Bob Rivers: One of Americas Great Radio Personalities

Summary

Podcast Title: Takin' a Walk
Episode: Bob Rivers: One of America's Great Radio Personalities
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
Release Date: January 10, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of Takin' a Walk, hosted by Buzz Knight, listeners are treated to an in-depth conversation with Bob Rivers, a revered figure in the world of radio broadcasting and comedy. Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, Rivers is celebrated for his mastery in parody songs and his enduring presence as a beloved morning radio host across major markets like Worcester, Mass., Baltimore, and Seattle. This episode delves into Rivers' illustrious career, his inspirations, influential mentors, memorable promotions, and personal battles, offering listeners a rich tapestry of insights from one of radio's great personalities.

Early Beginnings and Passion for Radio

[04:48 - 11:22]

Bob Rivers begins by recounting his childhood experiences that ignited his passion for radio. Growing up as the eldest of eight siblings in a bustling household, Rivers found solace and inspiration in the music that played on the radio. He fondly remembers singing along to The Beatles in the back of his family's Ford Gran Torino station wagon, a moment that planted the seed for his future in broadcasting.

At [05:01], Bob reflects:

"I remember that specific moment as wouldn't it be great if I could do this?"

His grandfather, John F. Bruce, played a pivotal role by gifting him a transistor radio at a young age. This gift not only deepened Rivers' fascination with the mechanics of radio but also provided him with the means to engage directly with the medium. His early interaction with radio contests, such as winning a trivia question on WAVZ in New Haven at just six years old, further solidified his desire to pursue a career in broadcasting.

Career Beginnings and Influential Mentors

[11:22 - 27:27]

Bob Rivers' journey into professional radio was significantly shaped by his encounters with key figures in the industry. One standout mentor was Steve Marks, the program director at WELI in New Haven. Marks introduced Rivers to the principles of empathetic selling and customer-focused relationships, which became foundational in Rivers' approach to radio.

At [20:50], Rivers emphasizes:

"Whatever you put out, you get twice as much back when you're being kind to someone."

Another monumental influence was Dick Ferguson, who founded the American Comedy Network in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Ferguson's emphasis on empathy, creativity, and teamwork resonated deeply with Rivers, fostering an environment where Rivers could experiment and innovate within the radio landscape.

Rivers also highlights the impact of Gene Shepherd from WOR New York, whose authentic and creative approach to radio served as a blueprint for Rivers' own style. These mentors not only provided practical advice but also instilled in Rivers the importance of genuine connection with both listeners and colleagues.

Memorable Promotions and Creative Ventures

[27:27 - 41:36]

One of the most notable segments of Rivers' career was his groundbreaking promotion of the Baltimore Orioles' losing streak. Faced with the challenge of keeping listener engagement high despite the team's 0-21 record, Rivers orchestrated an on-air marathon vow to stay on the air until the Orioles won a game. This promotion, detailed at [39:28], became legendary in radio history:

"To this day, that promotion stands as one of the greatest radio promotions of all time."

Rivers elaborates on the organic nature of the promotion, emphasizing the serendipitous timing and the team's enthusiasm:

"We took full advantage of it and had a blast."

Another creative venture discussed is Rivers' initial idea for the "Nude Stock" promotion in Seattle. Although not implemented, the concept showcased his willingness to push boundaries and think outside the box, reflecting his commitment to creating memorable and engaging content.

Induction into the Radio Hall of Fame

[41:36 - 50:00]

Reflecting on his induction into the Radio Hall of Fame, Rivers shares a blend of humility and pride. He acknowledges that the honor was a culmination of his efforts to create content that resonated with both listeners and industry professionals. Rivers underscores the importance of teamwork and the collaborative spirit that defined his radio shows.

At [43:08], he notes:

"I wanted to make sure [the trophy] made the statement that teamwork and encouraging talent is how you multiply talent."

His approach to radio was not just about personal accolades but about building a family-like atmosphere within his team, fostering an environment where everyone felt valued and empowered to contribute creatively.

Personal Reflections and Life Perspective

[50:00 - 57:04]

In a deeply personal segment, Rivers opens up about his battle with esophageal cancer, diagnosed three years prior to the interview. Demonstrating remarkable resilience, he shares how this experience has reshaped his outlook on life and work. Rivers speaks candidly about choosing to be open about his illness to connect with and support listeners facing similar challenges.

At [50:13], Rivers reflects:

"I look at life as like, it's a show. All the world's a stage, and we're performers."

He discusses his ongoing projects, including a film soundtrack about Alan White of Yes and an album collaboration with his brothers, Michael and Richard. These projects represent Rivers' commitment to making the most of his time and leaving a lasting legacy through creative endeavors.

Closing Remarks and Legacy

[57:04 - End]

As the conversation draws to a close, Rivers emphasizes the importance of living authentically and maintaining a positive outlook despite life's challenges. He attributes much of his success to the mentors and peers who believed in him and encouraged his creative ventures.

