J. C. Corcoran Is Back....Well, For a Little While

[Pink Freud]

After two months away from his podcast on Spotify ("Undisclosed Location") J. C. has returned, but if he doesn't rack up enough listeners by the end of July, he (or his carrier) may pull the plug.

He has already stated in his first podcasts back that his experience with K-WULF has ended his ever again working in radio....anywhere. I can understand that. The people I worked for in radio in four states would make great politicians. No wonder the station managers always come from the sales end, never programming. Not that J.C.'s in great demand these days, but he still has his fans, who will want to keep his podcast going on Spotify.

[Heavy Early]

After two months away from his podcast on Spotify ("Undisclosed Location") J. C. has returned, but if he doesn't rack up enough listeners by the end of July, he (or his carrier) may pull the plug.

He has already stated in his first podcasts back that his experience with K-WULF has ended his ever again working in radio....anywhere. I can understand that. The people I worked for in radio in four states would make great politicians. No wonder the station managers always come from the sales end, never programming. Not that J.C.'s in great demand these days, but he still has his fans, who will want to keep his podcast going on Spotify.

There's got to be a radio station in Warrenton that needs a DJ

[SRV1990]

After two months away from his podcast on Spotify ("Undisclosed Location") J. C. has returned, but if he doesn't rack up enough listeners by the end of July, he (or his carrier) may pull the plug.

He has already stated in his first podcasts back that his experience with K-WULF has ended his ever again working in radio....anywhere. I can understand that. The people I worked for in radio in four states would make great politicians. No wonder the station managers always come from the sales end, never programming. Not that J.C.'s in great demand these days, but he still has his fans, who will want to keep his podcast going on Spotify.

There's got to be a radio station in Warrenton that needs a DJ

Warrenton is way too close... I'm thinking Guerra TX would be a good spot for him.

[Pink Freud]

There are few worse jobs in this country than small-town radio station DJ.

You do everything at the station: Work an on-air shift; sell ad time; sweep the floors; do technical repair and maintenance; keep the music library straight; do traffic (scheduling ads and programs); and by the time your workweek is up, you've done 80 hours on your straight salary of less than hourly minimum wage, hoping your measly paycheck doesn't bounce. You'll likely have to survive on free food, i.e. handshake agreements with local restaurants that provide food cards in exchange for commercial time.

For three months in southwest Kansas I subsisted on free Daylight Donuts and coffee, King's Pit BBQ, Braum's burgers and ice cream, and Pizza Hut. And you wonder why so many DJs get fat?

In northwest Oklahoma I drove out every morning before 6 am in my rickety ClampettMobile to our hilltop tower location to turn our station on, and back out there after midnight, over that damned cow catcher, to turn the station off. 7 nights a week for 8 months. When one of my coworkers asked why I came from St. Louis to work at such a remote location, I said "Because I was promised the program director job for the 100,000-watt FM rocker they're building to go on the air this summer." Her reply: "Oh, they told you that story too, eh?". No such ground was ever broken.

When I was attending Broadcast Center in Clayton, we were freely told "Within two years after hire at your first radio job, 25% of you will no longer be working in radio, and of those who are, most of you will be in Sales." After two years at a small station, if you're still a DJ, you're living on EBT cards.

At least I can't say I wasn't warned. My whole purpose of going into radio was to work my way up to play by play sportscaster, and I did end up doing all four of my favorite sports at various levels, in several states. One night I did four consecutive high school tournament basketball games, back to back to back to back....in Richland MO, then immediately headed to Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon to cover the opening of trout season, standing next to the Niangua River from midnight to 7 a.m., shivering and interviewing fishermen coming in from 6 states.

And I knew nothing about fishing. Livin' the life, eh?

Four times over those ten years, I fled my radio job to return to St. Louis to wait tables, making more my first week back in tips than I ever made in a month's radio station salary. Thank you, Tony, John, and Susan.

