Very telling lyrics. I know people that are DJ's. Their work is so unstable. Your job depends on ratings and the public can be very fickle. What was hot yesterday can be todays dog. One day your show is the top rated show in your market. Offers are coming from every one. Then new numbers come out and someone else is the top dog. You get dropped with little to no warning. Many times you don't get the chance to thank your listeners and say goodbye (management has had a few DJ's go off on air before... at least that's there rationalization). One day you turn on the radio and a new voice is there.
Sure, there are some DJ's who have seemed to be on the radio forever and others that are gone in a week. This happens to radio stations too. I can't tell you how many stations in Los Angeles (my home) that have changed formats or call letters.
The live version of this song was recorded in Los Angeles, hence the change of lyrics from WOLD to KHJ. Back in the 60's KHJ (AM station) hence the lyrics "I am the morning DJ at KHJ" and the station had a format called "Boss Radio" and it was a big deal when I was a kid, hence the reference in Harrys lyrics "It was two kids and I was into AM rock".
I have friends and acquaintances that have been all over the country because of the fickle nature of radio. Now with many of the stations being owned by the few large communication corporations, costs are being cut. DJ's are being canned. Especially the older, well known air talent... regardless of their excellent ratings. Many are try to make the stations look more profitable so they can sell them for a profit because terrestrial radio is losing ground to satellite and internet radio and podcast.
This will come to bite the corps on the rear if they can't sell the stations quickly. Without the talent, many listeners will drift away and the numbers will fall. As numbers fall, the price they can charge for airtime to advertisers will also drop and affect the bottom line. I do not envy anyone wanting to be a DJ. Sure there are guys that make millions but that is not common. Many make an excellent living (especially if they work in a large market) but the people that work in little towns at low power stations often have other sources of income as they wait to be discovered and recruited for a bigger station, syndication, movies, or something else lucrative.
Very telling lyrics. I know people that are DJ's. Their work is so unstable. Your job depends on ratings and the public can be very fickle. What was hot yesterday can be todays dog. One day your show is the top rated show in your market. Offers are coming from every one. Then new numbers come out and someone else is the top dog. You get dropped with little to no warning. Many times you don't get the chance to thank your listeners and say goodbye (management has had a few DJ's go off on air before... at least that's there rationalization). One day you turn on the radio and a new voice is there.
Sure, there are some DJ's who have seemed to be on the radio forever and others that are gone in a week. This happens to radio stations too. I can't tell you how many stations in Los Angeles (my home) that have changed formats or call letters.
The live version of this song was recorded in Los Angeles, hence the change of lyrics from WOLD to KHJ. Back in the 60's KHJ (AM station) hence the lyrics "I am the morning DJ at KHJ" and the station had a format called "Boss Radio" and it was a big deal when I was a kid, hence the reference in Harrys lyrics "It was two kids and I was into AM rock".
I have friends and acquaintances that have been all over the country because of the fickle nature of radio. Now with many of the stations being owned by the few large communication corporations, costs are being cut. DJ's are being canned. Especially the older, well known air talent... regardless of their excellent ratings. Many are try to make the stations look more profitable so they can sell them for a profit because terrestrial radio is losing ground to satellite and internet radio and podcast.
This will come to bite the corps on the rear if they can't sell the stations quickly. Without the talent, many listeners will drift away and the numbers will fall. As numbers fall, the price they can charge for airtime to advertisers will also drop and affect the bottom line. I do not envy anyone wanting to be a DJ. Sure there are guys that make millions but that is not common. Many make an excellent living (especially if they work in a large market) but the people that work in little towns at low power stations often have other sources of income as they wait to be discovered and recruited for a bigger station, syndication, movies, or something else lucrative.