Clear Channel Morning Man Loses Hearing

10-31-13

Jim Lago is the morning show host on Clear Channel talker KKTX-AM in Corpus Christi. He's been in the radio business since 1978 when he picked up a part-time job in Longview, TX on a music station. Since 1996 he's been the host of "Lago in The Morning," which focuses on local politics, local people and local businesses." In other words, he's Live and Local. A few days ago, Lago woke up and his hearing was gone. He wasn't sick, there was no warning and he had no idea what to do. He went into work that day and did his shift. We caught up with Lago this week to ask him what happened and what he plans to do next to be able to keep the job he loves and he's had for over 30 years.

So, what happened to your hearing?
I went to bed 16 October, 2013, with what I thought was normal hearing, woke up on 17 October, and couldn't hear a thing.

It must have scared the daylights out of you.
Initally, no. I awoke just before my alarm, took a look at the clock, had 10 minutes, tried to go back to sleep and couldn't, so I got up 2:47. It's pretty quiet in my neighborhood, very quiet in my house, but I had this strange sense that something was different. I blew it off as, "Hell, it's Thursday, and they always start slow."  
I went to the kitchen, shoved a one-cup in the Keurig, closed the handle, pushed the button, went to my office. I was reading a note my wife left on my laptop as I opened the lid: " Be sure to watch Billy O if you have time," signed in, mailbox opens, and the news feeds begin. I grabbed the remote, turned on the TV, and was checking the headlines looked over at the TV, no sound. I've been having a round with the cable company so I thought it was just more of the same bad service so I turned the damn thing off. I finished my preliminary news scan, gathered some local notes, e-mailed them to myself at work. It's 3:30. Go back to the kitchen, get a cup of coffee, walk into the bathroom, turn on the shower, took a look at my beard to see if I really wanted to shave, thought "screw it," and got into the shower. Nice and steamy, and I put my head on the cool, cool tile and as the hot water pelted my head and neck, I realized I couldn't hear the water. 
I reached for the faucet, and thought, what are you going to do? Get out of the shower, check to see if your ears are still there? No. So, I felt for 'em. Yep still there. I could not hear my fingers on my ears. I thought I'd take it a step further, stuck an index finger in each ear, couldn't hear that either. Finished my shower, got dressed, started to wake up my wife, thought better of it, and went out the door. Got to the station at 4:15. Absolutely the smoothest, most quiet ride my 2003 Ford F-150 4x4 ever gave me!
I walk into the building looking for my friend Dan Pena, morning guy at sister station KSAB, walk into his office, and I said, "Danito talk to  me." He looked up, grinned, his lips were a movin' but no sound was comin' out. I said, "Yell at me." He looked puzzled, so I said, "Really Dan, yell at me...loudly." He started; I could hear something, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Heard the noise, couldn't make out the words. I explained what was going on.
 
What do the doctors say is wrong? 
They haven't. Some possibilities, but nothing certain except that, according to my hearing test, I do not have enough inner ear activity to make a cochlear implant worth trying. I've just gone through a week of tests, two a day, blood work, x-rays, ultrasound, MRI, MRI with dye, and yesterday, that would be Monday, tinnitus. The 10-headed Hydra got so bad I had vertigo, felt a lot like sea sickness. Yeah and I puked a lot. 
 
Did this creep up on you or happen all at once?  
Overnight, more like a sneak attack.

Can it be reversed? 
I have another appointment with Dr. Zane in the morning. He's going to go over my MRIs and give me options.  The first option he told me today will be putting a couple of drops of steroids in my ear, and "then I'll puncture your ear drum, and we'll let that cook around in there." Two times a day on successive days, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. 
How has it impacted your broadcasts? 
I'm not sure, I've only been back at work two days. Monday was good, callers were patient. I have a device in my ear canal that lets me hear a bit if the cans are up all the way, but one of my doctors thinks the reason my tinnitus was so bad yesterday is because I wore headphones and at full blast for four hours. Today I only used them to communicate with Sam, my producer, and the callers, then I turned them down. Tinnitus is bad again this afternoon, but nothing like the motion sickness yesterday.
What have your listeners/callers said to you about how you sound on the air now?
My boss, JR Richards, you can call me Catfish, said I sounded great. Some people will go to great lengths to keep their prized mushrooms in the dark.

Reach out to Jim to wish him well at JimLago@clearchannel.com

(11/1/2013 7:42:38 PM)
I have a former colleague to whom this happened about a year ago. Fortunately, his hearing came back as mysteriously as it disappeared, first one ear, then both.

Good luck.

(11/1/2013 2:32:30 PM)
God be with you ,Jim. I've wondered which would be worse; to lose your hearing or sight.
(10/31/2013 5:04:31 PM)
Very unnerving story! Every DJ's nightmare. My prayers to you for a speedy recovery. Please keep us informed. We will be thinking about you!

