What Other Shows Have I Done?
That's a good questions! My first show was called the "Friday Night Music Extravaganza!" which ran Friday Nights, 8 - 10 for about 3 Months, then expanded to 8 - Midnight, and eventually became an all night show. I finally stopped doing it in 1979, when I was sent to Alberta to work in the Oil Field. (I was gone for 2 years)
Upon my return to Newfoundland in the spring of 1981, I again went to CHMR to sign on for a show. Unfortunately, there were no slots open, and as I wasn't a Student, There was no priority for me to get a show, so for the next three years I did Fill in shows. I also did a couple of appearances on "Piracy of the Airwaves" which went over very well! (I was the only Piracy DJ to get Fan mail, if you can believe that!)
Then something happened that completely soured my taste for radio. In the summer of 1983, I was hired by a Local Commercial Radio Station, as a DJ. When I was hired, I was told that I would be working for the summer, and if my work was good, I would be kept on at the flagship station permanently. So I applied myself, I really tried my best to create an interesting and entertaining show...
Then it happened!
I submitted a test tape, (which was good enough to put me on the air) but the programmer took me aside as if I had done something wrong, and said, "Look Terry. This is commercial radio. That means you don't have to be good. You don't have to be interesting. And you don't have to be entertaining. Just play your F*****G commercials on time!"
Now anyone who has listened to my shows would know that I put alot of effort into producing unique and interesting programs. This was an absolute Mind Blower!
A few days later, I was shipped out to a minor satelite station (A Country Station at that) and told it was part of my training, and I would eventually return to the main station. I went, even though I knew Nothing about Country Music! I mean, I go from Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin and The Beatles, to Waylon, Willy and Dolly in one fell swoop. It was a shock to the system!
But I figured, it's just for training, so why not roll with the punches, and do my best! Eventually, my patience should pay off with a choice slot on the big station... so I went! (BIG Mistake)
There are work environments that you just know are wrong. From the moment I walked into the place I knew something was not right. In my first meeting I was told that I was only a Temp, and to follow orders and keep my nose clean. "You're not on MUN now" I was told by one of the DJ's, "There are actually people listening to you now." (How little they knew)
So I dug in, and went to work. My first shift of duty was middays from 10 am to 2 pm, including a show of "Jigs and Reel's" that had me Reeling! I didn't have a sweet clue what I was playing, and didn't much care for it, but I did my best, played my commercials on time, and threw in a few little extra's to make it more entertaining! One of my first attempts at improving the show was a "Today In History" segment, with humorous undertones. Needless to say, it didn't sit well with the programming director!
I got a pretty good chewing out for it, and told not to do it again. (Ironically enought, 2 days later, the midday DJ at the Flagship station picked up the idea, and ran it for 2 years!
Within two months, I was so frustrated I would counting the minutes until I could get out of there and back to a Rock Station. Then the station manager called me to inform me I was their New Permanent DJ, and one of the local regulars would be taking my place in St. Johns.
The prospect of being stuck there permanently was too much! I Asked to be transfered, and was told no. I demanded to be transfered and again told no. So I quit, and was told that if I quit, I would loose the two weeks pay that had been held back on me...
It was getting uglier all the time! So, I went into the Library, took out a copy of the song "Junk Food Junkie", which was banned for air play because it mentioned brand name fast foods in the lyrics, and that was considered "Free Advertising". I qued it up, and played it, back to back, until they fired me!
The still didn't pay me the two weeks they held back, but you know... it was worth it to get away from them!
I went back to CHMR and happily did "Music Mania" up until the station went FM. With the new system, there were a flood of applications for Students to be DJ's. Being a Non-student, I was out again.
Then in 1997 the station needed DJ's, and I went back with Cosmic Debris... The rest (As they say) is History!
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