Chicago Radio Spotlight: Dean Richards

Dean Richards does it all for WGN radio (entertainment reporter, weekend show host, production director), and is the entertainment reporter for WGN-TV Morning News.






COMPLETE RADIO-OGRAPHY

1975, WLTD, Evanston (I was Chuck Schaden's engineer and got to read the weather on his original "Those Were The Days" show.)

1976, WMRO/WAUR, Aurora (a west suburban version of WGN and an automated FM station where I recorded voice tracks that were always out of sequence with the songs.)

1978, WFYR, Chicago (Evenings during the Fred Winston era at this great full service A/C)

1980, WCFL, Chicago (Evenings. For a Chicago kid, one of my boyhood dreams come true. I was a pimply-faced dork who used to hang out in the viewing room watching the jocks do their shows through the narrow windows at their Marina City studios.)

1984, WCLR, Chicago (Production Director and Weekend talent, A/C)

1986, ABC Radio Network (Program Director of StarStation, their adult contemporary format heard on 225 stations nationwide and midday talent)

1990, WNUA, Chicago (Mornings/Smooth Jazz)

1991-Present, WGN-TV Chicago/National (Staff announcer, Illinois Lottery Talent, in 1999 brought on to “WGN News at Noon” and then “WGN Morning News” as an entertainment critic/reporter)

1994-Present, WGN-AM Chicago (Another boyhood dream come true. Production Director/Announcer, Weekend Host, Weekday fill-in host)




Rick: My first question is, I think, an obvious one. You work on WGN Morning News on television, you do production at WGN radio during the day, you appear on Steve Cochran's afternoon show on WGN, and you have to go out at night to cover events as an entertainment reporter. When and where do you sleep?

Dean: And don't forget the interviews and screenings during the day and the weekend press junkets. If you've ever seen me in a restaurant after a nice meal or in a really dull movie, you know where I get my sleep. I guess you really have to love what you do to keep this pace. It is pretty busy but most days are fun. Thank goodness we have great makeup people and barrels of concealer.


Rick: I saw that the New York Times called you "Tribune Company's Man of Many Hats." Which of those hats is your favorite one to wear?

Dean: Like Dorothy Tillman, I love my hats for a variety of reasons. The "radio hat" allows me to dig into subjects with some depth. WGN is unique in that we have a lot of freedom to choose our own topics and how we present them.

The "TV hat " is what has re-energized my creativity. Learning a whole new way of writing and doing what I've done for 20 years was great. It helped me find my writing voice, not to mention being part of the best morning show in the country.

The "print hat" is the most challenging. I've told stories all of my professional life with audio and video so when I have to rely strictly on words, it's an entirely different kind of expression.

Rick: You've been at WGN for so long that people may not remember your distinguished DJ career (WCFL, WNUA, WFYR). Do you miss doing music radio at all? And what were some of the highlights of those days looking back at it now?

Dean: I don't miss music radio at all, especially in the state that it's in now. Toward the end of my WNUA days, I really had gotten pretty fed up with playing the same old songs, over and over and over. Couple that with the repetitive songs of Kenny G (photo) and Yanni, and you'll appreciate why I was at the end of my rope. It's got to be frustrating for jocks now since most stations are now so tight-listed with very little opportunity for talent to be talent. Most managers don't know how to motivate their talent to do great performances so the next best thing they do is to shut them up and shove liner cards in front of them. It's very sad and probably why alternative sources of music programming are making such inroads.

The best music station at which I worked was WFYR. Every show featured great talent. Don Kelly and Dave Martin were my program directors that really knew how to motivate talent to go for greatness everyday. The management was amazing. The news department (yes, at a music station) was second to none. Plus, being owned by RKO/General Tire, we got great discounts on steel-belted radials.


Rick: You've been in the market for 30 plus years. Who are some of the people on the air that influenced your own style, and who are some of the radio performers you most admire?


Dean: My early radio heroes were the WLS and WCFL top jocks of the day. Art Roberts, Ron Riley, Dick Biondi, Ron Britain and Barney Pip were my first radio awarenesses. I studied their every move. I had a pretend radio station in my basement where I'd do my version of their shows with a phonograph and tape recorder (dork again.) As I got older, it was all about Larry Lujack and Fred Winston (photo). Imagine how excited I was to get to work with Fred and become friends with him. I'd be embarrassed to listen to my earliest airchecks and hear how much of a bad rip-off of both I was. I can't believe someone didn't slap me!

Growing up here, my parents always had WGN on. Their classic talent lineup is still unmatched; Wally Phillips, Bob Collins, Roy Leonard, Eddie Schwartz. I probably developed my sense of broadcast responsibility from them. I also think that every radio person in Chicago over the past 25 years has been influenced by Steve Dahl. You have to admire how he pushed the envelope and opened up new horizons for all of us.

Rick: You regularly interview some of the biggest stars in the world. Who are some of your favorites and who have been some of the most difficult to deal with?

Dean: 95% of the celebs are pretty nice. (photo: Dean surprises Halle Berry with a tin of Garrett's Popcorn) They've got a job to do. They know I've got a job to do and we all co-exist perfectly. Through the years, I’ve gotten to know a lot of them so it's almost like visiting friends than interviewing movie stars. The best have been Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Diane Keaton, Bonnie Hunt (most of the Chicago people, in fact); they're down to earth, nice people. I could easily go on in my life without ever talking to Meg Ryan (condescending), Tommy Lee Jones (nasty), Debra Winger (confrontational) or the always-annoying Helen Hunt again.

