The Lee Gilette Story, Part 1

As I travelled on I-26, trucking my way through East Tennessee, I passed Exit 57A and instantly recalled one of the most unbelievable times I lived through in my twenty two year radio career. This story begins with the history leading up to my departure from a long run at a heritage radio station in New Jersey and ends on a very sad note about a guy with a God given talent for broadcasting.

On June 14^th, 1994, I marked my 12^th anniversary at Magic 98.3, WMGQ in New Brunswick, New Jersey, serving the Central New Jersey region in the Arbitron rated Middlesex-Somerset-Union market.  It was the 36^th largest, nationally, from over 300 rated markets in 1994 with a population of 1.5 million. New York City, Market #1 was our direct competition and adjacent market.  Mattantan was 28 miles from where I lived near the crossroads of I-78 and I-287.

 I first returned to The Garden State in early 1982 after a busted econmy chased me out of my radio haven in Coastal Georgia.  Anxious to stay busy and keep working,  I jocked part time on the weekends as a rock music DJ at 105-5, WDHA, The Rock of North Jersey. In addition, I taught broadcast announcing at a school in New York City during the week.  It was a seven day a week schedule with both, and a lengthy commute to The City on a network of trains and subways. 

In June, a slot opened at Magic and found myself in the unfamilar territory of soft rock radio.  I originally didn’t think I would last 6 months at there.  This was truly a place of "corporate radio."

The Adult Contemporary music format was too conservative and stuffy for my tastes, but I longed for one skinny day off every week in a position that included full-time benefits. This would be a stepping stone to somewhere else or back to WDHA, if a fulltime slot opened there.  I loved the Rock format at DHA. The Program Director, Mark Chernoff, General Manager Bob Linder and the rest of the staff were great people to work with. Long time Midday Personality, Kathy Millar, gave Chernoff a thumbs up when he asked if she liked my demo tape when I interviewed with Mark in the production studio there. 

At Magic, I ended up making it past six months and the administrations of three American Presidents, three New Jersey Governors, three station General Managers, one complete studio overhaul, the ownership of six cars and the loss of a substantial amount of hair. This was my twelve year temporary job.

Tony Marano, the long time General Manager of Magic 98.3, WMGQ had retired about a 18 months before I marked 12 years. He had been at the helm of Magic and our sister AM since the 60's. Tony began his career in the 40's at his beloved WCTC-AM.  Mr. Marano was revered in the community and maintained a family atmosphere at the stations.

Broadcast Center, the name of our modernistic facility was built in 1978. All on one level, a center talk radio studio doubled as a conference room and was surrounded by four studios including the newsroom with broadcast glass windows peering into the center. Offices, a large engineering room and a kitchen formed the outer ring of the building. Directly next to this beehive of activity was a rare, free standing broadcast antenna tower.  Easily recognized as a free standing because of its wide base and lack of supporting wire lines. 

 Marano was a tall, white haired gentleman and he led the stations on a path of steady growth over the years in a competitive maket sandwiched between the two major markets of Philly and New York.  One year, as a commendation for a job well done, he took us all on buses to Atlantic City for a day and night of fine food and fun at Trump Castle.  Donald Trump, himself, stepped into our banquet room briefly and greeted our group, telling us “we sounded like a fun bunch.”  Some of us received color TVs as prize for good work in an in-house sales contest.  

It was a stable place to work. Most of the Magic Personalities had ten years or more of service invested. On the CTC-AM side, a few, like Jack Shreve had been on the air since the early 60’s. Grown kids remember him announcing school closings. Long time AM morning personality, Jack Ellery roamed the halls like royalty. We called him "Little Caesar."

 The benefits were good at Magic 98.3 and I had four weeks of vacation annually.  In fact, since most of us on the FM staff had passed ten years and had four weeks, I would usually do my Evening Show only 10 months out of the year. The other two months were spent filling in on the Morning or Afternoon Shows.  It was nice to get that much of a change of pace and experience life outside of the evenings ever year for so much time. Ron Fillepp, the Afternoon Personality, took the entire month of August off to go to Australia one year, so I made myself comfortable in Afternoons for that time. 

On a typical day,  I would calmly stroll into the on air studio with thirty seconds to spare as a song ended, sit down, open the microphone and talk.  Toward the end of my career there, a new part time announcer introduced himself to me and said “it’s great to meet you…I used to listen to you when I was a kid.”  It was then, that it really sank in as to how long I had been there.

At one point, during the 80's, I discovered that I had a following in England. This was in the era when the internet was still a rudimentary endeavor and before it featured audio.  A listener called and said she was in a record store in England and found "bootleg" tapes of my show on cassettes labeled "American Radio".  I never did get a copy of a tape, but it was kind of a heady experience to think I might have listeners in Europe!

