It's Just a Thought

Another Bad Choice by "Big Business"

         Many of us have run into times in our lives, professional and/or personal, where we feel some executive at some company (and not always the one where we work) has made a decision without thinking things through, looking at the complete picture, and worst of all, without consulting any of us ordinary people - those of us directly affected by that decision - to find out what WE think about their particular idea.
         Many radio listeners in the Greater Cincinnati area got hit with the result of one such decision yesterday, Friday, March 30, 2007.
         As I left work about 4:45 P.M. to pick up my daughter for her regular weekend with us, I turned on our Oldies station, WGRR (103.5 FM), as always. As I drove the roughly 1/2 hour trip from Fairfield to New Richmond, I heard many listeners calling in and expressing their deep feelings for and appreciation of the station's afternoon drive time (2-7 PM) DJ, Jim LaBarbara, aka The Music Professor. I started having a thought or two run through my mind that I didn't like: "It sounds like he's leaving." Then it was, "Is that true, and if so, was it his idea, or not?" I wasn't in the dark for long. But I sure didn't like what I heard, and later confirmed via the newspaper. That afternoon was Jim LaBarbara's last show on WGRR, and the gist of the wording he was using as he finally stated that fact for those of us that might have tuned in after he'd originally mentioned it made it sound like it wasn't his choice to leave.
         "Prof", or "Professor", as most listeners and coworkers called him, is a walking Encyclopedia of the music world, and especially where true oldies, the music of the baby-boom generation (the 50's, 60's and 70's) is concerned. And it was obvious every time he spoke, how much he loves that music, and the artists (composers and performers alike) that created it. He personally knows many of those wonderful artists and spends time with them when they aren't performing as well as when they are. He became close friends with many of them. One of his favorite examples of that is his friendship with the late Gene Hughes, lead singer of the Casinos. (For those that don't quite place the name, one of their biggest hits was, "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye".) Hughes' death from cancer really saddened the Professor, and he's talked since of the benefit concerts Gene and the Casinos had organized and performed in to help other artists of the time when they so badly needed it.
         In his career he's spent time with the Crickets, the Beatles, the Monkees, and others. Another of his close friends is Peter Noone, the lead singer of Herman's Hermits. Peter would stop by the studio when he was in the area and chat with the Prof on the air, and even recorded an introduction for the Professor, that Jim periodically used to welcome listeners back after a commercial break, usually following it with a Hermits' song.
         The Professor has been in radio for 48 years, 38 of it here in Cincinnati, and the last 15 on WGRR. [Ed. note: those statistic were part of an article in The Cincinnati Enquirer, on Friday, March 30, 2007]. The man knows our (baby boomers') music like no one else could hope to except those that were also there, living it as he has. His stories of those years, those people, and those songs were welcome staples of our afternoon drive home. He'd often give the history of a song, or the origin of it, as an introduction to playing it. And just as often, those explanations were given by the artist, in an interview with the Professor that had been recorded some time before. So we heard those historical facts straight from the source. And that just added to the appeal of Jim's show.
         Then on Wednesday, March 28th, 2007, he was simply told that his contract would not be renewed. In an article in The Cincinnati Enquirer yesterday (Friday, March 30,, 2007), Jim was quoted as saying, "They said it had nothing to do with me, or my ratings, or my age. They said corporate wanted to make a change." The parent company, Cumulus, is located in Atlanta. What the heck do they know about our market, and our listeners?
         To me, this is a classic example of a couple things. One, the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!". The other, the theme of this blog entry: the seeming disregard of beaurocrats and executives for those of us that help support them. By buying the products their stations advertise, for example.
         When I told Kenzie about this, after she got over the initial surprise of the thing she phrased our mutual feelings better than my shock over it would let me at that moment. She said, "We don't want some young, 20-year-old, fresh-out-of-broadcasting-school person trying to tell us about our music." Thank you, sweetie. I couldn't have put it better myself.
         And even many who don’t live in the area but frequently pass through here know the Professor and enjoy his show. For example, Budroe , when he was a truck driver, passed through here quite often. When I told him about this taking place, he said, “I too am familiar with 'The Prof'. His was the only reason I never minded driving through the seven hills during rush hour. Let me know where he lands. Maybe I can pull it in. Maybe he'll find Live365.com and give us all an online alternative.” Bud also hopes, as you can tell here, that the Prof is able to sign on locally and continue the work that he loves.
         In that Enquirer article, the Professor says he's not ready to retire (he's 65), and he's hoping his off-air time is only temporary. We couldn't agree more. And one of the countless listeners that phoned into the show yesterday expressed another sentiment that I believe is reflected by many more of us listeners. He said that when LaBarbara finds another slot locally, that he (the caller) is going to change stations with him. I probably will, too. At least for the drive home if the Professor has that shift. And if not, I'll still be listening every chance I get. Especially if the station he goes to is one of Cumulus' competitors. Corporate went too far this time, and they're going to feel it. I wouldn't want to be their mailman, phone operator, or public relations person right now. May God bless you, Professor, for all the wonderful comments, stories, historical notes, honest feelings and songs you've shared with us for all these years. We'll hear you soon!