(click the picture above for
the high definition
video - but also click
YouTube
for me!)
10:45 PM, Monday,
June 16th, 2008:
This entry
could've been done on Father's day, and would've been
perfectly timed until I looked back in the WTVN
Journey and saw this:
10:45 PM -
Friday, June 16th, 1995:
So here it is
my first full shift. To start things out,
I look for the generic weekend jingle so I
can say my name over it...and it's not
there. I probably looked for another 5
minutes when...
...I realize
that I have my own. Can you believe it.
The
big-ass voice of WTVN made me my own
open.
Then I go into the lounge and the memo
announcement of an opening for the weekend
position is gone. Hello I think I got the
job. Boy, that put me on a high. The night
went great. A few screw ups but overall,
it really is easy.
To the
day, 13 years, a lifetime ago, and a huge
moment in my life.
To say I was
running on "youth" then is to say the least. To be a
teenager in, not only a man's world, but an OLD man's
world - is a little nuts. At 19 I was doing talk on
the biggest talk station in town with people twice my
age - and each day I couldn't believe how lucky I was.
That moment, that moment 13 years ago today literally
gave me chills. I can't tell you how glad I am it's
been saved because I can remember that feeling like it
was yesterday. I could only play it once an hour and
wanted to play on a LOOP I was so excited. I had heard
Scott Kahler's voice my entire childhood not knowing
his name and now HE knew MY name. That voice. That
"big-ass" voice of GOD.
Scott Kahler
wasn't just an announcer - he was the Production
Director for the station. In charge of everything on
the air that wasn't music and/or talk content. The
bumpers/commercials/promos he directed it all. And it
was only a matter of time before he came up to me and
said: "You're quite good at production Adam" and it
was indeed an honor. As the months would pass and I
took more and more risks I would talk with him and he
simply couldn't have been more gracious. He took me
under his wing, would assign me more creative spots to
do, and loved The Boyles. Heh. He was a tall man,
heavy smoker and he actually did sound like that.
Seriously - the man didn't do a thing to his voice in
post, he was born to speak.
Last year however,
out of the blue - he contacted me. He had been let go
by the big corporate giants (Jaycor became Clear
Channel) and was doing free-lance work and he looked
me up. He had found my work and was as absolutely
floored and just gushed. It was like a father. The
coolest thing was when he saw Up & Adam and
offered me his demo. I was thrilled. I could have him
as the announcer! !!!
"If you want
anything from me I'll do it now for no money. You
are extremely talented and I'd be honored to latch
onto your star. You're going to the top. I gotta
ask, are the powers that be aware that EVERYHING in
your projects are all you?"
I still really
couldn't believe the HE was saying this to ME. Even a
dozen years later, that "stature" is almost impossible
to switch. I replied:
"First
off... you gotta know that the pure romanticism of
us both getting treated like shit by WTVN and then
working together is just too much.
LOL.
I'm serious
about this - I'll find a way to make this happen.
ANd of course you'll get paid. Let's see how things
go in NY - how the "rumors" go with the YouTUbe
Test Show (I'm telling you - the other networks
THINKING the show is gonna be on, may do more than
I could ever do here...) and we'll keep in touch.
And about
the powers that be - some do some dont. You'd be
amazed how many emails I get - "You guys are so
lucky to have gotten on the price is right set!".
But some of the people at CBS (not the higher ups)
don't know it's one guy. I enjoy that actually...
but they really have no idea just how hard it is to
pull off."
Of course that was
back in September and nothing ended up coming of it.
When I got the news that CBS might be going another
round, last Wednesday I emailed him to see if I
couldn't get him involved in the opening. His voice is
just golden and the exposure would help him. His email
came back, I googled his name, and found that he
passed away in late March.
Out of the blue at
61. It was just a kick in the stomach. In classic
radio form of course there are zero pictures of him on
the net since the freaking 60s. I can still see
him in there though... Whew. Anyway, I kept it to
myself for a day or so... and then BAM comes
Friday.
Russert dying was
just another slap in the face that was completely
unexpected. The relationships we form with people
(even if one-sided) are so much a part of us.
Especially after THIS primary season Russert was just
so incredibly straight about it all. That was what was
so nice - you really felt he was interested in the
truth. Yes there's sides to every issue, but the truth
is unbiased. And he had a lifetime of proving that.
It's like he said with the primary numbers making it
impossible for Hillary. Something along the lines of:
"16 years ago when I said the exact same thing about
her husband months before the primary was over - I was
a genius. Now I'm biased?" Heh. He's just someone that
I always depended on to be straight forward and what a
loss it will be for anyone interested in politics. And
was he ever not happy? Goddamn that man smiled
constantly. I'm just gonna miss him. And watching the
coverage this weekend reminded me of my feelings for
Scott Kahler. Of anyone I've ever worked with - he was
my Tim Russert. Bigger than life, warmer than your own
family sometimes, and the guy you always tried to
impress and live up to. He set the standard and you
did all you could to even come close. So hearing the
fellow co-workers talk about him really hit a
chord...
...and of course I
had to call my dad 3 times this weekend for random "I
love you"'s. LOL. I mean WOW - the whole Father's Day
thing, and his relationship with HIS dad and HIS
son... just this overwhelming "HEY - CALL YOUR DAD".
LOL. Dad Dad Dad. It's funny, I didn't even do it
lovingly either. I was just like: "Hey dad, uhm - so
for crying out loud I love you already" LMAO. If you
weren't on MSNBC at all this week that probably won't
make sense but suffice it to say - it's been
wall-to-wall coverage, hour after hour - and if it
wasn't so tragic you'd swear it was a Hallmark scheme
to sell Father's Day cards. I got my dad the 2 Russert
books out of GUILT because of how intense the coverage
was. LOL. IT WORKED ALREADY. Please. STOP.
Heh.
So anyway, had to
put in my 2 cents on the whole thing and express my
deep sadness for Scott's passing. He provided me with
an incredible moment in my life and continued to lift
me up even a decade later. I'm so sorry I won't get to
work with him, but I feel privileged to have had the
opportunity to in the past.