Buzz Knight concludes the episode with heartfelt appreciation:

"You're amazing. Your career has been absolutely amazing and still is amazing. You're so inspiring."

Rivers’ closing thoughts encapsulate his philosophy:

"Do what you've always done, which is to have fun and hopefully help and empower some other people to have some fun as well."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• [04:48]
  Bob Rivers:
  "I remember that specific moment as wouldn't it be great if I could do this?"

• [20:50]
  Bob Rivers:
  "Whatever you put out, you get twice as much back when you're being kind to someone."

• [39:28]
  Bob Rivers:
  "To this day, that promotion stands as one of the greatest radio promotions of all time."

• [43:08]
  Bob Rivers:
  "I wanted to make sure [the trophy] made the statement that teamwork and encouraging talent is how you multiply talent."

• [50:13]
  Bob Rivers:
  "I look at life as like, it's a show. All the world's a stage, and we're performers."

• [57:04]
  Bob Rivers:
  "Do what you've always done, which is to have fun and hopefully help and empower some other people to have some fun as well."

Conclusion

This episode of Takin' a Walk offers an intimate glimpse into Bob Rivers' storied career and personal journey. From his early fascination with radio to his innovative promotions and heartfelt reflections on life and health, Rivers shares invaluable lessons on creativity, resilience, and the power of genuine connection. Whether you're a long-time listener or new to his work, this episode provides inspiration and a deeper appreciation for one of America's great radio personalities.

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Note: Timestamps correspond to the provided transcript and are used to contextualize notable quotes and discussions within the episode.

Transcript

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[Buzz Knight]

Coming to Apple TV.

[Bob Rivers]

What you all did five months ago was one of the most painful moments in the history of this company. Our message got out. We're famous. All of us equally or one of us is like the star. What did you see? My audi's wife was Ms. Casey. If you want to find out what happened to her, I'll help. She's still alive. I want to see my wife.

[Buzz Knight]

He should have left Severance new season streaming January 17th only on App TV.

[Joanna Teplin]

Plus hi friend, it's your inner child.

[Chandra]

Calling and they want churros. A new toy.

[Bob Rivers]

And a new adventure. Or maybe five with the bestest besties on earth. Find your moment at Walt Disney World Resort.

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[Bob Rivers]

Taking a walk again? Sort of. One of my little secrets of life is when you encourage talent genuinely, when you really can look at someone's gifts and say, let me help you, you know? Or you can help me. It's the old Tom Sawyer. Help me paint this fence is a lot more fun than here's $5. You paint the fence, I'll come back.

[Podcast Host]

Later welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast, where Buzz Knight is joined by a very special guest, Bob Rivers, a true radio legend, someone who's left an indelible mark on the world of broadcasting and comedy. He's a Radio hall of Fame inductee, veteran radio personality, and a master of the art of the parody song. If you've ever laughed along to his hilarious musical creations like the 12 panes of Christmas or what if God Smoked Cannabis, you already know the genius of Bob Rivers. With a career spanning more than four decades, Bob made his name as a beloved morning radio host in major markets like Worcester, Mass. Baltimore and Seattle, where the Bob river show became one of the most popular morning programs in the country. Bob Rivers joins Buzz Knight on this very special episode of the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Buzz Knight]

It's an honor to have Bob Rivers on the Taking a Walk podcast. Hello, Bob.

[Bob Rivers]

Buzz Knight. This is. This is, like, incredible that we are thousands of miles apart, this, that you and I have, you know, met professionally a number of times over the years. And here we are. Let's have an improvisational conversation and see where it leads. And all I have to do is push a button and we're in a television studio.

[Buzz Knight]

Pretty wild, isn't it, when you think.

[Bob Rivers]

About where we began, you know, with radio, those big, giant transmitters, those big towers. And picture. Oh, you got to call in the union guys if you're going to have picture.

[Buzz Knight]

So what was the first moment you knew you wanted to be connected with an audience and a community of people?

[Bob Rivers]

Love the way you asked that, because the, the static. Static way to ask it is when did you know you wanted to be on the radio? But you put it differently. I wanted to be connected to an audience. And there are two different answers. When I was about four or five years old, my mom had a Ford Gran Torino station wagon. And we were a very dutiful Catholic family in the sense that we kept having children and birth control was not part of the mix. So I'm the oldest of eight siblings, brothers and sisters. And back then when we would all pile into the car, there were no seatbelts, you know, there was no right turn on red. There was kids into the car, and I would go all the way back into the. What do you call the back of a station wagon?

[Buzz Knight]

The trunk.

