Monday, October 17, 2011

Thank You…


It had been some 30+ years since I had the opportunity to actually reach out and “touch someone” through the airwaves. Last night we had a chance to start a 30 minute weekly cast of this blog and it was well received by many of you, who took the time to write a note.

Thank you…

There were some definite rough edges with which to contend, but these I hope to be able to smooth out as time goes on. It was in New York City, around 1974, where my last opportunity to “do radio” came around. In fact, as my mind was wandering around just before the time for the cast, thoughts about those days came bounding in …

The Studio ... a favorite place
My life as a recently made bachelor was OK; during the day I would work in sales, the weekends were devoted to the local radio station in Stamford, CT, where I then lived and 3 nights a week there was school to tend to. Pretty full plate … One of my pastimes back then was geometric design … this is a cool way to say that I couldn’t draw or paint worth a hoot, but could bolster my “artistic” ego with a ruler and a crayon… and, actually, some of the finished sketches were not bad!! Anyway, while I tried my hands at these at night, there was this radio station that was always on … This was WNEW-FM, the then top rated album rock (no, no CDs were available then) station, located in NYC. 

If you were a young, ambitious “DJ”, this was the station that was your impossible dream… top rated, in the top entertainment market, well known and with “radio personalities” to spare. Of course, out of reach for this Cuban working “part time” at a local “teapot station”… these were the local 10,000 Watt stations which were dimmed down to maybe 3,000W after dark… your audience was then reduced to about the immediate 5 square blocks. No matter… I was “On Air”, even if so reduced …

The local stations ...
a training ground
 Every late night, as I listened to “NEW”, there was a lady who came on the airwaves, and who had this incredibly sexy voice… Her “On Air” name was Alyson Steele, "The Midnight Owl" … Her incredibly sultry voice seduced me, along with half of NYC, every night … as I drew my circles and straight lines on a cardboard base. “I can do what she is doing” said I to self … Of course, every TDH (Tom, Dick and Harry) who was an aspiring radio personality and listening to her would most likely say the same. On one of those early morning hours my hands gravitated from the already botched straight line on the cardboard, towards the phone … and I dialed her call in number. My call actually got through to her and we talked for a while. Then, I would call every so often and we would chat, until I got her to actually talk with me “off air”, meaning while the music was playing and she was off microphone. A much more relaxed, non-pretentious call.

These conversations were interesting and we talked about my dreams and the fact that I was already working on radio … one night, she said to me “you know, you actually have a very nice voice for radio … why don’t you send in your demo tape to our director?” “You really think he would listen to it?” … “He must have hundreds of these” “Well, actually” she continued in that voice of hers, with a touch of a smile … “it’s more like thousands” … in the silence that followed (well … what would you have said to this?) she actually laughed (what a voice she had!!) and said “but don’t worry, I will ask him to listen and perhaps he will call you in”.

When this sign lights up...
You go into a "zone"...
There is something to be said about experience. Even of a different kind. In the early and mid 70’s there were several stations in the then rapidly growing FM market (yes, young’uns … there was a time when there was no FM broadcasting) and most of the big ones were in NYC. There was never a lack of unemployed (or self-denominated underemployed) “personalities’ making the rounds, which made the job possibilities not fertile ground for folks who, like yours truly, had never worked in one of these so-called large markets.

What to do? On one hand, I did have enough experience no to make a fool of myself (this is something which is not hard to do, believe me!) but not of the right kind. On the other hand, I had this ringing (well, OK … friendly) endorsement from “The Midnight Lady” herself and, on the other hand (huh??... you didn’t know I had three hands?) I had already been accumulating sales experience for several years. This is something these other floating “personalities” turned out to be short on.

So, after this careful analysis … OK, once over look, I grabbed the phone and put in a call to his Directorness… I say this with much respect and fond memories, not a dash of sarcasm here. He was Scott Muni or, as he was known, the Golden Voiced One … Music Director and Director of Operations for the station in question. I had already sent in the demo tape and was following up, saying the Ms. Steele had asked me to call him (I did mention sales experience, right?). Perhaps she had actually said something to him, for he took my call … and this was a rare thing. The appointment to come in and interview was set for 4 days hence… Damn! I think I lost about 10 pounds in four days … Couldn’t eat, sleep, or do anything … I was going to an interview with Scott Muni at WNEW-FM …WOW!  

The eagerly awaited day came and in the hallways (that is hallowed hallways to you …) I did come across a couple of the round making “personalities”, who were commenting on how the Great Scott had told them they would likely be welcome at some point, while showing them the way out … (did I say he was also a salesman?). Then, the dreaded interview came; he had a very tough reputation (he outlasted every other station director in a very tough market, where his reign was only over when his health finally gave out years later) as a difficult person and as a taskmaster.

The Great Scott ...
At his favorite place... the mike...
 When he received me, he gave me a once over look and said: “Talk to me about yourself, no about why you want to work here”. I was at a loss; for the last three days I had been taking a refresher course on rock music and the bands and singers who peopled this world. He added “If you are here, I assume you know your music … I want to know you”.  Whatever I said, must have been OK, since in the end I was told to report on Friday at 1am (actually, Saturday) to follow my own WNEW Guardian Angel (well, guardian Owl …) … when I came in, literally flying in from closing down the other station, she received me with an ear-to-ear smile… best welcome I have had to a job … Unfortunately, my tenure there lasted for a bit over 14 months when, for personal reasons, I had to leave; this was my last formal radio work, but the love and the taste have stayed with me ever since then. I love radio; it requires, more than any other media, a great amount of imagination along with the ability to transmit your own mental images.

These times were an early life school which taught me that truly, nothing is out of reach when you really, really want to do it… It took 30+ years, but last night I opened what I hope to be a new chapter in my radio days… up to day and global… This is just the beginning!!!  Stick with me and you’ll love it!!! 

I promise!!!

Be well … Be back!! … And now, listen in on Sundays …

Final Notes:
  • Pray for those who are fighting an illness which may take them away from their loved ones… Every request is heard, and counts!!
  • Any comments please send to otherboxp@yahoo.com; it comes directly to me. I promise to read all coming messages, and answer as many as I can.
  • Remember:  We are “On Air” every Sunday night at 6:30pm EST (GT –5hrs).  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theotherbox If the link does not work, please just copy and paste to your address bar.

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