In preparation for starting the radio show I compiled an e-mail list of every person, place or thing that I’ve ever met, coupled that with Brian’s list and wound up with an impressive e-mail list just shy of 3,000 e-mail addresses. On that list were at least one of the Galvin brothers, those stupid ones who have a radio show on WVXU.
Jene and Jerry have or, moreover, had (Jene left to help out the Springer on the Radio show earlier this year; Jerry continues alone), a radio show on WVXU. Every Sunday evening at 10 p.m. the two would come on my living room radio and rant about utter silliness. They make up stories, interview Jerry Springer, laugh at themselves, take calls and threaten that every show was their last show. I actually liked listening to the show, though many times I found it pointless. I’m thinking that might’ve been the point.
But pointlessness sometimes is good, especially on a Sunday night as I wound down from a hectic weekend. Many people who I’d ask if they heard their show had at one time or another and felt more strongly that pointlessness shouldn’t appear on their public radio station. I smiled and politely disagreed.
We purposefully made our e-mail list easy to unsubscribe from. So far about 500 e-mail addresses have asked to be taken off. Not a problem and it’s easy to do – just click on a link . I hate spam myself, and would hate to be contributing to that classification of junk mail. But I have to admit, it was really sad when I got the automatic unsubscribe message from our ListServ when Jene Galvin took himself off our list.
Now I’m just hurt. Jene and I spoke on the phone a few times long before the Brian & Joe Radio Show was even conceptualized. We met when I scheduled Jerry Springer to speak at an SPJ luncheon. What had I done to irk him so much that he would take the initiative to unsubscribe himself from another radio show’s e-mail list? Hey, I’m still on the Springer on the Radio e-mail list. Is it because the Brian & Joe Radio Show is on at the same time as Jerry in Cincinnati (I realize that our small, but loyal listenership may posses all the Arbitron books in Cincinnati, but that’s not our fault)?I wish he’d write and tell me. I’m here. I’m willing to listen. And I want to have radio buddies, especially ones that I admire.