[Bob Rivers]

Yeah, it's not the trunk. It's the place where kids get killed when they have an accident. I forget the name of it. Anyway, so. So I'm in the back of the car with brothers and sisters and some neighbors, kids. There's probably six kids, very against the law today. And the music is on the radio. And the song was she loves you yeah, yeah, yeah. The Beatles were singing and. And also I remember I want to hold your hand, two of the, you know, the greatest songs of all time. And by the way. And now I realize I was in the demo of 7. Did people care about the demo of 7? But it didn't matter. It was my most important part of my life was discovering music. And. And while we were in the car and singing along with the Beatles, I don't remember what I said, but I said something funny. And I got the whole car full of kids to laugh. And I looked around and I went, well, that sure is a good feeling. I said something and everybody's face lit up with joy and smiled and laughed. And so I actually, you know, I remember that specific moment as wouldn't it be great if I could do this? And got good at doing it? And, you know, I'm six or seven years old or four years old. I think it was closer to four because the second half of the answer to the question happens at about 6. And that was because I loved radio so much. My grandfather, whose name was John F. Bruce, he was a politician, worked with Dwight Eisenhower on several important races as a campaign helper. He also ran for office himself and lost. He was too nice a guy. Some things never changed. Anyway, so he bought me a transistor radio. And the transistor radio was one of those little plastic things. Boy, did they break easy. And it had a dial on the side that was connected to what we know of as a capacitor. A capacitor was a. A tunable electronic component that would pick a frequency and. And I started to, like, wonder what's in this radio, what makes it work? Because, you know, you got wound coils, transformers, capacitors, resistors, and somehow these things connect to an antenna that puts you on a frequency and connects you to someone who's transmitting on the other side. So. And again, I'm. I'm. The range here is between four and seven years old. And these are the things I'm thinking about as a kid. Anyway, I. The day he gave me the radio, he also gave me a box of batteries. He said, your parents are going to tell you to turn that thing off. You'll waste the batteries. Here's a case of batteries. You have fun. You listen to the radio. And so I did. And at one point I called in to try and win a contest and I got through. The radio station was wavz, New Haven, Connecticut. It was a Paul Drew, I think they had the Drake jingles, more music, wavz, you know, all of that stuff. And it was my favorite radio station. And so all of a sudden I found myself caller number 13 and I had to answer a trivia question. Back then radio budgets were actually, I think we've come full circle. They're about what they were back then. Back then the contest was called Phone Booth. I forget the name of it. But the point was you are in a phone booth and you were going to put coins in the machine. And as the listener, all you had to do is say how many, how much money the 13 Waves disc jockey put into the phone booth. It would be like, this is the sound of a nickel. And you would hear be a nickel. This is a sound of a dime, Tink. And it would be the sound of a dime and this is the sound of a quarter. And we'll go, all right, are you ready? We're putting money into the WAVZ phone booth. They put the money in. All I hear is all these coins rattling around. I don't know what's going on. My grandfather leans over to me and he goes 85 cents. I go 85 cents. And they went into the jingle. We've got another winner on Lucky 13, WAVZ. And so I was on the radio at six years old, so. And I had previously, you know, known that I wanted to entertain. And then there was a third thing that happened and it was a grand opening of a WT Grants store, now quite defunct department store. Think K Martish you might remember.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh yeah, definitely.

[Bob Rivers]

All right, brand, brand new Grant store. And a radio DJ was broadcasting live from there. His name was Robert W. Morgan. But apparently like Saddam Hussein lookalikes, there's a lot of Robert W. Morgan's out there around the country. So this wasn't the famous, this wasn't the famous one from la, but that was his name. He was the New Haven, Connecticut Robert W. Morgan. And, and I walked in with my mother and he was broadcasting live. And I said to her, leave me here, I'm not going shopping with you. You know, and that age, I don't know what I was then, maybe 10 or something, but. But I watched him perform and I heard him with questions. How does the sound of your voice get from that microphone to my little radio? And, and he would, he would actually explain, he would say, well it, we have a thing called an stl, a studio transmitter link. And he showed me the little antenna, you know There it sort of looks like a UHF TV antenna. And it would hit the building and bring the sound into the studio and we'd be on the radio. At that point I was sure that this was going to be my job. So after that I started a high school radio station. I was in Junior Achievement Radio and I wrote to some of my favorite personalities.

[Buzz Knight]

Was this in Worcester, Bob?

[Bob Rivers]

No, this is all Branford, Connecticut.

[Buzz Knight]

Okay. So I grew up in Stanford, Connecticut. Just so you know.

[Bob Rivers]

Okay. Yeah. So not far. And an hour market buzz was New York. Right. I mean, I consider that a bit of a blessing that I grew up for someone who was determined to be on the radio, that I grew up listening to the New York market because wnew Scott Muni, Imus in the Morning. Do you know that I actually worked at a toll booth for a little while and, and he had an album about someone ordering 20,000 cheeseburgers. And I used to listen to it from my toll booth and consider bits that I might try and do.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, that's awesome.

[Bob Rivers]

So that's a long answer to your question, but I, I believe if it's at least seven minutes, we have, we've got at least one quarter hour in there, so.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, I grew up in the shadow there of, of New York radio and all those folks. I was able to spend three years doing weekends at new. So Scott, I. I knew Scott very well.

[Bob Rivers]

Yeah, I used to practice that in front of the mirror. Did you ever do that?