Rick: Let's talk about the WGN-TV morning show. I think that's such a talented staff you've accumulated there. Who really runs that show, and who is responsible for creating the atmosphere of fun that comes through on the air?

Dean: It's the management that's smart enough to not mess around (too often) with something that’s working. It's a crew of incredibly talented people in front of and behind the cameras ; all working to make great TV everyday. Our morning show reminds me in a way of the TV show “M*A*S*H.” It's a bunch of constantly exhausted, irreverent, talented people, who know when to be serious and know when it's O.K. to goof around. There's an honesty to our show that seems to make it so refreshing.

We all contribute. We all are heard but Larry, Robin and Paul set the tone around which everything else must flow. Our producers and writers are amazing. My producer, Tyra Martin, is a Godsend. Segment producer, Jeff Hoover (photo) is the class clown who comes up with some of the show’s funniest bits. I also love Ana, Pat and Val. It's really like a family, sometimes dysfunctional, all working toward the same goal. Plus, it's really unusual to have such great talent who happen to also be great people in real life. We're all friends and have each other's backs.

Rick: I know that Randy Salerno was a former colleague of yours. Talk about how the news of his death affected the WGN newsroom.

Dean: There was a tangible shockwave that came over the newsroom the morning when we learned of Randy’s tragic accident. He worked with many of us for 11 years. The entire tone of the show changed as we suddenly had to put our emotions aside and report on the top story of the day, which also happened to be something that affected us all personally. There were quite a few tears that morning. It was similar to the day at WGN Radio when Bob Collins died.

For me, Randy was one of the first people in the newsroom to encourage me in my transition from radio to TV. His desk was across from mine and when our schedules had us there at the sam e time, he'd be merciless when something sucked and tremendously supportive when something was great. His sarcasm and wit were always on, commenting on everything and everyone that came to his mind. His skill and professionalism was contagious. He was a great guy.

Rick: You hosted and co-produced a television show that I think will become a classic for people of my generation: "Bozo, Gar, & Ray ". How did that show come about, and what kind of a reaction have you gotten?

Dean: ”Bozo, Gar & Ray: WGN TV Classics” was the brainchild of George Pappas . Aside from his duties in the WGN-TV programming department, he is the station's unofficial historian. It was George who somehow found and literally screened hundreds of tapes to find the best clips to include in the show. George pitched the show to the station and they realized the value of it. He and I wrote the show. Jeff Hoover and our amazing editor, Terry Bates, added their considerable talents to the show, piecing together what, we're all proud to say, has become a very special program to a lot of people.

The results have surpassed anything we could have imagined. We knew there'd be a nostalgic reaction to seeing all of the old clips but we were especially overwhelmed by the emotional response we received from people all over the country who grew up with these shows. We’ve even heard from people that didn't grow up here, who’ve made the show’s annual airing a holiday tradition of their own. Last year was the third year it’s aired. The ratings and response remain strong. It was a true labor of love.

Rick: Now that you've done it all, I have to ask you--what's left? Where do you see your career going from here?

Dean: Hell, I'm the voice of Victory Auto Wreckers. What more is there for me?

Some Help For Lent

I have a phone number for all of my fellow Catholics. Who has time to go to church for confession during this very busy Lenten season?

Call up this toll-free number in Ireland and they can give you a hand...The Catholic Confession Hotline

Media Notebook (February 7, 2008)

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer







The Sumner Redstone Tribute Gala
(Portfolio.com) I don't know why I find this article to be absolutely hilarious. Liz Gunnison writes: "Sumner Redstone, executive chairman of Viacom and CBS Corp., will be the man of the hour at the black-tie gala tonight. One wonders whether the Paley Center is finding it more difficult than usual to drum up friends and colleagues to speak well of the guest of honor. Redstone has long been an influential presence in the industry to be sure, but he isn't exactly the most popular media tycoon on the block. Of the eight special attendees listed by the Paley Center, four are more or less on Redstone's payroll: Andy Rooney and Bob Schieffer from CBS News, and Marlo Thomas and Frank McCourt, who are authors published by CBS Corp.'s Simon & Schuster imprint...But former C.E.O.'s Tom Freston and Frank Biondi, both of whom were pushed out by Redstone, may not feel they owe him tribute. Nor is Mel Karmazin likely to do so. He got so fed up with Redstone's backseat driving that he walked out of the C-suite in 2004 and didn't look back...Jon Stewart (who is employed by CBS Corp.'s Comedy Central), was originally slated to host the evening — an odd choice considering his public support of the striking writers. Unfortunately, Stewart backed out last week due to a "busy schedule" as he writes his own show and prepares to host the Academy Awards. Another CBS employee, Charlie Rose, will pinch hit."
(Rick's note: If only someone had written a novel about the kind of people who run the media business today. Oh wait, what's that below...)


CLICK HERE




Vanity Fair cancels it's Oscar Party
(People) Brian Orloff writes: "The annual Vanity Fair Oscar party is the latest casualty of the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. The magazine has decided to cancel its annual bash on Academy Awards night. 'After much consideration, and in support of the writers and everyone else affected by this strike, we have decided that this is not the appropriate year to hold our annual Oscar party,' the magazine said in a statement. 'We want to congratulate all of this year's nominees and we look forward to hosting our 15th Oscar party next year.'"


