I needed a day to gather my thoughts. I'll get to my thoughts on the future plenty in the coming weeks, but I can't do that without talking about my friend
Little Joe Pittman.
Joe used to pick me up from my parents' house before I had a car and we would go to the radio station around 10-11pm, after all the other shows were over. He was the first of us to "officially" get into the building, with a key and everything.
We both grew up dreaming of being in radio, and had our ears glued to KHTK. So after all the "adults" were gone from the station, and the place was empty, we would sneak into one of the production rooms and try and do our own show. No one would hear, there were no commercials or guests, but we had our first real attempt at trying to do an actual broadcast. In fact, I still have those tapes somewhere. They were played not many years ago on the station, quite embarrassing.
It was three years ago TODAY that I was fired from KHTK, my first ever firing. Hopefully my last (but doubtful in this biz). Dealing with Joe being let go yesterday was damn near just as painful, because we had always dreamed of working in radio together.
Although our paths didn't always align, we were pretty much around each other for well over a decade. When I care about someone, I REALLY care about them. There are two guys in this business that it killed me not to work with. One is Sean Thomas, and I'm still not over that. The other is Joe.
Simply put- Joe is the most loyal, driven, talented producer in existence. His ability to deal with "talent", structure a show, book guests, and be the "glue" so necessary to a program is unrivaled. He is also what I would call a "locker room guy", someone who made the hallways an easier place to function.
Radio is a different beast. Your job is basically predicated on whether or not people like you. You, as a media member, are automatically opened up to various levels of criticism from people who assume they know you from your voice coming through a speaker. Even though radio people have spouses, children, and likely make less or as much than your average everyday person, they still get shots taken. Bottom line- you have to have a crazy mix of narcissism and humility to survive this business. Guys like Joe help take the edge off.
Three years ago today, I was fired. Thankfully, the station I work for realized they made an error and rectified it. Although I am hyper-loyal to my employer, I truly hope, I BEG, that they realize another mistake was made with Joe. He's not just a number, a slash necessary to make the bottom line. He is the oil in the engine, the glue in the wooden model airplane.
Joe will be fine. His wife Laura is a gem, and a gorgeous one at that. His children, Hannah and Jack, are around my kids' age, and surely will provide Joe with all the challenge he needs.
I have always tried to be as honest, open, and vulnerable as I possibly can be publicly, because I truly believe in community. This city has always supported me, and I feel part of the reason is that I've always been truthful.
If my employers read this, please know that I am very grateful to still have a job, and I sincerely appreciate the opportunity. When I say a mistake was made with Joe, understand that I mean that only with the best interests of KHTK in mind. Everything is always about the good of the station.
Life is a blur, and as I near 40, that statement has never rung more true. In that blur, meeting quality people that you want in the trenches with you is a rare occurrence. When you see it, when you recognize it, you feel a little strange and lost when that security blanket isn't there.
KHTK has had plenty of dysfunction and stormy days, but in that storm, there was a group of people that held onto each other like family. Joe was/is one of those people, and he will be sorely missed.
Until, hopefully soon, he is back.
Either way, I'd wish him luck, but he doesn't need it. Good people find that good things happen to them for a reason. In time, this will all be a good thing.
I truly believe it.
And that's all I have to say about that.
And all I ever will.