1 of 1- RadioActive
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Death No Longer Means You Can’t Still Do Mornings
I was up early this morning and doing some pre-sunrise DXing, tuning around the dial, when I came across WGRP AM, a station at 940 AM in Greenville, Pa. Nothing really special about that except when I heard who was doing mornings – the legendary Charlie Tuna. It’s part of a syndicated show that I hadn’t realized airs across the U.S. on oldies stations.
But here’s the thing – the great Mr. Tuna passed away last February at the age of 71. Now it’s not unheard of for a late great radio guy’s old shows to be re-syndicated – Wolfman Jack and Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 are perfect examples.
But to have a dead guy – however talented he once was – “do” the all important morning show seems incredibly ridiculous. There can't be references to anything topical, since the host obviously can’t be up on the latest news. Imagine a show without one mention of Donald Trump, no one telling you who won the Super Bowl or anyone talking about the latest Kanye outrage.
I don't know how many stations are running this as their AM driver, but frankly, while I think it’s great that Charlie Tuna’s voice will still be heard, having a dead man on the most important daypart of the broadcast clock seems insane to me. And up until now, I had no idea it was going on. It’s also a disservice to the listeners, who may not be aware that the talent they’re hearing has gone on to that great radio station in the sky.
What a weird business.
- RadioActive
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Re: Death No Longer Means You Can’t Still Do Mornings
This is admittedly a bit morbid, but since it now seems there’s a market for dead DJs, here’s my fantasy line-up from beyond the grave.
6 AM-10 AM: Dr. Don Rose (KFRC San Francisco)
10 AM-1 PM: Jim Brady (Still partially “In The Morning,” CFTR Toronto)
1 PM-4PM: Frank Benny (WGR, Buffalo)
4PM-7PM: Robert W. Morgan (KHJ, Los Angeles)
7PM-10 PM: Jackson Armstrong (WKBW, Buffalo, CHUM, Toronto, others)
10PM-1AM: Oogie Pringle (WNBC New York)
1AM-6AM: Bob Laine (CHUM, Toronto, for nostalgia’s sake if nothing else!)
Fill-ins/weekends: Bob McAdorey (CHUM Toronto), Wolfman Jack (XERB, Mexico), Jungle Jay Nelson (CHUM Toronto), Bob Vernon (aka Vernon With A “V”) (WGAR Cleveland, WNBC New York), Tom Rivers (CHUM & CFTR, Toronto), Don Berns (WKBW Buffalo, CFNY, Brampton), Tom Fulton (CKFH, AM 740, Toronto), Charlie Greer (WABC New York), Gary Owens, (KMPC, Los Angeles, others)
News: Byron MacGregor (CKLW, Windsor/Detroit) Mark Dailey (CKLW W/D)
And yeah, I left out a huge number of greats, but there are only so many hours in a daypart.
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Thread Starter- Kilgore
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Re: Death No Longer Means You Can’t Still Do Mornings
You youngsters don't know what you missed when the late, great Al Boliska was in his prime
- Radiowiz
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Re: Death No Longer Means You Can’t Still Do Mornings
It also leaves out the ability to speak highly of new product placement in his program.
Sponsors can run ads, but they can only say "Charlie used it"
They can't say much more.
Not good if it's a new Tide or some new change in an old product.
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- Dale Patterson
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Re: Death No Longer Means You Can’t Still Do Mornings
RadioActive wrote:
This is admittedly a bit morbid, but since it now seems there’s a market for dead DJs, here’s my fantasy line-up from beyond the grave.
6 AM-10 AM: Dr. Don Rose (KFRC San Francisco)
10 AM-1 PM: Jim Brady (Still partially “In The Morning,” CFTR Toronto)
1 PM-4PM: Frank Benny (WGR, Buffalo)
4PM-7PM: Robert W. Morgan (KHJ, Los Angeles)
7PM-10 PM: Jackson Armstrong (WKBW, Buffalo, CHUM, Toronto, others)
10PM-1AM: Oogie Pringle (WNBC New York)
1AM-6AM: Bob Laine (CHUM, Toronto, for nostalgia’s sake if nothing else!)
Fill-ins/weekends: Bob McAdorey (CHUM Toronto), Wolfman Jack (XERB, Mexico), Jungle Jay Nelson (CHUM Toronto), Bob Vernon (aka Vernon With A “V”) (WGAR Cleveland, WNBC New York), Tom Rivers (CHUM & CFTR, Toronto), Don Berns (WKBW Buffalo, CFNY, Brampton), Tom Fulton (CKFH, AM 740, Toronto), Charlie Greer (WABC New York), Gary Owens, (KMPC, Los Angeles, others)
News: Byron MacGregor (CKLW, Windsor/Detroit) Mark Dailey (CKLW W/D)
And yeah, I left out a huge number of greats, but there are only so many hours in a daypart.
My all-time Rock Radio Heaven lineup:
6-9 a.m. - ROBERT W. MORGAN
9 a.m.-12 noon - CHARLIE TUNA
12 noon-3 p.m. - DON BERNS
3-6 p.m. - BOB McADOREY
6-9 p.m. - JACK ARMSTRONG
9 p.m.-12 midnight - NORMAN B.
12 midnight-5 a.m. - JOE DONOVAN
Last edited by Dale Patterson (December 5, 2016 10:41 pm)
"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
- Saul
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Re: Death No Longer Means You Can’t Still Do Mornings
Don't see a problem here. I can always listen to the Grateful Dead during breakfast.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Death No Longer Means You Can’t Still Do Mornings
Don't see a problem here. I can always listen to the Grateful Dead during breakfast.
You can have a million Charlie Tuna fans enjoying his "encore presentation" content, but if they don't care to notice the ad content, the whole idea is pointless.
I'm still sold on the idea that maybe this sort of content has a better life on Sirus/XM, or any place where people pay for the content whether they tune in or not.
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- maybo
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Re: Death No Longer Means You Can’t Still Do Mornings
Wolfman Jack was in syndication long, long after he went to his final reward...