sowny.net | The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

January 30, 2018 6:18 pm  #1


When It Comes To These Great Radio Stories, The Market Doesn't Matter

I love good radio stories. This article, about stations most of us have never heard of in Cincinnati, is full of them. They were told at a recent museum gathering of alumni from various radio competitors that was held over the weekend. You don’t have to know the personalities or the stations involved to appreciate the following tall tales. I just wish someone would do this kind of thing here.
 
The days of these kinds of dirty tricks and bizarre actions are long gone in the corporate era. But these yarns prove radio was once a lot more fun.
 
Here are my favourites or you can read the whole thing here.
 
THE BIG BOX CONTEST
 
“When a rival station promised to give away the contents of a big box atop Riverfront Coliseum (now U.S. Bank Arena), the 96 ROCK program director asked his morning duo – Eddie Fingers and Marty Bender – a simple question: "Do you have a police record?" Fingers said he had a minor blemish; Bender didn't. So Bender flew in the station's helicopter, and was dropped off on the coliseum roof. Fingers was back in the Hamilton studio when Bender broadcast live from inside the rooftop box.

"I'm in here, and there's nothing here."

He was later arrested and defended by an attorney who worked for the very rival whose contest they ruined!  
 
 THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR GIVEAWAY

"After one station – thought to be the old YES 95 – gave away a half-million dollars, WEBN-FM upped the ante by announcing it would give away $20 million. And it did!

"We gave away $20 million -- $1 a year for 20 million years. And it was arranged so that the $1 a year would go to the person's heirs. So someone out there is getting $1 a year from WEBN."
 
THOSE GREAT OLD LONG SONGS

"96 ROCK DJ Alan Sells would "put on a 10-minute song and go wash his car" outside the station, which was in an old house on a hill...

[WEBN-FM’s Jay] Gilbert admitted he once put on The Doors' 17-minute "In A Gadda Da Vida" and went out to buy a submarine sandwich."
 
THE GREAT FORMAT SWITCH FAKE-OUT
 
"Rumors spread that Q102 would stop competing for rock listeners with WEBN, WSAI and other stations by switching to country music and go head-to-head with WUBE-FM. WUBE-FM reacted by announcing it would give away a new house.  On that Friday, in a pre-emptive strike, WSAI-FM announced it was going country.
 
Then Q102 announced its "format change," telling listeners it would not play any Barry Manilow records that weekend. WSAI-FM blinked, and Q102 had a chance to pick up more rock listeners in a less crowded field."
 
Confessions From Rock Radio Wars

 

January 31, 2018 12:43 am  #2


Re: When It Comes To These Great Radio Stories, The Market Doesn't Matter

RadioActive wrote:

 
 .. The Doors' 17-minute "In A Gadda Da Vida" ..
 

???? .. alternative facts?
 

 

January 31, 2018 11:04 am  #3


Re: When It Comes To These Great Radio Stories, The Market Doesn't Matter

"be kind to one another"
Ellen Degeneres & Ephesians 4:32
(not necessarily in that order)

 

February 2, 2018 12:12 pm  #4


Re: When It Comes To These Great Radio Stories, The Market Doesn't Matter

g121 wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

 
 .. The Doors' 17-minute "In A Gadda Da Vida" ..
 

???? .. alternative facts?
 

i believe that version was taken from the album "the doors sing your favorites".  i think it's the cut right before jim does a solo take on the song "tie a yellow ribbon".
 

Last edited by the original hank (February 2, 2018 12:12 pm)

 

February 4, 2018 5:42 pm  #5


Re: When It Comes To These Great Radio Stories, The Market Doesn't Matter