http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl? http://www.eblah.com en http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1260076240/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1260076240/#num1 His Name is
Sparky Taft

and he's our latest
Puget Sound Radio 'Jock Shot'!

by Michael Easton
Puget Sound Radio
December 7th, 2009

Puget Sound Radio recently had the opportunity to meet and talk with
one of the most influential broadcasters in the history of the state of Washington, Mr. Sparky Taft. The Taft family owned thirteen radio stations in the state, the first in 1923. .

Michael: This is such a pleasure to meet you Sparky Taft. I first heard the Taft name attached to KOL 1300 AM in the early 60's, then again in the mid-80's with Everett's KRKO. You intrique me Mr. Taft, I can't imagine growing up within a radio family. Please share, did you know radio was where young Mr. Taft wanted or had planned to gear his career?

Sparky: I totally grew up in the radio business.  I actually hung out at KRKO frequently, especially after I was 16 and old enough to drive.  In high school, Everett High School actually had a “radio class” with a weekly program on KRKO.  It was so long ago that I can’t remember the content, but it was a weekly show about what was happening at Everett High.  (NOTE:  Everett High was the largest high school in the State of Washington at the time, so this was a BIG deal in the City of Everett.)

Michael:  I understand you were also the  National Sales & Marketing Manager of Pat O'Day's radio stations KYYX-FM/KXA-AM in Seattle and KORL-AM in Honolulu, and your pathways crossed earlier in your career.

Sparky: My Senior year in high school, I started producing concerts and dances in Everett.  I actually competed against Pat O’Day for the dances, which I held at Everett’s Normanna Hall.  I would even bring in some “name” talent like The Fleetwoods from Olympia that had a couple of million sellers, including “Come Softly to Me”.  I also promoted two concerts at the Everett Civic Auditorium (Everett High School) with the popular Canadian group, “The Irish Rovers”.  

Michael: Were you on-air? disc-jockey, news?

Sparky: All during my high school years, I was a “news chaser”, working for KRKO’s news department.  I had a mobile broadcast car and I would “chase” fires, accidents and other major news stories and broadcast “live” from the scene.  I did this for many years.

Michael: Did you come by your training just by working in the radio station, or did you go to a broadcast school, or was Ron Bailey around then?

Sparky: My freshman year of college, I chose to go to Gonzaga University in Spokane.  I was the Sports Editor of the University newspaper.  The Dean of the Journalism School had chosen me to be the first ever Editor of the paper as a sophomore, but I had to tell him that I had decided to go to the University of Washington for my sophomore year.  At the UW, I majored in Journalism (with an emphasis on broadcasting).  There is an interesting story here.  I kept telling my dad (Bill Taft) that I wasn’t learning anything about radio at the UW.  I said they were teaching very archaic network style radio, NOT “modern radio” as it was in the early 60’s (top 40!).  An instructor of one class had us all write a report on “modern radio”.  My dad decided to write the paper for me (to see what kind of response HE would get).  A few days later, the Instructor called me to stay after class.  He gave me the paper my dad wrote with a “D” on it and told me he gave me a passing grade ONLY because of WHO I was!!!!  (NOTE: The total qualifications of the “instructor” was he had a B.A. and had served as a part time advisor for an AM Christian radio station – in short, he had NO qualifications at all!!!!).

My dad was furious.  He called the President of the Washington State Association of Broadcasters.  The WSAB formed a committee to investigate the journalism/broadcast school at the University of Washington.  After a few months of investigation, the committee found out exactly what I had been telling my dad – they were teaching very archaic broadcasting.  The Dean of the Broadcast School and a lot of instructors and professors were FIRED!  The UW completely revamped their School of Broadcasting and today it is one of the best in the west!!!

While I was a sophomore at the UW, I eloped to Idaho and got married.  I was in a fraternity and my then wife was in a sorority.  We were going to keep the marriage secret until the end of the semester, but on the way back from Idaho, my wife was driving, had a blowout and we rolled the car.  Skipping ahead, we had to tell and got an apartment near the UW so we could continue to go to school there.  After the big fiasco with the instructor from the UW, my dad and I mutually decided it was a waste of time for me to continue school there, so I started to work as a salesman at KRKO for a whopping $250 salary.  Within the year, I was the top salesman, and within 5 years, General Sales Manager then Station Manager.

Michael: Impressive launch for Sparky's career, you were certainly well-entrenched in the industry by that time.  

Sparky: In the late 1960’s my dad bought a second station, KALE-AM in the Tri-Cities (Pasco-Richland-Kennewick).  I started flying over there every week to supervise KALE-AM as well as KRKO in Everett.  When I started going to KALE-AM, it was the 5th ranked station in a 7 station market and it did very little business.  When my dad sold the station 3 years later, I had built the station to having more measured audience than ALL other Tri-Cities radio stations COMBINED!!!  I had also quadrupled their sales.

Michael: Although I was out of province at the time, I do recall reading about some controversial times with KRKO in the mid-eighties... perhaps you can enlighten us on this part of your broadcasting life...

