BJ Talks

For these Throwback Thursday posts, I typically go back to the same month we’re in right now but to a previous year in time to hopefully pluck a nugget from the blogosphere past. And today is no exception. Today’s post, “B.J. Talks,” originally published exactly one decade ago…in August 2014.

Usually the further back in time I go, the more embarrassing the content – not unlike looking at old photos. But for the post below, a 10-year rewind doesn’t change today’s reality all that much. Morning Show Boot Camp 26 had just taken place in Chicago, and some big names in radio were in the house.  And one of those big stars was Seattle morning radio fixture, B.J. Shea.

Except when I saw B.J. just two weeks ago in San Diego, he was no longer at KISW. After an incredible 18 year run on “The Rock,” B.J. did his last KISW show on December 15 of last year. And three days later, he announced he was puling up stakes and moving the show to iHeart’s Classic Rocker, KZOK. All told, I believe B.J. was technically unemployed for 11 minutes. I didn’t have a lot of time with him at this year’s Boot Camp. It was a quick check-in, but more than enough to know he’s still doing what he loves to do in the city that loves him for it.

As I re-read this old post, it was another reminder that things haven’t changed in radio all that much. Interestingly, Bob Rivers had just retired, opening the door for Danny Bonaduce. And as luck would have it, I had the chance to spend quality time with Bob at this year’s MSBC 36.

Since this DJ gathering a decade ago, Don Anthony and Jacobs Media have collaborated on six AQ research studies of commercial radio personalities in the U.S. I’ll be hosting a free webinar for the radio industry on September 4. Register for it here. 

As you’ll read, at MSBC 26, B.J. bared his soul, talking about his personal battles…with himself. He has long been a proponent of therapy, and spoke openly about his own process. Interestingly, that topic has become the foundation for an open dialogue at Boot Camp the last few years, championed by talent coach Angela Perelli. One thing that hasn’t changed if you’re on the air in radio – stress levels. Now we see it quantified each year in our AQ studies.

In radio as in life, what goes around comes around. – FJ

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August 2014 

You may be thinking that it’s “Seattle DJ Week” on this blog – and you wouldn’t be wrong. But it turns out the most fascinating stories in radio last week weren’t about the whereabouts of Casey Kasem’s corpse or what happened to radio’s Q2 revenue – they were about Bob Rivers hanging up his headphones and B.J. Shea stepping up to superstar status at “Morning Show Boot Camp.”

You’ve probably read various summaries of Don Anthony’s annual conference that took place last week in Chicago. Boot Camp is one of the most unique events in all of radio because most of the people in attendance make their living on the air.

If you believe that the future (not to mention the past and present) of radio is its personality – the people behind the mics – then you would enjoy Boot Camp. There is a different vibe in the room when it’s filled with performers – the folks who are paid to entertain and to inform. They are the faces of most great stations.

And the list of radio icons in attendance was a long one: Paul Castronovo, Rick Rumble, Dave & Carole, Mark & Mercedes, Ross Britain, 2 Guys Named Chris, Larry Norton, Brother Wease, Fitz, Phil Hendrie, and many many more.  These personalities come together every year to compare notes, compete for the best bits, have a lot of laughs, and hang out at a conference that almost has a radio throwback feel to it.

Yes, radio has changed. It’s a business that is obsessed by ROI, IPOs, and EBITDA. But let’s not forget the DJ. No matter how much Wall Street thinks it has us bought and sold, drawn and quartered, radio is a circus. And the Big Top was in all its glory in Chicago last week. And B.J. Shea was the ringmaster.

Veteran Boot Campers know too well how B.J. has been a consistent presence at these events. I’ve been to several Boot Camps, and B.J. seems to show up for every session, and often leads off the Q&A with a query – or more to the point, a very vocal, pointed question and lots of attitude.

But this year, Don Anthony had a better idea. You know the phrase about tents and urination? Well this year, B.J. was definitely inside the tent – charged with kicking off the entire event.

I was expecting a rant – maybe even a statement about the state of radio.

But instead, B.J. talked about himself and his journey to this stage. It was very personal, but every second banana, stunt boy, producer, phone screener, and sidekick in that room could relate to what he was saying. As most everyone knows, B.J. has knocked around. A lot. From Rochester to Phoenix to San Francisco to Seattle; from bad situations to mediocre gigs, and now to the great one he now enjoys at KISW, B.J.’s ride has been episodic.

In his speech, he talked about his own psychosis, years of therapy, and support from his family, his show, and his management team. B.J. admitted that he spent many years blaming others for his lack of success – no marketing, bad formats, lousy partners, a lack of support. All of that led up to the realization that he became his own worst enemy (“Maybe I was the a-hole”). He talked about how some of the greats like Kidd Kraddick always took time to positively greet him at Boot Camp, but how his own attitude and negative thinking held him back.

When you think about it, the guy has pretty much done the impossible at KISW – replacing Howard Stern and achieving even higher ratings, while helping return the station to its former greatness. There are very few of these stations left – local brands that have become bigger in 2014 than they were in in all the previous decades they been around. But that’s the KISW story under Dave Richards, with players like B.J., The Men’s Room, Ryan Castle, and Jolene providing the personality and the attitude around the clock.

As Dave noted recently, “B.J. and I had spoken for two years about the fact that his then midday show on sister station The Buzz was ready for the throne. When opportunities like this arise, too often we spend a lifetime weighing options, overthinking, researching. This was not only a no-brainer because of his talent, intelligence and overall show DNA, but the transition was so seamless, it almost seemed too easy.” A no-brainer indeed.

B.J. truly set the tone at Boot Camp. In a 30-minute speech filled with passion and inspired self-deprecation, B.J. looked more like he was giving a TED Talks presentation than one of his signature rants. No notes, no slides, but a steady stream of introspective advice and dead-on observations for a room of talent looking for a guiding theme from this Boot Camp.

B.J. reminded everyone that his mantra wasn’t “never give up” – instead, it was “give up, never,” and he spoke to the importance of sticking it out, persevering, and confronting one’s demons.

He told a story about his daughter’s cool, calm ability to be able to improvise a dance performance by adapting to a much smaller stage at the last minute. And that’s an important lesson to all of us – on the air or not – having the skill and exposure to perform on any stage at any venue, regardless of the conditions, the odds, and the disruption that’s all around us.

While radio continues to be ruled by metrics – ratings, revenues, spreadsheets, and forecasts – B.J.’s opening invocation at Morning Show Boot Camp was reinforcement that the greatness, charm, and hope of radio emanates from the air studio – not the numbers.

“Great art comes from crazy people” was one of B.J.’s lessons, because despite the corporate need to package it all up and make it scalable, the reality is that radio’s past, present, and future is about people who, let’s just say, aren’t exactly the most buttoned up, securest, calmest, and most rational folks on the staff. Thank God for those people.

Like B.J. Shea.

Join us for a free webinar presentation of AQ6, this year’s research study totally devoted to commercial radio talent in the U.S. It’s set for Wednesday, September 4 at 2pm ET.  Info and registration here.