[Buzz Knight]

Of course. Are you kidding? Of course.

[Bob Rivers]

Yeah.

[Buzz Knight]

Remember, Remember Scott, his famous member? He did the roll AIDS commercials.

[Bob Rivers]

Yeah.

[Buzz Knight]

You know.

[Bob Rivers]

Yes. And, uh, and he probably needed him too. We all ate such bad food, such bad greasies, you know, greasy spoon food was. That was heaven back then. But yes, Scott Muni was probably my favorite FM rock jock, Imus in the Morning. Easily one of my favorite entertainers. But there was a guy who was very special and I still consider him to be perhaps the biggest influence. Not that I sounded like him or did what he did, but the biggest influence in terms of authenticity and creativity. And his name is Gene shepherd from wor, New York.

[Buzz Knight]

Amen.

[Bob Rivers]

Remember Gene Shepler?

[Buzz Knight]

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I used to probably like you have little transistor radio. And I would listen to his show.

[Bob Rivers]

I believe it was 10:15 to 11:00pm on WOR.

[Buzz Knight]

That's it.

[Bob Rivers]

After my bedtime.

[Buzz Knight]

Yep.

[Bob Rivers]

Robbie, are you in bed? Yes, I'm in bed.

[Buzz Knight]

He would lull us to sleep with his storytelling.

[Bob Rivers]

Yeah. And, and do you remember what he talked about? I've got a box by the way, with like 500 episodes. And it's, it's been a while since I took one out, but he had such a variety of topics available to him. He talked a lot about his childhood. So we talked about, you know, his buddies walking around the woods and finding things and all the stuff that happens to you when you're kids and the world is magical place and you piss off the guy who has the little pond that's stocked with trout because you're in there trying to steal fish or your, your parents get upset with you for something and you have to hide it from them. Again, I thinking about it now, what was my demo? 13 years old and there was magical radio. Not just for a 13 year old, but it appealed to me as well as a monstrous New York audience. And he was one of the greatest of all time, I think.

[Buzz Knight]

Iconic. In God we trust, all others pay cash, right?

[Bob Rivers]

That's right, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I, I did write a letter to him and I did go meet him.

[Buzz Knight]

You did?

[Bob Rivers]

I wrote a letter to him and I said, I'm starting a high school radio station and I listen to you every night and I, I would like to interview you for the Brantford High School radio station. And I thought nothing would come of it, but I got a call from one of his engineers and said, yes, Gene would love to sit down with you. And there were some stipulations. You see, WO was a union radio shop and so they couldn't use any of their tape recording equipment. He said, you have to bring your own tape recorder. I said, well, I could, I can do that. And he said, and yeah, I knew here's where WOR is and you know, a kid from Brantford can get on the train in New Haven and get out at Penn Station or Grand Central Station and pretty much walk back then. I did mention we didn't have seat belts back then either. Right. So.

[Buzz Knight]

Right.

[Bob Rivers]

Where are you going? I didn't, I don't think I told my parents where I was going. I probably lied.

[Buzz Knight]

Was it 1770 Broadway?

[Bob Rivers]

That sounds very familiar. Not sure.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, I believe it was.

[Bob Rivers]

Let's put it this way, New York, just like I pictured it. Skyscrapers, everything. Here. Run this across the street From a little 14 year old kid, which, sure, I'll take the bag. What's in it? I don't know. That's a Stevie Wonder song. So. So I met him and, and we talked and I, you know, I wish I still had the recording, but he was very encouraging and, and I had my little Wallen sack, reel to reel, tape recorder. And. And you know, that was my first celebrity interview.

[Buzz Knight]

I love that. Now you must have then been a fan of the afternoon show that was part of that radio station at one point as well.

[Bob Rivers]

Let's see, they had. The morning show was.

[Buzz Knight]

Rambling with gambling.

[Bob Rivers]

John. Gambling. Rambling with gambling. Right. And then I believe John's son took over or maybe he partnered with him for a while and eventually transitioned to the Sun. I'm trying to remember who was on afternoons.

[Buzz Knight]

Bob and Ray.

[Bob Rivers]

Oh, Bob and. Right, yeah, of course. Yeah. And I would, you know, I would tape record some of these people with my little tape recorder and I would practice trying to be them in the mirror. And again, I just knew that was what I was going to do. And I had. No, nothing yet. Just. That's the kind of a. A fan prize pig. Let's try to think of all the nicknames I had back then.

[Buzz Knight]

No, we. We led a very similar path. I didn't do the radio station in the high school, but I weaseled my way, since I was a big Bob and Ray fan, to get to meet them and sit in as they were doing their show. I knew Shepard was, you know, I was a big fan of Gene Shepherd's, obviously, but we could have literally bumped into each other as we were visiting the W studios.

[Bob Rivers]

Most likely. It's more likely than this meeting.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah.

[Bob Rivers]

That it happened.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah.

[Bob Rivers]

Nice.

[Buzz Knight]

But who were those. Those people in your career that were those mentors that believed in you and gave you sort of the practical advice and experience that help shape you?