Ferguson to host White House Correspondent's Dinner
(Washington Examiner) Dufor and Gavin write: Craig Ferguson, host of CBS’s “The Late, Late Show,” has been tapped as the entertainment for this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Hollywood sources tell us the details are still being finalized but Ferguson is expected to discuss his participation this week on “The Late, Late Show.” Ferguson seems to be a choice that splits the middle ground between Stephen Colbert and Rich Little. Colbert, who performed two years ago, made some pols and journos squirm when his edgy material, according to some, violated the event’s unspoken rule: You may poke, but not pierce. On the other extreme, Little’s performance last year was both polite and harmless, but it also came off as dated and irrelevant (and not that funny). For his part, Ferguson tends to play it safe on his late night show."
(Rick's note: He may play it somewhat safe, but Ferguson's monologue is the funniest 15 minutes of television every night.)





CLICK HERE






Should Reporters Be Allowed To Vote For President?
Two Views...
Jon Friedman argues "Yes"
Steve Rhodes argues "No"



Progress Toward Ending Writer's Strike
(NY Times) Michael Cieply writes: "Informal talks between representatives of Hollywood’s striking writers and production companies have eliminated the major roadblocks to a new contract, which could lead to a tentative agreement, according to people who were briefed on the situation but requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak. A deal would end a crippling writers strike that is now entering its fourth month. The agreement may come without renewed formal negotiations between the television and movie writers and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, though both sides still need to agree on specific language of key provisions. If that process goes smoothly, an agreement may be presented to the governing boards of the striking Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East, the people said. The breakthrough occurred Friday after two weeks of closed-door discussions between the sides. Even if approved by leaders of the guilds, a deal would require ratification by a majority of the more than 10,000 active guild members."


Yahoo still considering Microsoft's offer
(Reuters) Yahoo Inc said it may take "quite a bit of time" to weigh its strategic options, including keeping the company independent, following Microsoft Corp's $45 billion offer to buy the company. In a weekend posting on the company's Web site, Yahoo said it was undertaking a deliberate review of Microsoft's unsolicited offer to pay Yahoo shareholders either $31 in cash, or 0.9509 of a share of Microsoft common stock. The review "will include evaluating all of the Company's strategic alternatives including maintaining Yahoo! as an independent company," the posting said. "A review process like this is fluid, and it can take quite a bit of time."


CLICK HERE



Fox TV executive named head of Tribune Broadcasting
(LA Times) Meg James writes: "Veteran television executive Ed Wilson will become president next week of Tribune Broadcasting, stepping into a job that carries the task of re-energizing 23 TV stations that have been squeezed in recent years by falling advertising sales. Wilson, currently president of News Corp.'s Fox TV network, is among the first high-level appointments for Tribune Co. Chairman Sam Zell and the company's executive vice president, Randy Michaels. Chicago-based Tribune was taken private in late December in an $8.2-billion buyout engineered by Zell and made in conjunction with an employee stock ownership plan...Wilson's last day with Fox will be Friday. He will join Tribune next Monday, replacing John E. Reardon, who spent 22 years with Tribune, including eight as general manager of KTLA. Reardon, 54, is expected to leave the company."


ABC joins Fox, CBS in fighting fleeting expletives appeal
(Radio Online) ABC is throwing its hat in the ring and will team with CBS and Fox to ask the U.S. Supreme Court not to review a lower-court decision that said the FCC failed to justify its fleeting profanity rules. ABC joins CBS and Fox after it was hit with a $1.4 million indecency ruling last week for an episode of "NYPD Blue" that showed the profile and backside of a naked woman. ABC plans to add its name to the Supreme Court petition, while NBC is reportedly filing its own brief, even though none of its TV shows are involved."





CLICK HERE






AFTRA Board votes to end SAG joint bargaining agreement
(Radio Ink) In an move that the union said "set the stage for AFTRA to move forward on its own in negotiating new collective bargaining agreements for members," the American Federation of Television and Radio Artist's national board has approved a resolution to end AFTRA's joint bargaining agreement with the Screen Actors Guild. The "Phase 1" bargaining agreement has been in place since 1981, but the board takes the position that SAG abrogated the agreement in July 2007, when it instituted "bloc voting," under which all SAG members on the unions' joint bargaining committee vote unanimously on all issues under consideration -- a move that some believe was designed to minimize AFTRA's influence. SAG denies that its move to bloc voting violated the Phase 1 agreement.


An interview with DreX
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This past weekend I interviewed the morning man at WKSC, Kiss-FM 103.5 in Chicago. We talked about his web innovation "DreXVizzzion," the origin of his name, and much more. This coming weekend: an interview with WGN's Dean Richards.

Suburban Man: The Right Question

By Rick Kaempfer



I find that extracting information from the boys is one of the most difficult things to do. You can’t ask them generic questions (”How was school? Did you have fun?”) and expect anything more than generic answers (”Fine.” “Yup.”)

That’s why my wife and I challenge each other to come up with very specific questions to ask them instead. It’s amazing what comes out when you ask questions they aren’t expecting. The other day my wife hit a home run when she asked our five year old son Sean a question that I never would have asked.

(To understand the conversation, you need to know a few things. The boys call my mom “Oma.” That’s the German word for grandma. She watches Sean two afternoons a week.)

Bridget: Do you ever watch TV at Oma’s house?

Sean: All the time.

Bridget: What do you watch?

