People I've worked for (some names were changed for obvious reasons):
*Uncle* Mike, KLAV-AM, Las
Vegas;
The first guy to hire me---for what I suspect to be all the wrong reasons. In a nutshell.....I think he liked me. He tried to hug me once. I felt like a girl on a date with a
lecherous guy. There was no way he was getting in these panties, but I persevered and ended up getting a board op shift on the weekend. Eventually I convinced everyone---and finally him---that I should have a shot on the air. He once sighed to another weekender, who happened to be a friend of mine, that "he didn't think I liked him". Just like junior high. He was a nice guy, but extremely bitter. When I left to go work at an FM, I didn't tell him where I was going because I thought he might screw it up for me, which hurt his feelings and prompted the morning guy/OM to reprimand me and tell me "he hopes I leave my next job with a little more class".
Bill Bauman, KUDO-FM, Las Vegas;
Heil Bauman! Took me under his wing. Taught me the basics, the good basics---not the crutches you always hear like "with ya' on a hump-day". I betrayed him and started thinking on my own and experimenting on his pristine, sterile AC. I quit
before he could fire me. I'm sure that was coming. Less than a year later he would almost become my new boss at KKLZ. Not cause for celebration. As a matter of fact, it marked the first time I actively sent tapes out of the market.
Ken Copper, KITT-FM, Las Vegas;
A month after he hired me, new owners took over and he left. Funny guy, great talent. I had hoped I could have worked with him longer, especially at that stage of my career.
Sherman Cohen, KKLZ-FM, Las Vegas;
There is literally a story for every day I worked for him. Nice guy.
However, if he thought something about you, he told you, regardless
of what it was, period. He had previously discovered a woman who went
on to do news for Rick Dees. As a result, he was forever determined
to "find that next star" which meant he was constantly
birnging people in off the street for me to train to be a radio
DJ---right in the middle of me trying to do my show on
the air!! I don't have enough space on my hard drive to tell even 10% of
my Sherman stories. A unique character, to say the least. I was sorry
to hear that he passed away recently. He was only 53. Of all the PD's I
worked for, Sherman definitely would not have been my first choice for such an early
departure.
Bob Linden, KKLZ-FM, Las Vegas;
One of the more prominent "new age" programmers from the '80's. In one year he went from San Diego to Atlanta to New York to Seattle. We became friends. He
then confided in me that he would've fired me from KKLZ if he hadn't been fired first.
Jeff Murphy, KKLZ-FM,
Las
Vegas;
Every time a new PD came in I pulled back and started playing it straight for a while. I'm sure it confused the hell out of listeners, but I wouldn't have lasted very long if I continued full steam ahead doing non-music related material when a new boss took over. When Murphy came in I finally said "screw it, I gotta be me!" He fired me 6 weeks later.
Decent guy, though. Boring as hell on the air.
Quickdraw, KLSQ-FM, Las Vegas;
Hired me to do afternoons as a DJ. I needed the $$$, so what the
heck. Nice guy.
Judy McNutt, KRXQ-FM,
Sacramento;
The single most supportive person in the biz early in my career. Afforded me the opportunity to go on the highest rated FM in a Top 30 market
and do my thing. Rare innovator.
Never took kindly to conformity.
Emilio Espinoznothing, KSTE-AM,
Sacramento;
Didn't understand talk radio or talk radio hosts. Not a good thing. Wanted to do show critiques minutes before that days show. Would hand me written listener complaints while I was talking on air. He once wanted me to apologize on air for something, but didn't want me to say what I was apologizing for. Good dresser.
Jim Pastrick, WGR-AM, Buffalo;
Understood me and what I do best. One of the few. Stickler for certain things...God help you if you didn't get to the stupid sports or news on time---I mean ON TIME! Smart, good sense of humor. Not afraid of controversy.
John Butler, KCMO-AM, Kansas
City;
Very likeable. If he didn't approve of something, he'd certainly let you know---but diplomatic as hell. Good guy. Bright.
Mike Thompson, WWDB-FM,
Philadelphia;
Probably the funniest guy I ever worked for. The post-show meetings were always
a blast when we weren't talking about how I should best be me. Mike always had lots and lots and lots of ideas.
Programmers who liked me enough to let me ride their station:
Phil Boyce, WABC-AM, New York, WJR-AM,
Detroit;
Bright, great sense of humor. Nice guy, which is good, because he's about 7 feet tall.
Kelly Wheeler, KSDO-AM, San
Diego;
Quiet. Liked me. Gotta love that.
Robin Bertolucci, KGO-AM,
San
Francisco;
Thought it was weird I wasn't more outgoing in person. I was just trying
to not be annoying.
Nancy Zintak, WGST-AM/FM, Atlanta;
Southern gal. Said she gauged what a good, hot topic was for the day by what her husband told her. Very cheerful.
Kevin Straley, WRKO-AM,
Boston;
Seemed friendly and rational. Big advantage.
Ron St. Pierre, WPRO-AM, Providence;
One of the best I've met. Sharp, funny and energetic.
Some of the programmers who liked me enough to acknowledge my existence, and where they were at the time:
Steve Casey,
KKFR-FM, Phoenix;
He said I reminded him of his brother.
Ken Anthony, KSJO-FM, San Jose;
Nice guy. Liked controversial DJ's. Within 3 weeks of him exclaiming his admiration of my DJ style (as I was up for a fulltime gig) he, after 7 years with the station, took a powder.
Jon Barry, KMJK-FM,
Portland;
Within a month of him saying how much he liked me.......he left the
building.
Cyndee Slater, KDKB-FM,
Phoenix;
She liked me, although she once told me that she thought I liked hearing myself talk. I thought, "so what"?
Mike Elder, WLS-AM, Chicago;
I sent him an Oscar-like statue. I think he still has it in his office. He better, it wasn't cheap. Seemed to appreciate the magic of me.
Tom Clendening, WTAE-AM,
Pittsburgh;
Seemed interested at one time.
David G. Hall, KFI-AM, Los
Angeles;
Talk programming prodigy. Helped bring me to the attention of the people in Philly. Not responsible for the hell that followed. Good guy.
Lorna Gladstone, WGN-AM,
Chicago;
Seemed to like me, but there was no way I'd be working at your grandpa's radio station.
John Mainelli, WABC-AM, New York;
I had only been doing "talk" for 2 years when John heard me and
considered putting me on this legendary station. Eventually he recognized that I
wasn't quite ready for the station at the top of the mountain. At one point, he had
WABC in 2nd place in the overall 12+ ratings in NYC, I wondered what was
really left to accomplish after that---maybe programming a station on Mars? The
only positive thing to come out of the Philadelphia situation was that I finally had a chance to work
with him; John, as the incredibly underutilized
consultant, and me, as the embattled morning guy. One of the few programmers who
programmed based on a host's personality, rather than ideology.
Bruce Kamen (late) KGO-AM,
San
Francisco;
No nonsense and seemingly fearless. Pleasant guy. He said he wanted to use me on the station, then died three weeks later.
Bill Wise, WTKS-FM, Orlando;
He called, but I was headed for Kansas City.
Gabe Hobbs, WFLA-AM, Tampa;
If you like to talk radio, this is the guy to talk to.
Trevor Oliver, KOTK-AM,
Portland;
Called same day as Bill Wise. Headed for K.C.
Bill White, KDKA-AM,
Pittsburgh;
Very friendly and helpful---above and beyond what you typically experience.
Daryl Parks, WCKY-AM,
Cincinnati;
Young, funny and no B.S.