Steve Post |
Steve
Post was a one-a-kind radio personality. He never took things too seriously and
found humor in the absurdity of the human condition. New York radio listeners
could always count on Post’s irreverent commentary and quick one-liners to
brighten any day.
Later
in 2018, everyone will get a chance to be introduced (and in some cases
re-introduced) to his life and times in the new film Playing in the FM Band: The Steve Post Story. The 80-minute
documentary by On the Road Productions is loosely based on Post’s autobiography of the
same name. The film's website is here.
Post
started in radio as a volunteer at WBAI in 1965. Soon he became cult radio hero who innovated
his own kind of “free form” audio storytelling.
Post is perhaps best known for his work at WNYC-FM. From 1982 until
2001. He was the host of Morning Music
With Steve Post, combining music, commentary, and satire. WNYC had dual
format at the time of NPR News and Classical music. Post did the weekday 9am to
Noon shift.
When
New York was attacked on September 11, 2001, WNYC-FM changed to an
all-news/talk format. Post became known as the station’s number one on-the-air
fundraiser. He played an important role in helping WNYC raise the money to buy
the station’s licenses from the City and establishing New York Public radio.
Steve Post in 1997 |
In
2002 Post began a weekly program – The No
Show – on WNYC. He retired from WNYC in 2009 and died from complications of
lung cancer at age 70 in 2014.
No
story about Post is complete without recalling perhaps the best story ever
about a DJ going to the bathroom and locking himself out of the station. Almost
anyone who has worked in radio has a similar tale.
One
morning in 1990s Post was doing his morning show on WNYC when he felt the need
to go to the bathroom. When he got in the stall, he realized he didn’t have a
key to get back into the station.
Fearing
“dead air” (a common DJ nightmare) he screamed for help but no one heard him.
Post was desperate. He decided the only way for him to get back in the studio
was to go out the bathroom window. He then navigated the crumbing ledges of the
Municipal Building, 20 stories above the pavement, and re-entered the control
room through an open window. He arrived just as the music was fading.
Steve
Post told this story much better than I can. Here is a YouTube video that
features Post live on WNYC telling what happened:
APM
ALIGNS WITH WESTWOOD ONE FOR NEW SEASON OF IN THE DARK
American
Public Media (APM) has crafted a deal with commercial radio syndicator Westwood
One (WWO) for promotion and ad sales for the second season of the podcast In the Dark. The Peabody Award-winning
investigative podcast returns on May 1, 2018 and runs through June.
Season
Two explores the case of Curtis Flowers – a black man in Mississippi who has
been tried six times for the same crime. In the Dark’s first season has had
over 12-million downloads since it was released in 2017.
Tim Roesler |
According
to Tim Roesler, APM’s Senior VP & Chief Business Development Officer, APM
is partnering with WWO because of their promotional reach, “digital vision” and
experience monetizing podcasts.
WWO
has made major investments in podcasting in the past couple of years.
The company owns Podcast One [link],
a portal that distributes over 90 podcast titles. Podcast One’s biggest hit is
the Adam Carolla Show [link], a
former “shock jock” who shares his thoughts about current events, politics,
relationships and anything else he can
complain about, according to Podcast One.
A
big benefit to Podcast One is the association with APM’s exceptional content
and “halo effect” of public media. Suzanne Grimes, Executive VP for Corporate Marketing
at Cumulus Media (Cumulus owns WWO), said in a press release:
“We are incredibly
impressed with APM’s award-winning and high-quality investigative content. This
collaboration is another example of the podcast marketplace maturing.”
MARCH 2018 PODTRAC TOP
TEN PODCAST PUBLISHERS RANKINGS
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am the director and producer of the film on Steve Post. Thank you for the press piece. It is greatly appreciated.
The film will be finished in December and we hope to have a NY opening soon after.
Please let us know how to contact you for further news on our film.
Thank you,
Rosemarie Reed