I, too, enjoyed Joe Lacina and Eddie Hubbard referenced in the thread below. This leads to a broader discussion of a certain type of radio personality which, in my opinion, is not heard often enough on 21st century American radio.
I've always loved those conversational, companionable on-air hosts. They didn't resort to histrionics, weren't defined by "bits", didn't shock or outrage, and didn't serve merely as a conduit for hot "lifestyle" chatter.
These were the guys who spoke to us as friends, with a style and eloquence that was uniquely their own. They usually had pleasing voices, a good command of the English language, and communicated to the listener either/both a sense of community and a shared enthusisam for the music.
Personally speaking, I love to hear an air personality who is completely involved with the music he/she's presenting. I don't care for pop culture and I'm not interested in what a jock has to say about politics. There's plenty of room for that stuff on talk radio.
This weekend, I'm in Palm Springs, California, listening to Scott Ellsworth on KWXY-FM. He's on Saturday and Sunday evenings with a 6 hour show each night of jazz and big bands. His show is called "Scott's Place," and that's excatly what it is. Beyond the superb music, it's also Scott's wonderful enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge of the genre. He's a supremely skilled broadcaster who shares background info on the artists and the recordings in bite-sized nuggets just long enough to keep you interested. Last night he spoke about the Count Basie band. He told a story of how Basie had his rhythm section rehearse separately from the rest of the band, and how that, in part, accounts for that big "beat" that was so much a part of the Basie performances. It's that kind of story-telling that music-lovers enjoy hearing and brings them closer to the artists they revere.
Scott, to his credit, doesn't present himself as an "announcer." He's laid-back, friendly, with a warm smile in his voice, sounding like the guy who could be sitting next to you at the piano bar.
It's a shame that KWXY-FM doesn't stream on the Internet, because I know that you guys who read this board would love this station and some of its hosts.
Much is written today about the growing importance of "content" to FM stations. There's all this talk about how "content" - the stuff between the songs - will be crucial to the survival of AM and FM radio in the digital world. Sadly, guys like Scott Ellsworth, who are brimming over with content,will likely be overlooked simply because they follow their passion and choose to work in a genre that is now considered demographically undesirable.
Youth-targeted formats and young broadcasters would do well to listen to guys like Scott Ellsworth and adapt what he does to their own radio. Focus on the music, become an expert, and share your joy with fellow music fans. Forget the re-caps of what happened on last night's reality TV show. No need to share what happened between you and your girlfriend last weekend. Lose the goofy stunts. Be real, be friendly, be an enthusiastic authority on the music you're presenting.
Joe Lacina, Eddie Hubbard, William B. Williams (of WNEW), and many more of the genre understood the essence of conversational, adult music radio. Today you can listen to Jonathan Schwartz with his one-of-a-kind presentation of standards on XM and WNYC.org.
I'm not suggesting that today's young broadcasters should try to sound like these guys. But I believe these old-timers offer a lesson in the value of simply being a friend on the radio and being a knowledgeable music fan who communicates a shared enthusiasm for the artists and their performances. It's this kind of "content" that today's FM music stations can build on.
Nick Gerard
I've always loved those conversational, companionable on-air hosts. They didn't resort to histrionics, weren't defined by "bits", didn't shock or outrage, and didn't serve merely as a conduit for hot "lifestyle" chatter.
These were the guys who spoke to us as friends, with a style and eloquence that was uniquely their own. They usually had pleasing voices, a good command of the English language, and communicated to the listener either/both a sense of community and a shared enthusisam for the music.
Personally speaking, I love to hear an air personality who is completely involved with the music he/she's presenting. I don't care for pop culture and I'm not interested in what a jock has to say about politics. There's plenty of room for that stuff on talk radio.
This weekend, I'm in Palm Springs, California, listening to Scott Ellsworth on KWXY-FM. He's on Saturday and Sunday evenings with a 6 hour show each night of jazz and big bands. His show is called "Scott's Place," and that's excatly what it is. Beyond the superb music, it's also Scott's wonderful enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge of the genre. He's a supremely skilled broadcaster who shares background info on the artists and the recordings in bite-sized nuggets just long enough to keep you interested. Last night he spoke about the Count Basie band. He told a story of how Basie had his rhythm section rehearse separately from the rest of the band, and how that, in part, accounts for that big "beat" that was so much a part of the Basie performances. It's that kind of story-telling that music-lovers enjoy hearing and brings them closer to the artists they revere.
Scott, to his credit, doesn't present himself as an "announcer." He's laid-back, friendly, with a warm smile in his voice, sounding like the guy who could be sitting next to you at the piano bar.
It's a shame that KWXY-FM doesn't stream on the Internet, because I know that you guys who read this board would love this station and some of its hosts.
Much is written today about the growing importance of "content" to FM stations. There's all this talk about how "content" - the stuff between the songs - will be crucial to the survival of AM and FM radio in the digital world. Sadly, guys like Scott Ellsworth, who are brimming over with content,will likely be overlooked simply because they follow their passion and choose to work in a genre that is now considered demographically undesirable.
Youth-targeted formats and young broadcasters would do well to listen to guys like Scott Ellsworth and adapt what he does to their own radio. Focus on the music, become an expert, and share your joy with fellow music fans. Forget the re-caps of what happened on last night's reality TV show. No need to share what happened between you and your girlfriend last weekend. Lose the goofy stunts. Be real, be friendly, be an enthusiastic authority on the music you're presenting.
Joe Lacina, Eddie Hubbard, William B. Williams (of WNEW), and many more of the genre understood the essence of conversational, adult music radio. Today you can listen to Jonathan Schwartz with his one-of-a-kind presentation of standards on XM and WNYC.org.
I'm not suggesting that today's young broadcasters should try to sound like these guys. But I believe these old-timers offer a lesson in the value of simply being a friend on the radio and being a knowledgeable music fan who communicates a shared enthusiasm for the artists and their performances. It's this kind of "content" that today's FM music stations can build on.
Nick Gerard