Chuck's Blog

Here's What's Going On:

So, I've joined the 21st century and have my own blog page. My chance to write my own column. Brings out the Tom Rademacher in me..... I hope you like it. I hope I keep it up......... Please, feel free to comment. A little back-and-forth might be a good thing. I have no idea where all of this will go.

July 15

Yes, I see several more says have gone by since my last update. Much has happened over the past couple weeks.

Fourth of July has come and gone. So has the Meijer Charity Classic Golf Tournament. The Meijer thing is a golf outing, so that is hardly work. Andy and I are proud to be involved just the same. Some very hard working people are doing their best to bring professional golf back to Grand Rapids. We've been lucky enough to be able to help promote the tournament and even get to play. We've met many of the LPGA stars and have had a chance to play with them. I hope the full tour comes here. The Highlands is a perfect course for a tournament and the LPGA is the right kind of tour for our size city. Selfishly, I hope the tour says yes to Grand Rapids. The ladies can really play and are just wonderful to be around. I enjoy the tournament very much. For one day each summer, we are treated like pro golfers....scoreboards, caddies, lavish meals, etc. Too bad my golf game doesn't always rise to the level I'd like. I'm not one of those guys who says "oh, it's just a game." or "its just nice to be outside." No, for me the fun is in doing well. I'm just vain enough to base my self-worth on something so meaningless as my ability to hit a golf ball.

The 4th of July was nice too. Usually, our radio stations are big supporters of the downtown Grand Rapids celebration. We were again this year, but didn't have to host on-stage events. It was nice to spend the day with my wife and kids.

As you know, we do a lot of in-person and on-stage events. Most of the time, its a lot of fun. There is a lot of standing around with nothing to do...then mements of non-stop action. Most of the time, things work out well and I do well. There is a part of me that enjoys the attention of the spotlight....ask my wife. Me, me and more me. I get a kick out of being recognized. Not always....but most of the time. At the golf tournament, for example. In front of a large crowd, I hit a very nice drive -- long and straight. Nice round of applause from the crowd. Who doesn't love that. Happy to know those same folks didn't see me hit one of those dreaded worm-burners the hole prior.

The on-stage stuff has been alot of fun. I fondly remember doing the on stage welcome for a few concerts and events. I even sang happy birthday to a packed house at Van Andel Arena....even though I can't sing a lick. Its fun to be center stage bathed in the spotlight. I did fall off the stage in mid-sentance one time during an appearance....that was embarrassing. I almost skated off into the orchestra pit at Devos Hall during an ice show. Most embarrassing thing might have been forgetting my lines during a Broadway Theatre Guild production of " Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story." Totally went blank. Sad thing is, I had peformed the exact same lines a few years earlier when I worked for W-Light. Hit all the lines to a big audience ovation...great stuff. Second time however, I simply forget my lines -- the exact same lines I'd rehearsed a million times, including a few hand gestures. When my time came, I said my name and radio station -- which was part of the script -- but didn't get the same reaction I'd had years earlier ( The River was a new station. ) The next few lines I just made up off the top of my head and hoped the real actors would pick up on it and move on. They did and I was given a quick bum-rush back to my seat where my embarrassed wife couldn't believe what she'd just witnessed. Leave it to say, we just skulked out of there before the show was over.

Lots of good times however....with just enough goofs and gaffs to appreciate how good we have it here. This is a good place to work with lots of good people and opporitunity to do a lot of fun things. Maybe next time I'll talk about skydiving ( very cool ).

Thanks for the time and patience. Write if you have questions.

July 1

Another several days have gone by since my last blog. I hope this doesn't become a trend. I need to reserve time each day for writing. It is rather enjoyable and the comments have been very interesting.

Two readers asked if I thought it was a good idea to be so upfront about the behind the scenes stuff. My response is sure, why not. It is always fun to hear how things really are ( or how I perceive them to be. ) I have had a few comments about my description of the Jerry Lewis press conference. Perhaps I should have reworded it....but the thought still applies.

My mother e mailed me the other day...of all people...to remind me if I didn't have something nice to say, not to say it at all. Mothers never change.

There has been a lot of change in the radio landscape over the past couple weeks in west Michigan. One of the radio stations in town dropped its rock music format to go all-sports. Not the best kept secrect . In fact, its a long overdue move. You wouldn't think a change at a rock station makes much of a difference in life here at WTRV, but it does. One of our sister-stations was an all-olidies forrmat. This week, they switched to a format called Classic Hits. Rock songs of yesterday. To abandon the oldies format sends fans of that format scrambling to find a new radio home. I hope more than a few find us here at the River and stay. You can never have enough listeners.

The number of listeners drive ratings. Ratings drive advertising rates. Advertising earns our money. We don't get penny-one for being good guys, community minded broadcasters or anything other than ratings. Higer rartings mean higher ad rates charged to businesses. It is a version of supply and demand. The station that supplies the most listeners can charge the most for sixty seconds of ad time.

