Remember Having to Work Over the Holidays?

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Remember Having to Work Over the Holidays?

Postby jon » Thu Dec 24, 2015 12:44 pm

The late Robert O. Smith used to complain about the fact that most of the airchecks recorded of him were done on holidays when listeners were home from school and work, and had the opportunity to record those airchecks. He always felt he did that his worst shows on holidays because, in the back of his mind when he was doing them, he was thinking about his family at home, upset that he wasn't there with them.

40-50 years ago, on-air folks were expected to work Christmas. Even on CHQM in the early 1970s, where, thanks to voice tracking, the Program Hosts, as opposed to the Newsmen, did not work evenings or weekends, Afternoon Drive announcer Dave Geddes had to do the Christmas Morning show live in 1971. By then, I had my operating there down to one shift a week because of a full course load at UBC, but I still worked 8 hours each on Christmas morning (AM) and Boxing Day (FM), following Dave with voice-tracked programming: all Christmas music until 6:00 p.m. on Boxing Day.

Do you have any stories to tell about you or others working over the Christmas holidays?
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Re: Remember Having to Work Over the Holidays?

Postby Tom Jeffries » Thu Dec 24, 2015 12:48 pm

Yeah, know all about working on Christmas and being driven nuts by the music.

The best Christmas story? The late, great, Brian Lord, was sitting in, at CFUN, Christmas Morning.

Paul Ski turned on the Station, and inexplicably, Brian decided to play "Third Stone From the Sun", by Jimi Hendrix - as you can imagine, Brian was looking for a new Broadcast home, after the Holiday.

I wish you all a great Christmas and a wonderful 2016 - and special thanks to RadioFan, for maintaining this Board.
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Re: Remember Having to Work Over the Holidays?

Postby jon » Thu Dec 24, 2015 1:10 pm

Cool story, Tom.

Mine is playing Quincy Jones' version of "What's Going On?" as Christmas music. On CHQM-FM in 1971.

Having a 9 minute and 52 second hole to fill made it irresistible.

I got away with that one.

And, yes, that is a vocal version.
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