Michigan Radio & TV Buzzboard

Graduated from MSU in 78 after working in campus radio since freshman year. Worked at WVIC & WILS in Lansing and WLAV-AM in GR. Got canned when they went all talk. It was winter, out of a job and not in love, and a buddy said to come to California and live with him. Car was packed and I was on the road 5 days later. Worked at a station in Riverside for a while until they got sold. Decided I should look for a job paying more than $145/week and haven't been on the air since.

I am here to keep tabs on Vic, and see what happened to guys I worked with. Shocked that Danny Stewart is still on the air in Lansing, and Tony Gates in GR, much less still alive.

Turkeytop wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 11, 2020 6:49 pm

Closest I ever got to broadcasting was when we lived in a small town with only one radio station. An AM.

They used to call on me to participate in their election night coverage, as part of a "Panel of Experts" .

I was the voice of the left. A pretty lonely voice up in that part of the country.

“And now with the perspective of the insane here everyone’s favorite bird...”

Nope. Really wanted to but got talked out of it by family and a Broadcasting professor at Delta College. Both said there was no money in it, plus the hours, weekends and holidays worked were horrible. After meeting some on the air jocks who looked poor (Thin wearing jeans and Rees always), glad I didn’t do it

Duplicate.

My Father worked as a Professional Musician and private music teacher, and had a Guitar Ensemble who worked 6 Nights a week for a dollar a Night in three mid Michigan Radio markets during the 1920s and 1930s. Fortunately he also had a "daytime job" that paid about five dollars a Day. He always told me that there "was no money in radio". He got a raise and gave up the Guitar Ensemble.

My Mother was briefly an Administrative Assistant at a Daytime radio station that eventually became legendary when it became an AM/FM combo and the FM took off after the Programming Non Duplication Rules. I think she thought my interest was admirable and respectful from what had become a family career tradition, but unlikely to result in a decent career. She steered me toward a career more likely to produce a sustainable income.

My mother had a cousin and another shoestring relative who were in radio management. The shoestring relative, a VP/GM of an AM/FM/TV Station in a Large Michigan Market, was at the cousin's funeral, and my Mother told him about my interest in radio, and he told my mother that from what he had heard about my interest, that I really SHOULD BE IN RADIO. I found out recently that he had had a really difficult career to reach that level, since starting in Mid Michigan. He really wasn't an "overnight success", and had really struggled in every way before that.

I was always interested in the more technical aspects of allotment engineering in radio, and for a while, I was modestly rewarded for my efforts. However, with station sales to large group owners, takeover by corporate engineers, and deaths of station engineers who knew my abilities, I was only able to pick up scraps, often from people (some post here occasionally, not often) I would agree to do a study for a few hundred bucks, and never got paid. My sustainable career became much more difficult (corporate takeovers also involved) and time consuming, so I stopped.

So I guess that is a qualified no, although I had some complex success in technical consulting.

Never worked in radio, but I was a fan. I purchased a car with SXM and since then I have listened to maybe 2 minutes of FM radio accidentally. I am never going back

Neckbeard wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 3:04 pm

Never worked in radio, but I was a fan. I purchased a car with SXM and since then I have listened to maybe 2 minutes of FM radio accidentally. I am never going back

Maybe because I’m in my mid 60’s but musically radio has lost its flare. The only time I tune in to regular radio is for information or talk shows and it’s primarily AM, for music it’s internet radio via the computer at home. It is interesting to listen to other markets via the Internet, I guess it’s sorta like DX’ing.

Lucky615.. Try Mac FM 106.3 WWMK Onaway Cheboygan online or Alexa. Also try 97.7 WCHY Cheboygan, not sure if they are online. They are both oriented toward retiree aged people, much like Music Of Your Life and Stardust were 20 or 30 years ago, when you were 35 to 45. Mac FM sounds a lot like Yacht Rock to me. WCHY is a 60s 70s Hybrid.

Lucky615 wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 4:18 pm

for music it’s internet radio via the computer at home. It is interesting to listen to other markets via the Internet, I guess it’s sorta like DX’ing.

Internet is nothing at all like DXing. Internet radio is no more like real radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining.

Turkeytop wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:05 pm

Lucky615 wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 4:18 pm

for music it’s internet radio via the computer at home. It is interesting to listen to other markets via the Internet, I guess it’s sorta like DX’ing.

Internet is nothing at all like DXing. Internet radio is no more like real radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining.

Like Ray Parker sang, "Why do you think, Jack went" to the Internet? He needed Music Formats, older demo Formats he couldn't get from local stations.

CK-722 wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 4:57 pm

Lucky615.. Try Mac FM 106.3 WWMK Onaway Cheboygan online or Alexa. Also try 97.7 WCHY Cheboygan, not sure if they are online. They are both oriented toward retiree aged people, much like Music Of Your Life and Stardust were 20 or 30 years ago, when you were 35 to 45. Mac FM sounds a lot like Yacht Rock to me. WCHY is a 60s 70s Hybrid.

I usually listen to Sixties on Dash Radio or 70’s from Bates, also I’m into 80’s and there’s a 10 channel site called Begood radio. I will check out your suggestions and Thanks for the info.

CK-722 wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:16 pm

Like Ray Parker sang, "Why do you think, Jack went" to the Internet? He needed Music Formats, older demo Formats he couldn't get from local stations.

It may have its merits, but it isn't radio. It's like comparing a sunflower to a Jeep.

Turkeytop wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:43 pm

CK-722 wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:16 pm

Like Ray Parker sang, "Why do you think, Jack went" to the Internet? He needed Music Formats, older demo Formats he couldn't get from local stations.

It may have its merits, but it isn't radio. It's like comparing a sunflower to a Jeep.

So true but you have to settle for second best, especially when you are unable to find good music on good old fashioned radio. AM and FM radio is always #1 in my book, but today it’s different.

Realist wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 11, 2020 8:39 pm

Nope. Really wanted to but got talked out of it by family and a Broadcasting professor at Delta College. Both said there was no money in it

Was either named Len or Andy?

And, one of the reasons I got out was because all the guys I met that were over 50 didn't have two nickles to rub together.

Made the right choice. Hoo Ahh!

Bryce wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 8:34 pm

Realist wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 11, 2020 8:39 pm

Nope. Really wanted to but got talked out of it by family and a Broadcasting professor at Delta College. Both said there was no money in it

Was either named Len or Andy?

And, one of the reasons I got out was because all the guys I met that were over 50 didn't have two nickles to rub together.

Made the right choice. Hoo Ahh!

Yep - Andy Rapp (?). He was on the air there also doing some of their public affairs programs