Radio Announcer
by Kurt Parsons—Age 25—Morgantown, WV
When I was 16 I thought it’d be fun to be on the radio. I knew everything and had no doubt that I’d be great. Somehow I got a job at our local station.
It wasn’t easy. I spent five hours my first day learning how to record the weather in exactly 15 seconds. That was the only air time I was allowed for weeks, 15 seconds of weather. Eventually I started voicing commercials and was then given the critically important task of being the Sunday disc jockey, from 10pm to midnight. After several months I’d earned more responsibility. That summer I was asked to introduce the act at the Taylor County Fair, a performer named Keith Harling.
Keith Harling had one hit song on country radio, Papa Bear. He charted a couple others, but Papa Bear was his claim to fame. That and a Christmas tune about Santa and a semi, which is really his only song that still gets airtime these days. I was too young to realize this was not a glamorous assignment. No one else would make the trip—a good forty miles each way—to introduce an unknown act. I recognized this as a chance to land an interview, so I borrowed a tape recorder and drove towards Taylor County.
The fairgrounds were dusty and smelled like sheep. I got there so early the concession stand wasn’t even open. Keith’s manager invited me on their air-conditioned bus, thank God; I was roasting in my khakis. I politely asked for the interview.
From the Keith Harling website I’d read up on his bio, his music and his band. I’d prepared my questions ahead of time. The interview was smooth, conversational and relaxed. Matt Lauer couldn’t have done it better.
After Keith answered my last question I reached to turn off the recorder and was mortified. The pause button was still on. My five minutes of broadcast excellence hadn’t been taped.
I wasn’t sure what to do, so I told the truth. We did the interview again, though I was embarrassed. I’m certain it didn’t turn out as well as the first. I’ve always been grateful to Keith Harling for not laughing the 16-year-old second coming of Casey Kasem off the bus. It’s my hope that one day he’ll come back big, and I’ll have several Keith Harling hits to play, along with Santa’s Got a Semi.
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