Sparky: I left my dad in 1976 to go into the advertising business.  I had client’s on the side in Portland and Seattle.  Since there was no one to run KRKO, dad sold KRKO in 1976.  I bought KRKO back in March, 1983 with some partners.  I built KRKO to HUGE success with audience and advertising revenues.  One of my silent partners was the son of a wealthy beer distributer.  The son had been managing the beer company and it was losing a lot of money (the father was semi-retired living in Palm Desert).  SO, the son conspired behind my back to seize control of the radio station and got 50.1% control of the corporate voting stock.  I had an iron clad employment agreement, but he fired me out of my own radio station.  HIS goal was to personally take over the radio station since his father was selling the beer company and he was losing his job.

On October 14, 1983, Niles Fowler seized control.  Shortly thereafter, he changed the station’s format and call letters to KBAE-AM (called K-Bay, since the beer company was BAY Distributing).  The stations audience and advertising revenues plummeted.  In depositions prepared for my lawsuit to go trial, KRKO’s revenues had gone from about $100,000 a month down to an average of $17,500 the first six months of 1984!!!  In early 1985, Niles Fowler staged a fake burglary at the radio station and filed a huge claim with CNA Insurance.  Later in 1985, the alleged stolen equipment was personally delivered to a small FM station Fowler had bought in Ellensburg, WA.  The Manager of the Ellensburg station had previously worked for Fowler at KBAE in Everett.  He recognized the equipment, even though it had been painted (it was very OLD and almost useless equipment).  The Ellensburg Manager called the former Chief Engineer of KBAE (and KRKO), who was then in Florida.  He had a complete list of the “stolen” equipment.  The serial numbers all matched!!!  Fowler was charged, tried and convicted of FRAUD!!!!  

In December 1985, Fowler’s attorney’s who were defending MY lawsuit, resigned him.  Then, his new attorney firm quickly settled with ME for a well publicized settlement in excess of ONE MILLION DOLLARS.  The settlement was signed on December 18, 1985 and I took over the radio station on December 23, 1985.  

Michael: Now I do recall the KRKO call letters were let go and You Mr. Taft after much negotiation with an Alaskan radio station who had acquired the historic call letters KRKO, you had these letters restored. What an exciting time that must have been?

Sparky: Once we took over, the call letters were still KBAE.  We also discovered that Fowler had stolen all of the radio stations business records.  We had NOTHING!  I soon filed with the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to change the radio station’s call letters to KRFE, which I called “Radio Free Everett”.  The old KRKO call letters, after Fowler dropped them to change to KBAE, became public domain so a radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska picked up the KRKO call letters.  It took me until February, 1987 to negotiate buying the KRKO call letters back from the Fairbanks company.  

As I said, when we took control of the radio station on 12/23/85, there were NO records.  It took until about 1987 to realize that Fowler had bankrupted the radio station in the 15 months he was in possession.  He ran up a debt of 1.3 MILLION dollars in that short time!!!  We had to file a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  The reason was the CORPORATION was the SAME corporation that HE had possession of.  He piled up this HUGE debt.  I was operating the radio station very profitably and with a HUGE radio listening audience.  However, I had to sell KRKO in February, 1988.  THAT is another story of WHY I had to sell!!!

Michael: Well Sparky, I guess that means you're going to come back and give us an update. Right now we're advertising your first book which is now available online through the links... Having read the highlights of your book, I'm looking forward to reading the copy you're sending me.
This certainly sounds like great little stocking stuffer for Christmas, especially to help motivate the sales teams at radio and television across the land on both sides of the border. Incidently I understand you have a new book coming out in the new year, so we'll be looking forward to another talk soon.  Thanks so much for taking the time to share your story Sparky Taft

To Order Sparky's book, visit his website:
http://www.sparkytaft.com/?page=home

In 1990, Sparky Taft left broadcasting to form a broadcast specialty advertising agency, Dynamic Results Media. Since then, he has built a very well known and thoroughly documented track record of achieving incredible client RESULTS. His client portfolio includes furniture stores, stove/patio/spa dealers, floor covering stores, RV and auto dealers, casinos, travel clients and resorts, shoes, shopping malls, golf, mortgage companies, even a circus.

]]> Sat, 5 Dec 2009 21:10:40 Sam http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1238736594/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1238736594/#num1 His Name is
Ed Bain
and he's our latest PSR
Jock Shot!


by Sam
aka Michael Easton
Puget Sound Radio
April the 3rd, 2009


Live From the
'Q' Studio's on Quadra
                     in Beautiful Victoria, British Columbia

Q Morning Producer Mike Evanson, Co-host Cliff LeQuesne and Ed Bain
                                                                Q in-Studio photo: Courtesy of Jud Ridout

This past week we've had the opportunity and pleasure of interviewing and exchanging words with long-time popular Victoria Broadcaster Ed Bain and his co-host Cliff LeQuesne. We also got a few words from his now producer Mike Evanson.

Sam: Congratulations Ed! Talk about a rock, for starters, you've got 22 years under your belt with a successful broadcast career and all in one place, The Island's Rock, The Q!

