You see, Dawn and I had this pact that we’d take at least one class together every quarter. Kinda tricky because she started out a Computer Science major, and I was Poli Sci. It also helped that I had a bit of "a thing" for her, unbeknownst to the pint-sized version of Goldie Hawn. I digress (by the way, Lynnae, I haven’t seen her in over 20 years- just wanted to clarify). Anyway- we took a lot of Communication courses (to fulfill our humaities requirements) together that required a lot of public speaking: mock commentaries and stuff like that. I found I really enjoyed them- writing them as well as delivering them- almost as much as I did hanging out wit her. In fact, I remember doing a commentary on Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner firing Joe Torre after the Braves tanked in the 1983 (or was it 84?) NLCS. I got a lot of positive feedback on it from a lot of people who had no idea what I was talking about!
It dawned on me that perhaps this was a career path- radio!! I spoke with one of my instructors, Mari Brabbin (who is now a high school principal). She thought I came across really well and gave me the thumbs up on switching majors. My dad was relieved. He and my mom were splitting up and he hated lawyers.
Fittingly enough, my first shift on what is now Jefferson Public Radio, housed on what is now Southern Oregon University, occurred on Super Bowl Sunday- January 20, 1986. I was scared to death, and I really fouled up my first break between programs by having a toggle switch in "Audition" instead of "Program." All you radio-types know this means that for one solid minute (a broadcasting eternity), I committed the cardinal sin of having "dead air." Fortunately, my prof chalked it up to a rookie blunder (and they can’t fire a student), and I got better as the days went by.
By the Spring of 1989, I was closing in on graduation. I was pretty slick, handling two nights a week playing jazz from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. That was fun, but I needed an internship to graduate. I really didn’t know what to do. I’d hung around a couple of radio stations, but I didn’t have anyone beating down my door to give me a look. What happened next is the surest sign I know there’s a God in Heaven.
One spring afternoon, I walked in the payment of my phone bill to the local U.S. West office. Enter one-time classmate W. Michael Perry. I ran into him in line. He informed me that he was now Program Director at KCMX radio. I told him I needed an internship. He told me he needed an overnight announcer. It was a match made in Heaven! It wouldn’t be real glamorous, the AM Country station took a satellite feed, and the FM was automated with music being played on 4 alternating reel-to-reel tapes and commercials and announcements being made on "carts"- a latter day version of 8-track tapes. My main job was to swap tapes out overnight, record a weather forecast and "dub" (download) commercials that came in on reel-to-reel tape to carts. I was also responsible for clearing the news wire- throwing out stories we didn’t need, and sorting the ones we’d use. I’d also do that for sports, and I’d imagine myself sorting those stories out and figuring how I’d put together a sportscast…..if I were doing it.
Then one of those days happened, one of those days that changes your life forever. Mike and I were going over things as he was taking over one morning and I was getting ready to head home. He was going on vacation soon, and wondered if I had any background in college doing news, as he needed someone to cover it. I told him "No, but I think I could help you with sports. I’m a huge sports fan, and I know what the fans want." Mike said "Work up a demo when you get in tonight, like you’re going to do it for real. I’ll listen to it tomorrow." Putting it together was easy. I’d watched more ESPN and local sportscasts on TV in 12 years than Mike had in his entire life. I didn’t have to be that good to be better! For a little flavor, I even wrote a couple of local stories. High school sports in southern Oregon are HUGE.
Next morning, I climbed into my 1973 Ford Gran Torino and headed home. I had the radio on, Mike was working his way through the news. and as always, he concluded his local news cast by saying "Sports is up next…..with KCMX’s own Jim Mc Coy." What??????? That recorded demo marked my radio sports casting debut. Thank God it was accurate and up to date. Mike wrapped it up with "Thanks Jim for that excellent sportscast!" I thought I was King of the Word. I couldn’t believe it. It was a dream come true. I was now doing a 2-minute sports cast Monday through Friday. Wow!
Another break in my career came later that summer. KCMX was the radio home to the football and basketball broadcasts for the Ashland Grizzlies. The former play-by-play guy died within the previous year stemming from complications with diabetes. Mike had plugged in basketball coach Jerry Hauck to do play-by-play , but he wondered if I was up to doing color commentary. "Heck, yeah," I replied. I mean, how hard could it be, I just needed to have a ream of appropriate statistics to throw out, and it wouldn’t hurt if I said something funny once in a while. I could handle that.
That same summer, an old high school friend of mine went to work in advertising sales for another local radio station. I discovered very quickly that even being a key member of the morning news team did not equate to a great salary. I needed some extra work. I was young and single, so I had no problem with working a 6-day week. I asked Paul if there were any openings for part-timers at his station. He thought there might be one. A few days passed, and I ran into Paul Wesner again at a popular playground for pick-up basketball games. Paul asked if I was still needing extra work. I said yes. He motioned me over to a near-by father-son softball game. It turns out that Gary Roby, KDOV Program Director, was playing in that game. Paul introduced us, and Gary said for me to call for an interview next week. In short order, I was hired to work Saturdays.
I don’t recall how word got back to station owner Perry Atkinson that I was a radio sports guy, but it did. Perry arranged to have me earn some additional money by phoning in a local sports cast for his morning show. Think of it. Not only was I doing something I loved, but now I was doing sports on TWO stations (only on KDOV, I used the pseudonym "Jim Shannon"- dropping my last name). I was floored. And I felt pretty cool.
I got to be a part of some cool things that year. I got to report on a no-hitter thrown by future big league pitcher Darrell May, who was then playing for Rogue River High School. I got free passes as a member of the media to watch the Medford A’s (a Single-A affiliate of Oakland) play every home game if I wanted. I was also a part of the broadcast team that aired Ashland High’s very first state championship in football, as they knocked off another southern Oregon school, the hates Roseburg Indians in a 24-22 thriller. I’ll never forget Matt Wells converting his first field goal of the entire season to seal the win with :34 left. Starring for Ashland was slotback/ defensive back Chad Cota, who went on to play 9 years in the NFL for Carolina, New Orleans, Indianapolis and St. Louis. And I got PAID to watch this and report on it. How cool was that?
(TO BE CONTINUED)
