Saturday, October 19, 2013

Miami bound...maybe

 On to Miami...but wait.  There’s more. Let’s go back a little.

       I HAD been to Miami before but not to work.
In 1966 after I had finished the multitude of Vietnam military hometowner interviews for a dozen or so stations...I came back to my Marina City apartment on the Chicago River to ponder my next move.
We had made some money so I decided to put together the very first daily radio program from a war zone and go back to Nam with my handy Uher recorder to start the shows.
      I would need a syndicator and I found one in Miami who put together shows for stations.
I would have to fly down to meet the guy and hash out the details of placing the shows.  
Now sit down for this.
I thought it would be fun to take Jacki-Doll from next door along for the ride.  But it would only work if her Mom and older sister were allowed to go also....(to keep an eye on me I’m sure).
So off we went to Miami...Jacki...in all her beauty...big sister Liz and their Mother....Jean.  
Jean just barely endured my “obsession” about Jacki but nothing ever happened and it basically was all talk so she went along with it.  She was cool.
We stayed at a hotel not far from the syndicator’s office but I rented a car and we were able to see the sights...check out the beaches and eat some good food for a few days.  The girls sunbathed at the hotel pool while I met with the guy to wrap up the business end of things.
Then...we flew back to O’Hare.
I think all enjoyed that little excursion...I know I sure did. 
I’m sorry to say the syndicator I selected was a bust. 
I flew back to Nam...did some very interesting half hour shows with people like Dan Rather...but the guy in Miami never sold one station.  When I went to work in Kansas City the manager there told me a salesman had pitched the show saying 
“I’m sure you don’t want a daily radio program from Vietnam about the war...right?”   Great salesmanship!

stanmajor@aol.com

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