-
Crazy Never Takes A Day Off In Radio…
August 24, 2021
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
Being a part of radio is an ongoing test of your sanity. Radio can have you talking to yourself and even worse, answering yourself. The longer you're in this business, the more you'll see a repeat of behaviors that are beyond comprehension. In the immortal words of Cat Stevens, "Ooh Baby Baby It’s A Wild World."
I Always Have A Story …
Having made a Cat Stevens reference, you're probably thinking I'm either a music historian or that I occasionally wander between musical dimensions. (Don't even start, you know you do it too from time to time.) I usually have one these time travel experiences when giving advice to someone who's trying to understand what's going on in their radio space and time. It never fails, after hearing one of my many radio stories, they realize "crazy," is a relative term in broadcasting.Not Sure Why …
I was involved in a situation where the General Manager thought I was the good guy and my friend who did mornings was viewed as the anti-Christ. His ratings were better than mine, yet he always got the short end of the stick. For example, I over-stayed my new hire hotel privileges for a month. The OM eventually told me I needed to find a place, but surprisingly the GM defended me: "Sam has come in here and hit the ground running; he can stay a little longer if he has to." So stay I did.On The Other Hand …
While I was daily signing off on room service with generous tips, my morning show friend was catching hell for everything from his on-air name (The Deadly Dr.) to the volume of his voice around the office. The GM just did not like him. The morning guy and I figured that he must have reminded the GM of someone who had done something bad to him. On the other hand, the GM would occasionally call me Steve by accident. Apparently, Steve was a good memory.All’s Well That Ends Well ...
Unfortunately, the OM who hired both of us was fired and the morning guy was demoted to overnight. When the GM realized The Deadly Dr. was not going to quit because of his demotion, he paid him the remainder of his contract.It Was A Good Lesson ...
That station had the most insecure group of people I have ever worked around, but it taught me a lesson. I learned to stay focused and not let anyone throw me off my game. I became a student of not letting my ego be the elephant in the room. -
-