The ratings are a bit of a shell game. There is no sure-fire method of calculating listeners. A company called Arbitron mails a diary to various homes. It looks like an automobile milage log used by many salesmen to log miles driven. In this case, a diary holder fills in the radio diary. At the end of a week, Arbitron collects those diarys and adds the numbers. Trouble is, no one fills our the diarys correctly. Now, having said that you should know stations that get big numbers love the ratings. Stations with lower ratings say the system stinks.

June 23

Didn't get a chance to update the blog yesterday, Monday. Had a little family emergency. Wrecked the car in a car-deer accident. Most of Monday was spend getting estimates, etc. Looks like the insurance company will total the car. In other words, I'll get a check for less than I'd like...just enough for a deposit on a newer car. Do we ever get out of the car-loan business? Andy and I were talking on-air about used car shopping and car dealer Dan Pfeiffer called with a kind offer to sell me a used car. You never know who is listening....

That is one of the interesting things about a radio job. For the most part, Andy and i are alone in the studio. You never know who is listening. We have regular contest players who call every day. Some are real professional players, too. They win all the time and it makes some listeners / contest players angry. It makes some announcers angry. I used to work with a couple who refered to the callers as "contest pigs." Those same two called our radio station sales staff "sales pigs." How insulting is that? Radio ratings are often linked to contests. We need as many listeners as possible and contests help drive listening. We also need sales people to provide advertising. That is how we make our money. For those two to refer to everyone ( but themselves ) as sales or contest pigs was beyond me.

While I'd rather not share "our" listeners with the other stations, I understand. I've heard many of our regulars win on our sister stations. I've heard a few on our competition. It is all part of the deal. All I ever hope is that when contest players win, they act happy. Nothing more annoying than an indifferent winner. I like it happy....in fact, that is one of the very best parts of this job...making people happy. If it takes a free movie, dinner or overnight stay, I'm happy to be the guy to make it happen.

June 19

Supposed to broadcast from Grand Haven Golf Club this morning. Fundraiser / golf outing for the Folds of Honor Foundation. Folds of Honor raises money for the families of soldiers killed in action. Nice event, we've been a part of it for the past three years. With severe weather overnight, we had to change our plans and be in-studio where all our tools ( computers, etc ) are located...just in case.

On location broadcasts can be a lot of fun or a real pain. The upside is money. Most radio annoucers earn a few bucks during those remote broadcasts. Some more than others. It is nice to meet new people -- advertisers and listeners. I love it when a remote draws a crowd. Advertisers really love it. Too bad it doesn't always happen. Those are the tough ones. You do your on-air bit and nothing happens. No one comes in. You stand there looking like an idiot and the advertiser wonders why he has to pay. That is why it is good to have a radio station salesperson there with you to provide a buffer. For the most part, I've had very good times at my remote broadcasts. The money is nice and I've met some real decent people. I think I'm pretty good at it. Wasn't always the case. I used to want to hide so no one could watch me actually do a live break. Now, I'm happy to stand there regardless of who is watching.

Which brings up something I've been asked once or twice. Question is often presented something like this "what is it like working with Andy" or, "Has Andy taught you anything." Second question first, I've been doing this for 29 years, I think I get it. I have my own thoughts and way of doing things that are totally different from Andy's. What I have picked up from Andy -- and it has been a huge adjustment for me -- is about perception. I am, by nature, a little more wary of other people when it comes to my job. I often make self-depreciating remarks as a preemptive strike. Kind of like "you can't hurt me, I'll hurt me first." It's been a self-defense mechanism. Andy, on the other hand, is wide-open and confident. He believes people want to like you, and isn't the least concerned about what someone else may be thinking because he's thinking they are thinking good things about him. ( did you get that ) Anyway, it is an attitude that makes sense when you see it in action, because people really do love Andy. I see it everyday. Here is what serves Andy the best. He is exactly the same in person as he is on the radio. He's friendly, happy, supportive...everything you like in a guy. It is easy for him to come off that way on the radio because that is exactly the way he is in person. I haven't met too many of us radio-types who can say the same thing.

June 18

Wow, one blog done and already email response. Thanks Gerry, I appreciate the kind words.

Celebrated my wedding anniversary with my wife last night. Great dinner and really overshot the diet. Perhaps you have heard me talking about it on the air. I've teamed up with MMPC and their medical weight loss program. Its a long story, but I'm enjoying the program. Is that possible? How does one enjoy an 800 calorie-a-day diet. We'll be setting up an MMPC page on our Ask the Experts page. I'll have pictures and other stuff regarding the diet plan. I am very pleased to say I've lost 15 pounds in two weeks. Much thanks to MMPC and to Gary Strehlke, my fitness trainer and good friend at YMCA. Even though he beats me up pretty good, I keeping going back to the Y for more.

One of the best parts of this job is meeting so many interesting people. I've been doing this for 25 years and have had the good fortune to meet actors, musicians, politicians, people from every walk of life.... I'd like to think its because I have this wonderful personalitiy. Reality is, I have something they want. Still, works out pretty good for me.

