Monday, June 28, 2010

Memories Of Norm Perry, WTAC's Chief Engineer

It takes a lot of people to run a radio station – you need sales people to sell advertising, traffic people to place the advertising on the broadcast schedules, announcers to voice the commercials and do an air shift and it also helps if you have a good chief engineer on staff to make sure that your station stays on the air and sounding good.  Before deregulation hit the broadcast industry – a good chief engineer was as valuable to your radio station as the top rated morning and afternoon drive-time air personalities.  I am lucky to have been able to spend some time and to have known one of Flint and the Tri-Cities’ best chief engineers – the late Norm Perry from WTAC. 

I think of Norm Perry every so often – especially when I’m just goofin’ off on the Internet listening to my favorite Internet radio station or playing a game or two of Sudoku.  Norm Perry died just as computers were coming into being and long before the Internet.  He had a computer chess game that he loved to play and he was beside himself when he would win a game or two against the computer.  I think it was that primal man against machine and man actually beat the machine – thump thump thump the chest – kind of thing. 

I think Norm owned a one of the early Commodore computers, but he had no idea of how advanced that computers would become and how big it would become in homes and businesses around the world.  He was more interested in challenging the computer than to harness it to do things for him.

Norm Perry lived just as Timex started making LCD watches and people were playing Pac-Man and Frogger on Atari game machine.  Imagine what kind of things someone like Norm Perry could do today with computers as powerful as they are today and of the ideas that he could connect with and grow just by harnessing all that the Internet has to offer.

Another thing that I can remember about Norm is that he loved to shop the garage sales.  Norm would check out the pickings – maybe see a television set that didn’t work for fifteen bucks and would end up convincing the owner that it wasn’t worth more than five bucks.  He’d give the person a fiver….take the TV set home….fix it with a turn of a knob or a touch of his soldering gun and get the TV working like it was brand new and sell it for seventy-five bucks. 

The same kind of skills that he used in profiting from garage sales he put to use in his daily job as a chief engineer.  Even though the chief engineer was a valuable person to the existence of a radio station – back when Norm was a chief engineer management at radio stations were pretty tight with a buck and they didn’t really give people like Norm the kind of budget that they needed – so you had to be creative in how you solved problems. 

When Dave Barber came over to WTAC from WTRX to do “Flint Feedback” – Norm was called upon to devise a tape delay so that we could “bleep” anything that needed to be bleeped.  Naturally, a professional tape delay device wasn’t in WTAC’s budget, but you can’t have someone doing a daily talk show and not have some sort of delay device.  Well…it didn’t take long for Norm to access the problem and come up with a solution of a long tape loop between two huge broadcast reel-to-reel players with a “dump” button in Barber’s studio and at console where the producer (yours truly) sat.  It worked and it cost the station next to nothing and it prevented more than a few obscene words from going out over the air.

Norm and I did talk about things other than radio.  At least once a week, we would both venture to the Ponderosa Steak House on Hill Road (no longer there) and feast on that $2.99 lunch special – which was the ground steak patty, baked potato, salad bar and drink.  We could have spent more for lunch – but we loaded up a lot on the salad bar and the rolls and it was enough for us.

During lunch we’d talk about cable television – which was just taking its infant steps.  ESPN existed of only one channel and I remember reading how they were on shaky ground financially as was CNN.  Neither of us had any solutions to how these stations could survive – but we were both intrigued by what they were going to do to survive.

There’s one thing that I will always remember about Norm – and it wasn’t how creative he was in his job or how smart he was – nope – I like to remember Norm as my friend.  I miss those Saturday nights – when Norm would visit me at my apartment on Richfield and Averill carrying a six pack of cold ones that we would enjoy as we watched the fights on HBO.  Neither of us were boxing aficionados, but we knew enough to make watching the fight enjoyable and it gave a chance to just be friends.  Norm….I miss ya!

Friday, June 25, 2010

TV's Summer Season is Cooking -- Plus There Are A Couple of Really Funny New Shows


Where does all of the time go?  It’s hard to believe that we’re already half-way through 2010 and in a matter of days it will be July 4th and before you know it – Jerry Lewis is going to be hosting another telethon – is this year is going fast or what??!!!  Before you know it – we’re all going to be bitching about the cold temperatures and how we’re being pounded by cold fronts and snow storms.