Sean: Oma’s stories.

Bridget: Do you know the names of the stories?

Sean: All My Children on ABC.

Bridget: Do people kiss on that show?

Sean: Uh huh. And they sleep a lot.

Bridget: You mean they’re in bed?

Sean: Uh huh.

Bridget: What are they wearing?

Sean: Nothing.

Bridget: Really?

Sean: But it just looks like nothing. They’re really wearing underpants.

Bridget: What kind of underpants?

Sean: Skin colored.

Bridget: What else do they do on that show?

Sean: One guy went to jail because he showed his butt to everyone in the world.

Bridget: Do you like that show?

Sean: No. But the butt was funny. (laughs)

This originally appeared on my blog at NWI Parent, "Father Knows Nothing." If you haven't yet checked out "Father Knows Nothing", there are several new columns there that I haven't shared here at Suburban Man headquarters.

Click here to see them.

Monday Musings

Every Monday stop by for jokes, links to stories you might have missed, amusing photos and video, and more. Contributions and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Click on the "Email Me" link on the right to contribute.



Joke of the Week: Contributed by "D"



After the big Super Bowl party, Doug figured he better spend some quality time with his wife. He climbs upstairs, walks in the bedroom and crawls into bed.

"Alright honey," he says, "Give me a play you want me to run."

"How about foreplay?" his wife replies.

"What's the foreplay?" says Doug.

"You know," the wife says, "It happens before the two minute warning."




Stories You Might Have Missed


1. Uh oh. Study links binge drinking to learning trouble
(And not just recent binge drinking either. Read the examples of how it can manifest itself in your daily life years later. You may be saying "Uh oh" too.)


2. New slogan for the Blackhawks
(The real slogan is "Commit to the Indian." The Beachwood Reporter reveals the other slogans considered by the Blackhawks.)

3. Two white female CNN anchors joke about a reverse Oreo sandwich with black male CNN anchor

4. For those of you who think you can talk your way out of a ticket
(A woman in Tampa makes illegal U-turn to attend to vomiting three year old and gets a ticket anyway.)

5. Airline for German nudists
(You don't want to know how you qualify for seats in first class)





Video of the week: Just in time for Super Tuesday: Hillary's inner Tracy Flick. Contributed by "B"









Picture of the week: Just in time for Super Tuesday. A Hillary bumper sticker from my Republican friend "T"


















Reader Response

Regarding "Wacky Remedies"


"Just read your bit about putting Vick's vapo-rub on the feet when you're sick. It's because it has eucalyptus in it. When I got tired of running to the doctor for antibiotics, I took a cue from a co-worker who swore herbal remedies worked. Not convinced, I read up on everything with anti-viral/anti-bacterial properties in it, and saw many similar results come up, including but not limited to echinacea, ginger, horseradish, tea tree oil, and eucalyptus oil. Herbal remedies are also popular among serious yoga practitioners, and I was pretty into it at the time. Some of my reading about the body, exercise, health foods and remedies showed links to putting some of these anti-viral essential oils on the feet because it somehow allows quicker absorption into the blood stream, and therefore, to quicker recovery. (That is, you can't touch it to your skin alone, but just a few drops with a "carrier oil" or lots of lotion, or it will burn you.) I haven't taken a pharmaceutical antibiotic in a couple of years. Never would have thought an OTC product would be pure enough to be absorbed like an essential oil, though. I throw about 3 drops of it in my humidifier and the shower every day. You can get them for decent prices at Whole Foods. Neat, huh?"
--L


Regarding "Severance"

"I finished your book and would call it cynically brilliant! I was laughing out loud at points and couldn't get through it fast enough. Are you working on the screenplay? When I finished the book the first thing that popped into my head was that this would have been a great Robert Altman (too bad he's dead) movie with a bit part for Will Ferrell as the goofball son out in California."
--R

Chicago Radio Spotlight: DreX

Drex is the host of the morning show at Kiss-FM 103.5.







COMPLETE RADIO-OGRAPHY

Started at Q106(WQXA) York/Lancaster/Harrisburg. Then off to San Antonio to new rocker KXZL...which debuted and beat Heritage rocker KISS in one book! Really. Then to KSJO...Then back to SA to do nights at KTFM, then to KISS in Dallas, then back to SA to be PD/Aft drive, then help Elvis launch Q102 in Philly...then Power 96 (WHYT/Detroit mornings)...then back to KTFM, to drop the music and begin all-talk...then to KISS/Chicago!

Note: This interview was conducted live via video on the Internet—something DreX is calling "DreX-Vizzzion." This is a slightly edited version of our DreX-Vizzzion interview. (For those of you spelling it at home, that's spelled with three z's.)

Rick: So is the deflowering of a new concept?

DreX: It's the soft deflowering. It's still in beta form right now.

Rick: How do you plan on using it?

DreX: I'm just going to turn the camera on in my apartment when big news hits, and let it fly from my living room. It's gonna be totally live, totally voyeuristic, and hopefully, totally addicting.

Rick: Just whenever? How will people know to tune in?

DreX: We'll either let them know with an e-mail or if it's a big story I might call in to the radio station to let people know, but hopefully people will catch on and check it out on their own.

Rick: The website says 1 p.m, Monday through Thursday, but I take it you'll be doing it at other times too (this interview was conducted around 11:15 a.m).

