Re: saying thank you

[DonKelley@aol.com]

The late Larry Shane gave me my first radio job at WMRC/Milford.  Made me 
morning man and PD within a year.  Tom McMurray at Knight Quality Stations 
saw some potential and gave me a morning gig at WQXT/Palm Beach.  I became PD 
within a year. When they sold the Florida stations Bob Sinnett of KQS saw 
something and I was the only one saved.  They moved me to WHEB/Portsmouth as 
PD.  John Garabedian saw something and hired me as PD/midday jock for his new 
WGTR/Natick.  I learned more  from John than anyone. In particular all the 
picky little stuff that seems mundane but makes a huge difference.

Dick Ferguson at Katz Broadcasting (later NewCity Communications) exposed me 
to major market thinking (strategic studies, focus groups, music tests) in a 
medium market - Worcester.  I was subsequenly transferred to sister station 
Y94 in Syracuse.  Great station in a boring city.  We had the highest share 
of any AC station in the USA...and that got me a job as PD of 
WWMX/Baltimore...the very first Mix station.   Bob Lind, the GM, was a great 
leader.  I had the rare chance to build a new Hot AC station (note that the  
name hot AC had yet to be coined) into the #1 25-54 station in Baltimore, and 
the format was copied nationwide.   

Thanks to the huge success of Mix in Baltimore - and recommendations from 
consultant E. Karl and researcher Bob Harper - I was offered the PD/OM job at 
Magic 106.7 in Boston ten years ago.  Peter Smyth saw something and gave me 
the leeway to try and fix the station that was known as "tragic Magic." 

The 90's were "betty good" to us, and Magic 106.7 wound up as the #1 25-54 
station in Boston for the entire decade of the 90's.  In addition to the 
people who helped get me here I'd like to thank some of my team members at 
Magic:  Nancy Quill (18 years), David Allan Boucher (18 years), Candy O'Terry 
(10 years), Mark Laurence (9 years), Gay Vernon (9 years), Michael Burns (9 
years), Robyn Bradley (5 years), Mike Addams (25 years in Boston, 5 with 
Greater Media, 3 with Magic) , and several long-time part-timers:  Yolanda 
Minor (5 years, full-time Spanish teacher at Milton HS), Frank Mitchell (9 
years, Morning Host/Director of Programming at WXTK, Cape Cod), Audrey 
Constant (4 years, full-time at WPLM), Jackie Brush  (4 years, full time  at 
WSRS).   Thank you all for helping make radio a great profession for me!  I 
love it!!