Well Hell, here we go again. There was a time, from the age of about 5 - 30 that I really thought I wanted to be a professional radio DJ. I loved the thought of playing my favorite music for a wide audience. If you grew up in the 70s and 80s, then you loved your local DJ, who you thought was programming their own shows.

Silly me. And silly you if you thought they had total autonomy. I learned by the age of 18, when I was interning at KRQR that it was up to the Music Director, or Program Director what was going to be played. They also told you what you were going to say.

DO. NOT. DEVIATE.

Damn.

Still, I wanted in on the game. The way I figured, it was more about me calling the shots after I'd been there 10-20 years. And I wanted to be there for life. By the time I left KRQR I knew I wasn't going to love all of the music being played, but I also thought I would have more say about programming once I was in the chair.

I couldn't have been more wrong about that.

I ended up a button monkey (board op) at Alice-97.3 (KLLC). Coincidentally the same station that was once KRQR. This time I actually had a show. Still, here's what you play and here's what you say. And after the Telecommunications Act of 1996, companies began buying up the competition, so there was no need to take the risks they once had.

Here's what you play. Here's what you say.

DO. NOT. DEVIATE.

This was in 2002. And this is when I decided to leave my dream of corporate radio dominance behind for the greener and much more poor pastures of non-commercial radio. I was actually still at KFJC when I was at KRQR. And I was hosting a show at the now-defunct pirate station San Francisco Liberation Radio when I was at Alice-FM. You can take the boy out of the subversive medium, you can't take the subversive medium out of the boy.

Once I left KLLC I dove head first into SF non-comm/pirate culture, and I'm glad I did.

I may not host a daily radio show, but that also means I don't have to pretend to like the Eagles and AC/DC, or some pop crap. Can you even imagine?

My air name would probably be something like "Mike Alan". HA!

At least I can sleep peacefully knowing that all the Music and Program Directors have been replaced by Spotify and AI.

I'm not bitter. I'm a DJ who programs their own show and you get to benefit from that. I guess I really am living the dream.

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
https://radiovalencia.fm

Bad Indian: Dead Pioneers (2023)
The Rain: Eddie Gale (1968)

Gild the Lily: Billy Strings (2024)
Happiness is Drumming: Diga Rhythm Band (1976)

Song of the Lake: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (2024)
Regiment: Brian Eno and David Byrne (1981)
Black Silk Stocking: Chrisma (1977)
I Got Rhythm: Django Reinhardt (1938)

Glossolalia: Dale Crover (2024)
Black Moon Spell: King Tuff (2014)

Grind: The Jesus Lizard (2024)
My Man: Shannon and the Clams (2015)
Did You Hear About Jerry: Harry Belafonte (1962)
Reasonable World: The Blind Shake (2016)
Cold Bear: The Gators (1970)
Gimme My Wife: Bruce Marshall (1970?)

One More Death: GOAT (2024)
Strange: Wire (1977)

Pigs (Three Different Ones): Pink Floyd (1977)
Dragonaut (live 1992): Sleep (1992)

Oh Allah: Alice Coltrane (1971)
White Bird: It's A Beautiful Day (1969)

In That Great Getting Up In The Morning: The New Gospel Keys