Where did it all begin? Your introduction to Broadcasting.

Ed Bain: Yes, it's been a long time.  I've done most of my career in Victoria, but I also spent around 11 years in Saskatchewan before selling my snow tires and arriving on the coast in 1985. I was 18 and started doing evenings (only because we signed the station off at midnight) at CFSL in Weyburn, Saskatchewan in the summer of 1974. My near-correspondence broadcast course (Columbia) had no equipment training, so seeing (and trying to understand the workings) of a cart machine for the first time was a little frightening to say the least.

I had a week before I went on the air, so thankfully I was able to do a technical crash course with one of the other jocks, Warren Morgan/Dave Jackson who, sadly, we lost a few years ago to cancer. He was a wonderful guy that went on to do great things in the Moffat chain.

Sam: Folksy, is how I've heard people describe you... part of your bonding with your audience? Actually not just folksy, but funny, really funny!
Where's the sense of humour come from, mum or dad?
a little backgrounder on the folks, the music, (the accordion), you grew up with. It all comes together with and around you each morning on the Q. Are you really the Polka Monster ?

Ed Bain: I think I would credit my Dad (a charismatic Irishman and overall first class man) with the comedy gene, but my Mom was also very quick so I think the combination of that coupled with growing up in a house with 4 sisters and no brothers (in 1967 I didn't get in the bathroom once!) played a big role in my love of making people laugh.

As far as being "folksy" goes, I think it maybe comes from small town roots, and how we were taught to respect everyone and be congenial at all times.

Sam: When did you first see radio as your tool to success! When you knew in your heart this is what you wanted in life? How old were you?

Ed Bain:  I think I was in grade 7 when it hit me. I always had a transistor radio strapped to my bike or in my Barbie Basket and, one day, while listening to 630 CHED (as I did religiously to my hero Bob McCord), I remember thinking, "Of course, that's IT!" . . . I can remember that like it was yesterday.

Sam: CKTV Regina, the big time and television as your first stint as a weather guy.... share this story with us about the tv contact and your move to the big smoke....

Ed Bain: I had gotten the morning show gig at CKRM in Regina in February 1976, but it wasn't until the early '80s I began filling in on the late night weather at CKTV. I'd been doing a few commercials with them, so I guess I was top-of-mind when they needed a weather fill-in.
Not surprisingly, I was scared to death . . . and awful . . . not unlike how I am today at CHEK. There was no green screen, no teleprompter and the weather map was a fixed board which required temperatures to be hand-written with a dry erase marker.  I'm left-handed AND have terrible handwriting so, most nights, I was fielding calls from viewers that had no idea what the temperature was because they couldn't read anything I'd written.

Sam: The West Coast was calling Ed Bain......  tell us about the days that lead up to moving out to Langley and working at CJUP - The Format, who else was there?... who were the principals involved and where are they now?... are these the same call letters that eventually moved into Vancouver and took over 1040am, which is now known as The Team?

Ed Bain: I left Regina in '81 to do mornings for Clint Forster's station CJWW in Saskatoon. I returned to Regina in '83 to program CFMQ, only to get a call from Clint two years later with the offer to help rebuild a little station he had just purchased called CJJC.  CJJC was soon renamed CJUP, as it was Clint's hope to create a station that was positive and "UP," a little tricky with a country music format, I thought, but I was more focused on living somewhere where the word "blizzard" was only used at Dairy Queen.

Rebuilding a radio station to be UP was a difficult task and, ultimately, one we didn't win, but not for lack of trying. We had what I thought was a pretty good sounding station; it was just too bad not many people could hear it. The signal, as it turned out, really didn't get into Vancouver very well, and the fact that the place had been so neglected for so long certainly didn't help.

I will say that some of the best people I've ever worked with came through that place in those two years: Kirk Mason, Bruce Ritchie, Gary Alexander, Michael Forbes and Norma Wick to name a few and, (as a matter of fact, I hired Michael in Langley, then he went on to CKRM, met Lisa and the rest is history).... in spite of the fact that no one heard us, it was a very humbling experierence that was particularily grounding for me...I don't regret it at all.

Sam: the next connection was Victoria.... how did that come about?  and most important, this was obviously the perfect connection for Ed, Your Family, The Q Family and for Victoria...

Ed Bain As luck would have it (and I've had a lot of it), Dan McAllister heard me on a listening trip through Regina in the late '70s and, when he found out I was in Langley, called and threw me a Q!-shaped life preserver. It was the best call I've ever received, and he's been nothing short of wonderful to work for. Dan is truly one of the great guys of our business.

Victoria has been very good to (and patient with) me and, as a family, my wife Bev and our son Carson have been blessed with a great life in this beautiful city.

Sam: Can you share some of the highlights of your Victoria radio career... you jokingly tell of using the same four jokes, but there's much more to the Polka Monster, such as your favourite shows you've done on the Q the last twenty-two years?

