Posts by Jessica

Board stiff!

By Jessica, 17 April, 2009, 1 Comment

I got an opportunity earlier in the week for a return surprise visit to see my friends / former colleagues at 77WABC. This spring it’s been 4 years since my departure… crazy how it’s fast the time has gone.

I was anxious and nervous going back to visit. It was a feeling I remember experiencing back in the days of High school when you would go back to visit your elementary school teachers / middle school teachers… Maybe that’s just something that “we” did… and not everyone… The questions and wonder were endless! …what had changed, what was new, who’s left, who remains, will I get lost?

Every one of these questions and thoughts were running through my head back then and for a brief few moments they resurfaced as I entered the elevator, punched in my floor destination, and headed up to the station.

I was greeted by many changes… everything I’d anticipated and wondered about had happened!!! The entire station went through a HUGE remodel… nothing was where it had been before… hallways were moved, desks added, walls built, etc etc etc… so when I got off the elevator it was like I was stepping off into some unfamiliar uncharted planet! I gasped for air and wondered where my air supply was! …where is my space helmet! Surely the oxygen levels are not high enough to sustain human life here!

Though once inside the realm of “undiscovered planet” WABC I found my way to the newsroom after some meandering and exploring about the halls, I saw many of the same faces and friends that I’d remembered (all smiles and happy for the visit) …this of course put a smile on my face.

I made my rounds seeing friends I hadn’t seen in years, and then made my way into the main studio… I got to the door, which was shut… I wondered what had changed in there… EVERYTHING? NOTHING? I put my hand on the door handle, gasped for air as I was surely about to enter “SPACE… the final frontier”! I slowly pushed the door open, gazing into the room. …I stepped in and the door shut behind me, CLICK! I was overwhelmed (and comforted) with the feeling that I’d never been gone! I breathed a sigh of relief and I found myself looking at the audio console / call screener station and producers chair missing the whole experience of producing a live radio show!

Radio is a bug, and if you happen to catch it consider yourself to be one of the lucky ones!

We work in a great industry my friends!

  • Share/Save/Bookmark

Blogging Delinquency

By Jessica, 2 March, 2009, 2 Comments

Ok, so it’s not a conRANTing but rather a curRANTing…

A question I’d like to pose:

The news never sleeps, sort of like the postal service…right? (except the postal service gets off national holidays… and we don’t! …GRRRR!!!)

I long for those snow days of yore! To hear your school’s name get called on the radio was like winning lotto! These days, I listen intently each morning to 1010WINS (especially in inclement weather) longing to hear that affirmation that I can just go back to bed. …but I hear no announcement of a snow day for FOX News Radio… I slap myself back into reality, knowing that even though there is bad weather; that I have no choice in the matter, and have to be in the office no matter what …because RADIO and the NEWS never sleep! I HAVE to be at work, or there will be radio affiliate chaos when no one is there to take care of their laundry list of requests. And those radio affiliates aren’t happy when there is radio affiliate chaos.

I want to know how it is that SOME Essential Personnel make it to work on days like today (i.e. me) in terrible weather conditions (DRIVING in it) and then the folks that rely on mass transit seem to get in LATE. Wait, what? I drove myself, in the driving snow for 30 minutes worth of bad drivers and icy / slick roads… all in the name of RADIO!!! And you took the train, and still didn’t get here at your in time? …but rather you show up HOURS late? The math just doesn’t add up!

I love those folks that are out on the road, who clearly can’t drive, and can’t handle crisis situations… they don’t listen to the people in our line of work who recommend staying home on days like this… but rather, they come out, and make the commute “in” for those of us in “the biz” a NIGHTMARE!

This morning, I had no trouble at all driving in, until I got down into the 50s… when along the sea of traffic lights in front of me, the jerk in front of me decided to slam on his brakes at what I’ll call a “green-ish / just changed to yellow-ish” light… causing me to have the same reaction, slam on my brakes and power slide towards his back bumper. Finally I had to jerk my car into an alternate lane to avoid collision. Folks like that, that can’t handle it, and don’t work in radio need to stay home!

…but I digress. My shift is winding down, and soon I’ll be headed out the door to endure another 30 minutes worth of driving full of people who can’t drive in bad weather conditions… all in the name of RADIO.

Wish me luck!

  • Share/Save/Bookmark

Bad blogger! Bad!

By Jessica, 28 May, 2008, 3 Comments

Convention time is rounding the bend, and I have been so consumed with the entire process that I haven’t had a moments time to think, sleep, or blog for that matter!

  • Share/Save/Bookmark

Here I am!

By Jessica, 3 April, 2008, 5 Comments

I am your typical 27 year old “sophisticated, Scotch-swilling, cigar-smoking, red-meat-eating, gun toting New Yorker. ” Growing up “upstate” I always had my eye on New York City, and after college, I was able to turn that dream into a reality… I’ve been lucky enough to make some amazing friends in the business and out… I enjoy travelling… and thanks to my job I have been able to see many cool spots around the world… Germany, Tanzania, Liberia, Ghana, Rwanda, Indonesia and Singapore (all of which I’ve travelled with President George W. Bush)… with many domestic stops along the way. I’ve run the board, I’ve done remotes, I’ve call screened, I’ve run errands, I’ve worked rallies, I’ve done promotions, I’ve worked overnights, I’ve busted my hump, I’ve pulled pranks, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried and all the while I’ve learned and grown from each moment… outside of radio I even once ran for office and spent a stint as an elected official… at the age of 23! Everyday I’m thankful for all of it… the family, the friends, the job(s), the life experiences… “I’m just living the dream!” I pride myself in being low maintenance, easy going and fun!

Keith Conrad is a fine American… I figured this out after we bonded over a common love for the word legendary (which then led to the mutual realization that we both were equally obsessed with HIMYM!)

… Thanks to Keith for inviting me to be a part of this!

  • Share/Save/Bookmark