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12/03/2007 @ 7:15am PST
Monday Morning, December 3rd! What a crazy weekend! Why? Click to the "News" link.
Well, first of all, I've really enjoyed college football more than ever this year! The number 1 and number 2 ranked teams were knocked off for a 2nd week in a row. Someone said yesterday on TV that 17 top 5 rated teams had lost this season, which has never occurred before in the history of college competition. That's what made it so fun this year, you just never knew what was going to happen.
Unfortunately that's also what happened in radio the past few days, and it hasn't been fun hearing about it. Another friend of mine at KOST, longtime mid-day host Mike Sakellarides was let go by the station after his shift ended Friday afternoon. He was one of the nice guys in this business who always had a smile and big hello for you on and off the air. There were at least 10 other on-air personalities on Friday that lost their jobs too. You have certainly noticed, by all the emails that have been and are still coming in, and you can read some of them in the "Tuna Talkback" section again today.
Radio has changed unfortunately over the past few decades. I was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times about 20 years ago, and as early as that point in time, I made the comment that radio was becoming more and more strictly about business with the bankers and the accountants calling all the shots. Radio corporations have to answer to Wall Street, and that particular group in New York always wants more and more profits to show on your balance ledger quarter after financial quarter. If you don't live up to their expectations for the stock market, then you have to figure out how to make it more profitable by improving your product or cutting costs, and sometimes stations try both at once. If it doesn't work, then your stock price suffers, and sometimes plummets to the point that you have to sell either to another radio group or to a private equity firm to salvage things. It's not that easy there either, because the buyer always wants costs at a bare minimum and a stock price at a level they're comfortable with. That's what you're seeing in the radio business now!
On a couple of brighter notes, my original home state University of Nebraska hired a new football coach who was my pick 4 years ago after he took the Huskers to a bowl game as the interim coach (following the firing of the head coach in 2003). Bo Pelini, who was the defensive coordinator back then, and has been at LSU the past 3 years, is back. His LSU team's defense has been in the top 3 in the nation the 3 years he's been there, and I love his passion and emotion on the sidelines. He's a lot like Pete Carroll of USC is, (they even coached together at one point for 5 years), and his players love him, just like they do Coach Carroll.....and you've seen the results here. I've heard we're getting the USC strength coach back too. He had left Nebraska to work with USC early on with Pete Carroll, but now wants to come back home to the Cornhuskers, and judging by what he's done for the Trojans, that should be another plus for Nebraska!
That's what really impresses me about people, their enthusiasm, energy and passion for what they're doing with their lives. It all adds up to a person you want to be around and work with.
As a group, this past weekend I met 5 people who fit that description perfectly. I mentioned on Friday that I was going to be doing an interview with TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System), Japan's Television network. They wanted to talk to me about the Eagles music group, since the Producer explained that he had asked around and everyone had told him that I was the music expert and historian of Los Angeles, having been on the air the past 40 years in L.A., and knew most of the recording artists.
With the Eagles, I first talked to Glenn Frey of the group in 1972 when I was the morning man at the then new station, KROQ! He was part of a star-studded line-up for a November 25 concert at the Coliseum to officially launch the beginnings of KROQ. It was literally a who's who of rock n' roll that night from Sly and the Family Stone to Stevie Wonder and a dozen other big name acts including the Eagles. It was a benefit to raise money for the L.A. Free Clinic, which provided medical care and treatment for people who couldn't afford it at the time. Ticket price to see all the entertainment that night......$3! That's right, $3! You have to put it in perspective with the times, 4 years earlier, I emceed the concert with Jim Morrison and the Doors at the Hollywood Bowl. Ticket price that night for the Bowl.....$4!
Taku Nishimae, the Producer in charge of the Japan documentary. and Yumiko Yanagisawa, the Director, interviewed me for nearly 2 hours about the Eagles music and the changes I saw from their beginnings to now, and how it affected radio and the recording industry. They also wanted me to simulate being "on the air" introducing the Eagles song "Hotel California" and talking about it. That was fun and made me realize how I can't wait to do it for real again here in Los Angeles!
The group from TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System). Left of me in the picture is the Director, Yumiko Yanagisawa, and to the right is their van driver. In back of me from left to right is the cameraman, Producer Taku Nishimae, and their soundman. I really enjoyed my time with them Saturday morning, and they asked if they could call on me several more times for their new music documentary series as they feature different artists. I told them I would look forward to it!
Be sure and check "Tuna Talkback" today....lots of reaction to the changes in Los Angeles radio. On the "Tuna Clips" link, a funny bit that features Jim Carrey with his Christmas songs, and some more new pictures in the "Gallery" today! I'll leave you with one of my favorite links of a real dog that you can get to do tricks. Just type in a command and see what happens....sit, roll over, down, stand, sing, dance, shake, fetch, play dead, etc. Make sure you type in "Kiss" too, but do it last!
http://www.idodogtricks.com/index_flash.html
Keep the emails coming so I know what's on your mind, and I'll talk to you tomorrow!
Charlie
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