The Industry

     Just like the Godfather… minus the mob, this is the second part of Jeremy Baker’s story. From school to the Zone @ 91.3 in Victoria. If you missed the first half check it out here. Today was also a very weird/crazy; frustrating/exciting day so look for another post shortly. Again, for now I’m going to stop typing. Jeremy Baker Pt. II GO! (Yes, you can clap)

“I’ll skip a bunch of good times (including how my folks pushed me to do radio professionally, how I got into BCIT and then kicked out then back in) and get to the juice.  Spring 2003.  I went back to BCIT to finish my diploma and its practicum time.

When you take radio broadcasting at BCIT, you have to do a one month gulag at some corporation to get your diploma.  At the time I was very happy living in East Vancouver with my lady friend and working at the Westin Bayshore and Starbucks.  This practicum was a bit of an inconvenience but I was really jazzed to have school done and at the time I worked so much I had a little saved up.  A month I could do.

I sent letters to a bunch of radio stations I felt I had a shot at.  A rock station in Regina and Kamloops.  My friend worked at a new modern rocker in Victoria so I sent a letter there.  I ran into my old boss, Tim, from CFUN (that shit between 1998 and 2003 I skipped… yeah working at CFUN was in there) on Commercial Drive one day.  He was working at what was a talk radio station in Vancouver on 730AM.  He said I could do my practicum there if I wanted.  And on a lark I sent a letter to KPOI in Honolulu.

Two radio stations got back to me.  KPOI and The Zone @ 91-3 in Victoria.  I had to make a choice.  My Mom encouraged me to go to KPOI and live in Hawaii for a month as kind of a holiday/work thing.  Then come back to Vancouver and work in tourism as I was doing.  But part of me was thinking that I could go to Victoria, have fun with my buddy Scott Kirkwood and maybe, maybe actually get a job.  I could live with my uncle and spend what money I had left on a week in Vegas.

On my first day I reported for duty and the receptionist had me sit in the lobby.  The program director could not see me right away.  Some stuff had happened and everyone was worked up.  After what felt like a few hours, a hurried Al Ford called me into his office.  He was very sorry, but my practicum would have to be pretty basic.  His morning show guy, Layne Mitchel (Sonic Edmonton), had just up and quit and Al would have to fill in on mornings.  He would have no time to baby sit me during the day, but he said I could hang out with my buddy Scott on the evening show and he’d make sure he’d sign any papers that needed signing to make sure I pass.  Lame, kinda.  But also fun because now I didn’t have to do any work.

The Vancouver Canucks making the playoffs in 2003 helped my career too.  My buddy Scott Kirkwood is a hockey guy and wanted to watch hockey, so he said… why don’t you do my show?  uh… sure.  And I did the evening show.

Al called me into his office a couple weeks into the practicum.  I thought I was in trouble because I wasn’t supposed to be on the air.  He said that he’d heard my show, it sounded good and that I could do swing.  Oddly enough, Scott got promoted too.  Al ended up bumping the afternoon drive guy (Paul Brown, The Bear Edmonton) to mornings, Sara P to Afternoons, Scott to days and I got the evening show. Score.

They paid me the colossal sum of $1,400/month which was way less than I earned at the Westin.  I thanked them for that!  Called the Westin, told ‘em I wasn’t coming back and I’ve been on The Zone since.

Go with yourself.”

- Jeremy Baker

There you have it! I would like to thank Jeremy for his story and if you want to hear more from Jeremy you can of course catch him on air in Victoria on the Zone and/or you can read his blog here.

Also if you have a radio icon that you would like to learn more about, leave their name in the comments below and I will try and track them down and get their story!