[Bob Rivers]

Oh, wow, there are so many. And I could joke around, I could say because I needed it. I was a. I was a complete up. Yeah, I was, you know, I was clearly, I was probably that annoying kid who wouldn't go away to some of these people. But. But a few recognized that I had a passion for it. And. And then it just feels like. Like it was magic how people came in and out of my career in life at exactly the right times to say exactly the right thing. And so if I. And I will give you some of the highlights, but I'll also be leaving out so many amazing people who, who were very generous and. And I will say this, it caused me, as I got smarter and eventually sober, it caused me to live my life with such gratitude for that action of encouraging someone with talent. I, I now realize that that is one of the greatest gifts you can give throughout your life to anybody, whether you're in radio or whether you're in lawn care or you're operating a dry cleaner, when you look at someone and say, wow, you do that really well, I'm impressed. It's the opposite of fighting with someone. It's the opposite of politics today, where everybody doubles down and puts up their, you know, their hackles or their shackles or whatever you call it. And, and so I learned from these people kind of what I consider the secret of life to be. And that is that whatever you put out, you get twice as much back when you're being kind to someone. So to answer your question, the first and most important name that comes to mind is a gentleman named Steve Marks who began a company, it was a sales training company for radio. Radio at that time was being sold very Primitively, you know, three for $5 we'll give you, you know, we'll throw in some promos and some bumper stickers and, or, you know, you know, it was all very low grade selling rather than customer focused relationships. And. And this gentleman, Steve Marks, created a company called css, the Counselor Selling System. Have you ever heard of that? Yeah.

[Buzz Knight]

And I knew who Steve was and knew him not as well as you, but definitely knew him well.

[Bob Rivers]

He knew me at age 14 because I was starting my high school radio station and I needed donations of equipment and I went down to WELI in New Haven, a radio station that he was the program director of. What I didn't know is he was the young program director that in the building was ruffling a bunch of feathers because he was taking adult contemporary music and he was mixing in carpenters and he was mixing in. Let me think of another good example. Oh, he. A wider shade of pale. And some of the old timers of that radio station. Who is this kid? He's ruining our music. And you know, so he was fighting his own battles to begin managing radio and of course would become a radio station and company owner of New City Communications. And, and, and that I believe the people from that have gone on to become Cox or merged with Cox Radio. And there's a whole group of super smart radio people that came from him and Dick Ferguson, who was his mentor, as he would often tell me. Well, I learned all this stuff from Dick. And the bottom line of what he taught was to have empathy and to care about all of your clients, including listeners. Sales. If you're a programming, you care about the sales department. If you were sales, you care about programming. And if you were working with an advertiser, which of course was his focus, you didn't go in there and try to sell them radio spots. You went in there and asked them, what are the problems that your business is having, then we could help solve. If you could improve your business, what are the things you would improve and how can we help? And that's an approach, of course, that opens people up to be honest with you about their needs. In fact, he didn't call a first sales call, a sales call, he called it a needs analysis meeting. And he wanted to make sure you were prepared before you went in there. And so anyway, all of this was happening, he hired me at waaf and he was really coming into his own, running the Worcester Boston cluster there for New City Communications. And everyone was kind of afraid of him, by the way, because he was one of those wicked, wicked smat. He was one of those wicked smart people that. I don't know if you have this, but I do. If someone's super smart, I'm intimidated just being in the room with them because I know I can't think as fast and I don't have the, you know, the depth of knowledge and information. And I just wanna. I just wanna, you know, kick the brain of this person and learn everything I can. And. And he liked that. And so I was one of the few people at the radio station who would just ask the big boss out to lunch and he would go out to lunch with me. And believe me, at that age, how I'm old. Old am I now. Like, I went through that building twice. First time I was around 19 or 20, and the second time was 25 or 26, which were the WAF years. And he, you know, he just. He had a different approach than just about anybody. And it was based about empathy, caring, and delivering on whatever your promise is.

[Buzz Knight]

He was very special. And the other person you mentioned, who I. I know Dick Ferguson, also a very special person as well.

[Bob Rivers]

And Dick. Dick made all of this possible. And now I've gotten to know Dick only in these last few years a little bit. Because what's funny is I was always intimidated by Dick because he's Steve's boss. He must be 10 times smarter than Steve. One of the interesting things you figure out as you go through life starting really dumb, which I'm happy I started really dumb, by the way. I'm really pleased that I wasn't a prodigy, because it's a better story to not know what the heck you're doing and, and then tell how. How you learned, you know, by the kindness of various people. But Dick was. Yeah, Dick. Dick made it all Possible. Dick started the American Comedy Network in Bridgeport, Connecticut. And I was, I guess one of their first experiments. They had hired professional writers, voice actors, Dale Reeves, Andy Goodman, Bob James, Ed Kelly too.

[Buzz Knight]

Was he part of that?