By the time the summer of ’94 rolled around, we were on our second general manager since Tony retired and suddenly, there were cracks in the dyke.  I met the new guy in the hallway one day, impeccably dressed and “spit shined to the nine’s”.  After looking me over carefully, he said  “don’t worry, I’m a nice guy.”  When someone says “I’m a nice guy” or “you can trust me”, I become wary. Very wary.

We watched in horror as the very talented Mike Jarmus on the AM side was given his walking papers.  It was thirty years of talent and a very nice man walking out the door, never to return.  Long time sales executives whom all we had worked closely with were departing one by one. Every day it seemed like someone was being accompanied out the door by a station official, while carrying their desk items in cardboard boxes.  A terse notice was posted with instructions of not to let the vanquished back into the building. Heads were rolling like bowling balls and I knew this bad disease of terminations would make it to our side of the building…sooner than later.

As predicted, they began breaking up Magic. I was actually fortunate that they dumped me into the Overnight Show. I eerily had the feeling that they forgot about me, and it would buy me enough time to find another job.

Nothing to my liking was developing in the regional area, so I knew I had to “widen my circle” if I was going to stay in radio or remain in the ash pit of what was once a great place to work.  Returning South was a recurring thought that appealed to me. But where could I go?  Florida and Georgia were places I enjoyed being once upon a time and to return there might be a good move, I pondered. I recalled the glory days when I did the morning show on 101Q in Coastal Georgia.  It was a 100,000 watt blowtorch of a signal station, a Top 40 sound and good living on the beach.  Tennessee also appealed to me as somewhere new and adventurous.  My travels had taken me through East Tennessee on numerous occasions and I grew fond of the picturesque mountain terrain and friendly people.  You only go around once, so, with adventure in mind, I “crop dusted” Chattanooga, Knoxville and The Tri Cities market comprised of Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol with audition tapes and resumes in the hope of landing a good opportunity there.

(At this point of the story, some of the names, except Lee have been changed to protect the innocent)

August of 1994 arrived when Robert, the Operation Manager from US-99 called on a Friday from the Tri Cities market and extended an invitation to come down and discuss their Afternoon Drive opening at the Country formatted station. After a brief question and answer session on the phone, I agreed to travel down for a Monday meeting and tour the facilities in Johnson City and the other two towns that comprised market number 96.  

It would be a drop in market size, but the money they were offering was good combined with the drop in cost of living. I would also be returning to Country, a format I hadn’t done since 1980. The Afternoon time slot would suit me as well, so I packed a bag and prepared to make the 9 hour trip.

Monday morning found me in the reception area of US-99 at nine am sharp.  Robert came out to greet me with a donut in his hand and invited me join him and meet the General Manager, Evan Gotan.  Upon entering Evan’s office, smiles and warm greetings were quickly turned to the business at hand. Robert was a more introverted and studious guy, close to my age. His premature gray hair belied a fellow who wasn’t yet out of his thirties. Broad shouldered and six foot, he was clean shaven, Dockered and penny loafered.  Evan immediately portrayed a classic Type “A” Personality.  At fifty-something, he was lean, as gray as Robert and ready to cut a deal.  His complexion was pock marked from an earlier skin condition.   He fidgeted constantly with items on his desk.  I remained firm with plenty of questions before I signed on any dotted line. I hadn’t started a new job in 12 years, and I wanted to tread carefully. 

Evan paused for a moment, then picked up the phone and dialed a number and following a greeting to someone named Lee, he handed me the phone.

On the other end was this deep, booming and network sounding voice announcing himself as the new Program Director and Morning Personality, Lee Gilette.  He was straight-forward and said he hand- picked me for the Afternoon Show.  Lee added that he was in Iowa and it would be great to see me in about two weeks.  Oh, “and make sure you get as much money out of these guys as you can.”

As the day wore on, more information about the situation with US-99 was revealed to me.  They shared that the format would be changing from Country to Adult Contemporary.  They needed me for my extensive experience in the format.  I could attain the “Music Director” title, after an initial transition of the format.  Johnny Dark, of WNBC and Florida’s Coast in Miami fame was slated to voice track the evening show.  I was going to be surrounded by all this big market talent on the station, if nothing else, would sound like a winner.

Next on the agenda, was a steak dinner to seal the deal.  I said yes, and Evan said we start on Monday, Labor Day.

I called Joe DeRose, my longtime Program Director at Magic with the news of my impending departure.  His reply was “are you sure this is it?”  “Have you dotted all the I’s  and crossed all the T’s? ”  I said yes, this where I jump off.  I thanked Joe for his many years of support and related to him that I might not had lasted there as long if it not for him.  He then told me “nothing makes me happier than to see you walk out of here with your own two feet.”   Magic 98.3 would give me a last show. I looked forward to it and dreaded it at the same time. I knew it would emotional for me . How could it not be?  How do you spend that much time in one place, forging so many bonds with co-workers, audience members and personal friends without a long goodbye?

Part 2, Next