12-19-13
Late last night we learned of the death of Larry Lujack. To those of us who have been around the industry for a few decades, that's like losing the Top 40 jock version of Paul Harvey. But there is more to the story. It's about the death of communicators in our industry.
As a teen in Indiana I was heavily influenced by Lujack's show on WLS, which blasted into our town from Chicago. He was different from the rest -- not like a regular DJ, but irreverent and funny. Very funny. I never met Larry, but I followed his career avidly in those days. It was a giant deal when "Super CFL" lured him away from WLS in the 1970s -- and an even bigger deal when WLS lured him back.
Years after I first heard his show, I was visiting Chicago on business and I happened to get up and roll tape on Lujack, as I did frequently in those days. That day, it turned out, was his return from time away after his son's death. Lujack's compelling story had me, and no doubt all of Chicago, in tears. Here was a friend who was suffering a great loss, and he was willing to talk about it to all of us, on the radio. It was that day that it dawned on me what radio is really all about.
Lujack wasn't just a local morning jock. He was a friend to everyone. A companion. Chicago lived his life with him, every step of the way. He held nothing back. He discussed his problems at home, his issues at work, his life -- and most of the time he had fun with it all. It was real.
Lujack's loss is a reminder that a generation of great communicators is moving on. More so, it's a reminder of the value of great radio communicators and the need for the relationships they have with listeners.
No, we can't live in the past. Things are different now. Debt is high, pressure is higher. And that means expensive people are being pushed out of our industry every day and being replaced by lower-cost alternatives or syndicated solutions. I recently visited a market I used to live in, tuned to my favorite station, and found that all the air personalities -- people I had a 10-year listening relationship with -- were gone.
That station no longer has any interest for me because only a part of my loyalty had to do with the music. I had grown familiar with their airstaff and had grown to love them. Yet they had all been replaced by less talented -- and presumably less expensive -- people. I was embarrassed for the station.
Larry Lujack's passing reminds me how long ago it was that I fell in love with his unique ability to communicate, and how long ago it was that I was first inspired by guys like Lujack, Fred Winston, John Records Landecker, and others from that legendary station. They inspired me to fall in love with radio and want to spend my life doing it. That was 44 years ago.
The radio industry I fell in love with was about great content. No matter how far we've come, no matter how much has changed or how tight the budgets are, it's still about great content, content that binds us to our audiences and creates deep loyalty. Yet how many times have we heard about air personalities who have been terminated after decades on the air because they "just cost too much"? Billing on a station might drop by half when a beloved talent leaves, even as management pretends one has nothing to do with the other. Larry Lujack made headlines back in 1984 with a then-unprecedented multimillion-dollar contract. If WLS was willing to spend that much to keep Lujack on its airwaves, imagine how much he was bringing in.
Friendships run deep, and radio's strength has always been the friendships between great communicators and their audiences. At a time when everyone wants a piece of radio and is trying desperately to draw listeners away, that sense of friendship could be the biggest advantage radio has. When we drive out high-profile, highly paid talent in the name of cutting costs, we may well be driving away the very thing that is responsible for our success. It's something few CFOs or people outside the radio business can grasp. Someone you've just met, however charming they might be, can never match a friend you've had for 10 or 20 or 30 years.
As more great talent are pushed out of the mega corporations, operators like Larry Wilson are going in another direction, believing an investment in great local talent can attract audience away from syndicated shows. We'll see, but Larry isn't often wrong.
As an industry, we need to be very careful about the long-established talent we shed. If I were running Pandora, I'd set up a new division featuring nothing but displaced local market stars. Everyone talks about how a music service can't take radio's audience away, but there are hundreds of much-loved and out-of-work local personalities who'd jump at the opportunity -- and their listeners might well follow them. If I were running Pandora or another streaming music service, I'd be very interested in finding out.
(12/21/2013 4:41:32 AM)
A very excellent article Eric, You are definitely correct regarding Mr. Lujack. I loved this guy on the radio. His delivery was so much different than the other Jocks back then. I grew up listening to Larry Lujack in the mid 60's as a kid and just loved listening to him ever since. I followed him when he left WLS for Station WCFl. He's the one that made me interested into go into radio. To me, he's the one that put personality in radio. R.I.P."Uncle Lar".
(12/20/2013 10:24:29 AM)
There are only 3 air personalities that impacted my life over the years...The Greaseman, John Landecker, and Larry Lujack. As a kid growing up in Chicago, and listening to WLS religiously, Larry Lujack was a part of my every day life. It was Landecker's Boogie Check and Lujack's Animal Stories that made me want to be part of this business. I didn't know Larry personally, but the professional path I chose to take was a direct result of his genius. Thank you Larry
(12/19/2013 8:44:48 PM)
Dick (Summer) was no slouch either as he was "loping along with things to say an' do and kinda make happen."
I was working evenings at a 250-watt toilet in Ontario at the time, After signing off at midnight, I could catch Dick On WBZ.
He too, like Lujack and others had an ability to express his humanity along with his wit. It's true, Larry took cynicism to whole new heights, but by that time Vietnam had become a toxic cesspool and attitudes had changed, as well.
Eric's main contention, however is well-taken and sadly accurate.
The next group of performers, meanwhile, will not only have to be excellent personalities, they will need to be more cognizant of the medium they are taking on. No small challenge.
You've done some great articles Eric. But the one about Lujack was your best. I'm from Brooklyn. William B. Williams on WNEW was my guy. I must have been 8 years old. Willie was MCing a charity event at which Vic Damone was performing. It was for Big Brothers. They were both very personally and very deeply involved. Vic was appearing on Willie's show to promote the event. At the end of the interview, Willie let about 10 seconds of dead air go by. Then he very quietly said, "Vic, I really like you." I had never heard anything like that on the radio. I was stunned. It was real. It was warm. It was human. I tried to remember the feeling of that moment every time I cracked a mic.
A lot of years later, I got to work with Willie. I was the first morning man at WNEW-FM. About 9:30 AM, the studio door opened, The Norman Luboff choir sang a chord, there was a reflection of a great golden light in the control room glass, and the tectonic plate under Fifth Avenue shifted gently. It was Willie B. He walked over to me, held out his hand and said, "Kid you sound great." I didn't know whether I should shake his hand or kiss his ring. Some things you don't forget.
Good night Larry. You did good. If you get a chance, shake Willie's hand for me. He did good too.
You too, Eric.
Dick Summer
(12/19/2013 5:47:31 PM)Eric - An excellent synopsis of what is missing from much of today's radio. Talents from that magical era created an intimacy with the listener seemingly grown cold today. Listen up broadcasters, what was once can be again although sadly without this original talent; Larry Lujack.
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