DreX: Whenever I feel like it. I read all this stuff about radio people worrying that other technology will take over radio—but I say you gotta totally embrace the new technology. I embrace it. I love being innovative and changing and I'm all about the pop culture. It can take you to another level if you do it right. This will either be great or the end of my career. (laughs)

Rick: So, can I ask you a question I've wanted to ask since you arrived in town?

DreX: Shoot.

Rick: What is the origin of the name DreX?

DreX: Ah, that's an evolutionary process over time. I grew up in Pennsylvania (York-Lancaster), and from the time I was 14 or 15 I knew what I wanted to do. I would listen to Chicago radio through the crackling static, guys like John Records Landecker on WLS, and I always wanted to be in Chicago doing radio. I would do anything to get into a radio station—my first job was emptying trash cans, and once I got my foot in the door I worked my way up. By the time I was a senior in high school I was on the air, using my real name (Kevin).

When I was 19 I got hired by Dave Conway, who was a legendary PD, and I drove three days to accept the new gig. When I got there he told me: "You've got two choices. You'll either be known as 'Toasted Tyrone' or 'Mandrex the Magician.' I didn't want to be either, but I talked to my dad and he said, "You have to give a chance. You drove all the way out there." So, I chose Mandrex the Magician. I worked in San Francisco, and Dallas, and San Antonio, and along the way I dropped "the Magician," and then it was eventually shortened to Drex.

Rick: And the capitalization of the "X"?

DreX: That started in San Antonio.

Rick: So how did you arrive in Chicago?

DreX: That's a long story. When I became program director in Texas, I knew I had to get out of there. I hated Texas because of the heat. And I hated being a program director…it's just not my thang. I went to Philly to do nights, which was great because I was finally close to home. But even though things were going great in terms of ratings and everything, one day there was a big falling out, and everyone was fired. That's when it dawned on me that maybe I should think about saving my money.

I did mornings in Detroit for awhile, and I didn't want to go back to Texas, but they offered me the chance to come back to San Antonio for the same money I was making in Detroit—-plus this time I wouldn't have to play any music. That was an offer I couldn't pass up. By 2000, we were hitting #1 in every demo, and we were doing a morning talk show.

Along the way I befriended John Gehron, and he was negotiating with Eddie & Jobo (photo), trying to get them to move to mornings at Kiss-FM. Gehron told me that if those guys decided not to take it, the job was mine. They didn't, and the rest is history. Looking back, I'm so happy CBS decided to pay them so much money. This situation fits me so much better.

Rick: You've been in Chicago now for a few years (since January 2003) and have built up a loyal following…

DreX: I feel very blessed to have it happen here because so many shows come and go. I must admit, I really didn't know that this would be such a tough nut to crack. Very few non-locals make it in Chicago.

Rick: How would you describe your show to those who haven't heard it before?

DreX: I've heard so many definitions of the show, but I guess you'd call it contemporary talk or progressive talk. It's basically talk radio that's specifically targeted to women.



Rick: But when I listen to your show, I hear a lot of guys.

DreX: That's a talk radio phenomenon. The longer you stay on, the more you get other listeners, and if you don't have music to scare people away, you can attract all different ages and genders.

Rick: But when you choose your topics, you're thinking of a predominantly female audience.

DreX: Yes, but I have so many topics in a show it almost doesn't matter. I change my topics every segment unless it's a huge story. You've got to have the intuition to know when something is working…and when it's not working. It really takes a lot of work and homework to come up with that many topics, and we're on now every morning live until 10:30, so we need even that much more. But that's what makes it fun. I have ADD and so does my audience.

I come in with a huge folder of stuff, it's what I do all day long. I go on the Internet, cruising the web, watching The View, all the mags, all the papers, you name it.

Rick: Do you ever wish you still had songs to play just to get a breather?

DreX: No. To get anyone to hold on the phone during a song is impossible. When I did play music, the music just got in the way. About a month before Christmas our studio computers locked up and froze and we were off the air. We were just sitting there listening to the music, and boy does it remind you how long the show is when that's all you have.

Rick: I asked a friend of mine, who is a loyal listener of your show, to describe you. This is what he said: "He's a fan of the most random things: Notre Dame football, American Idol, The Cubs, stinky cheese, pork chops, and he was once kicked in the head by a pet horse! Oh, and he believes in ghosts." Care to comment on any of those observations?

DreX: (laughs) Yeah, it's not easy to describe me. I have not had one successful relationship in my life, and it kills me when people try to pigeonhole me. Is he gay or is he whatever? As far as my personal life there really isn't any—I'm married to my job. The key to this is really, I'm blessed that I have passion. I have a lot of respect for these guys like John Landecker and Steve Dahl (photo), who have stuck it out for so long, and who always found a way to tap into their passion.

Rick: Doing a personality morning show is a 24-hour-a-day job. There's really never a time when you're not thinking about show topics, bits or guests. Take me through your typical work day, in terms of how you do your show prep, who else is involved in the process, and when you know what you'll be doing.

DreX: There are times when the alarm goes off at 4:00 and I think: "you've gotta be kidding me." But these days we're able to get into the studio earlier, and my producer Smash is there at 4:00, and all of the cuts are downloaded and ready to go by the time I get in there, which gives me plenty of time to grid the show myself. (Photo: DreX being botoxed on the air)


Rick: You do it right before the show?