[Bob Rivers]

Oh, Ed Kelly and I are still best friends. Yes. And so all of the. Again, you asked the question of who are these major influences? And for me, it seemed like everyone who walked through the door, I better be paying attention because God is sending me a whole career of wisdom if I am smart enough to look at it.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, that was the rarefied air company from the American Comedy Network to the way they ran their stations. At that time, I was working in. In Connecticut for station called I95. That was Danbury Fairfield county radio station.

[Bob Rivers]

I remember that. Yeah. And it was a 95.5. And it was a kind of a.

[Buzz Knight]

A hit station, 95.1. It was a rock station, basically.

[Bob Rivers]

So it was rock like plr. Like. Yeah, like drc. Okay.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Bob Rivers]

I never worked there. That's like one of the few stations I haven't been fired from in Connecticut. There's so many. Oh, you.

[Buzz Knight]

We looked, we looked at what you guys were up to, and we were just emulating and probably stealing everything we could from what was going on there. You know, big ideas and how to, how to have fun and how to make make things happen.

[Bob Rivers]

You know, you just said the three things too. Big ideas, have fun, make things happen. We really are brothers from a different mother. But. But those things. And I'm not going to rag on radio today because I know it's a whole different business and it's very challenging and I love so many people who are in it. Fighting the good fight still. But nowadays to have an idea feels like you're in the way of normal business. In other words, if you have an idea, it means everyone has to stop what they're doing and figure out how to implement that idea. And when I got to Seattle, we. I wanted to, you know, bond with this new city and I wanted to do. I wanted to be edgy, but I was not the personality of a Howard Stern. Oh, I love him. I think he's. He gets enough praise, so we'll just put him to the yes, he was a huge influence pile. But I, I wanted to connect and, and so I remember going into a promotion meeting and saying it was like the end. One of the anniversaries of Woodstock or whatever. And I, and I said, I'd like to do a one day promotion on a Saturday. I think we ended up doing it on Friday to be live on the air. And I wanted to call it Nude Stock. And it would be a clothing optional park. And we would say, you know, the best way to get to know new people when you're new in a city is to strip it down to the bare essentials. And so we're going to party with you naked. Now, if I. And again, it's a different time in so many different ways. But I, I don't know how many people would be receptive to an idea like that today. Just so many problematic aspects of it. But they were like, really? So how do you. I said, well, we'll use the Marty transmitter and we'll, you know, basically have an outdoor rock concert with people who volunteer. We can tie it to some charity. Here's the name of the clothing optional park. It was called Fraternity Snoqualmie. It's not about sex. They are just about feeling free. And, you know, without clothing, it's not going to be sleazy. It's not going to be, you know, we're not going to have, with all due respect to my shock jock friends, we're not going to have, you know, nipple contests or, you know, we're not going to do anything but relax naked and sit by the pool. And they said, yes. And I said, oh, and I'd like to get a helicopter to fly over because I would like all the naked people to spell out our call letters kisw and a giant peace sign from the air. So we get a message and we have a, you know, a picture that they can put in the papers of 2,000 naked people. And they said, yes, that's a great idea. So again, the question of, you know, how. Who are the people that helped you succeed? Everybody, everybody at that time about radio had a passion for being fun, being entertaining, connecting difficulties, following rules and all of that. But mostly, you know, it remind me a little of some of the daring shows on cable TV today where, you know, they go naked in the woods with that guy, whatever his name is. But, but those, you know, those supposedly edgy shows today, we're all done on morning radio.

[Podcast Host]

We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Buzz Knight]

Listen, I think the lawyers with all. No, no disrespect meant for lawyers. I think the lawyers have, unfortunately, you give them respect.

[Bob Rivers]

You just gave them no disrespect. I did catch up. Keep going. I'm sorry.

[Buzz Knight]

The lawyers, I, you know, now are too concerned and these companies are too concerned about Taking. Taking risks in any way. When I think of your work over the years, you became this great onetoone communicator.

[Bob Rivers]

You.

[Buzz Knight]

You became this musical comedic wizard. You became this master of spreading viral content. You became this creator of showbiz moments. I'm guessing this was really stuff that happened organically rather than intentionally. Is that fair?

[Bob Rivers]

