Day #55 - 12/08/97 - 8:57PM

As I went through today, still unemployed (but VERY busy with household duties), I was reflecting on the different radio stations I've worked for and what one thing I remember about each one. My wife always says "Every radio station is a toilet....they just flush differently." Smart lady! Anyway, I thought I'd share a quick primer on the stations I've come to know, love and at times hate.

WLTF-FM, Cleveland - AC. Most recent "toilet". Best part? Located right down the street from Jacob's Field, home of the Cleveland Indians. What a team!

WRVQ-FM, Richmond (Q94) - CHR.  I was with the station twice. The first time, from 1983-1986, was a trip. The most wonderful, talented people.(Rita Bentley, Mike Rivers, Tommy Hoof, John Staton), the kindest and smartest GM, (Phil Goldman), A great PD and on-air partner (Bob McNeil), and a BUDGET (Thanks to Gary Eden, Edens Broadcasting). Q94 was the second or third station in the country to put on a "ZOO" format. Our company owned Q105 in Tampa. Scott Shannon and Cleveland Wheeler at Q105 used to send us tapes of bits and advise us in phone conversations. We learned from the originals. Our Zoo was such a hit, and we were so popular, we were like the Beatles in Richmond. The second time I was there, 1990 to 1995 I was teamed up with Jay. We had a bunch of good years there.

KLOU-FM, St. Louis - Oldies. The weirdest place I ever worked. CBS owned and operated, it seemed completely driven by internal and external politics. The PD was a psycho.

WFYR-FM, Chicago - Oldies. The most wonderful city in the world. I was in love with Chicago! Wanna get somewhere? Catch a cab! What do you want for lunch? Indian Cuisine? Italian? Greek? Whatever you'd like...and it's close. Chicago is like New York, only cleaner and friendler. WFYR-FM was located in the Prudential Building in downtown. I don't remember which floor, but we were pretty high up. I used to love looking out at the city. The PD was John Weatherby, a great guy who went to the wall for his talent. Funny story: when I first came to Chi town, I mean the FIRST day, I drove in from Virginia with my stuff in the back of my pickup truck. I got off, too soon, at the wrong exit and headed North up Michigan Avenue from the South side. You don't have to be a brain surgeon to know that this is a bad place for a white guy in a pickup truck.. Just as I was driving thru this area, the radio started playing "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" with the lyrics, "The Southside of Chicago is the meanest part of town...."

WVNZ-FM, Norfolk (Z104) - CHR. I was hired here to start a ZOO type morning show in 1986. They lured me away from Q94 in Richmond by doubling my salary. At the time, I found that real hard to pass up. About a month after I got there, the PD was mysteriously fired. Our consultant was the legendary Rick Sklar of WABC-AM glory days. We were doing Hot Hits at first but later moved away from that. My first partner was Dave Sanborn but he left and I eventually was paired with PD, Chris Bailey. We kicked some butt in that market, eventually beating Henry "The Bull" Del Toro who had been #1 for years.

WOHO/WWWM-FM, Toledo - AC. Started at WOHO early evenings then moved to afternoons. Said something that got me into trouble and my choice was get fired or move over to WWWM on FM, play the music and shut up. So, I played the music and shut up for 6 or 7 months until I found the Q94 gig.

Quickies:

WLOX-FM, Biloxi - YUCK! 9 months as mornings and PD. Couldn't wait to get out of Mississippi

WRFD-AM, Columbus - 1 year, fun job, met Air Personality Bill Stewart and have stayed friends since. Bill and I bonded during the "Blizzard of '78" that hit Ohio. We were on the air for 24 hours together.

WCLT-AM/FM, Newark, Ohio - 1 year, just learning the business, lonliest year of my life but the GM, Bob Pricer, was kind and compassionate.

WHCI, Chillicothe, Ohio - worked there 1 day. Great jingles. (I got a full-time at the same time and left)

WPRJ, Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ - First radio job, sold air-time. Hated it. made $120 bucks a week. Worked there 1 month.

WERA, Plainfield, NJ - Second radio job, sold air time. Hated it so much I used to go to the movies during the day or to the park. Stayed 1 year...long enough to make a decent audition tape.