Well. It’s been awhile since I have written anything of interest on this blog – and I wouldn’t want to blow that winning streak – so, I might as well talk about something I know nothing about – but love to talk about any way – television.

The Summer TV season has arrived and it’s time that we all took a break away from all of the news on the mess in the Gulf and escape with some mindless television entertainment.  If you’re a foodie – the people who gave you the Food Network have blessed us with another channel – “The Cooking Channel”…a channel filled with a lot of old Food Network programming like “Emeril Live” and some new food shows from their Food Network operations in Canada.  The people who own these two networks are positioning the Cooking Channel for those who love to cook and the Food Network as a reality based food network with cooking competition shows mixed in with the regular programming.  Either way you look at it – it’s a lot of food programs!

If you want to find out how important you are to the Food Network or Cooking Channel – if the program you’re doing has you preparing food with cheap production music that you would normally hear play in the background in porn movie – you’re not that important to these channels.  If they have porn music playing behind your cooking demonstrations – the odds are pretty good that you won’t be asked to compete on “Iron Chef America” or be a featured chef on one of their Food documentaries.        

There is a lot of food competition programming on TV these days.  For over the top dramatics – there’s Gordon Ramsey’s “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox with a bunch of chefs competing to be a chef in one of his restaurants.  The Food Network is back with another season of “The Next Food Network Star” on Food Network, and the classiest food competition show of the bunch “Top Chef” is back on Bravo with this season’s competition taking place in our nation’s capital – Washington, D.C.

Gordon Ramsey is adding another show to his Fox TV workload.  Unlike “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares” – it looks like we’re going to see a much softer and caring Chef Ramsey with the premiere of his new show in July on Fox called “”Master Chef”.  On this show – a slew of chefs will be competing to become a master chef – what they’ll receive once they obtain that title remains to be seen – but there’s one thing that is guaranteed – the show will be entertaining as all hell.

Imagine being a geeky kid in eighth grade – who’s in love with the most beautiful girl in school – but he can only get the attention of a geeky eighth grade girl and you have MTV’s newest comedy “The Hard Times of RJ Berger”.  Now you have got to remember that all of RJ’s friends are complete geeks and nerds….that is until in the middle of a basketball game – in front of the whole school – his basketball shorts are pulled down and his jock strap falls to the floor exposing what is perhaps the largest, you know what, to everyone in the bleacher stands.  All of a sudden – RJ’s popularity takes a turn to something more than just nerds and geeks.  This is one funny show….Monday nights at 10pm on MTV.

Following RJ at 10:30 on MTV is a new show “Warren the Ape” is a spin-off of another live action puppet comedy “Greg the Bunny” that has aired on several cable networks.  “Warren the Ape” is a puppet who’s career has taken a bit of a turn….he’s gone from being an “A” list celebrity to a “D” list and below.  He’s also in “Celebrity Rehab” – complete with appearances by Dr. Drew Pinsky himself – hoping that it might revitalize his career.  If you want to laugh and laugh out loud – check out “Warren the Ape” Monday nights at 10:30pm on MTV.

Betty White continues to be hot hot hot…with the premiere of her new sitcom “Hot in Cleveland” attracting some five million people to TV Land.  The show, which also stars Jane Leeves (“Fraiser”) and Valerie Bertinelli “One Day At A Time”) is about three women from Los Angeles who land in Cleveland and discover that unlike the west coast – men are actually attracted to them and don’t think of them as “old”.  They decide to rent a home in Cleveland and Betty White is the person who maintains the house.  The premise is a bit lame – but Betty White could read tea leaves and make it funny and she does it on this show.  Its premiere episode on TV Land attracted some five million viewers – which is more viewers than NBC had when they tried to unload Jay Leno in the 10pm slot. (“Hot in Cleveland” airs at 9pm Wednesday Nights on TV Land and on CMT later in the week.)

The afternoon TV landscapes is going to look at lot different come September – when Oprah leaves daytime TV to begin a new career on a new cable network – the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).  TV stations that carry Oprah now are looking for programming to put in Oprah’s time slot that will hopefully bring in the same size audience every day that Oprah has been delivering.  One of the shows that is profiting from Oprah leaving daytime TV is another Oprah Winfrey produced program – Dr. Oz.  Beginning in September – Dr. Oz’s show will move from its 3pm time slot on Channel 4 in Detroit to Oprah’s 4pm time slot on Channel 7 – and the show is getting similar upgrades at other stations around the country.

