CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bob Lacey & Sheri Lynch were instrumental in my move to Charlotte 21 years ago. I was 20-years-old and had somehow worked my way into the Program Director position at a 100,000 watt radio station in Central Wisconsin in desperate need of a format change. With the help of Programmer Bill Phillips who I had worked for at other stations, we flipped the format to Hot Adult Contemporary/Adult Top 40.
As PD, I was going to either be the morning host or the afternoon host. I didn’t want to do mornings and then be at the station all day so we looked for a quality morning show that would fit our new format. After listening to a number of options, I popped in a CD of Bob & Sheri. Within minutes, I knew we had our new AM show. Listeners responded immediately and ratings rose quickly, taking the station from obscurity to a real player in the money demos.
To take advantage of the success of our new show, we flew Bob, Sheri & Lamar (The People’s Movie Critic) in for a market visit. They spent a few days in Central Wisconsin which included a live broadcast of their show benefitting the Children’s Miracle Network, an advertiser soirée and a golf tournament. After spending some time with Bob & Sheri, they mentioned I should come work at their home base, 107.9 The Link in Charlotte. I thought this was just something they said as a way of making affiliate folks feel good. At one point, Sheri told me that I was wasting my talents where I was and needed to go bigger and again suggested working for the Link. My memory is a little hazy but I’m pretty sure Sheri said something to the effect of “You need get out of this s***hole” or “Away from that a**hole,” referring to my General Manager. Either way she was right. Bob & Sheri gave me the contact information for new Link Program Director Neal Sharpe and suggested I make contact. After sending my demo and a phone call with Neal, I was hired part-time at the Link. Within about a month, I packed up my things and moved to Charlotte, a city I had never seen.
At WLNK, I helped Bob & Sheri when Max or Super Todd were off, filled in for WLNK DJs and cut commercials. Bob & Sheri always had my back. Their endorsement and belief in me was huge for my confidence and my standing at the station. That led to time in the 7-midnight shift at the Link, then a role with Matt & Ramona (who also rock) and promotions to Music Director and Assistant Program Director before I left for TV in 2005.
One of the hardest parts of programming music on that radio station was that no matter what you did or how well you did it, there’s no playlist on the planet that could bring even half as many ears to the radio as Bob & Sheri or Matt & Ramona. The goal was getting people to hang around when they weren’t on.
Bob & Sheri’s initial belief in me is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. I’m so glad 20-year-old Derek listened to them and took a chance. That one decision changed my life.