Tell us the things that have inspired you and your morning team in presentations on your Monday through Friday AM drive show -

Ed Bain: We've had so many highlights in 22 years, it's hard to even remember a lot of them.  However, I think that creating some of the characters we did over the years - The Boss, Juan De Fuca, Brenda, Gordon Head - and some of The Q! Morning Show theatre-of-the-mind splitters were very creative and fun exercises.

Also, some of the contests we developed have been great fun. I particularily loved "Little House on the Prarie," where we gave away a house . . . in Govan, Saskatchewan!  We kinda forgot to mention the Saskatchewan part to the listeners until after we had our five finalists drawn at the "House Party Breakfast."  Another was the Brides of Burden (how long can the groom carry his bride-to-be?) wedding contest and, of course, the "Breeders Cup" pregnancy race.  These all emphasize the "special attitude" we've always put forward here at The Q!

Sam: your producer, Mike Evanson... was he your first producer?
Let's hear about your co-host Cliff LeQuesne.... the 'Chemistry'  you share? It obviously works well!

Ed Bain: I've had three very talented producers over the years before Mike, starting with one of the most talented guys in the country: Rick (Garner) Andrews, who is now at Sonic in Edmonton. Garner is a one-of-a-kind talent, and it's no surprise to me that he's doing so well.

Jud Ridout or "Bud" as we called him, spent a little over four years with me, and he's blessed with a great attitude, lighting-fast operating skills and editing speed, and a great sense of humor.

Then, Jeff King was on the show with us for six years, leaving for CHEK TV about two years ago. Jeff had a knack for ideas and helped write some great bits and songs we produced, including plenty of key lyrics in "Langford Man" and "Monster Ass" (another classy QMS tune) and has been a friend for many years, as I worked with his dad in Regina (yes, I'm that old!).

We now have young Mike Evenson in the producer's chair.  He's also a great talent with an equally great attitude and good technical knowledge. He's funny and brings a great feel to the room every day. We're very happy with him.

Cliff has been on the show for around 14 years, and is a huge part of the reason we've had any success at all. Cliff and I are so lucky to have a natural chemistry and, in spite of being trapped in that little studio every day, we've never had a dust-up. It's a good combination, because his strengths are my weaknesses, and neither one of us are ego guys, so there's no spotlight issues. We both realize that we're lucky to be able to do something we love every day, and we hope it'll continue as we have no other transferable skills.


                                                                                                  Q in-Studio photo: Courtesy of Jud Ridout

Sam: If I can shift the mic over to you Mike Evanson, The Q's morning producer. Tell us about Ed Bain and your part on the Q Morning Team.


Mike Evanson: I remember when I got back to The Q!, almost 2 years ago, in my new role as the morning show producer, Ed asked me if we were going to juggle some songs around or do something else and I said, "Up to you, it's your show". He looked at me like Dad used to when you moved things around in the tool chest--those glaring eyes beaming down uncomfortably like spotlights, a bony index finger pointed right at me, almost like a Clint Eastwood stare down--and said in the calmest yet assertive voice, "Wrong, Mike. It's our show. Don't ever forget that." That was a pretty good feeling.

Sam: You obviously enjoy working with Ed...

Mike Evanson: Ed's one of---if not the---most gifted guys I've met. When it comes to thinking on the fly, having an instant response for any situation, and absolutely great ideas, there's no one better. If there is, that person hasn't met Ed. He's a big believer in helping out where help is needed, and he contributes constantly. I think the greatest part about Ed is he's the real deal. He has absolutely no ego. Whether he's on the air or off, he's plain and simple Ed.

                               Cliff LeQuesne

                                      
Sam: and now we turn the mic over to co-host Cliff LeQuesne. I remember when you worked at CFAX, probably the early to mid-eighties. Please tell us how and when you arrived at the Q and eventually teamed up with Ed Bain on the Morning Show?

Cliff LeQuesne: I hooked up with the Q! when we signed on...22 years ago.

When I was at C-FAX, I was a sports announcer...working with the late and great Ken Dobson.  The station decided to go with just one sports announcer.  I could have stayed, in a news position, but decided to leave.  The Q! was just signing on...so the timing was right.  Ironically I ended up doing news on the Q!  I worked a weekend shift and afternoons.

Sam: What's it like working with Ed?

Cliff: I really enjoy working with Ed.  He doesn't have an ego, and is very easy to work with. He's one of the most positive announcers I've ever worked with. He's always in a good mood!   I actually look forward (most days) to getting  up at 4 in the morning. Ed is one of the quickest guys I've ever met for a funny line.
I  can feed him something..and as they say in hockey...he'll bury it.

Sam: Let's hear about the chemistry between you guys that makes the magic flow...

Cliff: Ed and I have what you would call natural chemistry. It's been that way right from the start. We worked a charity auction before we worked together on the air.  It was a great night.  We both knew then that we should try to work together on the morning show.  A short time later..it happened.

Sam: Can you share with us a funny and memorable story about Ed

Cliff: That's easy.  We were doing a morning show...outside...it was late October..and it was very windy that morning. It was raining as well. So we were under
one of those flimsy tents..that are open on  the sides.  A gust of wind came up while I was on the air...and Ed grabbed the tent...to make sure it didn't blow
away.  He was actuallyl lifted up in the air.  An amazing sight.  I've never laughed so hard...on the air...in my entire career.  I'll never forget it!