In other TV news:  It was nice seeing Bryant Gumble hosting “The View” last week.  It’s been a long time since we have seen Bryant on commercial television (he still does a show for HBO) and I forgot how good he was and how comfortable his on-the-air style is – especially against some of the screaming and yelling that goes on during that show.

And – one last thing before I leave.  I started out this blog entry by mentioning how quickly this year is going by – well…here’s another shocker for you.  Believe it or not – Beatle drummer Ringo Starr is going to be 70 years old this July.  You heard me – 70 years old!  If Ringo’s 70 – how old does it makes all of us who remember him as one of the mop top Beatles?

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

It's Only TV:Dr Drew's Rehab Troubles, The Celebrity Apprentice That Won't Go Away and Sir Paul meets the President



It’s only TV and in this edition – Dr. Drew has some problems with Celebrity Rehab….Brett Michaels is named “Celebrity Apprentice” and now he won’t go away…Paul McCartney gets an award from the President and stirs up trouble in DC..and there’s a bunch of new cooking competition show.  There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s begin!

You got to be kidding me!

Have you noticed something missing from your reality programming line-up lately?   Its America’s favorite train wreck reality show – “Celebrity Rehab” and a new season of it should be on the air, but it isn’t…why?  Believe it or not -- it looks like Dr. Drew Pinsky is having a hard time finding celebrities to do the show.  The somewhat big celebrity names with drug or sex rehab problems – stars like Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen and Jesse James aren’t interested in detoxing in front of the cameras for the entire world to see and it’s hard to find even C- and D-grade list celebrities and porn stars that are willing or desperate enough to do a celebrity rehab.  Let’s hope the good doctor keeps on looking for some new celebrities to put through the rehab process, because we don’t need more retreads of celebrities from past seasons shows back for return visits – it’s gets a little tiring. 



Every Rose Has Its Thorn…So Does Being A TV Celebrity

Brett Michaels has got to be kissing Donald Trump’s ass big time while thanking God for sparing him after his recent medical problems – because his career has never been hotter than what it is today.  Let’s be honest about Brett Michaels – the bulk of his career recently hasn’t been as some chart burning rock star who filled the arenas and who’s songs were in heavy rotation on the radio.  The only time you hear his music today are classic rock radio stations playing his hit from the 90s (“Every Rose Has Its Thorn”) when he fronted the band Poison.  The bulk of Michael’s career lately has been on a VH-1 reality show “Rock of Love” – where he has babes vying for his attention ala ABC’s “The Bachelor” (only a bit more rock star sleazy) – this is not the show that careers are built on.  But, someone was watching over his lame ass – and that someone was none other than Donald Trump...

When Donald Trump and his producers were casting last season’s “Celebrity Apprentice”, they needed some sort of crazed misfit celebrity to fill the ranks of contestants vying for “Celebrity Apprentice” gold.  In past seasons, they have cast country music stars as would-be apprentices, now was the time to give a bone to rock and roll community – for the ladies team they brought in Cyndi Lauper and for the men’s team….Brett Michaels. 

If you watched this season’s Celebrity Apprentice – you were probably surprised that Brett Michaels went as far as he did in the competition.  Let’s be honest – Michaels can be somewhat of a buffoon and more of a rock n’ roll character than a true rock n’ roll star.  If all be said and told – if Michaels had not had the serious medical problems that he had (which took place after everything but the season finale of Apprentice had been taped), Holly Robinson Peete would have mopped the floor with him with a take-no-prisoner approach and won Celebrity Apprentice.  But, riding a wave of sympathy for his health problems – there was no way that Trump could not crown him as this year’s Celebrity Apprentice winner during the live season finale.  Hell, for Michaels to even make it to the season finale – which is something that his doctors told him that he shouldn’t attend….pretty much cemented the odds that he would be given him the title, right.

