From: Lizette Mineo

Charlie,

Thank you so much for the email update. I am really looking forward to hearing you on the radio soon. I’m just so sad that today is your last LAST day with Clear Channel.

May God bless you this upcoming year with a new radio job. I’ll be there waiting to listen to you!

-Lizette Mineo

From: Jennifer Strigle

Dear Charlie,

It is two hours and 20 minutes away from midnight. I want to wish you a Happy New Year. I hope you are having a good time. I am home with my husband. I can’t wait to hear you on air again. You’re the best. I have not been listening to the radio like I used to because it just isn’t the same. I have been working on my website and teaching myself how to do news letters today. Tomorrow I plan to work on my book and finish what I did not on my web.

I want you to know the phrase you put in one of your newsletters “Good things happen to the ones that are patient” taught me a lot. I took it as, don’t rush things, but also don’t be lazy! Stay positive

With all my best,

Jennifer Strigle

From: Edna G. Montez

Hi Charlie,
May you and your Family be Blessed with great health and in all you do !!!!
Hope to see hear you and see you soon!!!!!

Love,
The Edna’s
Happy New Year Charlie

From: Robert Fry

Hi Charlie,

I hope that things will be better for you this coming year.

Since you were taken off of KBIG and the format was changed, I (and also my carpool partner) have stopped listening to KBIG, as you were the reason we listened to KBIG. I had listened to KBIG for about 10 years prior to that – back when Rick Diego was the morning Dj.

Take care and let me know when you have a new station.

Robert

From: Shirley Oseki-Rivas

Hi Charlie,

I just wanted to let you know that I still look at your website daily to read your thoughts. I’m hoping, like many others, to hear you on the radio soon. Best wishes to you and your family for 2008 and beyond!

Always,

Shirley

From: Erika Garcia-Lavyne

Oh Charlie!!!
I’m so -so happy to see your name in the email box. Thank you SO much for your update. You know I’m your biggest fan (I know everyone says that). But really, I am. You were the first friendly voice I heard when I moved to LA Xmas day 2005,and I’ve been yours since. I have my beloved Charlie Tuna dolphin on my desk and think of you every day!
You have a lot of exciting opportunities coming up and thank you for keeping us informed. I’m there all the way with you!!!
xxx and hugs, always,
Erika

Erika Garcia-Lavyne
Director of Public Relations

From: Colleen Golden

Charlie,

Is there some news that’s coming out this week? According to the radio writer for the OCRegister, they’re going to have more about you next week. I hope you let us know first. Great picture of you guys on the float!!!! Weren’t those the days??

Happy New Year to you and yours,

Colleen

Here it is, New Year’s Eve, and a little more significant today than usual to me. It’s the last day of my contract with Clear Channel, and although there may be something down the road with them again, nothing immediately is happening. So my plans are to look elsewhere in the Los Angeles market for a new employer.

Radio is a very funny business. Someone once told me, “you’re hired to be fired”. Another industry friend said “You’re not really in radio until you’ve been fired at least 3 times”. It’s a business that depends on ratings and revenue, and there’s more pressure than ever when it comes to revenue. Wall street, bankers, accountants and the bottom line now rule what once was a very creative industry, that was run by the creative people.

When I came to L.A. in 1967, the axiom was “It takes money to make money”. Radio stations spent money on marketing and promotions first, and knew whatever their investment was, it would reap rewards that far exceeded the expenditure. My first few years in L.A., I was called into the manager’s office at least 5 times to be told they were giving me a raise. They appreciated my hard work and realized that I was a big asset to their station.

I know for a fact that budgets in radio are now cut to the bare bone, yet there are rumors of even more cuts coming and more radio people being fired in 2008. None of my radio friends that are still working got raises to renew contracts, and in many cases, escape clauses in their deals permit the owners a much lower payout if you’re fired. It’s a very tough time to be in broadcasting.

All that being said though, I love what I do! I’m looking forward to being on the air somewhere on the dial in the coming month of January, if circumstances all would work out with whatever new station I make a deal with. It’s been too long just writing my thoughts on my website. I realized that the other day when listener Marie sent me this eBay link.

Thank you for all the emails that continue to come in, especially from all of you who have followed me since my earliest L.A. days at 93/KHJ. For those of you who liked the KHJ Rose Parade float picture from 1970, here’s another one from a year earlier in 1969 when I was named the San Pedro Fisherman’s Fiesta Honorary Commodore. I wonder what has happened to the Fiesta Skipperettes who are in the picture with me? If you or anyone knows, tell them hi and email me some time. I love connecting with all of you who’ve known me since my start in L.A. and want to find out just how you’re doing now.

The Skipperettes from left to right are Donna Taylor, Jill Mosely, and Maria Marinovich, and we’re all 38 years older now, Wow!

And here’s a couple of KHJ music survey covers from my brief 1977 return to KHJ!

KHJ’s address was 5515 Melrose Avenue and Henry Winkler worked right next door at Paramount Studios, so he stopped by one morning before going to the set as the “Fonz” on “Happy Days”, and Donna Summer’s gold record for “I Feel Love” was her first top ten hit since her 1975 debut with “Love To Love You Baby”. It was just the beginning of a string of Disco smashes for Donna!

In today’s “BUZZ” link, Britney’s got a lot coming up in 2008, “Treasure” still the #1 movie, but there was a big surprise of a limited release film, Jimmy Fallon gets hitched, Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lynn Spears and J.K. Rowling rumors examined, a Miley Cyrus contest scandal, and wait till you see the Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale video at an L.A. drive-thru yesterday. “CLIPS” has part 2 of my visit with Rose Parade TV host Bob Eubanks, “GALLERY” with pictures from the Disco Fever concert in 2006 and Sly’s wife, Jennifer Flavin Stallone. “TALKBACK” has a very funny email and picture from a fellow radio personality in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Have a very Happy New Year! Remember, no drinking and driving. Stay safe!

Charlie

Download mp3

From: Tony Clark

Hi Charlie,

I was checking out Radio Daily News.com this afternoon and ran across the link to your site. Very nicely done! I especially enjoyed the interview with Wolfman Jack that you posted. I bought his book just prior to his passing. Seems that every displaced radio guy is migrating to the internet, and that is a good thing.

My name is Tony Clark, and had done radio for years in Michigan. These days, I produce and host a show called The Michigan Oldies Podcast…The Greatest Oldies You’ll Never Hear On The Radio . We play the oldies that were popular here on the local charts, but somehow were filtered out of regular station airplay over the years, and that included a lot of Michigan-based product, including old Motown and Fortune records stuff. So far, we have been doubling audience monthly since first going online with it in September, with close to 28,000 accesses to our show for December

We also reminisce about the top 40 stations that were staples in Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Grand Rapids & Lansing. You may not realize it, but you were a part of Michigan radio. Sometime in the 70s, WVIC in Lansing had YOU as their midday host. I remember hearing you when driving to high school. It wasn’t until after I got into the business that I realized that you may have possibly been the worlds first “voice-tracked” DJ, as someone formerly with WVIC told me that you pre-recorded your drops and syndicated them somehow to the station.

If you’d like to cut an mp3 blurb (and you can ham up on us if you’d like), I’d be honored to play it in our show. Nothing much, just a short liner, referencing when you were on WVIC and that you’re listening to the Michigan Oldies Podcast. It’s 100 percent totally voluntary, and I’ll understand if you aren’t able to do it.

Anyway, just wanted to drop you a note regarding your website and your work. Have a great New Year, and continued success with your career.

Best Regards,

Tony Clark
The Michigan Oldies Podcast