  
Ed Bain in the CHEK Weather Garden & CHEK Weekend News Anchor Skye Ryan

Sam: Before we wrap this up Ed, let's hear about the weather bells tolling again and when did you start your 'other' job at CHEK as Victoria's most famous weather man?

Ed Bain: Hudson Mack called me in '99 to see if I could do some relief work for Vee Cooper, CHEK's weather lady at the time, when she was on vacation.  I auditioned and, in spite of the fact that I was horrible, somehow got the gig. I had a great time doing that and, a few years later, Vee had an oportunity to take on a reporting role, so I was offered the position full time. Knowing it would be tricky to juggle both the morning show and the weather at CHEK, we agreed to try it for three months and, thanks to my accomodating wife and son, and the management at The Q!, I was able to take it on permanently.

Sam: No disrespect, but Victoria in particular has always been a difficult city to forecast the weather, however, as a home grown Victorian, I remember when we used to rely on the information from the weather ships off shore a couple of hundred miles from Vancouver Island.... some people still think those casts were more accurate than now a days. What with all the techo equipment we now have, you'd think we would've advanced close to perfection? Do you really regret those foreign weather forecasts that don't pan out. It must be very frustrating at times...

Ed Bain: Frankly, I find Environment Canada to be pretty accurate - far more so than the Weather Network - but as I've found out over the years, it doesn't matter when you're right . . . people always remember when you got the forecast wrong, so it's no use arguing with them.

Sam: Where do we go from here? We're watching the very roots of the foundations of the once mighty broadcast industry dismantling around us....
Where do you see the Industry going, Radio, Television, The Internet?

Ed Bain: Well, I've always considered the challenge in broadcasting has been simply to stay employed, so I'm still just focused on that.  But, as far as the future goes, I hope there's still opportunities for people to get into this business and get a taste of how fun and rewarding it can be. I've enjoyed every minute of it, even in the tough days, and I would rather be living in my car and doing something I love than living the high life doing something I hate.

And, for the record: I'm living in a pretty nice car these days!

Sam: Will TV stations like CHEK and A survive?

Ed Bain: Obviously, I hope so, for the sake of everyone at both stations, but there's no question that local televison is facing its most difficult time, so I'm not ruling anything out.

Sam: Have things changed at the Q since the Jim Pattison Group bought the stations... also, any chance of Jimmy buying CHEK?  

Ed Bain: We've had very little noticable change that I can see. I think the Pattison approach is a good one: they let the local management run the show and I don't sense a "Head Office is watching" atmosphere at all. They've implemented some great new employee benefits that we didn't have with the OK Radio Group, and I think many of us are encouraged by that to say the least.

"Will Pattison buy CHEK" question, all I can tell you is that we've been told on 2 occasions that the company is not interested in expanding into more televsion but as we all know these days anything is possible.

Sam: after almost 23 years in the same camp (The 'Q'), how would you advise young up coming broadcasters about the winning formula. Did you have specific goals and aspirations in your life and career?

Ed Bain: I don't think I've got the "winning formula," but I would say that you need to be a full-on personality if you want to get noticed and suceed. Get out in your community, be someone people like to be around and try and keep positive.

Having said that, I'd also say that it doesn't hurt to have a station that believes in you and gives you full support. I've been so lucky to have had nothing but great support from everyone at The Q!, from the management down to every employee here, I owe a lot to everyone. THAT'S why I think it's also important to be a good person . . . people don't tend to support jerks.

Sam: Do you have anything else you'd like to do career wise?  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Ed Bain: You know, I'm really just focusing on this thing one show at a time. I can't believe it's gone on this long, so I appreciate every day and, if it all ended tomorrow, I know I got a lot more out of this industry than many people do and, for that, I'm grateful.  I've been very lucky.

Email Ed: ed@theq.fm

The Q Website: http://www.theq.fm

.



]]> Thu, 2 Apr 2009 22:29:54 Sam http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1219337189/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1219337189/#num1 Our Jock Shots are Michael and Lisa



Welcome to 'Jock Shots' Michael and Lisa,

Sam: Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you recently celebrate 10 years @ the Ocean?
Michael & Lisa: Actually more like 12 and a half, we launched early December 1995.

Sam: Please share with us where it all began, Lisa, where do hail from, when did you first here the call of radio?
Lisa: I had a passion for radio from an early age, in High School in my hometown of Regina I was involved in the CKCK night school, where they let one student from each school make announcements and play records over the school P.A. and that got me hooked.

Training, school? I packed up all my stuff in my Ford Fiesta and headed to Saskatoon and took WABC school of broadcasting. After I graduated, I took my student loan money and then headed to St Paul, Alberta for a few months and then it was off to my first paying job was in Morden, Manitoba.....
Sam: how did you meet Michael....
Lisa: I sent a tape to Willy Cole at CKRM in Regina and he decided to take a chance and hired the first female jock in their 50 year history. He probably regretted it later because I met Michael, we became fast friends and then more. Trying to hide the relationship was too much, when we were �outed� I decided to call it a day and went across the street to CKCK.  