So, Michaels is crowned Celebrity Apprentice and you would naturally think that with all of his medical problems that he would take a breather – enjoy the family, etc.  Fat chance.  From the Apprentice finale – he went and did “Regis and Kelly”, there was a “Tonight Show” appearance and he popped up and performed with the idols on the season finale of “American Idol”…is there no stopping him?  Now, there’s talk that he’s in consideration to fill Simon Cowell’s spot at the judging table on “American Idol”.  If there is a God that watches over television – please don’t make Brett Michaels an “American Idol” judge!  I don’t care if he served as a judge for a season on the country music talent show “Nashville Star” – no more Brett Michaels.  There are enough signature cliché judging comments on the show now (“a little pitchy, dawg), we don’t need a bunch of worn out rock n’ roll clichés to add to them.  Plus, there has got to be someone of more stature to fill Simon’s place than Brett Michaels…if not…pack the show up now and forget about it.

With  A Little Help From His Friends

Leave it to a Beatle to stir things up and piss a few people off.  On June 2nd, President Obama presented Sir Paul McCartney with the prestigious Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.  The ceremony, which took place in the East room at the White House, featured a who’s who of music from Herbie Hancock to Elvis Costello, Emmy Lou Harris to Faith Hill, Stevie Wonder to the Jonas Brothers and comedy from Jerry Seinfeld.  The concert, which featured all of the musical acts performing either McCartney songs from the Beatles to his songs from his solo career, was recorded and will be aired on PBS on July 28th.  (I’ll bet you that it airs during one of their beg-a-thon weeks, too, which is something like every other week, isn’t it?). 

Highlights of the night included Sir Paul performing the classic Beatle song “Michelle” for the first lady and the finale of the evening with everyone in attendance joining in and singing the chorus of “Hey Jude.” 

When presented with the award from President Obama, McCartney said, “Getting this prize would be good enough, but getting it from this president…” and he smiled. 

McCartney stressed that we are going through some difficult times and added that there are “billions of us who are rooting for you.”

But it was the comment McCartney made when receiving the award that is pissing a few people off and most of those are in the Republican Party with no sense of humor.  In receiving the award, McCartney thanked the Library of Congress and said, “After the last eight years, it’s great to have a president who knows what a library is.” 

Speaking of Jerry Seinfeld
If you’re like me – scratching your head trying to figure why in the hell Jerry Seinfeld was part of the Paul McCartney awards show and presentation at the White House – maybe he was bored and was looking for something to do.  If the truth be told – Jerry Seinfeld probably doesn’t have to work another day in his life (which might explain why he’s lowered his comedy standards to be one of the producers of “The Wedding Ref”).   It has been reported that Jerry’s TV show “Seinfeld” continues to rake in the cash twelve years since the last original episode aired on NBC.  How much?  Believe it or not, The TV show “Seinfeld”  has raked in some 2.7 billion – with a “b” – dollars in syndication and stations are still paying big bucks to get the rights to air the show with no end in sight – which I’m pretty sure Jerry is getting a nice little cut. 

Look what’s cooking?
Attention foodies!  We’re being spoiled when it comes to reality TV cooking competition shows.  Chef Ramsey is back with another season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox and its fun just to watch him get pissed off and throw plates of food all about – plus, you have got to admit – his show can get some pretty bizarre contestants. 

Food Network is looking for the next Rachel Ray and Guy Fieti on a new season “The Next Food Network Star”.  I recorded the show, but have yet to watch it, so I can’t comment on how the people competing – although I do I have to say that I haven’t agreed with the final choices that they have made the last couple of seasons.

But the show of all competition cooking shows – the show with a little class “Top Chef” will be returning to the Bravo cable network on June 16th.  Sharpen your knifes -- this season of Top Chef will be taking place in DC, as in the District of Columbia and you will probably see a politician or two somewhere along the line – but can you find anyone who’s bipartisan in Washington even when it comes to food?  We will find out.

That’s going to do it for now – so – pick up the remote and do a little channel surfing…until we meet again….remember, it’s only TV.

Saturday, June 05, 2010

From Hooters To BP and A Tip Of The Hat To Burger King



Can you believe it – It’s June already!  We’re already half-way through the year 2010 and what do we have to show for it?  Not a whole lot – but there are enough bits and pieces laying about that I think I can gather together to form another hodgepodge of random thoughts and ideas that I like to call “Frostbites”.

