The Way It Was
(NEW ON MAY 7, 2008) Sorry it has taken me so long to do a follow-up Post. This computer stuff really confuses me - I STILL haven't figured out how AM radio works so what do you want from me? I plan to do better in the future so please put me in your 'favorites' and check back every couple of days.
It was great hearing from so many of you this past week. For those blaming me for helping you get caught up in broadcasting: Sorry, I never said it would be easy but - come on - it sure beats a regular job doesn't it? For Tracy, who said that even though I gave good radio, some of it was pretty corny - "Hey Trac, it is all in the delivery!" On the Vernon Classics page, I'll be talking about my approach to humor and you can listen to some examples.
I loved hearing from old friends: Dick Summer, who has a great website at http://www.dicksummer.com/; where he still does that sensual Summer magic. John Lund and Eric Braun - two good friends with their own globe-trotting broadcast consulting companies. Bob Gibson - who probably holds the record for using the most 'air names' in New York radio news. And how about Bruce Leonard? 33 years at NBC. I never had a CAREER that lasted that long, let alone a job!
Everyone has stories about nightmare job interviews and I'm no exception; I almost blew it on my WNBC interview before I even walked into manager Perry Bascolm's office.
It was the biggest audition of my life! WNBC in New York City! The Big Apple! NBC was interested in hiring me to do their afternoon radio program!
There I was at WGAR, in Cleveland, Ohio, looking at the opportunity of a radio guy's lifetime and wondering, "What do you wear for an interview at NBC?"
Today that may sound dumb but if you put it in the context of 1973, you can better understand my dilemma. In the always wet or damp weather of Cleveland, sometimes called 'the mistake by the lake', polyester had hit the city like an answer to a prayer!
It never wrinked! It sagged, snagged and stretched, but never wrinkled. Cleveland loved it! A unique style even developed: the FULL CLEVELAND; a two piece polyester leisure suit, over a bright polyester shirt, accented by white patent leather belt and boots.
I was savvy enought to know that a FULL CLEVELAND wouldn't cut it in The Apple so I went to Higbee's Department Store and explained my dilemma to the only salesman in the men's department who WASN'T wearing a Full Cleveland.
First, he wanted to know if the interview was to be on a weekday or a weekend. "Next Saturday afternoon," I told him.
"Ah, then you'll want a classic weekender look," he told me. He fixed me up with a navy blue blazer; wool, not polyester, over a white cotton dress shirt and subdued red silk tie with medium gray wool trousers and black dress shoes.
I caried it all to New York in a garment bag and changed into my interview clothes when my plane arrived at LaGuardia Airport. Being from Cleveland, I was vey conscious of avoiding wrinkles in my clothes and tried to keep my legs stretched out in the taxi that took me to 30 Rockefeller Center. I didn't want the knees to look baggy when I arrived. Wool, for a Clevelander, just couldn't match polyester.
As I was standing in the huge lobby at 30 Rock, trying to decide which of the 20 or so elevators to take to my 2nd floor interview, I noticed a beautiful young woman behind a podium desk off to the side. She looked very businesslike in a blue bazer, white blouse and a woman's version of a red tie. I silently thanked the clothing guru at Higbee's for making sure I was properly dressed for the most important job interview of my life!
Then, with a smile, the young woman motioned me over to her. ALRIGHT! I hadn't even had the interview and already New Yorkers were noticing me! She asked me where I was headed.
"Second floor radio offces."
"Great," she said with that wonderful smile, "drop this package off in office 214. It's right on your way."
I smiled and said, "Sure, By the way, that's a great looking outfit you're wearing."
She gave me a quick laugh and pointed to an elevator door that had just opened.
When I got off on the second floor, I noticed a young man who was also wearing a blue blazer, red tie and gray slacks and asked him how to find office 214 and then the radio offices.
With-in a couple of minutes, I noticed several other young men and women in the hallway who were also dressed in blue blazers, red ties and gray slacks or skirts. As I walked to my interview, I realized that my Cleveland clothing guru had dressed me in an outfit identical to those worn by the NBC pages; the young men and women the network hired as interns! Somehow, I still managed to get the job!
Don't forget to visit the VERNON CLASSICS page and learn how I designed my approach to radio humor!