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Royalty Hearing Set For Wednesday

11-27-2012

Former NAB Joint Board Chairman and Hubbard Radio President and CEO Bruce Reese will be radio's representative tomorrow when the royalty issue comes before Congress again. The hearing called "Music Licensing Part One," will be held before the Committee on the Judiciary which is chaired by Representative Lamar Smith of Texas. The proposed legislation called the "Internet Radio Fairness Act of 2012," sponsored by Representative Jason Chaffetz (pictured) of Utah was referred to Smith's committee.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Artists Love Hearing Their Music On Radio

9-25-2012

The artists your radio station play every day are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to being compensated for songs. They certainly want airplay on radio and understand the value the opportunities radio brings to the table. They also understand that they cannot come out and say, "We shouldn't be paid for our work." John Rich (pictured), from the Country duo Big & Rich, seemed to want to avoid picking a side on that topic when he sat on a Radio Show panel with CBS's Dan Mason, Clear Channel's Tom Poleman, and Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta. Rich was emphatic about one thing. Artists love hearing their songs on the radio. He also had some specific ideas about how the relationship between artist and radio station can improve and shared some frustrations.

Rich spoke about how emotional he was the first time he ever heard himself on radio. It was when he was still with the band Lonestar. "Artists feel like they have a special relationship with the radio station when their songs are played. Radio people are the coolest people in their towns." Big label CEO Scott Borchetta added, "I have never met an artist who didn't want a hit record on the radio. Artists never get tired of hearing themselves on the radio. They love it." He added, "Radio is still the number one place for music discovery, it's just not the only one."

Where artists get a little frustrated, according to Rich, is when radio stations don't intro or backsell songs. A practice which seems to have become law in the radio industry, despite Mason's attempt to change that, at CBS anyway. Rich says, "When the artist and song title are announced, that has a direct impact on record and ticket sales. It's such an easy thing to do." He told a story about hearing a song on a radio station that he liked but had to research who it was because the station didn't say. Mason made big news last year when he was told pretty much the same thing by a label head and decided CBS was going to do more to address the issue. He said there was a time "music was sold passionately by DJs but in the 90s something happened to homogenize radio. Let's rekindle that spark. Radio really can sell product."

Rich says radio can take a lesson from television on how to use social media to improve their relationships with artists. He used The Voice as an example of how the show is always flashing Blake Shelton's Twitter handle and said radio can incorporate similar ideas. He came up with an idea of his own once, utilizing the radio station in the town Big & Rich were about to perform in. Rich called the station and played off the band's latest hit "That's Why We Pray." Listeners were told to tweet what they pray about and tag Rich as well as the radio station. Someone was chosen from all the tweets and given four tickets and backstage passes to the show. "It was the radio personality in town talking to the artist directly and it cost no money. How many people would then be following that station and the artist? We were all connecting. Every radio station is important to an artist."

By the way you can follow John Rich on Twitter @jonrich

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Rush Affiliates Hearing From Listeners Via Facebook

3-3-2012

KFBK is the flagship station for Rush Limbaugh, its pretty much where it all began for the syndicated talker. If you take a quick glance at the KFBK Facebook page, listeners are letting the station know they're not happy with what Rush said about Sandra Fluke. One listener posted, "after 40 years of listening to KFBK, I've had enough! In spite of the squeaky clean image that KFBK has tried to personify through its local on-air personalities, maintaining ties with the Rush Limbaugh program is more than enough to erase every good thing KFBK has done and make me realize the truth about it's hypocrisy." And, there are more...

Of course there is no way for us to authenticate if these people are actual listeners of KFBK or Rush haters from around the country who have found a prime  outlet to pile on. Here's another piece of feedback from the KFBK Facebook page: "While I support freedom of speech, I will not support any person or company who attacks anyone, any race, in hateful abusive ways. I will not spend my dollars on companies who advertise, and thereby show their support, to a person or program that advocates such behavior. I will not listen to radio stations who by airing programs such as Rush Limbaughs, show their support of his behavior."

SEE TO THE KFBK FACEBOOK PAGE:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/WBAP/106094559430626?ref=ts&sk=info#!/1530kfbk

And how about KFI-AM in Los Angeles? Still feeling the heat from the John & Ken rant about Whitney Houston they are now dealing with fan feedback about Rush on their Facebook page.

In New York (WABC) and Chicago (WLS) it appeared fans were standing up for Rush more than fans were at the California stations.

(3/5/2012 6:42:06 AM)
Rush was correct in his choice of words. Fluke defined herself in her testimony: promiscuous woman, For which, the correct noun is: slut. But when Rush suddenly became more interested in the MONEY than the truth, I must now join with the slut and her democratic friends. I will no longer listen to Rush. Apparently, the truth is not worth standing up for. This country, in this time of unrest needs a real leader. One who can take the hard stand that is going to be needed to keep our Union and our

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here