The Big Show is no more. This morning we’re launching a new morning show: The Stax Show with Blair and Brandt on Classic Rock Free 981.
There have been a lot of assumptions about what this means to me since Derek, my husband, was – shall we say – cleared out to make room for the new show. But the truth is this that although I miss working with him, Derek is happy with his new direction and job. There have never been any guarantees in radio in the decades we’ve both been involved with it. Stax is a really great guy whom we’ve both known for many years and he has a loyal following in London radio. So the team is rowing the good ship Free in the same direction.
As much as it’s been fun to co-host with Blair for the past few months, I’m looking forward to going back to my third-banana role. I have a lot of responsibilities in the news and information department and it feels like nothing has had my full attention since November. As a rule, people don’t like change, but I think they’ll get on board with the things that we have planned, and unplanned. We have an exciting contest coming up and we’re looking forward to working together.
Just a word or two about Blair. We first became acquainted when he hired me to critique his aircheck while he was on air in Barrie. Later, he worked at FM96 when I was down the hall at 1039 at Corus here in London. He went to India for almost a year and performed on American-style radio there. When he came back, I had him “drop in” at Free so he could meet the movers-and shakers, who hired him part-time. We went from all of that to cohosting on The Big Show for two years and then as a duo for three months. He drives me crazy and I make him just as insane because we are so different. But there’s a built-in trust that allows us to say the tough things and still like each other at the end of the day.
Recently, on a busy “snow day” morning in the newsroom, he told me that my upcoming Brandt’s Randt didn’t work and wasn’t up to my usual standards. Was I happy? Not at all! But he forced me to come up with something else that I finished writing about 9 seconds before we went to air. And it was better. This kind of honesty has worked both ways throughout our working relationship at Free and I thrive in such a challenging environment. He stepped up in Derek’s absence and worked his tail off so our twosome wouldn’t come off as some sort of second-rate fill-in program. I have major respect for him, even as I’m grimacing through the glass and wanting to thump him with a wiffle bat. I know that in the next hour, the tables will turn!
A great look “behind the scenes” at the show and at your life, Lisa. It’s something people everywhere could learn or be reminded of: in radio, honesty works. (As long as – to quote Valerie Geller – it’s the “personal” and not the “private”.) I hope all of your listeners give Stax a chance and welcome him as readily and warmly as you and Blair clearly have. Good luck to you!
Thanks E! I got a few emails today from people who felt Blair and I were getting the short shrift but I reminded them that he and I were #2 and #3 on the show before and that we’re both on board with the new direction. There’s no need to take a stand on our behalf!
PS – for folks outside radio, Valerie is a radio consultant and mentor to many. She’s written what could be called the Bible(s) of radio; her “Creating Powerful Radio” series is invaluable – or at least has been in my career. E.