Tuesday December 20th, 2011 - Rockford, IL I received an unexpected phone call today from Jim McHugh asking me to join him as a last minute fill in talk show host this afternoon on FM 100.5 WNTA in Rockford, IL. I’m always up for helping anyone out if I can, so I said yes. We’ve hosted before, and had fun. Our mutual friend Jim Stone is the operations manager at Maverick Media, and this is a hectic time of year in radio and every other business as far as vacations go. They were in a pinch, and that happens from time to time. Stone contacted McHugh, and then I got a call. I wish all operations managers in radio were as easy to deal with as Jim Stone. He’s not a ’radio guy’, and he treats people with respect. That makes it easy to say yes when favors get asked, and I can’t believe others don’t adopt that simple formula. It works every time. Most other managers use fear as leverage. They threaten or at least imply consequences will occur if someone doesn’t drop what they’re doing and jump head first through a hoop to please the whim of those in power. It may be effective, but it doesn’t win any friends. Radio is full of insecure, power hungry, maniac control freaks who like to show it off at every opportunity. I’ve always had a disdain for that attitude, and that’s probably why I’m not working hard at pursuing a full time radio career. It’s rare to find good guys in charge. Kipper McGee was great to work with at WLS. Again, he’s a human being first, and has feelings and a heart. That’s SO refreshing in any kind of entertainment, unfortunately also quite rare. Most people in charge are completely oblivious to the fact others beneath them can be affected adversely and permanently with just one thoughtless decision. It stinks. That’s why Kipper is no longer at WLS, and Jim Stone is in Rockford. Both those guys have people skills, and in my opinion should be working for top pay in top markets. They also know the business, and anyone who would hire either of them would get a bargain. I also like John Perry who is the operations manager in Kenosha where I do my Sunday night Mothership Connection paranormal show. I’ve known John since our 93QFM days in Milwaukee. He did overnights and I was on the morning show, and we became friends. Over the years he’s thrown many opportunities my way, and I’m grateful for all of them. Other than those three, I’d have to look long and hard for anyone in upper management of the radio business I’d even think about crossing a one way street to piss on if they had a brush fire blazing in their underwear. I wish I didn’t have to feel that way, but I do. It’s not a complicated business, or at least it shouldn’t be. Hire the talent, and let them work. Kipper McGee, John Perry and Jim Stone all do that, and I’d walk through a brick wall naked for all three of those guys. Not that walking through a brick wall or showing off my pasty white buns would do anything to further life as we know it, but I’d still be willing to do it to show my support of good quality people I respect. Whenever they call, I‘m there.
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