And We're Back

In the WICH studio

It's been a pretty crazy summer.   Much of it has been a working one.   I have had absolutely no time to put my thoughts down in a blog and even less time to take some semblance of a summer vacation. In addition to vacation fill-ins at six different Hall Communications radio stations in eastern Connecticut, there has been the business of keeping afloat the monthly direct mail shopper publications I've been involved with for over thirteen years.   My aging dog Oreo also has been a concern.   We made the decision to have the Lebanon Vet do an operation to remove a huge tumor a month ago, and the results were great!

Add in a music project I was asked to do at WILI-AM in Willimantic that turned out to have more unexpected extenuating complications for my pay grade than practically anything I've ever been involved in.   I admit that part of those complications is based on my own stubbornness, passion and reasonable expertise, which is why I decided not to back out of this longer than anticipated tunnel.   The station's programming is less than 50% music, but it didn't matter.

I am set to start another radio chapter tomorrow.   After 31 years at Hall Radio, WICH AM 1310 morning guy Mark Wayne has retired.   They have asked me to host the show.   I do not expect to make massive changes on day one.   The station's loyal audience looks for a certain continuity, but it would be wrong to just act as if nothing has changed.   Management wants me to "build the brand", so that's what I'll do.   I will still have some occasional morning fill-ins at WILI and will continue to program the music there, but the main focus has to be on WICH.   That will also mean less duties at the other stations, although they did get me to sub for Dan O'Brien (no relation) on 98.7 WNLC afternoons this week.   Hey guys, there's just so much of me to go around!   My ego does appreciate being in such demand for as long as I can stay relevant.