Radio Dialing for Dollars
1972-1977
The first radio station in my life was WLIR 92.7
fm on the Island. My brother found it, and since he had the
keen interest in music, I followed. I worked at the Carvel store
in Hempstead, and on Saturday nights I would call for requests and
argue about music with the djs. We were only about a half a
mile down the road. They got to know me, and soon after a few
came in to collect their free ice cream. An invitation came
next, for me to visit the studios. At one point during my stay
as a hanger-on I got to voice part of a commercial for a motorcycle
dealer. A sixteen year old kid on the radio. I thought
I was pretty cool.
1977-1979
WCOB was the campus radio station at SUNY @ Cobleskill,
around ninety minutes southwest of Albany. There was no way
I could attend a name school right out of high school, as I never
got decent grades. The good news was that nobody who attended
the college in the fall of 1977 wanted to run the place. In
comes me! Eventually I was joined by a full staff of super-interested
students, from all different points of view, and I settled in as music
director. Promo copies of records flowed my way, concert tickets
and radio shows took up my time and attention, but I still made Dean's
List four straight semesters. Syracuse calling........
1979-1981
WAER was a powerhouse in the late 70s. A huge
signal, endless budget, an overwhelming alumni list, totally intimidating.
I pretty much let everyone know that one way or another I was
bent on conquest. By the time I graduated in 1981 my grades
were in the toilet, and I was program director. Oh yeah, somewhere
along the way the University stole control of the station. What
had once been a "by and for students" entity, became a learning
lab where young people press buttons and don't express opinions. Most
all of the enormous staff rocked. The sportscasters were tops,
followed by news and finally music and engineering. I don't
really feel like I went to Syracuse, because I spent ninety percent
of my time at the Newhouse School. Worth every penny.
1981-1985
WQBK am and fm Albany, New York hired me, and I
started in the Fall of 1981. The staff of the fm station was
an outstanding, caring, quality cast of characters. I loved
working with the likes of John Cooper, Lin Brehmer, Peggy Apple, and
Ellen McKinnon. Even the part-timers were strong personalities,
and I immediately enjoyed verbal brawling over musical choices. The
local scene was thriving, and we all spent hours in the clubs. All
my clothes came from the Salvation Army, my car was a rusted out Opel
Manta, and my apartment had two temperatures - hot and cold. The
am talk station had one young guy, Tom Leykis. Everyone else
on the staff was part of the World War Two generation. I wormed
my way into a weekend talk show, which over time became far more stimulating
to me than just playing records. By 1985 the scene had dried
up, the consultants had taken more of a role, and I realized that
I couldn't spend any more time in Albany without going stir-crazy.
Tai and lost genius Brian Wilson
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Photo by Leo Gozbekian |
1985-1997
The passion for music at WFNX was mind blowing in
the summer of 1985. I spent Hurricane Gloria at the studio,
and that was the most placid period of time I lived throught in the
following dozen years. Spoiled brats. Brilliant jocks
with bad habits. Corrupt, sleazy, underhanded leadership. Dreamers.
Schemers. Hard workers who used the station as a springboard
onward and upward. Creativity that couldn't be harnessed. Absolute
devotion to integrity. An appreciation for everything artistic.
Nationally recognized initiative for championing new talent.
Tragic decision making. Complete lack of vision. Absentee
authority. Horrible character judgement. The best timing
in the world. Complete luck. Once in a lifetime opportunities.
Total sacrifice for the product. I was guilty of being
intimately involved in all of these scenarios. My ego got the
best of me many times, yet I exited the station for the right reasons
in the end. I wanted security, in the form of a contract - they
refused. I left, and immediately the airstaff was put under
contract!!! Reality bites sometimes.
1997-2000
I joined WRKO enthusiastically as part of Marjorie
Clapprood's morning show. There was, in 1997, an amazing cast
of quality people within American Radio Systems. Two owners
later 1999 arrived and whole station imploded. During the spring
I told my wife that I could see the end of the road. I'll never
forget the contributions of certain co-workers who made the overall
experience worthwhile. The shows we presented from the BBC in
Liverpool, Aspen Comedy Fest, Montreal and New York are still my favorites
for a lifetime. The potential for bigger and better is built
on my WRKO days - now I know that I can do any type of radio. My
last broadcast was near Halloween, and so I asked for the world's
authority on Dracula to join me. Professor Raymond McNally of
Boston College came into the studio that night. He passed away
during the fall of 2002. I have his CD-ROM "Dracula - Truth
and Terror" to remember him.
2000
During the first months of the year I was collecting
unemployment. I had spent the previous weeks flying to Seattle,
D.C. and NYC in search of work. Trips were made and interviews
took place out of town for the first time since my Philadelphia and
Chicago excursions of 1996. The week of shows I did in Seattle
was especially fun, as I got to reveal a different side of my personality.
Luckily, the shows are preserved on cd. I am forever indebted
to the former WMEX 1060 for asking me to fill in for the late great
Jerry Williams. This four month time frame gave me confidence,
and allowed me to stay in Boston while other deals began to emerge.
Signed a new deal in May, which was followed by an out of town
offer.
2000-2002
My therapist has been paid, names, dates and places
have been documented, and the story of taking the torch from Charles
Laquidara will be told - eventually.
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