Radio Story Time! I lost money on my first day!!!!
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008Once upon a time, long, long ago (actually early June of 1967), I had just been promoted at WTOD Radio in Toledo, Ohio from an unpaid to a PAID employee and DJ making a whoppin’ $ 2.50 per hour. Now that may seem like a tiny amount, and it was, but that was OK because gasoline was only 27 cents per gallon! This reads more like a fairy tale than true life, but let’s move on. My very first day I was assigned to perform a remote broadcast from a large department store for a ‘teen idol’ autograph party. Since that meant 90% screaming teenage girls, I was thrilled to accept the assignment. The featured recording artists included; Sam of Sam The Sham & The Pharrohs (Wooly Bully & Lil’ Red Ridin’ Hood), Tommy James and The Shondells (I Think We’re Alone Now & Mony Mony), Keith (Ain’t Gonna Lie and 98.6) and Billy Joe Royal (Cherry Hill Park & Down In The Boondocks).
Well, I was excited to be out of high school and into the REAL world, so I jumped into the radio station van (yes they had vans in those days) and took off down a side road. I had not gone 300 yards before I was caught speeding! I tried to “con” my way out of it, but this cop was a “tuff old bird” in a tough town. He gave me a lecture and a ticket! Obviously he was not a fan of top 40 music (but I bet his daughter was!! LOL!!). I pulled out slow and when he was out of sight I put the pedal to the metal !!!
When I finally arrived at the department store in downtown Toledo, there was no place to park and I was given no parking credentials…..so, I parked right in front and unloaded the broadcast equipment assuming that a media vehicle would be no problem…you know, just like in the movies or on TV! Well, I set up the broadcast and this place was jammed with a ba-zillion yelling and screaming girls (we called them “chicks” in those days, and the British called them “birds”). I could not use the telphone to talk with the guys back at the radio station (cell phones were still reserved for comic strip cartoons) . I could only hear out of a small transister radio (do they still make those?), and wait for my cue. When we went “live” on the air, the girls really screamed as the guys were introduced on a small stage.
When it was all over, I packed up and left for the van and (you guessed it) there was a parking ticket on the windshield. At $ 2.50 per hour wages minus the cost of two “tickets” my net gain for the day was zero and I was in the hole for about $75.00. I remember driving home thinking that broadcasting was not really as glamorous or profitable as I had always been lead to believe!
Fast forward to today, the girls still scream, but they have tatoos, the money is now up to $6.50 per hour and I always obey the traffic laws. Life is GREAT!
TWF Lee Bortel
