Still Radio Gaga After All These Years

 

The Majic 105 air studio

I was teaching today at CSB when a realization raced into my noodle.

I began my own odyssey in broadcasting -- as a CSB grad -- 32 years ago tonight.

I wanted to be on the air today to touch on all of this but a miscommunication led to confusion and, as such, no room for me on WGCH. We'll get 'em next time (likely next week).

With a new pair of headphones, I drove to Majic 105 (WMJV-FM) in Patterson and got my nerves under control for my first radio shift.

My show began at midnight, thus my official "start date" will always be Sept 2, 1990.

Six hours and too much caffeine later, it was over. It wasn't sports but music and, most of all, it was broadcasting. I was on the air. I could say I was a professional even if I was a raw amateur that night.

It would take time to get acclimated and understand the politics of the business. It would take practice to truly be professional (I'm still trying).

But my foot was in the door and it would stay there until I was out just under a year later. Honestly, for a few years, I wasn't sure if I'd go back but opportunity eventually brought me back -- first at WREF in Ridgefield and then to that Greenwich radio station that I joined in 1997.

And here we are. From Majic to WREF to WGCH to a whole bunch of other stations both terrestrial and online.

The friends and experiences have all been magical.

Sure, I wanted to conquer the world beginning with Majic 105. But the broadcasting life can also be difficult for the things I wanted personally. For me to do what I really wanted, I would have needed to relocate to far-off places.

I would have had to leave my family and the relationships I had here.

My point? I don't think I'd be the dad that I am and that has always been important to me. So, what I'm saying is that I made decisions based on the quality of life versus the sheer pursuit of money and fame and whatever else.

I think I made the right call despite all hiccups that have occurred along the way.

To that end, Oswald Peraza was called up to the major leagues tonight. He is now a New York Yankee. He had been at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in AAA ball. You might recall that he was at Hudson Valley last year and was a huge success before being promoted to AA.

Much like I've celebrated the "I saw him when" of John Sullivan and the many high school, college, and minor league athletes I've covered that made it to the pro tanks, I'm enormously proud to say that I called Peraza's home games for the Renegades last season. I was simply blown away by him and figured it was just a matter of time before he'd get his chance.

I await Anthony Volpe's chance as well along with many others. 

It's especially wonderful -- back to quality of life decisions -- to share this news with Sean who also saw Peraza through his camera last year. That's a connection we'll always be able to appreciate, just as we've discussed other players that have jumped to the big leagues or have made news. We got to see them all at one time.

I texted Sean as soon as I heard about Peraza's call-up and he had heard the news also since he was at Dutchess Stadium. He said he wants to go see Peraza play in The Bronx and I think that's a pretty great idea as well. 

And so as I sit here and reflect on the literally thousands of broadcasting appearances I've made (I used to track all of them), my mind goes back to that scared 21-year-old sitting in the tan Chevy Cavalier in the parking lot of Majic 105/WPUT radio.

He was scared and so full of excitement. 

He was also wide-eyed and ready for the experience.

He also had no idea what he was getting himself into.

Since then? Stories. Laughs. Experiences. Good. Bad.

History.

A voice.

I started doing a sports report a few months into my time at Majic 105. It would be years before I'd finally get to doing play-by-play and I was completely smitten when it happened.

That started with softball and then, finally, baseball and football and hockey and basketball and on and on.

Football returns next week and I look forward to it.

I always tell my students that an early goal of mine was to make the money back in broadcasting that I'd paid to go to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting from 1989-1990. I wanted -- at the very least -- to break even.

I've long-surpassed that goal.

I didn't need to rule the world. I've loved the experiences that I've lived and have been able to relay to you.

Thanks, as always, for riding along with me as I've tried to inform and entertain you.

Year 33 in this wacky business begins at midnight.

I'll be on WGCH tomorrow morning at 7:50 to talk sports with Tony Savino. Maybe Peraza will come up. Maybe not.

I'll be at Dutchess Stadium tomorrow night where I'll see Sean.

I can't think of a better way to keep moving.