Moving on in radio and other things

If you have ever lost a job you know that there is a lot of self examination that goes on in the days following your dismissal, such was the case with me. I finally figured out that life would go on, but probably not in full time radio. My friend Kevin Doran who ran WLEA/WCKR in Hornell put out the word I was available, but nothing came of it. I had a few offers locally, but I was not really enthused by the stations that wanted to talk.

For a couple of years I had worked part time for Chemung County Transit, starting as a part time driver, being promoted along the way to part time supervisor. After my release from WLEZ I called another friend, the late, Dave Abbey the Operations Manager at WCLI/WZKZ in Corning. I had known Dave for several years and even though we were competitors we got along well. Telling him of my situation I asked if he might have any part time work available. In radio, if you have experience and want to work part time it is pretty much a guarantee of hours. He had me come in and I met with Scott Fisher (Bloor) the General Manager. They hired me immediately for fill in on both stations. I have to say that the years I spent there were quite enjoyable with a genuine respect in both directions.

During the same time period I once again worked for Dave Cooper at Radio Shack In Horseheads. There were some fun days there as Dave and I were about the same age, and he respected me for my knowledge of the products and the "parts wall" and I liked his management style. One understanding we had was that I did not want any responsibility, or to be considered a full time employee. By virtue of the fact I had been around a long time, I knew most of the store procedures and Dave would feel comfortable leaving me alone or with a new employee. When Radio Shack first got there computer check out system, there was a lot of problems with it and many times we had to the the daily reports by hand, something I could do but even some store managers couldn't.

After the first of the year Tom Freeman at C.C.T.S. offered me a full time position as a combo Marketing and Road Supervisor. During that time that I worked for C.C.T.S, a division of American Transit Corp. I was even as a Relief Manager at Dutchess County Transit in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Working for American Transit was a job I held for nearly 4 years until I had gall bladder surgery and was off from work for 4 months. When I got back in November of 1989 I found that my position was not to be funded in 1990, here we go again! During the time I spent at C.C.T.S. I worked on a number of projects including a pilot project of a tourist information radio system, that project would eventually lead me to starting my own business, more on that later. After I found out I was being "un-funded" at C.C.T.S. I asked Dave Cooper at Radio Shack to use me heavy for the Christmas Season, which he did, while I continued part time at WCLI/WZKZ. Dave Cooper and I had a lot of fun during that Christmas Season working together again.

During that time I was back to looking for full time radio again, and was talking to the parent company of WCLI/WZKZ who owned a property in South Jersey. I found out during my talks with them that Jane Steele, wife of former WENY Inc. Corporate General Manager, Mike Steele was working there. Mike had left the cold of Minnesota and returned to work for Howard Green in Atlantic City. The station was losing money financially and would have been an interesting challenge, but it was one that didn't come.

One day while I was at Radio Shack Dave Campbell from WIQT/WQIX in Horseheads came in to get some stuff for the station and talk of course turned to radio. He said that Ron Ferro The General Manager, who had been Program Director at WELM/WLVY when I was at WENY was thinking of making a change of air talent in the morning on WIQT and would I be interested. WIQT was an oldies station and who better than this "oldie but goodie" to go there.

In the next edition I will talk about my time at WIQT/WQIX and the start of Watts Media/Multi Services.