Goodbye, Smooth Jazz 102.5

Well, I knew it. Nothing good lasts forever. 

For the better part of a year I've enjoyed listening to 102.5, a Smooth Jazz station here in Milwaukee. Ask the kids - I'll spend many days with the station playing on my radio at home, providing a backdrop for my evening.  They even sponsered the jazz festival LuLu and I attended. 

It's a great staion. 

WAS a great station.

A few days ago I tuned in and heard Christian music. Ok, there's a Chrstian station on a similar bandwith that sometimes inteferes with the signal if you drive too far south of Milwaukee. Maybe my radio was just picking that up at home? 

Then too, they kept sprinkling in Christmas music, confusing me even more. 

Then finally, the death knell. It has become a Christan music station, and my radio will be going silent. 

Farewell Smooth Jazz 102.5. You were loved. 

A Rescue Mission

I picked up this radio solely to save it from a Pinterest fate.

Support 102.5 FM, WJTI

I wanted to quickly drop a note urging you to tune into 102.5 FM in the Milwaukee area, WJTI. 

It's a new smooth jazz station and I couldn't be happier to hear it on the air on commercial radio.

What I like to do is listen to Smooth Jazz on the way into work in the morning. It focuses me, it calms me, and it lets me start the day with a clean mental slate. Then on the way home I usually switch to Zeppelin or Pearl Jam.

I know most people would probably reverse that order, seeking to calm down after work, and I get it. It just doesn't work for me.

So please give a listen to the station and support is advertisers. Thank you!

Old Time Radio

I've been a lifelong fan of old time radio - comedies, drama, scifi, western - whatever it is, I want to hear it.

As a kid I used to order cassette tapes from a catalog and listen to the Bickersons, Burns and Allen, Orson Welle's famous War of the Worlds broadcast, and the like. I learned what I liked, like Jack Benny and The Shadow, and what I didn't, like Abbott and Costello and Duffy's Tavern (not that there aren't good and bad episodes of each.) 

A few years back I had Sirius XM radio, and binged on old radio on their dedicated station. Alas, that car has come and gone, and it was only recently that I found a good substitute: ABN, the Antioch Broadcasting Network, an all-old time radio internet station I listen to through my Radio Garden app. I listen to my comedy on the way to work, drama on the way home, western and sci-fi when available.

Here's something very neat: the owner tries to schedule shows to play on the anniversary of their original airing. More than once I've heard a Jack Benny show from 75 or 80 years ago on the nose, and brother, unlike some other shows that date themselves, Jack is just as funny in 2022 as he was in 1942, which, he would say, isn't much of a compliment.  :)

The site exists largely through donations alone, and I gladly coughed up a little out of last paycheck to support the endeavor.

Check it out!

* * * * * 

If you want to explore the golden era of radio more deeply, I recommend visiting another site, Old Time Radio Researchers. They have more than 60,000 - yes, 60,000 - radio episodes available for free download. 

Jack Benny still holds up

I'm literally LOL and applauding at a Jack Benny radio show where Benny goes off script to mock guest star Jack Warner (of Warner Bros) for flubbing his lines. RIP Jack, you were grand.

The Bickersons

If you have the chance, listen to the old radio show The Bickerson's. LOL funny. Here's a typical exchange. 

B: You used to be so considerate. Since you got married to me you haven't got any sympathy at all.

J: I have, too. I've got everybody's sympathy.

B: Believe me, there's better fish in the ocean than the one I caught.

J: There's better bait, too.

B: I don't see how you can go to bed without kissing me good night.

J: I can do it.

B: You'd better say you're sorry for that, John.

J: Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

B: You are not.

J: I am too. I'm the sorriest man that was ever born.

B: Is there any milk for breakfast?

J: No.

B: Then you'll have to eat out.

J: I don't care, I've been doing it all week.

B: What for? I left you enough food for six days. I cooked a whole bathtub full of rice. What happened to it?

J: I took a bath in it.

B: Why didn't you eat it?

J: I've told you a million times I can't stand the sight of rice.

B: Why not?

J: Because it's connected to the saddest mistake of my life.

B: You stopped loving me the day we were married.

J: That wasn't the day at all.

100.3

For several weeks now 100.3 has been my go-to over the air radio station in the car. It's 50 minutes of classic oldies every hour. Give it a listen!

Christmas Music

From Thanksgiving on I only listen to Christmas music on the radio, but I've grown dissatisfied with 95.7 and their repetitious secular classics. So I've switched to 93.3. Many of the same tunes, of course, but a fair number of classic carols too.

The Bickersons

A great LOL radio sitcom from 4/23/1948. (the couple takes a trip to Yellowstone).I used to love a cassette tape I had of the show as a kid - John's Snoring Dilemma was the name of the episode, if I remember right. 

The humor still holds up, 67 years later!

Joe Dorsey

 I was saddened to read the obituary of local radio personality Joe Dorsey. I remember listening to him on WOKY with my Pop when I was a kid. RIP

Rahny, of KiSS FM's Wes, Rahny and Ali morning show has been let go. WTH??? It's the only morning show of any worth left in Milwaukee - or was. You'll be missed Rahny.

This morning I heard Nirvana's "All Apologies" playing on a classic rock station here in Milwaukee. I am flattered that the music of my youth is now recognized as some of the best music of all time. I am also deeply disturbed that that the music of my youth is now old enough to share radio time with the Stones and T-Rex. Ugh.

Creepy

Around noon today on 27th ST our car stereo picked up a slew of unusual FM channels - including about four minutes of DJ chatter from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I didn't think that was even possible outside of a Twilight Zone episode.

Bob and Brian

, stick a fork in Bob & Brian. I used to love 'em, and they did their schtick - blue collar/everyday Milwaukee Joe - better than anyone. But now they're rich, 50 yr old guys who live in the burbs; they're guys who have to google pop culture references, who refuse to play ANY music, & who pander to the stick-in-the-ass Zayban (sic). Enough. And please, don't even get me started on this 'Reheated' B.S.

The family radio commercial 2007

I came across these pictures and wanted to put them online. While there was never a reason not to, it just seemed awkward to do so under the company's old ownership, since some of the work was on their behalf.

Lisa has done some voice work here in Milwaukee for me, and a smidgeon down in Illinois. This isn't a job (yet), as it's mainly just as a favor to me and some contacts of mine that were in need of a female voice announcer.

Once upon a time YaYa teamed up with her for a cute radio commercial, and in early 2007 both of my girls did another commercial with their pregnant Mom. I remember the girls were in foul moods that day and were difficult to work with; not exactly a page from Shirley Temple's Book on Resume Building.

Here's the pics.

Someday, if I ever completely sever ties with the company, I'll post the actual commercials. Until then, anonymity takes precedence.