It was great hearing from so many of you this past week. For those blaming me for helping you get caught up in broadcasting: Sorry, I never said it would be easy but - come on - it sure beats a regular job doesn't it? For Tracy, who said that even though I gave good radio, some of it was pretty corny - "Hey Trac, it is all in the delivery!" On the Vernon Classics page, I'll be talking about my approach to humor and you can listen to some examples.
I loved hearing from old friends: Dick Summer, who has a great website at http://www.dicksummer.com/; where he still does that sensual Summer magic. John Lund and Eric Braun - two good friends with their own globe-trotting broadcast consulting companies. Bob Gibson - who probably holds the record for using the most 'air names' in New York radio news. And how about Bruce Leonard? 33 years at NBC. I never had a CAREER that lasted that long, let alone a job!
Everyone has stories about nightmare job interviews and I'm no exception; I almost blew it on my WNBC interview before I even walked into manager Perry Bascolm's office.
It was the biggest audition of my life! WNBC in New York City! The Big Apple! NBC was interested in hiring me to do their afternoon radio program!
There I was at WGAR, in Cleveland, Ohio, looking at the opportunity of a radio guy's lifetime and wondering, "What do you wear for an interview at NBC?"
Today that may sound dumb but if you put it in the context of 1973, you can better understand my dilemma. In the always wet or damp weather of Cleveland, sometimes called 'the mistake by the lake', polyester had hit the city like an answer to a prayer!
It never wrinked! It sagged, snagged and stretched, but never wrinkled. Cleveland loved it! A unique style even developed: the FULL CLEVELAND; a two piece polyester leisure suit, over a bright polyester shirt, accented by white patent leather belt and boots.
I was savvy enought to know that a FULL CLEVELAND wouldn't cut it in The Apple so I went to Higbee's Department Store and explained my dilemma to the only salesman in the men's department who WASN'T wearing a Full Cleveland.
First, he wanted to know if the interview was to be on a weekday or a weekend. "Next Saturday afternoon," I told him.
"Ah, then you'll want a classic weekender look," he told me. He fixed me up with a navy blue blazer; wool, not polyester, over a white cotton dress shirt and subdued red silk tie with medium gray wool trousers and black dress shoes.
I caried it all to New York in a garment bag and changed into my interview clothes when my plane arrived at LaGuardia Airport. Being from Cleveland, I was vey conscious of avoiding wrinkles in my clothes and tried to keep my legs stretched out in the taxi that took me to 30 Rockefeller Center. I didn't want the knees to look baggy when I arrived. Wool, for a Clevelander, just couldn't match polyester.
As I was standing in the huge lobby at 30 Rock, trying to decide which of the 20 or so elevators to take to my 2nd floor interview, I noticed a beautiful young woman behind a podium desk off to the side. She looked very businesslike in a blue bazer, white blouse and a woman's version of a red tie. I silently thanked the clothing guru at Higbee's for making sure I was properly dressed for the most important job interview of my life!
Then, with a smile, the young woman motioned me over to her. ALRIGHT! I hadn't even had the interview and already New Yorkers were noticing me! She asked me where I was headed.
"Second floor radio offces."
"Great," she said with that wonderful smile, "drop this package off in office 214. It's right on your way."
I smiled and said, "Sure, By the way, that's a great looking outfit you're wearing."
She gave me a quick laugh and pointed to an elevator door that had just opened.
When I got off on the second floor, I noticed a young man who was also wearing a blue blazer, red tie and gray slacks and asked him how to find office 214 and then the radio offices.
With-in a couple of minutes, I noticed several other young men and women in the hallway who were also dressed in blue blazers, red ties and gray slacks or skirts. As I walked to my interview, I realized that my Cleveland clothing guru had dressed me in an outfit identical to those worn by the NBC pages; the young men and women the network hired as interns! Somehow, I still managed to get the job!
Don't forget to visit the VERNON CLASSICS page and learn how I designed my approach to radio humor!
Labels: 66WNBC, 70s radio, Air checks, Bob Vernon, Cleveland, Cousin Bruce, funny stuff, humor, Imus, jokes, personality deejay, radio history, radio legends, rock and roll, Vernon with a V, WGAR, WNBC radio
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8:28 PM
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