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Yesterday’s post was about how it feels to listen to your radio station. You can see it HERE. One of the responses it triggered is this one, from one of Radio’s best, Charlie Ochs:

“Making a radio station something that is felt is an art and that art is hard work.

No one did it better than the legendary Ron Chapman in his long and storied career at KVIL in Dallas.

In my career I tried to make my shows and the stations I programmed and managed something that could be a living thing felt by each listener individually. I tried, but was not as successful at the effort as Ron.

There’s a reason he’s recognized as a legend and I think your column does a good job of showing one of the reasons.

After all, if each of Ron’s listeners didn’t feel comfortable with Ron as a human being, they never would have sent him $20 each with him just asking and giving no reason other than it was needed.

They knew Ron had a good reason for asking.

The result was somewhere around $240,000 Ron put to good use in various Dallas charities.

Ron Chapman was a man, and Ron Chapman was a feeling.

He made KVIL more than another radio station.

He made it something people could reach out and touch.

They felt it.”

I love this example, Charlie! Boy, does Radio miss you.

I knew Ron. (His daughter once worked with me as Promotions Director.) What a talent!

“Ron Chapman was a feeling.”

Indeed.

Every air talent should provide content and consistency like this, and how great would Radio be as an industry if, in every market here and around the world, that was true?