Reading about longtime DJ Johnny Walker getting fired from KLBJ-FM in last week’s Chron made me feel sad, old and very glad I never decided to pursue a career in radio. Writer Kevin Brass’ description of the 52-year-old Walker’s cramped apartment, his collection of antique radios and his "long-divorced" status reads like something from the margin of a Coen Brothers script. Having to record seemingly live airbreaks into a computer sounds like the ultimate indignity of them all.
I once chafed at the classic rock kick assism embodied by stations like KLBJ, but I can't help feeling bittersweet at the knowledge that it's all about to go the way of the caboose.
Photo of Johnny Walker by John Anderson
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1 comment:
I have to admit, the only time I listen to the radio anymore is the occasional Sunday night with Little Steven's Underground Garage. But I think it's a damn shame when a guy like Walker, who genuinely loved the music he played, is let go.
Though I don't know why I'm surprised. Commercial radio has always been about the interstitials, not about the music.
Michael
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