1969 in his hometown of Kansas City. I helped him get on K.V I. Seattle when he visited me during my KING-AM Seattle time. I hired him myself for weekends and production while I was P.D./Morning Man at K-101 San Francisco.
When he showed up, our beautiful and classy receptionist called my office and said, “Bill, there’s a drunken guy in our lobby with food all over his shirt, but he SWEARS he’s here to see YOU!” Yep, my old friend Greg  But what an air talent  R.I.P., old friend   (Dirty Tricks)
Geo: An incredible talent, Bill, but as you also know, also incredibly scary. However, I loved the extra 100 thou he added to our cume.

Greg Tantum: Thank you, George. I got to play in both sandboxes, The Radio Magazine on KOGO and Class on F.M. Oh yeah, and then for added fun, I trusted Joe Gillespie to build an all-news format from the ground  p  (all fueled a bit with our after-work “conferences” in your office) (Do They Know?)
Geo: I believe we did our best work in those after five conferences, Greg.

Jay Williams: Hi George, Fortunately, all those nightmares from those Austin in Boston days are over. I remember almost literally tearing the shower curtain off trying to get to a phone more than once—but the most terrifying was when he was talking to this lovely lady—at 7:05 a.m. in the l970s about bussing in Bost n  Finally, she asked, “Are you black?” He responded, “Would that matter?” I thought that before I could get there—as he was on the phone so he couldn’t/wouldn’t answer it—that WVBF would be turned into a car wash, but it was riveting radio.
Another time Austin got pissed off and threw newsman Mark Davis out of the studio and wouldn’t let him back n  Then he called one of his CKLW 20-20 news buddies. He read two-minute Boston-oriented “if it bleeds, it leads” newscasts all morning long doing stuff like, “A car slammed into a woman on Boylston Street, sending her 30 feet into the air and impaling her baby on the hood ornament of the oncoming car…”
That’s when radio was great, and it was also great to see this again!
Geo: I feel your pain, Jay, but my only quest was to get at least one good promo out of every morning show. Austin gave me more than I could ever use.

Doug Thompson: NO recipes. You are a cruel taskmaster, George. (CFTR 1972)
Geo: Hard to believe when you read that Dougie that a lot of folks don’t think I’m specific enough.
The only changes I made when I launched the same thing in Dallas a little over a year later, was to put more characters on the air. The jocks at T.R. except for Magic, had never done top 40 formatics before, but they’d all done recipes and shit like that, so I had to tighten them all up. Scary times.

Radio Geo’s Media Blog is a politically incorrect inside look at Radio, T.V., Music, Movies, Books, Social Media, Politics, and Life, primarily written for men.
For a peek at some upcoming Radio Geo’s Media 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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One thought on “#5 Radio Geo’s Media Blog (Ridin’ the Rails Again) 6/13/22.

  1. Winnipeg Wendy: Geez George, Interesting that you know Willy and Wilma Parasiuk!! Wonderful people! I met Willie when I worked for the Provincial Government and then when Doug and I were working for the NDP here in Winnipeg. We worked for Willy’s campaign eons ago. You must say hi to them for me!! (Ridin’ The Rails Again.)
    Geo: I went to high school with Willy and Wilma in Transcona at TCI, Wendy.

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