Another of my favorite activities was working part-time at KFIL-FM in Preston. Of course, Mike being the program director was a key factor in me getting the job. But, he made me interview and everything. I cut a demo tape of me talking to see what kind of “mike” voice I had. I had worked briefly at KBYU-FM in Provo while I was going to school, so this wasn’t completely new to me. I did the demo tape and he hired me. I mostly worked on week-ends when they needed a replacement. It was a really fun job. I would be a DJ professionally if they paid anything. But you remember how poor Mike was. Most DJ’s are that way. I got paid something like $7.00/hour. But I didn’t do it for the money. I did it because I loved it. It was fun to learn the equipment and say the lines knowing that people all over the area could hear you.
One Saturday night, I particularly remember. Mike had told me we had a ticket (just one) to a “Little Jimmy Dickens” concert that was playing in the area in the near future and I should give away the ticket to some lucky caller. So, a little later, I said into the mike: “I’ll take the fifth caller for a free ticket to Little Jimmy Dickens”. Sounds professional, right? Well, I did not get one call, let alone five. So, I played a couple songs and waited a little while – nothing. So, I got on the mike and said, in effect. “Guess what, folks, we’ve just found another ticket to the Jimmy Dickens concert. Caller two will get the ticket. Hurray and dial carefully.” Well, you guessed it, I got nothing. No one called.
I told Mike the next day that I tried to give away the ticket but didn’t. He laughed and said he would find someone around the station to give it to. I wish, now, that I had taken it and gone myself. But, it’s tough to use just one ticket. Maybe if I’d had two, things would have gone different. Or maybe nobody listens to KFIL.
I worked for KFIL for several years off and on. After I left Eyota and moved west, commercials with my voice played on KFIL for several years. I don’t think there are any today, they kind of died away as thay changed them and got new sponsors. But, I made my mark on Preston and KFIL. Me and Mike, the great DJ’s.
Dad