Fortunately, 27 years after my "I swear, never again" last radio job, I hired on in Arizona, and that led to major success in talk-show hosting (including several big-name celebs) in radio, TV, continuous Chamber of Commerce events, and a wonderful marriage. I proposed to her from the stage in front of 4,000 people at one of those huge Chamber events.

Everything considered, I was one of the lucky ones.

[DJ Davis]

There are few worse jobs in this country than small-town radio station DJ.

You do everything at the station: Work an on-air shift; sell ad time; sweep the floors; do technical repair and maintenance; keep the music library straight; do traffic (scheduling ads and programs); and by the time your workweek is up, you've done 80 hours on your straight salary of less than hourly minimum wage, hoping your measly paycheck doesn't bounce. You'll likely have to survive on free food, i.e. handshake agreements with local restaurants that provide food cards in exchange for commercial time.

For three months in southwest Kansas I subsisted on free Daylight Donuts and coffee, King's Pit BBQ, Braum's burgers and ice cream, and Pizza Hut. And you wonder why so many DJs get fat?

In northwest Oklahoma I drove out every morning before 6 am in my rickety ClampettMobile to our hilltop tower location to turn our station on, and back out there after midnight, over that damned cow catcher, to turn the station off. 7 nights a week for 8 months. When one of my coworkers asked why I came from St. Louis to work at such a remote location, I said "Because I was promised the program director job for the 100,000-watt FM rocker they're building to go on the air this summer." Her reply: "Oh, they told you that story too, eh?". No such ground was ever broken.

When I was attending Broadcast Center in Clayton, we were freely told "Within two years after hire at your first radio job, 25% of you will no longer be working in radio, and of those who are, most of you will be in Sales." After two years at a small station, if you're still a DJ, you're living on EBT cards.

At least I can't say I wasn't warned. My whole purpose of going into radio was to work my way up to play by play sportscaster, and I did end up doing all four of my favorite sports at various levels, in several states. One night I did four consecutive high school tournament basketball games, back to back to back to back....in Richland MO, then immediately headed to Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon to cover the opening of trout season, standing next to the Niangua River from midnight to 7 a.m., shivering and interviewing fishermen coming in from 6 states.

And I knew nothing about fishing. Livin' the life, eh?

Four times over those ten years, I fled my radio job to return to St. Louis to wait tables, making more my first week back in tips than I ever made in a month's radio station salary. Thank you, Tony, John, and Susan.

Fortunately, 27 years after my "I swear, never again" last radio job, I hired on in Arizona, and that led to major success in talk-show hosting (including several big-name celebs) in radio, TV, continuous Chamber of Commerce events, and a wonderful marriage. I proposed to her from the stage in front of 4,000 people at one of those huge Chamber events.

Everything considered, I was one of the lucky ones.

Remember when you were trying to tell people you were a psychologist and not Clark Kimble?

[Pink Freud]

Even Margaret Mitchell and James Michener would see this and go, "Sorry...too much reading." I don't think even Dr. Richard Kimble had a resume this long:

The Showgram with JC Corcoran

Should have issued this a LONG time ago. For the record...........And I can back it all up with transcripts, contract pages, separation agreements, non-competes, etc. It's time to shut down the liars and haters.