DreX: No. I've got half of it ready to go before I get there. Like right now (it's 11:30 am), I've got half of tomorrow's show planned out. I work on it all day. I sit here and write, write, write…

Rick: Your show has recently undergone some changes. I know it was hit by the Clear Channel budget cuts (Pete), plus another member of your show (Radio Boy) was arrested. How have those two things affected your show?

DreX: Well, Radio Boy wasn't really part of the show. He was a part-time employee who ran the board for me on occasion when Pete wasn't here. But, Pete, that was a tough one. He had been with me for a long time, and although he had come and gone before, he had become the perfect third wheel—plus he was helping me write the show. But his position was eliminated, and there really isn't anything I can do about that. What it has done is it has changed the dynamic of the show from more of an ensemble to a two-person show. On the other hand, it has proven that Mel & I can do the show on our own, and Mel (photo) has really stepped up. You don't have a choice. You can't go and brood about it—especially on the air. That's not really an option. My producer Smash has also brought in an element of organization. And that has really helped too.

Rick: After all these years in radio you've encountered hundreds of celebrities. Are there any that really stand out in your mind, positively or negatively?

DreX: To be honest, I tend to push a lot of music celebrities away, especially the b-list celebrities. I much prefer involving the listeners, and when we really get a topic going, there's nothing better than when I can step back and let the listeners go at each other. When that happens, I say "Thank you God, This is great." The show is really more about doing that than having celebrities. It took people awhile to get used to doing it this way, but now they know to go for it…and I love that. It gives a whole different texture to the show.

As far as worst celebrity encounters, about two years ago on September 11, I was doing a tribute show for the people that lost their lives. I had somebody on the air who was telling this heartbreaking story about losing a family member. Ludacris (photo) had been offered to me that morning and I had said no—because I had this tribute show planned. But he was trying to sell his new CD, and wanted to be on the air, so he showed up anyway.

Basically live on the air, in walks Ludacris, and I said dude, listen I can't do this today. I asked him if he was willing to talk about September 11th? And he said no, so I basically had to kick him out.

Rick: Where do you see yourself going from here? Is Chicago your final destination?

DreX: I'd love to stay here and make the show bigger, and maybe have the company syndicate the show to other markets, but I love Chicago. This is the greatest city, and I love my job. Being at Kiss feels right to me. I'm so happy it worked out the way it did with Eddie & JoBo. Can you imagine me over there or them over here? I'm just excited about the future, and as long as I keep doing things like DreXVizzzion, I hope to stay on the cutting edge.


VIDEO DREX: Nude Hippo interview with DreX

Have a great weekend

We've got big plans this weekend. Pinewood Derby is Saturday. Bridget made another nice car for Johnny this year.


Then Sunday we'll be watching the Super Bowl with a bunch of college buddies. I'm torn. Do I root against those gloating 1972 Dolphins with their unopened bottle of champagne, or do I root against the videotaping cheaters shown below?






Don't forget to check back on Sunday for the latest Chicago Radio Spotlight. This weekend I'm interviewing the morning host at Kiss-FM; DreX.

Media Notebook (Jan 31, 2008)

Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer






Writers & Studios nearing a deal
(LA Times) Verrier and Eller write: "Hollywood's striking writers and major studios have moved closer to bridging their divide after a week of talks, raising hopes that a new contract is within reach. The parties have narrowed the gap between them in some key areas, including how much writers should earn when films and TV shows are distributed online, according to people close to the situation who insisted on anonymity because talks are confidential. The discussions could still derail, as they did in early December, these people cautioned. The parties remain apart over how much writers should be paid when their shows are streamed online and union jurisdiction over original content created for the Internet. Moreover, relations between the two sides have been marred by distrust and near-loathing as positions hardened in both camps."

One of Pepsi's ads for the Super Bowl



Grammys get interim deal with writers
(Associated Press) The Writers Guild of America agreed Monday to let its members work on the show set for Feb. 10. Neil Portnow called the guild's decision gratifying and promised a 50th-anniversary show "with an amazing lineup of artists and performances." With the guild's board of directors deciding to sign an interim agreement for the awards ceremony, the Grammys will escape the fate that befell this month's Golden Globes


CLICK HERE




TV Showman, Once Exiled, Returns With Video Site
(New York Times) Brooks Barnes writes: "One of Big Media’s most controversial executives is back after a period of quasi-forced retirement. Stephen Chao — who was fired from a top position at the News Corporation after, in separate incidents, hiring a male stripper to disrobe at a company meeting and nearly drowning Rupert Murdoch’s dog at a party — plans to announce on Wednesday the formation of a Web video company that he hopes to build into an educational alternative to YouTube. The site, WonderHowTo.com, aggregates how-to videos, from the mundane (like “how to tie a tie” and “how to market your lawn care business in the winter”) to the strange (“how to do Criss Angel’s vanishing toothpick trick”) and the off-color (“how to train your cat to use the toilet” and beyond)."


Bob Schieffer's retirement plans
(Associated Press) Veteran CBS Washington hand Bob Schieffer, who has anchored "Face the Nation" since 1991, said Tuesday he plans to step down from the Sunday morning political talk show with the inauguration of a new president. The start of a new administration next January provides a natural transition, he said. "That's when I'll stop doing what I'm doing now," Schieffer, who turns 71 next month, told The Associated Press. "But I'll still have some relationship with CBS, at least I hope so."


