Back Then, In Radio, You Never Knew

By Frank Absher

Before radio got sophisticated, the people who spun the records (and hit the Start buttons on the cart machines) were often in a position to have a direct effect on their listeners.

These were people who often weren’t “qualified” to get real jobs, but they loved music and they were perfectly qualified to sit in the squeaky studio chairs and pick the songs that would move the audience members. Most of the time they were paid minimum wage, because station owners knew the jocks weren’t likely to quit.

And why would they? Jeez! There were groupies calling and coming by the studio, throwing themselves at you. Merchants would cut special deals for you. They’d also throw some bucks your way to come out and do remotes. And there were personal appearances where you actually got to interact with your audience.

Yes, there were guys who abused that music selection power and took payments. The majority didn’t, though. They had fun.

They sat in those ratty studios and blended songs together. They hit the post on every talkup. They built the music into the stopsets and then came out cookin’.

These were people who challenged themselves to be outstanding at what they did. By putting together great music sets, they set moods for their listeners, and the listeners responded (sometimes even coherently).

News people prided themselves in flawlessly reading their copy and hitting the clock at exactly the right second. And it was all live – none of this do-over stuff if you blew it the first time.

The problem: There aren’t many jobs for people who have mastered these challenges.

But you never know. A buddy of mine, who was nice to everyone who called the studio line, got a call one day from a lawyer. One of his regular listeners, who called every night “just to talk” had died and left him a huge chunk of money. Now he doesn’t have to worry about hitting the post, or anything else, for that matter.

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