Despite all the technical improvements, it still boils down to a man or a woman and a microphone, playing music, sharing stories, talking about issues – communicating with an audience.
Basically, radio hasn’t changed over the years.
The group Bananarama has such a light, cutesy-pie sound that they make The Go-Go’s sound like Led Zeppelin by comparison.
Songs used to be short, then they became longer, and now theyre getting shorter. But otherwise, music is about a beat and a message. If the beat gets to the audience, and the message touches them, youve got a hit.
As you know, in the past several years, month after month, radio has increased its revenues – some of it even coming from Dot-Com advertisers. So, radio is a survivor.
If the beat gets to the audience, and the message touches them, you’ve got a hit.
For years everyone looked toward the demise of radio when television came along. Before that, they thought talking movies might eliminate radio as well. But radio just keeps getting stronger.
I probably would be continuing to do voice-overs, continuing to do cartoon shows, and at the same time I’d probably be on a sitcom or a dramatic television show.
I like the storytelling and reading the letters, the long-distance dedications.
The first syndicating I tried was when two partners and I created a production company in 1952. We wanted to syndicate famous Bible stories and sell them for $25 a show.
I was drafted and went to Korea where I had an opportunity to create a production team that did dramatic and comedy shows. I had also done a little disc jockeying.
I started radio in 1950 on the Lone Ranger radio program, a dramatic show that emanated from Detroit when I was 18 years old and just beginning college. I did that for a couple of years.
It’s been amazing, the number of commercials that I’ve done, starting back in 1968. It must be 8,000.
Always be consistent.
That something extra, I believe, is a certain humanity that comes from upbeat and positive human interest letters and success stories. Advertisers like to be associated with those qualities.
My first commercial was for Miller High Life beer.
My agent said that I was one of the top three busiest people in the country.
Interestingly, songs used to be short, then they became longer, and now they’re getting shorter.
Because of my background in theater and radio acting, I knew that I could make a living as an actor.
Growing up, I actually wanted to be a professional Baseball player, instead of a radio DJ. Believe it or not.
But otherwise, music is about a beat and a message.