FCC Fines ABC-TV and 51 Affiliates $1.4M for Indecency
(Radio Online) The FCC has issued Notice of Apparent Liability to the ABC Television Network and 51 affiliates, including ABC's O&O'ed stations, for indecent material airing during "NYPD Blue." The Commission says that each station will be fined $27,500 (totaling some $1.4 million) for a February, 2003 episode that contained adult female nudity airing in the "safe harbor" hours of 6am to 10pm when children could be watching.


FCC fine sends millions looking for NYPD Blue clip on YouTube
(WebProNews) Jason Lee Miller writes: "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) thought long and hard about whether Charlotte Ross's buttocks were both shocking and titillating. Five years later, they've decided they were indeed, and are fining 52 ABC stations $1.4 million. Or $27,500 per Central and Mountain time zone station that presented Ms. Ross's derriere before 10 PM. In case you missed the February 25, 2003 pre-Nipplegate episode on its first run, the news of the FCC's indecency fine has spurred millions to check it out on YouTube. If YouTube deletes it for fear of copyright infringement, likely it'll pop up again from other users. If not, the Parents Television Council, who made the initial complaint and who hates any type of raunchiness on TV, has a clip of the raunchiness on their website, along with lots of other titillating and shocking clips."






CLICK HERE




Clear Channel’s challenge – keep morale up as the stock drops.
(Radio-Info.com) This is real inside radio stuff, or should I say inside Wall Street stuff, which anyone who works in radio knows is the same thing. Tom Taylor writes about Clear Channel's stock drop: "“CCU” sank below the $30 level Tuesday and finished down $2.25 for the day – off a full 7%. That followed Monday’s 7% decline. Tuesday’s erosion was partly fueled by David Faber’s CNBC report of “less than enthusiastic” public support for the deal by one of its two big private equity backers...To give you an idea of the trading frenzy, check the volume: Nearly 26.3 million shares of CCU changed hands yesterday. That’s triple the normal volume. It was also twice the volume of Coca Cola (which has 2.3 billion shares) and was three million more shares than Time Warner. As for employee morale – Monday I mentioned the corporate jets (plural) that are used by the Mays family, and you wonder if some public gestures (at least) would be in order.”



Olbermann: Why I keep 'poking Bill O'Reilly in the eye'
(Raw Story) According to MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, it's not about obsession. He isn't Captain Ahab and Fox's Bill O'Reilly isn't his great white whale, and, in a conversation with CNN's Howard Kurtz, he reveals that he's even getting a little bored of the constant feuding. Except, just like Michael Corleone, every time Olbermann thinks he can move on, O'Reilly "does something so outrageous," that it pulls him back in.
(Rick's note: The video of the entire interview is at the link too.)


Advertiser Sues Imus for $4 million
(Huffington Post) Samuel Maull writes: "Don Imus is being sued for more than $4 million by an advertiser on his former show who says the radio shock jock badmouthed the company and called its commercials for a book by the late President Gerald Ford "cheesy." Flatsigned Press Inc., a book publisher based in Nashville, Tenn., says Imus insulted the company last year in ads it paid for to promote a book by Ford on the Warren Commission's investigation into the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. On his "Imus in the Morning" show, the talker told WFAN listeners the publishers "have been waiting for (Ford) to croak so they can unload these (books)," the lawsuit claims. Besides calling the ad spots "cheesy," Imus said of Ford's death, "Now that he's flatLINED, you go to flatSIGNED.com," the lawsuit filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court says. Marc Held, Flatsigned's lawyer, said Thursday that Ford approved the book and signed the copies Flatsigned was selling. Imus was told to read the script "word for word" and not insult the sponsor, "but he kept doing it," Held said."


CLICK HERE




Team Obama Not Courting the Press
(Washington Post) When reporters filed onto Barack Obama's press plane after his acrimonious debate with Hillary Rodham Clinton last week, one thing was noticeably missing amid the wine and snacks on the Boeing 737. There was no high-level campaign spinner to argue that Obama had gotten the better of the exchanges or that the verbal fisticuffs were part of some precisely calculated strategy. On the press bus the next day, mid-level aides dealt with travel logistics but made no attempt to shape the coverage.






CLICK HERE




The Soprano's and 30 Rock win SAG awards
(TV Week) Andrew Krukowski writes: "The Sopranos took home all three of the Screen Actors Guild Awards for which it was nominated—ensemble, lead actor and lead actress in a drama series—placing a definite final bullet point on the iconic HBO series. James Gandolfini kicked off the evening with his fourth SAG win for his portrayal of Tony Soprano. 'This is our last official act as ‘Sopranos’ together,' Mr. Gandolfini said. His castmate Edie Falco won for actress in a drama series, also her fourth win. 'I have fallen in love with these people [the cast of "The Sopranos"]—I don’t know how you walk away from that,' Ms. Falco said. On the comedy side, NBC’s 30 Rock received Actor statuettes for its leads, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, while NBC’s The Office nabbed its second consecutive comedy ensemble award."




An interview with Karen Hand
(Chicago Radio Spotlight) This past weekend I interviewed former WLS, WXRT, B-96, and WCKG personality Karen Hand. She told some great stories about her days at WLS and B-96, and explained what she is doing now. Coming this weekend: An interview with Kiss-FM's morning man, DreX.

Suburban Man: A Wacky Remedy

By Rick Kaempfer





My wife and boys decided shortly after I became the stay-at-home dad that “care-giving” wasn’t exactly my strong suit. It might have something to do with my German “quit your bellyaching and tough it out” approach to illness. Unfortunately, we’ve discovered together that some illnesses can’t be beaten simply with a strong will and a glass of ginger ale.

