You'll Never Make It In This Business, Kid. |
| I'd been going to college in York, PA and working part-time at WSBA FM. I was ready for a full-time radio job. I knew it meant starting at the bottom and I was willing to go anywhere for an opportunity. Broadcast, an industry-trade magazine, listed two ads for positions at radio stations not far away. One opening, which seemed to appear all the time, was for an announcer at a station in Havre de Grace, Maryland. It also said, no experience necessary. I had little experience and this is a little station... I had a chance. The other ad was for a DJ in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This was a medium-sized radio market and the station wanted someone with a lot more experience. I contacted the Maryland station's Program Director and
set-up an appointment. The interviewer came back in to the studio, rewound the tape and started listening. After a couple minutes, he started shaking his head and began rewinding the tape. As he was saying, "You're not ready to go into broadcasting"... the tape jammed and began to roll off the reels on to the floor. He wasn't happy. He began pulling the tape from the machine by hand. There was a lot of tangling and a lot of pulling. He pulled tape and said, "You're not very good." He pulled more... "You're making so many mistakes." He pulled... "You had better go back to college." Pulled ... "You'll never make it in this business, kid." (OK, so like... does this mean I don't get the job?)
As I drove away from the station, I was inspired and confident. The grumpy guy I had just visited was looking for someone with no experience to work in no-wheres-ville for minimum wage. He also wanted someone to be real good. Get real. I was qualified to work in Havre de Grace, Maryland, one of the smallest radio markets in the country. I wasn't qualified to work in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the 79th largest metropolitan area in the United States. So, I drove north to Harrisburg. After a few hours on the road, I arrived at radio station, WFEC. However, the disc-jockey job opening they advertised in Broadcast magazine had been filled. They suggested I check with another nearby station. It was only a one block walk down the street to the WKBO studios. It appeared I had arrived at the right place at the right time. They needed a body now. Announcer, Charlie Adams and Program Director, Jim Hanlon made me feel welcomed and wanted. Charlie recorded my short DJ audition in the production studio and gave the tape to Jim. He listened briefly, shut off the tape machine and said: "You've got the job." (I thought: "Wow!") "But, we can't pay you a lot of money." (I thought: "I've got to have $60 a week." ) "We can only pay you $90 a week." "Okay." "Welcome aboard! You'll be sitting-in with Nick Reynolds on-the-air tomorrow night. He'll show you the ropes. Good luck... Oh, and I'll need your 3rd Class Ticket." "My what?" "Your FCC License." "I don't have an FCC License." "I'm sorry, but you can't work here without one." "What do I have to do to get it?" "You have to apply to the FCC... they send you a
booklet... you study the information... "I'll be back with the license tomorrow." The following morning, I drove to the Federal Communications Commission offices in Philadelphia, read the material, took and passed the test and got my license. I returned to Harrisburg in time to make my on-air debut that evening. Time Line
HOW BIZARRE... HOW BIZARRE. "I hope
reading this in some way helps you believe that if you have a
real desire to do something, you'll find a way to get it done. |
