Re: Re: reaching folks

["Stephen P. Goodman" <spgoodman@earthlight.net>]

> >thing that won't go away in the near future.  Airplay for other
> than
> >Industry-sponsored quasi-payola acts will then continue, but
> the small
> >stations, especially the college ones, can be a valuable market,
> because
> >play lists aren't controlled in the same manner.  Mind you,
> the radio
> >station for a huge university might be the exception, but as
> far as I
> >remember even Syracuse University - whose communications school
> is run
> >by Newhouse - isn't confined to such closed-minded playlist
> antics.
>
> FWIW: the stations at Syracuse Univ. *are* confined
> to such close-minded playlist antics.  I graduated
> from Newhouse in 1994, and worked at WAER.  We
> late-night cats risked our jobs tossing our playlists
> into the recycle bin before the show.  Must-Plays all
> over them.  (A few of the old-timers did say it hadn't
> always been that way...)  The other "college station"
> at SU was all strictly Top-40: a training ground for
> commercial radio land.
>
> I highly doubt it's improved since then.

Ah, well I was there from 77 to 79, so things have obviously changed.  The
space after 10 was usually not controlled in that manner, and one would 
hear
a lot of album-oriented stuff.  I even got the FM station in trouble 
briefly
with the FCC due to a 5-minute comedy bit with no ostensible name other 
than
"The Burn-out Show" - though that was just a working title.  We'd get put 
on
at 11-12pm on Sunday nights, this went on for about 2 months, until a
basketball game was snowed out, and in a really bad decision-making mode,
someone thought it'd be funny to throw the tape that I'd made weekly in.  
It
was only 7pm.  Only one guy was upset about it but he mailed the FCC who
then sent some kind of Cease and Desist letter to WSYR-FM.  You know about
the townies, and how some of 'em lived for those basketball games.  What he
heard was as far as I remember this, for a start:

(Rise in music, Zappa's "I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth", an
instrumental "for late-night listening")
"And now the want-ads, which we air now and again to give the impression
that we care about you."

"Girl-guy with multiple personality wishes to have meaningful relationship
with Hispanic midget.  No chains, but I have good drugs.  Call Sam,
Druscilla, Donald, Debbie, David, Claire, Roger, Donald #2, Susan and/or
Montegue at 576-6364.

"Wanted: Snarked Mandrill.  Must be tesselated and have forked uvula.  Call
Steve at 773-4422.

"George, I don't care what they say, you're the best!  Love, Pete.

"1966 Rolls-Royce, reportedly owned by John Lennon.  I'm parked out in the
back of this radio station for the next five minutes.  Make your mind up 
and
buy this beauty, NOW.  You'll see it.  Come and get it.  Never mind who I
am!  Just bring money, lots and lots of money.

"Man searching for relationship with penguin.  Must be into bondage.  Call
Frank at 223-6299.

"And that's the want-ads..." (music fades)

*******************

Boy, do I wish I had a copy of that letter. :)

Stephen Goodman
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