Since you asked, my favorite interview of all time was former Tiger baseball great Mark Fidrych. If you ever wondered how someone could excite 50 thousand people at a ball park, you'd have to be around the Bird. Can't say enough about him.

I enjoyed talking to the Congressman Paul Henry, who died much too early due to brain cancer. He was a good man.

Once, during my early days at a radio station in St.Ignace, my former college governement professor stopped for an interview. Richard Castor was running for state office and several times during our interview he sensed I didn't understand what he was talking about. It was kind of him to stop our tape in order to explain -- off the record -- what he was really trying to say. He didn't win the race, but still has my undying appreciation.

What about those interviews that were not so great. Actor Jerry Lewis was a condesending prick. Mickey Dolenz was the same. He refused any reference to his days in the Monkees....as if anyone cares about anything else he's done. Molly Ringwald was like that. She wasn't interesting in talking about her big movies from the 80's. In fact, she didn't even want to be here. Rude as it may sound, I walked out of the interview and left Andy holding the bag. Didn't make Andy too happy. He did the interview anyway. He's a pro. She was a jerk. Guess I was too.

You know who was an awesome interview, Joe Piscopo. He'd been a big star on Saturday Night Live, but success had been a little fleeting as a solo artist. He was here for the production of Grease. He was fun, talkative and enjoyed being reminded of some of his memorable bits on SNL. I just liked being around him. Hockey star Wayne Gretzy was the same. Just a good guy.

Ok....the worst of the worst. Worst "somebody" I've ever had to be around. Was it Howie Mandell, who thought he was Lawrence Oliver. No, it was famous Russian comedian, Yakov Smirnoff. He was headlining a show at Celebration on the Grand back in the 80's. Sitting next to him in the audience, he was trying to steal the attention away from the opening act who was absolutely great....some unknown comic that was brilliant....some guy you may have heard of. Jerry Seinfeld.

Never a dull moment. Thanks for stopping by. Write if you can.

Chuck

June 17

I'm looking at the studio calendar today wondering about the significance of today, June 17. Something happened on this day, friend's birthday or some kind of personal milestone -- was it the day I bought a new car -- something.... Thanks to text message from my wife, today is my 14th wedding anniversary. I don't think I officially forgot my anniversary because the day is not yet over. 14 years and three children later....who would have thought.

First order of business for thsi blog thing, find a new picture. Now, maybe I always think I'm better looking than I am, but that is one ugly picture. Problem is, I don't think I've taken a decent picture in 20 years. Is it possible this fair-haired , humble young man has grown into an oversized, age-worn middle aged guy? I blame modern photography. Much like digital music is inferior to our old analog vinyl records, digital photography discriminates against age.

Guess I'll have to throw a little gossip into the blog to make it appeal to the masses. Fox 17's Tracy Forner is making me angry. Trace is one of the all-time great guys in my life -- fun, interesting, tells great stories and is, by far, my favorite t.v. anchorman -- but he does a lousy job of returning phone calls. S.O.B. stood me up for lunch. What about those other t.v. and radio types in town. Maybe I should say "what tv and radio types." The industry has made so many changes, there aren't many of us left. Of those that are, we don't see much of each other. At least, not like when we were all young and single. Lots of bar hopping and softball matches where you had a chance to meet and mingle. A hundred stories come to mind...few very approriate.

How about a little inside dirt on those of us here at Regent Broadcasting..... hard to believe, but we all get along very well. I'll bet few radio stations in America can say the same. We have five radio stations -- each with ego driven announcers -- a dozen salespeople and a half dozen manager types. Everyone has their own particular agenda. Believe it or not, we make it work. I can't think of anyone here I don't like. Sales gets along with programming....which hardly ever happens. None of the air-staff is trying to sleep with the interns...which often happens. Wasn't always the case around here....we had a couple people at W-Light who were roundly disliked by everyone.

What about Andy. As I always say, if you can't work with Andy Rent you can't work with anyone. Do we always agree on everything? No, but with our job there really isn't a right or wrong way to do something. We get along well and given the fact that it is an unrehearsed, live-as-you-hear-it show, we do the best we can. I say live, but you should know the stuff you hear from 9 am thru noon is taped via computer. Neither one of us like it, but we're all doing more with less. Will Andy have his own blog? He says no, not now. He has a lot going on.

What about Barnaby at W-Light. How about Free Beer and Hot Wings at WGRD. There has to be something to reveal about Len OKelly at WFGR? Sorry, they are good guys who are generous with their time and are quick to share the "ego-stage" at the coffee machine each morning. I tell everyone i talk on the radio for free each day. I get paid to get out of bed. Since you asked, the alarm goes off at 3:30am....and every nine minutes there after until I get up.

There....my first blog. Takes longer than I thought. Rather enjoyable to do, but then again, its all about me. I like that. If you have questions, please ask.

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