Another Radio Misfire

Tuesday December 16th, 2008 - Lake Villa, IL

The only thing colder and nastier than the weather these days is the radio business. Just when I thought nothing could surprise me I got a call from Jerry Agar telling me our good friend Kipper McGee got fired as program director of WLS. It left me speechless and that isn’t easy to do. Usually I can think of a quip or one liner but not this time. I was stunned.

In all my years in radio I’d have to say Kipper was and is the best program director I’ve ever worked with. He’s extremely sharp and not only gets how radio works but is always on the cutting edge of what’s coming next. He’s a visionary and a genius and not a lot of people in radio can qualify for either of those titles. And to top it off he’s a great guy too.

I was happy to introduce Jerry Agar to Kipper several years ago when Jerry was getting into talk radio. Kipper had already made the jump because as he always is he was right on the cutting edge of what was hot and current. He and Jerry connected and then Kipper got hired at WLS and was able to bring Jerry in soon after. They were on the path to success.

Ratings were constantly going up and they made a solid team. Radio success is possible only if there is someone off air protecting the talent. It’s like blocking for a running back in football. Kipper was blocking for Jerry and they were sprinting toward the goal line but the infamous ‘new management’ decided for whatever reason to break up the team. Ugh.

Jerry should still be on the air kicking ass and Kipper should still be in his office getting free reign to keep making improvements. The station was sounding great and doing really well in the ratings. Why tinker with that? There was no real reason to fire Kipper or Jerry but some pencil pushing pinhead putz who’s never been on the air decided to pull rank.

This really infuriates me. My heart goes out to Kipper and his wife Barbara just as I feel badly for Jerry and his family too. My friend Max in Springfield got boned not only at the Loop with me but also in Springfield too at WYMG. And it always seems to happen right around Christmas time too. Ho Ho Ho - it’s time to go. It’s cold and ugly and SO unfair.

Other than a sports coach I have to believe being in radio is the most barbaric bloodbath of a lifestyle there is with the possible exception of underling in the Mafia. Radio is brutal for no reason. Sports coaches get fired if teams lose. Mafia people get wacked for reasons that coincide with their rule system. Radio has no rhyme or reason. The axe falls blindly.

Jerry Agar had solid ratings in market number three in America. He took them up from the first ratings period he started and they kept going up. Kipper McGee’s tenure there at a legendary station was very successful too. Both are great guys and very professional so why don’t either of them have a job today? I couldn’t begin to think of a legit reason.

It’s just plain STUPID and there’s no reason for it. I’m not the only one who has been a victim of a stupid firing but the more it happens the more it sours me on the possibility of ever doing radio full time again. Standup comedy is way more ‘stable’ and that’s insane.