Happy In Bag

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Static













I often say that I listen to radio the way most people watch TV.

Yesterday I was reminded that KPRS considers songs from 2005 to be throwback jams, heard Glenn Beck obsess over Hillary Clinton, marveled at Steve Harvey's attack on Sarah Palin, laughed when "The Rock" played Jackyl and wondered why NPR ran a feature about fish photography.

That's entertainment.

When I was an impressionable kid in the pre-internet, pre-cable era, KCMO served as one of my most important teachers. A goofball named Mike Murphy introduced me to Kansas City's most notable personalities. His program was followed by local call-in psychologist Marshall Saper. It was through him that I learned that people have a knack for making their lives very complicated.

6 Comments:

  • At 9:53 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I also loved radio from an early age, and spent many late nights listening to the same programs.

    I remember Chuck Nasty at Q104 when it played top 40, and the dance party known as Exit 54 at Worlds Of Fun that Q104 would do on Friday nights.

    I also remember listening to Beezer on Z-rock, and thinking what trouble I would be in if I got caught.

    What about ZZ99? That station was great as well.

    Late nights when I couldn't sleep I learned about life from Harvey Ruben and Bruce Williams. I was the weird kid who loved talk radio.

    My grandparents introduced me to Marshall Saper on the road to our weekend trips to Pomme de Terre Lake. I later learned that Saper could have used some help, as he himself sadly committed suicide.

    Ahhh, the memories. Thanks Happy, I needed that this morning.

     
  • At 10:17 AM, Blogger WLIB said…

    Growing up in Sioux Falls it was Wayne Pritchard in the morning (which means nothing to anybody anymore) and Bill Pierce's Nightsounds in the evening.

    Chuck Nasty. Back in the early 90s, I worked at a bar mitzvah at Oakwood Country Club in south KC where he was the DJ for the party. It was kind of disturbing to watch him lead a crowd of pre-teens shouting "Me so horny!"

    And what's up with that fish photography piece yesterday. You're too kind. It made me want to hurl the radio against the wall.

     
  • At 11:00 AM, Blogger kcmeesha said…

    I always listen to the radio. I listened even before I came here, state radio was hardwired in every apartment, Radio Free Europe, BBC, Voice of America (all scrambled). In US I started with Oldies'95. Since it played the same 12 songs it helped me learn English;then I switched to talk radio and listening to it ever since -anything from Mike Murphy to Art Bell,Rush, all the afternoon talk shows. Johnny Dare in the morning, used to listen to Imus before he got canned.

     
  • At 1:17 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I loved the interaction between Murphy and Saper before Marshall's show would begin. My only worry was that the Doc might accidentally heal the Murph and then where would we be.

     
  • At 3:57 PM, Blogger bgo said…

    Long, long gone are days of WHB and late night listening to KAAY and WLS.

    These days I stream radio from all over the globe.

    I need my WWOZ, KEXP, KGSR, et al

    I only listen to radio in family heap.

     
  • At 6:41 PM, Blogger WLIB said…

    bgo - what is "in family heap," pray tell? Sounds like something puppies do. :)

     

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