Everything isn't a Dollar Value

 

Our lovely view for the evening

I went to a gathering tonight to discuss what we do right at WGCH and how we can do things better.

Short version: we have a lot of work to do.

Flashback to that 28-year-old walking through the door of 1490 Dayton Ave. in March 1997.

It's a station that seems to have good sales numbers. Sports run constantly. There are trips to places set up in the form of trade. It's all good.

Twenty-six years later we're trying to figure it all out.

All I can do is talk from my perspective.

In 1997 I was nothing more than a low-level board operator. In reality, I'm my son, who is now finding his way.

Oh, to be clear, Sean is receiving major good reviews from everyone. They love him.

In 1997, his father was just trying to make sure that the station stayed on the air.

By 1999, I'm running all board operations for sports and a bunch of talk shows. Eventually, I got asked to call the second game of a baseball doubleheader.

Damn. That's sort of fun.

Twenty-four years later, I'm begging for more games to call.

Will Greenwich football be back on WGCH? (Yes, I think it will) 

I don't always care about getting paid for the games. I mean, I do, but I want the games to air and I figure sponsorships will follow.

I don't care about the interviews. They'll happen also.

I just want sports on this radio station, where there used to be a complete flurry of activity.

Every Greenwich football game.

Every Greenwich basketball game.

Every Greenwich hockey game ("Voice of Greenwich Hockey" aside and, trust me, he came up tonight).

Every Greeenwich baseball game (and those ran on tape delay).

We made it work. Nearly 100 games.

As it should be.

Eventually, ownership changed and I was told that every show and game I did had been cut. It was horrific.

Some were restored but, needless to say, not everything. In fact, basically most of it was gone.

There's still a value to Adams and Erway and everyone else. But WGCH has to spread that to the world.

Never mind the SEVEN years that "Doubleheader" has been on the air for free.

I know, the Jarrod Wronski's of the sports world are falling over in a faint because, God forbid, some people do broadcasting for the good of a lot of things. The likes of Jarrod would never! They're all about the dollars,

No money? No shot!

Well, I have a method to my madness.

I'm trying to keep things alive and if you have a problem with a lack of interviews as a result well then you might want to dip into your pocketbook.

I do "Doubleheader" as I do it because 1) I love WGCH. 2) I try to keep WGCH live and local. 3) Because WGCH works within the boundaries of my schedule when I'm not available.

So, when I have a Brunswick game, that takes priority and, you know what, when I'm not up to it I skip it. It's that simple.

Tonight, I was able to make a little bit of a stand for being the sports director.

To try to get me to abide by some kind of standard likely means I'd walk away. It would be too "Nutmeg Sports-y" for me.

If you know, you know.

Radio is meant to be freeform. Not scripted.

For tonight, we've done what we can to keep the mighty 1490 flying high.

Tomorrow, of course, is another day.

I'd rather be sitting back there of course.

Then again, I haven't done a game in nearly three weeks.

We need to fix that.