Well, I'm not sure of the Brantford High School, remember. I'm not sure what the difference would be between organic and intentional. But let me take a stab at it from the gut. What's going to work? Yeah, that's kind of organic. Intentional is all right. I need a promotion for the fall. I've got to get in the newspaper. I've got to, you know, figure out the different ways. And. And I would say. I would say that we did both, that I had a staff. I mean, because we were reasonably successful in Seattle, we had leverage. And I don't mean leverage like making people do stuff they don't want to do. I mean, we had credibility. That if I said, all right, here's this crazy idea. Let me run with it, they'd go, how much rope do you need, Mr. Rivers? Is this new spake? I would just go for it. But I also was able to do that because I had a team. And this is the biggest blessing. I always had a team of people who got it, who were having just as much fun as I was. And by using those tactics, some, you know, from early people who encouraged me, like Steve Marks or. Or even Gene Shepherd, I knew how to. I looked at it as like conducting an orchestra. I knew of all the people who would be involved, and some would just be musicians doing a project once. Some would be the show co hosts, some would be producers, others would be people we interacted with in the community. And so, again, sort of one of my little secrets of life is when you encourage talent genuinely, when you really can look at someone's gifts and say, let me help you, you know, or you can help me. It's the old Tom Sawyer. Help me paint this fence is a lot more fun than, here's $5, you paint the fence. I'll come back later. So we're all working on these projects as a team. So the. The ideas and the. Which ones to do first and, you know, and how to go about it. That's all from the gut. But then afterwards, you have to do the work, and the work is work. I used to joke when I was doing very well in mornings, you know, people would say, well, you're making good Money. And I would, and I would say, yeah, it's King's wages for slave labor. Because I, last night couldn't get to bed and it was almost midnight because I was thinking about the interview I have today with someone from Saturday Night Live. And I was up late watching their clips last night so that I could convey to them that I had just been enjoying, you know, their bits. Because that's how you get into someone that you know, you, you are credibly caring about them and then they'll give you back some thoughts. One of my other mentors, I have to mention him, was Larry King. And for some odd reason I kept crossing paths with Larry King at conventions or wherever and, and I was petrified early on in my career about interviewing people. Is it really fed my social insecurity? And, and I'm not. I mean, I don't have a good memory. I don't have. There's a lot of skills I don't have. Which is why you have a team of people on your show who can answer the question you don't know the answer to. But, but what Larry did is he made every guest who was ever on his show feel like the most important person in the universe as he introduced them. In my case, I was doing a promotion with the Baltimore Orioles. They had lost 21 games in a row, breaking a major league record. And I was doing an on air radio marathon. And about three quarters of the way through it, Larry King's people called and said Larry would like to interview Bob on his late night show. And of course said yes. And then immediately the flops went, holy, I'm gonna be in the Larry King show.

[Buzz Knight]

What am I gonna pray?

[Bob Rivers]

How can I make this entertaining? It's just a dumb radio bit, you know, all those inside voices of, of insecurity. And I remember the countdown like they're doing the network news sounder at midnight. And I didn't know like who's going to be on with Larry tonight. And they introduce Larry for his show and say with us tonight, Joe Garagiola and Bob Costas from NBC. And I went, holy double shit. Now I, how do I belong in this sentence? And, and so I was actually quite nervous. And Larry started to introduce me and he said, tonight we have someone very special on the show. He, he has taken lemons and made lemonade out of it in a very unique way. The Baltimore Orioles are starting off as one of the worst teams in the history of sports, going 0 and 21. And he's vowed to stay on the air until they win a game. He's got people wearing underwear on the outside of their pants. If you drive through Baltimore, all the headlights are on throughout the city to show support for the team. And. And, you know, I was doing satellite feeds with 60 evening news programs. They do this thing where they ask you a question, but your answer goes to all their affiliates. And he was talking about this. He's on the front page of headlines, front page in Australia and this and that. And as he's doing this, I'm like, maybe I do believe that I belong here. Maybe, maybe this is a really cool. You know what I mean? And so by the time he finished the introduction, I was cool as a cucumber and relaxed and grateful, and we just laughed for 20 minutes.

[Buzz Knight]

And to this day, that promotion stands as one of the greatest radio promotions of all time.

[Bob Rivers]

It. And. And partial. And I'm not gonna. Why would I argue with you? But I'm. I am gonna say this. It was a different time in that if you turn on TikTok today, there are six gazillion kicker story potentials that are out there. There is so much media to choose from. But back then, this one little story about a hapless team that couldn't win a game wasn't just a story that a few people would hear. It became the story globally that made the kicker spot on the evening news. And so all of a sudden, that light is there and it's happening. You can't plan for that to happen now. And I don't think you could even plan then. So it was very much a lot of luck, but we took full advantage of it and had a blast.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, to this day, there's morning show talent that will get up on a billboard to do the charity fundraise or, you know, variations of that to kind of, you know, make some noise. But yeah, you. You made some noise there, sir, on that. On that promotion. How special was it for you getting into the radio hall of Fame?

[Bob Rivers]