Sam: Michael, same questions.....
Michael : Gosh, I did the same things as most, I got a tape recorder when I was 10 and drove friends and family nuts doing interviews and fake radio shows. I grew up in Victoria, so it was CKDA ruled supreme on my clock radio every morning before school. Funny though, when I graduated high school I had no idea what I wanted to do career-wise even though I had been practicing for it all my life.  I bummed around for a couple of years and ended up in Montreal at my dads house  One fine day, The Stones Ruby Tuesday was playing on CJAD and I had an epiphany�I want to be on the radio!!  I attended Pacific Radio Arts in Victoria and worked in clubs around town like the Old Forge and The Sting spinning records. After I finished radio school, I moved to Vancouver and sent out some tapes. After a lot of nice rejection letters, I got a message on my answering machine from some PD by the name of Ed Bain. He was running a little country station in the heart of Langley and they were looking for an evening guy. I was late for the interview but he gave me my first radio job anyway. That was at CJUP �UP Radio�. After a year on that sinking ship, I packed up my Kraft dinner and drove to Regina for a job at CKRM to meet my future wife! It was my job to show her how to run the board and where the bulk eraser was and there was an immediate connection. After three years of minus stupid, the west coast sounded like a great idea, Ted Farr at Rogers in Vancouver received one of my tapes and gave me call. That job was for a new concept in radio called satellite!  At  SRN (Satellite Radio Network) we provided country programming to over 70 stations across Canada. Meanwhile, Lisa got a gig at the legendary CHRX and worked with the likes of Joe Leary, Rocket Rochelle and JB Shane.

Sam: When did you do your first show together
Michael & Lisa: I quit SRN and went local over to Country 1130 CKWX (same building, room next door), and after CHRX imploded, Lisa worked at SRN. I went back to SRN and we put together a radio show called the Country Cabaret which aired across the nation every Saturday night. We obviously had chemistry and the ability to work together and we also learned and special talent �.how to have a huge fight, start to finish during a 2:30 spot break!. After a few months of that,  Brian Depoe suggested we apply at this new FM station starting up in Victoria. After a week long audition at Mountain FM in Whistler we got the job. Was is an automatic click? Even at CKRM I was always coming on with her or phoning her up and harassing her with character voices. So we had a long history of working together before we did a full time show together. Plus, hey, if you�ve gone to all the trouble of marrying someone, hopefully you can carry on a conversation. Marriage, We were married while in Regina (Ed Bain MC�d) and have two great kids Noah, 10 and Adam, 7.  

Sam: Lets talk a little about Prep, what times the day start and end.
Michael & Lisa: For years we did all our prep in the evening and found ourselves going to bed after Leno�.it was brutal. Now we do a little in the evening but most of it takes place in the morning. After stopping at Timmy�s, we are usually in the building by about 4:15am�.then its on the computer, visit some prep sites�read at least three newspapers and edit any audio we might have. A lot times though,  prep is just living life or picking up a magazine you�d never dream of reading or doing something you�ve never done before. A friend of mine once told me, you aren�t talking about entertainment, you are the entertainment.

Sam:What's it like working at 817 Fort Street?
Michael & Lisa: Working for Rogers is great. The company has always been very generous to us and treated us extremely well. We have a GM, Kim Hesketh that believed in us from the start and our PD Dawn Kaysoe has always got our back. There is very little staff turnaround here, so that says something.  If it wasn�t for AJ and Crash trying to steal our prep every morning it would be the perfect job!
(Ed: note; AJ & Crash are the morning hosts on the Ocean's sister station JACK 103.1FM)

Sam: What's your views on where the Industry is going, maybe shed a little light on radio in Victoria.
Michael & Lisa: Radio is a medium like no other. They have rung the death knell for this industry so many times I�ve gone deaf. Traditional radio is on it�s way out though, the last of the Mohicans are the 40 somethings and older that remember the days they spent every evening in their room trying to get through on the request line or baking in the summer sun with their transistor at Willows Beach. That still happens with the younger demos but not as much anymore. The new radio is finding ways to deliver the same product that people have enjoyed for decades in new ways. When you can use your IPHONE and connect to the Ocean website and click �live streaming� and your listening to us, that�s promising. Radio will have some growing pains over the next few years but it�s a survivor.  As far as Victoria radio is concerned, it�s healthy and each station has settled in and found their niche. We have great respect for the talent in this town because we know first hand how challenging this business can be.

Sam: Now a question I've always thought about. Being married and doing a radio show together... whats it like?

Michael & Lisa: We�ve always been two people that genuinely like to hang out together and that feeling has never diminished. In the days where we thought the world would come to a grinding halt and mankind was doomed because we had four seconds of dead air,  it was more stressful. Now, we still have our moments but we�ve always had the ability to forgive and forget very quickly. We put everything we have into that three and half hours, we laugh a lot every morning and when we�re done for the day the subject of radio rarely comes up.  That�s healthy.

