I could've been a contender...

...or at least worked for one.

I spent the eighties working in radio. From May of 1980 until August of 1990 I logged time at a couple of AM stations when the classic Top 40 format was morphing into what was termed CHR, which officially stood for "Contemporary Hit Radio," but those of us in the industry (especially programming, in which I was also involved) referred to it off the record as "Crap in Heavy Rotation" because we played the same crap every three hours or so. It was an interesting time, because the CHR format incorporated a number of singles charts (back when singles really mattered) from Billboard Magazine, then the Bible of music and program directors. The "interesting" (in the ancient Chinese blessing/curse sense) part came from having to program a song that was on multiple charts at the same time and going in different directions. The quintessential example of this is a Lionel Ritchie song called "Stuck on You," which appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, R & B, and Country charts simultaneously. I don't recall the movements on the individual charts but as you may have guessed by now, the numbers weren't all moving in sync. What to do? Lower the song's position on the station's playlist because it's peaked on one chart? Move it up in rotation because it's just entered another chart and climbing? Do I crap or go blind? Do I close one eye and fart? What to do?

It was in 1988 that a serious relationship I was involved in for some time came crashing down around me. I had based all thoughts of my future on spending the rest of my life with the young lady that was the other half of this relationship, and now she was gone. At the time, it was the worst thing that I thought could happen to me. Hindsight being 20/20, it was the best for a number of reasons. I had been considering leaving radio, but had no idea what I could or would do. Whatever it was, I knew it would involve going back to school to get at least a bachelor's degree. This breakup gave me the kick in the ass I needed to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses and determine at what I excelled. I decided that my greatest asset was my ability to write well, so I set out to pursue a degree in a writing-intensive major, namely public relations (I don't currently work in that field, but that's another story for another blog).

The plan was to attend the local community college, working part-time on getting an associate's degree during the day while I worked the evening shift at the radio station. This would allow me to transfer to a university as a junior, where I could concentrate on my major (communication arts with a concentration in public relations) and minor (political science, which should come as no surprise to even casual readers of this blog). During my last year at the community college, however, I was lead into temptation - a friend with connections to a local 100,000 watt FM station playing a classic rock format informed me that said station was about to lose their midday jock. A shot at a position like this had the potential to change my mind about leaving radio. I got together an aircheck and resume and went calling on the station's program director, a fellow by the name of Justin.

Justin confirmed that yes, their midday jock was leaving, but the station manager was looking to continue with another female in that time slot, so he didn't know if my tape and resume would be given any consideration. However, you can't predict what the future will hold, so Justin encouraged me to leave my stuff with him in case anything came up.

The station did indeed fill the eventual vacancy with another female jock and I never heard anything back from Justin, so I took this as a sign that I was destined to move on and complete my studies. A year or so passed, and I had put aside all thoughts of blasting 100 K of Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones to the masses, but then things took an unforeseen turn...

It was a sunny afternoon when the phone rang. The caller asked to speak to me, and identified himself as Allan Handelman from WXRC-FM. I had heard him on the air, immediately recognized the voice and knew it wasn't one of my sick friends playing some joke on me. Allan explained that he had recently joined WXRC as the station's program director and that the station was moving across town to another building (I knew this to be true - they were moving to the building which used to house WSPF-AM, a station which had "gone dark," meaning the license hadn't been renewed when it expired and was no longer on the air) and in the course of moving he had found a stash of airchecks and resumes which the previous regime had accumulated. To come to the point, Allan said that he found my aircheck, liked what he heard, and that he liked what he saw on my resume, and wanted to offer me a job. Just like that. Sight unseen. A pig in a poke. Easiest job interview I've ever had. Just one problem - I had already committed to finishing my education. By now I had been accepted at a nearby university, got my financial aid in order, received a couple of scholarships, found a roommate and a place to live, and was just waiting to make the big move. 100,000 watts of FM greatness was being offered to me on a plate, and I couldn't take it.

That was eighteen years ago. I never met Allan Handleman in person, although I have emailed him at his current gig, an afternoon drive talk show at a radio station that is, ironically, about two miles from my house. I guess it was about the time of our telephone exchange that he also began what was to become a nationally syndicated weekend show, heard coast to coast each Sunday evening. These two shows have just gotten Allan named to industry publication Talkers Magazine's Heavy Hundred, "the 100 most important radio talk show hosts in America." As you can imagine, this is something to highlight on one's resume.

We often wonder about the path not taken. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what my life would be like, had I chosen to stay in radio. It wasn't that long ago that I considered getting back in the business. I consulted Donnie, my boss for nine of the ten years I was behind the mike, a guy who knows me as well or better than any of my previous employers. Now retired, Donnie told me that he would help me in any way he could, but warned me that the business had undergone wholesale changes since I left in 1990, changes that made what I knew almost unrecognizable. His personal opinion was that anyone entering the business as air talent today had to be crazy.

I haven't given a second career in radio much thought since receiving Donnie's advice, but I often think of what may have happened if I had forsaken my education for an airshift at WXRC. As in many industries, broadcasting has an "old boy" network built on a vast array of contacts and personal associations. Someone like an Allan Handleman is in a position to bring people with him, such as producers, call screeners, et al, when he moves, and who knows where that can lead? He's obviously made a mark (and Allan, if you happen to stumble upon this while surfing the web, congratulations on everything you've accomplished and thanks again for the job offer all those years ago) and I get a rare bit of an ego rush when I realize that I could've worked for someone with such accomplishments to his name. And maybe, just maybe, I might've been along for the ride. I may have not been a contender, but I could've worked for one.