It doesn’t take a whole lot to make me feel old.  Last week, a bunch of the guys that I use to work with at RadioFirst in Port Huron got together for lunch and the restaurant that they chose to meet at – Hooters of Port Huron.  First, let me say – we had a good time at Hooters and the food was good (although a tad expensive for what we got), but at the end of the lunch I couldn’t shake that “I’m too damn old for Hooters” feeling.  It use to be that I could say that I was old enough to  be any one of the Hooter girls’ father – but I have actually gotten to that age where I could be their grandfather – and that’s a jolt to the old psyche.  When you get to be my age and you’re face to face with a Hooters waitress bent over the top of the table showing some cleavage as she takes your order – you know you’re just one step away from entering “dirty old man territory” if you decide to “take in the sights”. Once you realize that you have become too old for a place like Hooters – the next question that one asks himself is – “when did this happen?”  Yup, it was only yesterday that I was of the Woodstock generation and now I’m in that generation that takes all of the medications and medicines advertised during the evening network newscasts.

Pet Peeve.  As I have mentioned in past blogs – I love the Sunday morning news shows and journalism review shows like “Reliable Sources” with Howard Kurtz on CNN – but some television journalists can really piss me off.  I can’t tell you how many times that I have heard a television journalist bitch that they aren’t being taken seriously and in the next breath call the news broadcast that they are working on “a show”.  To me – a news broadcast is a news broadcast and a show is something that Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland use to put on in the barn or that Jim Henson use to do with the Muppets.  If you want to be taken seriously – call what you do what it is – if it’s a show that you aren’t a journalist you’re an entertaining minstrel  -- but that’s just my opinion.

Candy bar anyone?  I have come to the conclusion that when it comes to candy bars – you can’t go wrong with a Snickers with its caramel, nougat, peanuts and milk chocolate covering.

“Flavor of the month”.  Tomato and basil – it has got to be the new “in” flavor.  One of the newest flavors of Nabisco’s Wheat Thins just happens to be tomato and basil and Lay’s has introduced a new tomato and basil flavored potato chip.  I give high marks to Nabisco’s tomato and basil Wheat Thins – the new flavor element makes this cracker more enjoyable….the same thing can’t be said for the Lay’s chip though.  The tomato and basil flavoring is not as pronounced on the potato chip as it is on the cracker – you get a bit of the tomato taste, but nothing like what Nabisco is giving on you the cracker.  If I had to make a choice between the two for pure snacking enjoyment – Nasbisco’s Tomato and Basil Wheat Thin wins this one.

Burger King Is Selling What?  I love Burger King.  Their Steakhouse XL burger is more than just tasty – it’s downright delicious.  I even give them a tip of the old cap when it comes to their dollar version of McDonald’s Sausage and Egg or Ham and Egg McMuffin.  Both of them are not only delicious – but come on – they’re a dollar – which means that the price you would pay for one breakfast sandwich at McDonald’s you can get two just as tasty breakfast sandwiches at Burger King – what a deal!  But, I still can’t wrap my head around going to Burger King for ribs.  Yup, Burger King raises the bar on the premium side of their menu with ribs – what’s next lobster tail?


Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse…..
Is there nothing more sad than some of the pictures coming out from BP’s Gulf Coast oil spill of birds and wildlife so drenched in oil that they can’t move are left to die?  It took over a month for BP to finally contain some of the leak, but who knows how long this fix is going to last after seeing some of the results from the work of BP’s team tech team to stop the leak.

It’s not enough that the people from BP that are trying to stop the leak are a bunch of bumbling idiots – we have their fearless leader, Tony Hayward, the big mucky muck CEO of BP who is probably going to go down in history as the king of all idiots.  Hayward said in an interview this week that he wished that the whole thing with the spill was over with because he “wants his life back”.  He wants his life back!!!  Give me a break Hayward!  Eleven people died on that rig when it exploded, Mr Hayward – they’d like their life back, too.  The lives and livelihood on millions of people are being affected by this disaster of yours and it’s safe to say that the waters in the Gulf Coast will never be the same and you want your life back, Mr. Hayward.  And now they’re saying that oil is being spotted on the Florida shores and it’s a good chance that the east coast is going to see some of BP’s oil come their way – Mr. Hayward – these people want their life back, too.

There’s more news from BP that’s pretty astounding.  The federal government just presented them with the first bill for this disaster – something like sixty-seven million dollars and this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone – nobody has seen a dime from BP.  What is BP spending their money on?  Believe it or not – it’s a fifty million dollar ad campaign that advertising experts have told CNN.com is “an expensive and probably ineffective bid to rehabilitate the energy giant's image.”