So, when the boys get sick, even though I’m the one that’s home with them, I’m in constant touch with the tower asking for help. Normally I just do exactly what my wife tells me to do, but every now and then she’ll give me some advice that makes me question her own qualifications.

For instance, about a month ago when Johnny had a hacking cough keeping him up at night, she suggested something that seemed completely crazy.

“Rub some Vick’s on the bottom of his feet,” she said.

I was waiting for the punch line…and it never came.

“On the bottom of his feet? Where did you hear that one?”

“I got one of those mass e-mails that had been forwarded a million times from the sister of my friend’s mother’s neighbor the other day, and this e-mail claims it works like a charm.”

Of course.

“Was she writing from Nigeria, and did she also suggest you give her all of your bank account information?”

“No, this is legit.”

“Sure sounds like it. Have the mass forwarded e-mails from the sister of your friend’s mother’s neighbor ever been wrong?”

“Just do it.”

“Did the e-mail end with ‘forward this to ten of your best friends and you will have ten years of good luck’?”

“Shut up and get the Vapo-Rub,” she said. “It’s in the medicine cabinet.”

When I told Johnny what I was about to do, he looked at me like I was crazy.

“On the bottom of my feet?” he asked. “What did mom say to do?”

“This is her idea,” I said, with a roll of my eyes. “Just let me do it this one time to prove to your mother it doesn’t work, and we’ll never have to do it again.”

He seemed to accept that explanation and went along with it.

A funny thing happened that night. He didn’t cough, and he slept like a baby. When his brothers got sick the next week, I tried it on them too. It worked again. When Bridget got sick the following week, it worked for her too.

I haven’t gotten sick yet, so I can’t tell you how it feels, and I still don’t understand how it works, but I’m not rolling my eyes anymore. Apparently, the sister of my wife’s friend’s mother’s neighbor is the Doctor Spock of our generation. That must be why her e-mails get forwarded millions of times.

How smart is she? Mr. Vick doesn’t even know about the power of his own product. I read every word of the packaging and it doesn’t say a thing about putting it on the bottom of your feet.

Have any of you heard of this remedy?

If so, have you had similar success?




This originally appeared on my blog at NWI Parent, "Father Knows Nothing." If you haven't yet checked out "Father Knows Nothing", there are several new columns there that I haven't shared here at Suburban Man headquarters.

Click here to see them.

Monday Musings

Every Monday stop by for jokes, links to stories you might have missed, amusing photos and video, and more. Contributions and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Click on the "Email Me" link on the right to contribute.



Joke of the Week:
Guns & Doctors. Contributed by my Republican friend "A."


Doctors
(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.
(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000.
(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171.
Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health Human Services.

Now think about this:

Guns
(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000.
(Yes, that's 80 million)
(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500.
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .000188.
Statistics courtesy of FBI

So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners. Remember, 'Guns don't kill people, doctors do.' FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR. Please alert your friends to this alarming threat.We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand!!!!! Out of concern for the public at large, I withheld the statistics on lawyers for fear the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical attention!



Stories You Might Have Missed

1. Drew Peterson's lawyer reaches new low
(You won't believe his response to an angry e-mail. I'm pretty unshockable, but this even shocked me.)


2. Drew Peterson's secret admirer
(See if you can guess what made me laugh in this story.)

3. A GOP operative creates a new anti-Hillary group.
(Another shocking story. You won't believe the acronym of this group. I'm not exactly a Hillary fan, but these guys--who are pretty mainstream Republican fundraisers--are going waaaay over the line.)

4. Sangria is against the law in Virginia?
(Yes, and it has been since 1934)

5. Obama's Top Ten Campaign Promises
(This is the top ten list he delivered on Letterman Friday night. Very funny.)


Yikes, we lost two more this week. Sad stories...

Chicago News Anchor Randy Salerno dies in snowmobile accident
(He was only 45)

VIDEO: One of Heath Ledger's last interviews, talking about upcoming Batman movie
(He was only 28)



Video of the week: Contributed by "E". Movie predicts NFC Championship Game twenty years before it occurs.








Picture of the week: Contributed by many. Best gravestone ever...

















Reader Response

Regarding "Just One Bad Century"

"I heard about the release of this website on WGN's "The Noon Show," a few days ago.
It. is. PHENOMENAL!
Great information, excellent layout, amazing pictures...very well done - I'm telling everybody I know about this site. Let's bring it home this year! GO CUBS!"
--K

"Great interview with Bob Sirott... I was sitting here going: 'Now that's a familiar voice???' I really like the website...I'll forward it onto some friends...including the ones that have an appreciation for fine mustaches."
--J

"Can I just tell you how much I love this website? I can’t wait for the souvenir stand to open. I might have to use your logo as a new Cubs tattoo (to add to the one I already have)."
--A

Rick responds: We're getting there on the Souvenir Shop. Hang in there. Also, for those of you who didn't hear my interviews with Sirott or Steve Cochran, you can click here to hear them.





358 days until we get a brand new President

Thank You

Thanks to everyone who braved the cold and came out to my book signing in Naperville last night. It was great to see so many old friends (some of which I haven't seen in more than ten years), and fun to meet so many new people.

And thanks to Kim Strickland, my fellow author and friend. It was a kick to share the stage with you.

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Your pal,
Rick