Phil Collins, Elton John, and Gloria Estefan dominated Adult Contemporary radio back in the 1980s and '90s, yet have disappeared from modern radio. Seemingly, the only time you ever hear them is at the grocery store or your local CVS. This blog remembers the music, the stories and the quirky characters from my days working in Adult Contemporary radio.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
America - "You Can Do Magic"
In the fall of 2001, an Adult Contemporary radio station hired me to produce the morning show. I remember agreeing to take the position and then going to Google and typing "what does a radio producer do". Despite the fact that I worked nearly 45 hours each week, the position was considered part-time. That meant my paycheck reflected working 35 hours and there were no benefits (no insurance, 401K, vacation time, etc.). My budget reflected this as I paid over $300 each month for a COBRA from my previous job. My grocery shopping bags were typically filled with generic versions of brand name food items. I remember proclaiming to my roommates that once the radio station hired me full time, my days of buying Magic Twinkles cereal were over. Instead, I would splurge and buy Lucky Charms. In 2002, the station hired me on full-time, and I happily posed for a photo holding that coveted box of Lucky Charms.