May 1984: Begin KSHE.
July 1985: Begin KSDK-TV
Nov 1986: Exit KSHE. Contract dispute. NOT fired.
May 1987: Begin Classic Rock 93.7 KSD.
Sep 1991: Exit KSD. VERY complicated. NOT fired. Continued to be paid my full salary and bonuses totaling $248K.
Oct 1991: Exit KSDK-TV. New News Director eliminates position.
July 1992: Begin KMOV-TV.
March 1993: Begin KMOX.
May 1993: Exit KMOX. FIRED!!!! And proud of it!!!
Aug 1993: Begin 101 The Fox.
Nov 1994: 101 The Fox becomes "The River."
May 1995: Exit "The River." Contract dispute. NOT fired.
Nov 1995: Return to 93.7 KSD.
Nov 1998: Exit KSD. Contract not renewed by new management.
May 1999: Begin KTRS
July 1999: FIRED at KTRS. And proud of it!!
Dec 1999: Exit KMOV-TV. Budget cuts.
Mar 2000: Begin KLOU.
Feb 2002: FIRED at KLOU. New boss from out-of-town just didn't get us.
Sep 2002: Begin K-HITS96.
Feb 2007: Begin FOX2 commentaries on 5p and 9p news.
Apr 2007: Begin St. Louis Sports Magazine
Feb 2008: Exit FOX2. Asked to resign after Karen Foss' orchestrated Ameren flap.
May 2009: JC celebrates 25th anniversary in St. Louis.
Oct 2009: Depart K-HITS96. Massive budget cuts. Paid thru 2010.
Oct 2010: Return to KTRS
Apr 2012: Begin part-time at WGN Chicago.
Apr 2012 FIRED at KTRS. (They TOLD me it was OK to work the Chicago job. Must have changed their minds.)
Mar 2013: Begin Classic Rock "The Arrow" & Talk KTRH Houston.
Jan 2014: Depart "The Arrow." Format change to hip-hop.
May 2014: Begin part-time at WLS Chicago.
Aug 2015: Begin Sports Talk 1380. (Converts to 590 The Fan)
Feb 2016: FIRED at 590 The Fan. Insane Asylum.
Feb 2016: Begin 93.1 KBDZ
Jun 2021: Depart KBDZ. Caught them trying to steal my sponsors at a lower price.
May 2023: Begin mornings at K-WULF.
May 2024: Depart K-WULF. Station refuses to pay a full year of back wages.

Fired five times in FORTY years. Twice by the same place. Not bad, really, given the nature of electronic media. Let's also remember I was HIRED at all these places. I think that's the better story. ---- J. C. Corcoran

[Ed Fraser]

Nobody...

gives...

a...

flying....

F***...

[edwin drood]

Nobody...

gives...

a...

flying....

F***...

Did your Librium rx run out?

[Heavy Early]

John Ulett

1976: Begin KSHE.
1983: Begin PA announcer at Busch Stadium.

[Pink Freud]

John Ulett

1976: Begin KSHE.
1983: Begin PA announcer at Busch Stadium.

I could be snarky and insert a Vin Scully jibe here, but....

J. C. says U-Man still has the first dollar he ever made. I'm sure he'll enjoy retirement.

Meanwhile, much of J. C.'s daily podcast is still complaining about workplace issues going back 50 years, from Fort Wayne to Buffalo to Flint to St. Louis. There was a time a few years ago when his every show was, all hour long, about how a moving company he hired in Houston ripped him off. I still listen, because he's a pop culture and history encyclopedia, but J. C. seriously needs a sidekick to share conversation and bounce ideas off of. He was never better than his years working alongside Ulett, Don Johnson, Karen Kelly, Laurie Mac, Jen Sparks, Steve Schlanger and Brian McKenna.

[Heavy Early]

John Ulett

1976: Begin KSHE.
1983: Begin PA announcer at Busch Stadium.

I could be snarky and insert a Vin Scully jibe here, but....

J. C. says U-Man still has the first dollar he ever made. I'm sure he'll enjoy retirement.

Meanwhile, much of J. C.'s daily podcast is still complaining about workplace issues going back 50 years, from Fort Wayne to Buffalo to Flint to St. Louis. There was a time a few years ago when his every show was, all hour long, about how a moving company he hired in Houston ripped him off. I still listen, because he's a pop culture and history encyclopedia, but J. C. seriously needs a sidekick to share conversation and bounce ideas off of. He was never better than his years working alongside Ulett, Don Johnson, Karen Kelly, Laurie Mac, Jen Sparks, Steve Schlanger and Brian McKenna.

No Joe Mason mention because JC still hates him? I remember Joe got invited back for KSHE's 50th anniversary celebration -- and JC got snubbed. I heard he was livid.