So what does “Local Radio” mean today?
It means becoming ingrained in a local community.
It means paying attention to the basics.
A live, local morning show and mostly local jocks. Voice-tracking? You can do it outside of morning drive but make sure most of the talent is local. Why?
Because radio is not the type of business where you’re supposed to “not be available.” You can lock up and go home for the night, but you’re supposed to be available when your community needs you.
Why?
Because things happen late night and overnight.
Things like hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes.
You see, believe it or not, many years ago when this fossil of a DJ was in my prime, a radio station had to HAVE people in the building 24/7/365.
I read school closings, interrupted for tornadoes and blizzard warnings. Told of Presidential assassination attempts.
Might have lost my life at one in 1978. Jimmy Carter was President and I followed his entourage toward the Dayton, Ohio convention center.
Months later, Walter Cronkite told me for the time on television, John Hinckley, Jr. was just off to my right as I passed by.
I could have lived without knowing that.
And I did it better than that awful, squawking EAS box that annoys everyone and too few really pay attention to it.
In addition to being an air talent, I have also been a News Director.
In Cincinnati.
On the night of that concert by the Who.
Remember the WKRP episode about it? And that last scene?
I lived it. Witnessed the Plaza between the Coliseum and Riverfront Stadium strewn with shoes, articles of clothing, purses, socks and jackets.
It looked a war zone.
My reports and audio tape was heard that night on ABC, the BBC, The Mutual Black Network and probably others. I was at work that day from 11 am to almost midnight.
And back at it the next day in time to be at the group’s media interview session the next morning.
As broadcasters, we are tasked with serving “interest, convenience and necessity.”
Not playing music, nor being funny or entertaining.
Now please. I have a sense of humor. The late Robert W. Morgan was an idol.
He could say something truly funny over a 15 second intro and have you laughing all the way to work.
I miss the former “Big 8,” CKLW in Detroit/Windsor.
(Sing it: “The Motor City.” I’ll be some of you can). Some of their former employees are friends of mine today.
And I’m proud of that.
But our job is to be there for the towns and cities we call home.
I’m writing this today for the people who are losing their jobs at iHeart. For many of them accepted their jobs wanting to serve that very purpose.
And look at their reward.
It’s not their fault the company overbought at ridiculous multiples in 1990-something and can’t seem to get out of their debt’s way.
They’re not the only company that was consumed by debt.
A great radio company I worked for had that fate, too.
Great Trails Broadcasting Company.
Founded by former FDR Commerce Secretary Charlie Sawyer in the 1940’s, I believe and, originally called “Air Trails Broadcasting Company.”
They changed the call letters of a Dayton station from WSMK.
To WING. “High Flying 1410.”
In the mid 1960’s, it was one of the highest billing radio stations of its format in America.
It made 3 million dollars a year.
Today, it would be 30.8 million.
I’ll bet iHeart would like to have a single station billing 30.8 million in a “Medium Market.”
But, what happened?
Debt happened.
The company did everything possible as AM radio began to wane. The best thing they did was to buy an FM station in Eaton, Ohio and, at the height of beginning of the true CHR era.
WGTZ…Eaton Dayton and Springfield alive. The New Z-93! Hot rockin’ and flame throwin’!
And emulating Z-100 in New York the best it could.
At its’ high point, it was #1 in Dayton with over a 12 share. I did nights and overnights.
I rebuilt WING’s oldies library to an amazing 2200 carts with songs on them. I edited the long cut CD’s of familiar rock anthems to the single edits.
The way they were heard on radio then.
With one exception. “Stairway To Heaven.”
WING DID play it at night. Some songs you don’t mess with.
Why did I do that?
So we couldn’t disappoint a caller on a request show.
Great Trails had suffered through employee contracts…people who didn’t work out.
Others did.
Jonathan Winters was morning man for a while.
Steve Kirk (who lost money booking the Beatles while at WSAI in Cincinnati) was morning host for 26 years.
Terry Dorsey brought his “Hiney Wine” bits over to WING from crosstown WONE, until he made fame and fortune at KPLX-FM and KSCS-FM in Dallas.
Al “bum” Morgan worked at WTUE, WING and then headed west.
To 93/KHJ in Los Angeles.
Dave Hull and “Tall” Tom Campbell worked at WONE. “Big” Jim Quinn worked at WING.
I always thought that GTB in later years missed what WING was. An information station that stopped every so often to play a song.
So, I worked at WING and GTZ and then got sent to Columbus and WCOL-FM. Much larger market, over a million listeners a week in that city.
I wish I could say I was making big money. But no!
I went there for $19,500 and free parking in the garage behind the station.
A General Manager recognizing my talent raised that to $25,000 about a year later.
Then salvation! Great Trails sold the station to Nationwide Communications in late 1994.
Their slogan? Only the best people.
And I was one of them.
Thanks to THEM, we flipped WCOL-FM to Country in 1995.
They’re still country today.
I was the first voice heard on that format.
And some of my closest friends just got laid off from there.
I made my salary, some great talent money and an extra $4000 in bonus money every year.
Because I was #1 in Middays. 13 consecutive books.
Before I took off.
For what became two programming jobs.
Then back home to Dayton.
Where I’m still on the air in year 53. Just part time by my request.
And to think, WING was going to lay me off when they put the station on satellite.
Steve Kirk kept that from happening.
And thanks to him.
I have joined him in the Dayton Area Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame, inducted in 2022.
So, to the now former iHeart employees:
You didn’t fail.
They failed you.
You did what was asked of you.
In many cases you exceeded beyond your wildest dreams.
And your talent is STILL valuable to our business.
There are over 15,000 commercial radio stations in the U.S. today. The big 3 own 13 percent of them.
There’s still room for you…somewhere.
It’s a tough job market.
But what do they say? Only the strong survive.
Cause people like you and I are survivors.
I got a couple more years before I hang-up my Koss Pro-4 AA’s.
I hope I get there.
And I hope you do, too.
Because you never know who your friends are…until someone calls you (as a high school friend did me in 1986) and said:
“Hey Kev! We have an 7 to midnight opening at WING. Are you interested? The PD wants to talk to you.”
You’d better answer a call like that.
Because you don’t know what can happen or where it can take you.