It’s a good bet that your dream job would be Monday thru Friday and your hours would be 9-5.
Of course, with your benefits you would have weekends and holidays off along with your vacation being during the summertime.
Let me throw one more in – you would have your birthday off too. Of course, all these with full pay.
For me, it all began after college in 1960 as I began my career in Ashland at the 2nd National Bank as a Teller. My hours were just like my dream designed it to be. Even better really.
My hours were 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. with weekends and holidays off as well. However, there was a huge problem – my pay was $1.71 per hour or net $49 weekly.
Even in in 1960 it seemed like a pittance compared to the checks I cashed for my customers.
With the dawn of 1961, I was offered a part-time job as a DJ at WIRO over in Ironton, Ohio working weekends only.
Just what I needed to supplement my income. I had absolutely no experience as a broadcaster in any capacity, but the owner – the late Ken Auble hired me and did I ever learn the ropes fast.
The total hours were 8 on Saturday and 8 more on Sunday including sign on. The extra income helped greatly, but the reality of it all – I was working 7 days a week.
All of a sudden things changed. Somehow, someway – I developed a personality I never knew I had amid learning the nuances of the job.
In 1964, I was offered and accepted a full time position at WIRO to work 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday thru Saturday which included $20 more a week than at the bank.
Time moved quickly and in the fall of that year, I was assigned to be a co-host of WIRO’s Morning broadcast -“The Coffee Grounds Show” with a super talent and radio pioneer – HAL MURPHY.
During the interview it was determined that I would sign on at 6 a.m. and then join Hal at 7 a.m. thru 9 a.m. and finish my shift at 10 a.m.
Then came the “KNUCKLE CURVE BALL.”
Hal ALSO hosted an afternoon drive time show – “The Town Clowns” from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. This meant, as his “On Air” partner, I would join him as well. However, my shift would continue daily for me to begin at 3 p.m. and then join Hal at 4 p.m.
This arrangement would simply create something I had never done and even heard of prior to my new daily shifts. Yes, there was a perk involved. I would earn an increase in my salary from $90 weekly to $110. Looking back, if you were knocking down $100 a week, you were doing just fine.
Certainly, I agreed and the station began promoting our shows and a very young “MIKE TODD” was on his way to co-hosting what would come to be, a huge historic hit in local radio.
So, now the stage was set. My new “Split Shift” dictated what really in essence was a long 12+ hours per day which included a small break.
At the time, it never entered my mind as to the expense of going to work twice a day.
My routine from Ashland to Ironton began as mentioned around 5 a.m. driving to Russell, Kentucky and crossing the Russell bridge over to Ironton.
However, at that time, there was a 25 cent bridge toll. Doesn’t sound like much until you extend the expense to crossing the bridge 4 times daily which is $1 a day Monday thru Friday or $5 a week or $20 monthly.
Extend that out to adding Saturdays which made it $2 monthly and a grand total of $22 a month. Traveling back and forth used more gas which added even more expense per week and monthly.
My routine became very demanding. A typical day would have me rising at 5 a.m., arrive at the station by 5:30 to warm up the transmitter, gather news and prepare for the 6-10 shift. Later a 25-minute drive home, have lunch and relax and then a nap arising at 2 p.m. for a drive back to the station to prepare for air time at 3 p.m. and the “Town Clowns Show” from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
Another drive back home arriving at about 6 p.m. and sit down for supper, watch a little TV, spend time with our two sons, to bed by 9 p.m. giving me much needed rest of 8 hours sleep before leaving for work at 5 a.m.
Noticeably, there is a huge absence of time for family activities, meeting with neighbors or shopping which would decrease the time of daily routine.
Keeping this routine up weekly gives a green light to fatigue, stress, and lack of very important personal time with family.
Step back and look at it and each passing day was actually doubled in expense, time and effort.
Aside from the demanding “Split Shift.” the chemistry between my “On Air” partner Hal Murphy and me boomed big time.
What many didn’t know or realize at the time was that Hal was broadcasting from a Bowling Alley window, while I was in the WIRO studio – 5 miles downriver over in Ohio.
The public saw Hal, but never saw me. They only heard on the radio our voices which which sounded like we were indeed side by side.
Hal and I worked hard on on two shows. We would even meet at his home periodically for snacks while planning our future shows.
Working in radio can be very fickle. You can be there one day and gone the next.
After nearly 3 years of the “Split Shift,” I was offered a lucrative mid day shift at our market competitor WTCR which I accepted. Just like that, a drastic change that included my going to work only “once” a day.
In just a short time, I was promoted to Program Director at WTCR and the rest is broadcasting history.
My career in broadcasting began one sunny April day in 1961 and the ensuing years to come which included three years of the infamous “Split Shift” that truly led to a career move that changed everything.
Yeah – life can be strange sometimes, but destiny can step in anytime, anywhere and put a smile on your face.
It did for me a long long time ago.
Mike Tussey has “retired” from a 60-plus-year career as a legendary play-by-play announcer for over 2000 football, baseball, and basketball games, including most recently for ESPN+. His career also includes a stint in law enforcement, teaching and coaching, and writing books, including the “Touchdown Saints.” He grew up in Eastern Kentucky and now lives in Florence with his wife, Jo. He has opened another “Door of Opportunity” and is now a regular columnist for the NKyTribune.