KFI evening talk show host Mo’Kelly shares his thoughts on overcoming obstacles
KFI (640 AM) evening talk host Morris O’Kelly — aka Mo’Kelly (program note: I always mess up where the apostrophe goes in his nickname) — was the guest speaker last Tuesday at the El Camino College Center for the Arts.
It was a motivational speech using his own life experiences to demonstrate following your passion as you search for opportunities in your chosen career – in his case, obviously, radio.
“There are many paths to success … but every single one passes through the land of ‘no'” was the title of the speech, and that was the point he stressed throughout the night. When, for example, he was told by a former employer that he was not ready to host a talk show, O’Kelly set out to improve his craft and prove — eventually — that he could.
Essentially, every “no” is an opportunity for self-reflection and growth, and you cannot rely on others to be your advocate — though those who do are much appreciated. You must be your own cheerleader … if you don’t believe in yourself, why should others?
Demonstrating his own growth over the years, O’Kelly told of his early days working, for free, giving commentaries for the BBC and CNN. Sitting in his car outside of McDonalds or Starbucks, he connected to his computer to their free wifi network for the reports, due to the fact that he couldn’t afford his own internet at home.
That’s a distant memory and a far cry from today, where he hosts “Later with Mo’Kelly”weekdays from 7-10 p.m. on one of the most listened-to talk stations in the country.
On hand during the discussion were friends and family, as well as colleagues past and present. It was a good speech and judging by the reaction of the crowd, very much appreciated.
Gone … But Not Forgotten
Amazon.Com is shutting down “Amp,” its live radio service launched just 18 months ago. It was open to anyone who wanted to launch a show, according to The Verge.Com, which explained, “Amp was geared toward fans of music and talk radio.
“Any Amp user with an Amazon account could launch a live show and access millions of licensed songs, which they could compile into playlists and play for their followers. Amp users could “call in” to shows and ask hosts questions.”
It has not shut down yet, and a few people involved with the project are said to be staying with Amazon in an undisclosed position. It is expected to wind down in the coming weeks.
The reason I say it won’t be forgotten is that most people didn’t know about it in the first place. Much like the lack of marketing in traditional radio, the marketing for Amazon’s Amp was dismal at best … totally lacking at worst. I didn’t hear about it at all until the shutdown was announced, and I heard it from an AM radio station owner.
Apparently they did have ads on Spotify. I don’t use Spotify. You’d think the retailer that destroyed the former retail king – Sears – would have done at least a little more. I might have even launched a show …
Limits
There is conflict in the industry regarding more relaxation of ownership limit rules – you know, the rules that allowed a handful of companies to own so many radio stations that it destroyed the profitability of the entire industry and created such massive debt that investors and station owners may never recover.
Apparently the National Association Broadcasters (NAB) wants the FCC to loosen rules even more, while iHeart — the NAB’s largest financial backer — is saying “slow down.”
My opinion? Learn from your past. Radio was immensely profitable until the exact point when companies were allowed to own more than seven radio or television stations nationwide. Competition led to creativity, and attracted listeners. It is time to tighten ownership rules. Give time, but make sure that over the next ten years the total number of stations owned by any one company decreases until we return to the seven station limit.
If that is considered unreasonable, then perhaps 50 nation-wide, with no more than three in a market. Consolidation in radio did not lead to the operational efficiencies promised, and the draconian cutbacks that followed pushed listeners to other entertainment sources. Basically, to coin a phrase, it is time to kill the beast.
Younger Listeners
For years I’ve been saying that fun radio, similar to what was once found on powerhouse stations such as KHJ (930 AM), KFRC up in San Francisco, WCFL and WLS in Chicago, or even the album stations like KMET (now KTWV, 94.7 FM) would play well today. It was the bigger-than-life, fun, creative programming that made radio so special in the past. What was between the records is what set stations apart. And it didn’t have to be expensive – a good DJ made all the difference – music’s version of theater of the mind.
As if to make my point, InsideMusicMedia.Com’s Jerry Del Colliano presented a 30-year old video air-check of Cousin Brucie Morrow to his students enrolled in a media class he teaches at NYU. Even he was surprised at the results.
They loved seeing the inside of a radio studio, they got a kick out of Morrow actually playing music, couldn’t get over how much fun he was having playing the music, jungles and commercials and, as Del Colliano said, “they wondered why radio doesn’t have more fun like the Brucie video except with their music.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Maybe we need to bring back the guys and gals who know radio — Chuck Martin, Bobby Ocean, Sam Bellamy, et al — and show the young guys how it’s done.
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