How I got into radio

What did you want to do after leaving high school or graduating from college?  Did you achieve your dream or go in a totally different direction?  What’s your story?  Here is mine.

While in high school, a career in radio was the furthest thing from my mind.  It was the mid-60s, the Space Race with the Russians was in high gear, and I wanted to be part of it.  I was always good at math and science, so I decided being an aeronautical engineer would be a great way to join the team at NASA in their quest to put a man on the moon and travel to the stars.  Heck, I even had not one, but two slide rules.  I breezed through Algebra, Geometry and Advanced Algebra.  I went to summer school before my senior year to take Solid Geometry and Trigonometry in order to take a college level Calculus class before graduating high school.  But then it happened.  Calculus stopped me faster than a bug hitting my 66 Mustang’s window at 70mph.  I was completely lost.  What’s a science/math geek to do?  It’s obvious … change my career plans to … RADIO?  Let me explain.  I was a huge St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan growing up.  I would listen (on my transistor radio) to Jack Buck and Harry Caray call the games on KMOX.  I love baseball and thought I too could become a play-by-play announcer.  So, I somehow convinced my parents that by attending “Career Academy of Famous Broadcasters” in Milwaukee, that in a few short months I would become the next Vin Scully.  (I’m sure that I showed Mom and Dad some mathematical formula proving my theory.)  Well, the sports announcer thing did not pan out (that is another story,) but after graduating from Career Academy, I did land a job in radio in a small midwestern town.  And although I did not achieve my dream of shooting for the stars, I did manage to rub elbows with the stars of stage, screen, sports, and Rock’n Roll.  What a rocket ride it has been.

Spiff (I sucked at calculus) Carner