Sam: I mean, are there moments and times during the day one needs their own space, even for a while? bathroom breaks excluded
Michael & Lisa: We don�t speak on the drive into work or the ride home. The ride in because we don�t want to wreck the spontaneity and the ride home because we�re tired of hearing each other talk!

PS

Sam: Michael, not sure I heard where you were born, but I am aware you have musical routes here in Victoria?
Michael: I was born and raised in Victoria and yes, my dad was Larrie and my Uncle John were the �Brothers Forbes� and I spent many a weekend in the bowels of the Strath making ash tray pyramids in the empty Forge while my dad and band rehearsed.

Sam: What ever happened to the Brothers?
Michael: My dad, Larrie hasn�t picked up and instrument in 25 years, he is a successful realtor in Vancouver� and after many years of piano lounges and musical director for all the cadet bands on the island, my Uncle John is retired and most likely in California right now rolling down the highway in his motorhome.

  Forbes & Marshall, weekday mornings from 5:30 to 9am

                                            
                     The Ocean's website:   http://www.ocean985.com/

.
]]> Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:46:29 YourRealDad http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1217452372/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1217452372/#num1 His Name is    Ryan Awram
and he's a Puget Sound Radio
                                'Jock Shot'

The Q's 'Master Control' with Ryan Awram at the helm

by Michael Easton
Puget Sound Radio
July 30th, 2008

In our continuing series of Jock Shot, we welcome from Victoria, The Q's afternoon drive guy, Ryan Awram.

Sam: Everyone has their tale to tell about the age you just knew, Radio is where you wanted to go?

Ryan: I was in my early 20s when I realized radio was where I should be.
Originally, I was taking night school classes in Graphic Design at B.C.I.T.
But the more I looked at the broadcasting courses I realized,
"Hey, I love news.Yes, playing music and cueing-up records! And writing commercials?
Production, too? Hey, I wanna do all of that!"

I started to put the pieces together that maybe I might be more passionate about radio and it's personalities than just a casual listener. So, yeah, I had the ephiphany at a relatively late age.

Sam: early memories of radio, the stations you listened to, grew up with, the personalities you admired

Ryan: Every radio guy and girl has their tape-recorder adventures. Me and a buddy used to record ourselves with an old Sony reel-to-reel and try to re-create the Pat Burns Hotline. We would vary-pitch our voices to try to get the Pat Burns warmth.

I grew up listening to a lot of CKNW and CJOR in the 70s and 80s. Frosty Forst was my favourite. His quick wit, casual and flippant attitude really grabbed me.
Dan Russell in his early CJOR days used to do some extended sports interviews that really
captured my imagination. I loved Dave McCormick's Discumentary.
Bill Hughes doing his On The Buses segment (for all those years on CKNW) made an impression
on me that improvising an interview on the spot can work.
Rick Honey was another favourite of mine. He had such a friendly attitude on the surface
but could be very cutting at times, too.
Jack Cullen gave me an appreciation for retro programming, music history and pop culture.

Plus, I was always a big fan of deskers and reporters. Talents like Big Al Davidson, Gord McDonald,
Ted Fields, Arnold Epp, Janet Larimer (Brown). Frank Fong was a favourite for his converstional
and playful approach.


Sam: I understand you're a product of BCIT. Please share with us your thoughts on their radio program

Ryan: I was at B.C.I.T. just as analog was on it's way out in the industry. My class must have been one of the last to learn how to cue-up vinyl and learn production on analog 8-tracks.

I loved my time there and had some great instructors. The late John Ansell would talk honestly
about the realities of the radio industry. That it's a tough business and you have to have drive,
a good attitude and the passion to succeed. I remember Brian Antonson showing us some
production techniques that I've never forgotten. Randy Taylor and the late Rick Jonassen
were encouraging. And I made sure to pay attention to Kevin Ribble's critiques in airchecks
because I had been a listener in his CKLG days.
All these intructors had success in the radio industry and I tried to be a sponge to their advice.

I'm a big fan of the radio broadcast program at B.C.I.T. This industry is not for everyone
regardless what school you go to. But the program gave me a good foundation to build on.


Sam: and from there where did you go. Did you Intern? Where, how was that?

Ryan: My last year of school I was a board operator at CKNW. They had just moved from New West to The Black Tower. I knew my first broadcast gig after B.C.I.T. would be in a small town, so, this would be a great experience to press buttons at the largest station in B.C. And it would be a chance to press the buttons for the guys I loved to listen to.

But honestly, I was a horrible board op. One night I screwed up switching something and had CKNW off-the-air for 5 minutes and the WIN (western information network) silent.  
David Berner and his producer were on the other side of the glass wondering who this idiot was.

But Frosty Forst would be coming into the studio as I'd be leaving the control room.
For a listener turned student and now board op, this was a real rush.
Doc Harris really made an impression how he could take a simple story out of The Province
and make it his own.
Jack Cullen would call the control room on the private line to see if his Owl Prowl on reel-to-reels was running ok. I also remember there was a note on the paper log at 3:30am to call Neil McCrae at home to wake him up.

