SOMETHING I'D LOVE TO DO

"And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:" (Genesis 37:6)

Around four months ago I published a post on this blog entitled "WOULD WBZ GIVE BOB BARIL A CHANCE?" Well, I've exchanged some e-mails with a person at that station, and that seems to be just kind of "in limbo" to use an old expression that my father used to use all the time. While there are probably a dozen careers I've had a passing interest in, there have only been two that I have REALLY WANTED TO DO WITH A PASSION: One is be an active and respected evangelical Protestant minister and one is be a successful radio broadcaster; (particularly doing a "call-in" show).

In high school I absolutely wanted to go into broadcasting, although my father strongly talked me out of it. He felt it was a field that offered no job security; that it was like acting, with a few big success stories and scads of disappointed wannabee failures. I trained to be a public school teacher. What little public school teaching I did, and there wasn't much of it, I HATED. I decided I would rather be a janitor in a textile mill than be a public school teacher,and for one summer job I WAS a janitor in a textile mill, so I knew from whence I spoke! Many of you know, I spent over twenty-five years as an Assemblies of God minister. I am still an Ordained AG minister although right now I am on "inactive" status. The church I pastored never had more than eighty people in attendance, and for most of the twenty-three years I pastored that church there were under fifty. In the final days, we felt "lucky" (a distinctly non-evangelical word) if twenty showed up. I'm actually a very good speaker and a very good teacher (just not in public schools!), but I guess I was a lousy leader and not much of a businessman. At least half of what you do as a pastor is functioning a businessman and about another thirty percent is being a leader of men and women. I gave it all I had, but those were areas where I just never seemed to get out of the starting gate, so to speak.

That's a big part of why when the overnight show slot opened up at WBZ, I wanted a crack at it. I may sound like I really sold myself short in what I wrote above, but I really AM a gifted person. Sometimes, it's difficult to "get your foot in the door" to convince others of this. During the Fall of 2011, I took several classes at the job training center in Marlboro. A lot of people thought I was getting "hands on" training there for a new career. Actually, there's really little of that, there. I got SOME of that, but not a lot. Much more common are motivational "you can do it" kind of classes. I don't write that to be critical. Unemployed and underemployed people really have lost their self-esteem and need those classes. I have never told this to anyone outside of those classes, but in several of those sessions, people raised their hands and pointed out that I make an outstanding presentation of myself and have a captivating presence. These comments were made by people who (in many cases) are HIGHLY skilled when it comes to computers and business- much more highly skilled that I am. I was frankly SHOCKED at some of the praises I got from these folks. One INSTRUCTOR there AGREED with my classmates, and said to me (I think half seriously), "Just don't try to take MY job!"

I will say that what I just wrote is not easy to convey on a job interview, despite what people have said to me. Now, that part was all only my "introduction" to this piece! Yes, like Joseph of the Old Testament, I have "dreamed many dreams". He went from the prison to the palace. I would still LOVE to do an overnight radio show, if not on WBZ, on SOME station. I admit as I wrote on the blog a few months ago, I am really not "a trained broadcast professional", as some would say.

BUT:

IF I were to host an overnight show on a major station like WBZ, I probably would NOT do a lot of "heavy issues"stuff. Of course, there could be exceptions. I'm sure, for instance, that even the most silly and lighthearted of hosts found themselves doing "heavy issues" talk on Sept. 11-18 of 2001. As I recall, that was also the case on May 1, 2011 with the news of Osama Ben Laden's killing. THOSE sort of nights would be the exception to the rule.

I really enjoyed "The David Stein Show/A Celebration of Life" during the few weeks it was on WTKK in the Spring of 2011. I know the national syndication company (I think it was Westwood One) was trying to market that as a major nationally syndicated show. I don't think it was ever on more than 6 stations and it was cancelled. BUT, it was VERY good stuff! I remember that at least HALF of Stein's calls came from Boston's WTKK. I know people would think a spiritual and people-centric show like that would NOT have appealed to New Englanders but apparently, it did. Now, I would NOT do a show EXACTLY like "The David Stein Show/A Celebration of Life", but I must say, that sort of thing would be a big piece of what I would do...maybe 40% of the type of thing I would do.

I'd call my program something like "Bob Baril's Kitchen Table". The idea would be a person who comes downstairs at 3 am and can't sleep and just wants to sit at the kitchen table, have a piece of chocolate cake, and a glass of milk and TALK. The talk COULD be very funny, silly stuff...funny stories, that sort of thing. But it could also be some serious matters...maybe someone's dealing with a child with cancer, or a parent who just had to be put into a nursing home. The "I've been there" callers who'd respond would be very powerful and therapeutic. My thirty years as an Ordained Minister would be very handy and appropriate for that sort of thing. And, I would NOT be ramming evangelical Christianity down people's throats. David Stein is a Jew by birth who today is a "born again Christian". He DID bring Jesus and the Bible into things, but only in a VERY SUBTLE and INCLUSIVE manner....NEVER in a condemnatory or preachy manner. He was always about inspiring and motivating others, and I'd like to do the same.

Again, I would NOT do JUST that sort of thing, though. There IS a place for just funny stories and interviews and other things. I'd love to interview people from Massachusetts who are not particularly famous but who are making a difference in our world.

I DO think the PERSONALITY and the "SCHTICK" of the host is important. I used to enjoy "The John and Jeff Show" when it was on WTKK. I don't know if they EVER had guests. IF they did, that was rare. They'd talk about subjects like tipping in restaurants and "should marijuana be legal?" and there was something about the WAY they talked and conducted themselves that they were RIVETING to listen to! You wanted to hear what was coming next. You did not want to turn off the radio! I don't know if he is on anywhere today, but Tom Leykis also has that quality. True, he's a real jerk "in real life" but the way he tells personal stories, you just can't get enough of listening! I think that is a VERY important quality in a host and it's something I would strive for.

Within reason, there's even a place for some kind of crazy but memorable music themes. Rush Limbaugh used to do that, and I think he was much better when he had those "update themes". I'd LOVE to host a show featuring an audio clip of the Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann" as my musical opener...that's because it SOUNDS like they're singing "BOB BARIL"!

I know what I'm suggesting would scare a lot of program directors as stations want to have a very serious and very professional news image. But, IS there a place for the kind of things I write about to be on the air from Midnight to 5 a.m.? In my humble opinion, ABSOLUTELY! I think it's the idea of a radio station "letting its hair down" and being VERY DIFFERENT during those hours that CAN make listening very attractive- even to people who don't usually listen to talk radio or to AM radio.

What do you think? Is my dream crazy? Would YOU listen to a show such as I'm describing? The program director at WBZ strongly asked me to stop having friends e-mail him, and I did that. Now, I think maybe resuming those e-mails wouldn't be a bad idea! Would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!