The ads – both print and TV – feature BP’s CEO Tony Hayward telling everyone how BP is working to fix the problem and clean-up the mess – they don't show you the other side of BP. You see, the same week this ad campaign come out -- a representative from BP, Randy Prescott,  opens his mouth to assure seafood lovers that they shouldn't worry, because "Louisiana isn't the only place that has shrimp".  He may be right, but it's his company's oil spill that's killing the shrimping areas in that part of the country and who knows if BP can ever restore area for fish and shrimp to return there..  

I find it kind of ironic that BP has a public relations campaign already set up to “restore their image” and has yet to fully fix the problem that has presented them with this huge public relations problem to begin with. 

So, it is with sadness that I present “The Biggest Dickheads in the World” award to goes to Tony Hayward and BP Oil.  I urge everyone to boycott BP and Mr. Hayward, I  hope that you will never get your life back and that you relive this tragedy over and over again.  I would also love to see you criminally prosecuted in some way or another for this mess and that you rot in hell for being such an insensitive asshole -- but that's just my opinion.  Mr. Hayward and BP Oil – this tar ball filled with oil is for you!

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Remembering Radio's Golden Years

I couldn’t help to think about radio when I heard on the news last week that Art Linkletter had died at the age of 97. I also thought about radio when I was channel surfing through the television dial on Sunday afternoon during the 94th running of the Indy 500. You see, my first recollections of Art Linkletter wasn’t from watching him on television, it was from listening to him on the radio….on WJR to be specific. And I can still remember walking around the Clio Road and Stewart Street area on Memorial Day weekend in 1967 with a transistor radio listening to the Indy 500 on the radio. If you wanted to see the race – you had to shell out some big bucks and see a closed circuit television broadcast of the race on a big screen – probably at the IMA Auditorium.




Radio was more important in people’s life then it is today. Radio not only entertained, but it also informed and I can remember how radio in Flint, Michigan was used effectively to “keep the peace” during the riots of 1967. Flint didn’t go up in flames like Detroit or L.A. because a daytime only radio station – WAMM – got permission and stayed on past sunset. The extra broadcast time gave WAMM’s Sam Williams and Flint’s first black mayor, Floyd McCree a direct voice to the people to spread the word that violence in the streets wasn’t the solution and that everyone needed to keep cool,



Being born in 1954 – I’m just old enough to remember the decline of the golden age of radio. For some strange reason – I can remember being about three or four years old and hearing Lawrence Welk and Eddie Fisher’s radio programs on the car radio while our family was driving upnorth to Cheboygan for a family get-together. I can’t give you any logical explanation why I should remember those two programs – but I do.



My memories of listening to Art Linkletter’s “House Party” on the radio were more vivid. CBS television aired the tv version of “House Party” every afternoon at 2:30, but an twenty-minute abbreviated version of the show aired on the CBS Radio network and WJR at 1:10 every afternoon. They seldom aired the same show each day on the television and the radio – but it was still fun to listen to – especially the segment with the kids.



The radio version of Art Linkletter’s “House Party” had one of the best lead-in radio network shows that there ever was – The Arthur Godfrey Show. When it comes to the history of radio and television – Arthur Godfrey was in a league of his own and couldn’t be touch. He could make and break entertainers and if you got the seal of approval from Godfrey – you had it made – just like authors who’s books are featured on Oprah have it made today. He was the perfect pitchman who knew how to sell a product by talking directly to the people and sell he did – pitching Lipton tea and refrigerators by Frigidaire to the masses.



At one time – it was a big deal for a radio station to be able to secure the rights to air events like the Indy 500 and the Detroit Tigers – because it was the only place you could turn to for free live coverage of the events and radio stations were able to make lots of money selling local advertising in these broadcasts. Now airing these events aren’t a big deal for radio broadcasters – they’re just another place for broadcasters to place “inventory” (ads). And, when these events are aired on a radio station – the odds are pretty good that the radio board operator plugging in the local commercials in these broadcasts are probably watching the game on TV as they “work the game” on the radio.



So, it is with the passing of Art Linkletter and the running of the Indy 500 race that I share with you my memories of radio. I’m sure there will be another event or moment in our daily life that will again spark some pleasant memories of the medium of radio – who’s golden age has long since faded.