Why I like working in radio better than technical writing

[figmo]

Cost of gas to get to work: $8.00
Cost of BART round trip to avoid paying ridiculous parking fines: $4.90
Being the reason Ronn Owens had to cut off Howard Stern: Priceless.

I was filling in at Metro Networks yesterday as KGO Traffic Reporter Extraordinaire "Gail Alexander" when Ronn Owens was interviewing Michael Powell. Howard Stern called, and the two went at it, running past the time my traffic report had to go on.

Eventually Ronn had to cut Howard off because he had to go to traffic -- yes, me.

Here's a link to KGO-AM's web page. They supposedly have the audio of the show there as I type this, but I couldn't get it to work on my system, so you might not be able to on yours.

[Addendum: Ronn Owens' web site has portions of the show, albeit not the part where Ronn goes to the traffic report.]

Comments

[fleetfootmike.livejournal.com]

Plays fine on RealOne for Mac.

[fleetfootmike.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, do you usually talk that fast, or was that a sideeffect of being short on time?

[figmo.livejournal.com]

When you have a sh*tload of incidents to report, they want you to talk fast so you get them all in quickly. There's an unofficial time limit they like you to keep of something like 30-40 seconds.

[lrc.livejournal.com]

Why do you need to be in the studio to do traffic?

They should be able to email you the report, you record it onto an audio file (not an audiophile) and email it back. For that matter, for voice over AM radio, you should be able to just do it over the telephone.

[figmo.livejournal.com]

I produce the reports I read. That means I'm there gathering the information, sending it out to affiliates, and reading it on KGO.

I can't do an up-to-the-last-second report if it's recorded. I was literally editing my report up to right before I went on the air.

[kshandra]

Here's another link to the audio...the interview is getting ALL kinds of bloggage, as you might imagine.

[filkergem.livejournal.com]

Including on /. here

[figmo.livejournal.com]

Lauren Weinstein's blog, eh? I'll have to e-mail him and tell him who "Gail Alexander" really is. He'll crack up.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Outstanding. kshandra sent me.