I did my practicum at CJAV in Port Alberni. That was a good experience right out of B.C.I.T.
because I had a chance to do news, production, creative, on-air, and voicetracking.
I remember sitting in my hotel room on Redford Street listening to my voicetracks and commercials
and thinking, "Wow, I can do this radio thing!"

Sam: When did you arrive at the Q..  

Ryan: I first heard 100.3 The Q! in about 1991 when I was on Whidby Island in Washington State. Ever since then I held the station as a benchmark for creativity and consistency in radio.

Fast-forward to 2004. I had been working at the station in Duncan for 5 years. I had worked
for Dick Drew when it was CKAY. Then I helped his son, Cam, launch SUN FM.
By 2004, I was frustrated. I was program director, doing production and creative, and hosting the morning show. The problem was I didn't have mentors and felt directionless.

My goal was to work at The Q! But there was never much movement. Plus, I was never sure if I wanted to focus on production or keep going on-air. I felt like a jack-of-all-trades and was ready to focus and grow.

The timing to work at The Q! was perfect. Cam Drew told me he was selling the Duncan station,
and a rare swing-shift slot opened in Victoria. Johnny Shields, the senior programming manager,
asked me why I wanted to work at The Q! I stupidly said, "Uhmmm, 'cause I think it would be fun". Johnny hired me.

Sam: Tell us about working at the Q and your radio family

Ryan: When I was in Duncan I'd try to figure out how The Q! did it. I knew they had an award winning creative team. That the music programming was unique. The personalities sounded more real than any other station I'd heard before. And they were live 24 hours a day.

Then I met guys like Ed Bain, John Shields, Ross McIntyre (imaging director) and Mark Addams (program director) and realized it's a very organic approach to radio.
It truly is programming/listener first, then sales. That's extremely uncommon these days.  It took me awhile to get used to promotions and contests that weren't sales driven. If we find it fun, Q! Guy will, too.

The key to The Q!s success is the high level of passion it's staff has for radio.
Jocks have total freedom to explore their creativity. There's a lot of experience and enthusiasm at
The Rock Research Centre. There's a lot of people I learn from on staff at The Q!

Sam: Your show on the Q announces you and Kirk Mason.... tell us about Kirk, working with him...  

Ryan: I remember listening to Kirk in his LG73 days. And when I was in Duncan driving home to Maple Bay, I used to listen to Kirk and Mark Addams on The Q! Afternoon Show.  

What a voice Kirk has, eh? But there's a lot of substance behind that voice.
Kirk is extremely jaded. He's a passionate about radio and jaded at the same time. That's a great combination.
Kirk's skeptical attitude is my favourite thing about him.
I've been very influenced by Kirk because he avoids cliches in his news writing, is extremely
conversation and tells a great story.

Kirk is not a fan of celebrity. Kirk's contempt for the cliche is contagious.  
Kirk would never agree to be a PSR Jock Shot.

Sam: Favourite Music.... maybe you can tie this in with with Prepping...
tell us what your day is like in preparation for coming on your afternoon shift at the Q

Ryan I'm a frustrated musician. And I spend as much time in Q! Control rockin' out to the tunes
as I can get away with. I've always read a lot of music autobiographies and biographies.
My passion for Classic Rock is fed by interacting with the music and radio artists.
The Q!s music director is Scott James. He and Mark Addams (program director) always
encourage Q! Jocks to "own the music", know about the artists.
I've had a chance to produce some Q! music specials. I love producing my show and The Q! music specials have been an extension of that.

Prepping, apart from knowing what your station is doing and what the other shows are contesting,
is about knowing what's topical. I'm not a huge issue driven or hot-topic Jock, but I keep up to date.
Just in case I interact with Kirk Mason or a Q! Listener on a topic or local event.
But I am perfectly happy discussing who's a better band;
Zeppelin, The Beatles or The Stones? Or talking about a Q! Listener's favourite concert memory.
Or sharing a Tillicum Drive-In Movie Theatre memory with Q! Guy who's lived in Victoria his whole life.  

Sam: Where do you see the Industry going?

Ryan You know, I really have no idea. Seriously, I can't imagine. But I'd love it if more radio stations ditched the voicetracking and went live 24/7 like we are at 100.3 The Q!
Everyone knows radio's biggest advantage is being local. But being live seems to be obscured
by the bottom line. I wouldn't be doing afternoons today at The Q! if I didn't have a chance
to prove what I can do on the overnight shift.

Thanks Ryan


The Q's website:
http://www.theq.fm/
with live-streaming...
.


]]> Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:12:52 YourRealDad http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1206640691/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1206640691/#num1 Her name is
Jasmine

and she's one of our Jock Shots



This is B-103 Kelowna's Best Country Favorite Jock, Jasmine!

Jock Shots is  a weekly feature of Puget Sound Radio dot com
Please submit Pic and Bio to
Sam@PugetSoundRadio.com

.]]> Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:58:11 YourRealDad