Oh, well, I'd love to be cooler than I am and say something like, you know, that it's. It's very nice and all, but really it was. It was the cherry on top of the ice cream cone for me. It meant a lot. And. And part of why it meant a lot is because I started radio making content for other people. The American Comedy Network. Even before then, I would. The first Christmas songs I made that became the album, you know, I. I ran off a reel to reel, a recording of the 12 Pains of Christmas, and I sent it to Rick D's, to Scott Shannon and, and probably a half a dozen other big radio guys in the country because I wanted them to hear it. And I thought this is good, they're going to love playing it. And so that's the fame part is I knew I was doing something that would be useful for everybody in radio and I just loved everybody in radio. And then, and, and then I could drive to Greenfield, Massachusetts where there was a 500 watt AM daytime station playing the Twisted Christmas songs and I'd introduce myself and they'd blame what. Thank you for making these songs. These are so great. And you know, when I went back to Hawaii for Christmas time, the songs were being played. So, so I had this feeling that yeah, I did do something that was giving back, you know, to all the people who gave to me kindness of bringing material to people who were doing what I was doing, was struggling to find great stuff to do every day. And so to get recognized for that was good half of it. And, and recognized by industry professionals who I all, you know, I worked with still the people from ABC that, you know, syndicated the Twisted Tunes are still at the hall of Fame dinner. So it meant something a lot. But, but the other part of it is, and yes, I believe I have an ego and it's, it's reasonably healthy despite all my protestations of insecurity, etc. Etc. But, but there was a thing about our show that I, I could never really fully explain to anyone who wasn't in the Pacific Northwest. And, and I was told when you move to Seattle, you know, people will forget about you in the industry because you're way up in that corner of the country there and you're not going to be in New York or Los Angeles or Chicago. And the first few times I was nominated, actually the, the guys who won were Mark and Brian and Jonathan Brandmeier in Chicago who, I stole some ideas from him. I had a radio station band that was huge. We played big concerts. So these were people that, that I super admired and I thought, yeah, well they deserve it and they're in, you know, and then Harry Harrison won one year and I, I'm such a fan of this closet, such a fan of Top 40 radio, in fact, that that's really what I wanted to be, a flame throwing top 40 guy. You know, I didn't have the correct voice for it and I, you know, didn't really have the personality either. So I'm glad I did what I did. But the thing about Seattle, what happened there is we created A. A team that was so much like a family. And you'll hear this from other shows. In fact, even now when my wife watches cbs, you know, this morning, it's a morning radio show with pictures. You know, they're all like a family. They sit and discuss everything every day. And so we created this. It's hard to describe because it wasn't. It wasn't fitting into any of the typical kinds of radio show. So it was classic rock. I mean, we were on a classic rock station. We were on an active rock station, and we were on a oldies station over the course of 25 years. But it was a talk show almost all of that time. And it was about families. It was about raising your kids. It was about the advent of the Internet. It was about all of the things that were going on in the world. And most of them, many of them, I should say, were coming out of Seattle. Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks, Costco, the brilliant corporate creative tech, you know, software, but also airplanes. We make the world's airplanes. Seattle was this vibrant, incredible city with so many stories to tell. And I had this group of really amazing. I'd like to feel that part of why they were good is that I coached them well. So I'll take that part of the trophy. But. But they were really also just incredibly special people who were full of love. And every morning they put that out over the airwaves. And the show was what radio shows always dream of, being special, indispensable to the people who are listening to it. Relatable. You feel like family and then very good and very clever to that extent. My abilities to produce stuff very well and have it sound larger than life, you know, the helicopter over nude stock plants a picture. It plants it firmly, and you will never be able to unsee it. So. So winning also meant that everyone on that show can proudly say they were on a radio hall of Fame show. And when we received the award, I asked the folks on the committee if they would please put the Bob river show on the trophy instead of just my name, because, you know, my name is still there. It wasn't really giving up anything, but I was. I. I wanted to make sure that made the statement that teamwork and encouraging talent is how you multiply talent.

[Buzz Knight]

Wow. Bob, I. I want to. I want to ask here, as we close, the most important thing. How are you doing? How are you feeling?

[Bob Rivers]

I'm feeling very good. It's common knowledge, because I'm not quiet about it, that I, you know, have a. A serious health issue and that I'VE faced down esophageal cancer about three years ago was the diagnosis. And it's. It's one of those. Yeah, it's not a. It's not an easy one. And I have defied all of them. You know, I'm like Valerie Harper here. I should not be here being able to have this interview with you. But. But I've had really good luck with treatments and some bad luck, too. I've had, you know, little twists and turns in the road, but. And. And when that happened. It's so funny because I look to other celebrities for inspiration always, by the way, I don't know if I have any original thoughts, but I pick and choose from the people that inspire me the most. And, you know, there's Norm MacDonald, perhaps one of my favorite comedians of all time, and he chose to not tell anybody that he was ill because he didn't want it to interfere with him. He didn't want to be looked at differently. He wanted to get on stage and just do his comedy. And I have tremendous respect for that. And I've actually thought I might just keep it secret at first, but then I thought, you know, of the people I might impact, you know, say there's thousands that still follow the podcast, and there's maybe a couple of tens of thousands. I don't know, when you add them all up, you know, I can play with the ratings numbers and tell you whatever story I want, but, you know, it's just a small little podcast. But then I thought, they're all going through the same thing. They've all got an uncle, spouse, a husband, a wife with cancer. And I thought, you know, my thing is just relating to people, so I think I got to just not hide it. And. And it sort of made it one of my declarations that I was going to have a fun final act, I was going to have a fun ending, and that since there's nothing special about being a mortal human being, I mean, we're all mortal human beings. None of us get out of here on a magic carpet. And. And I thought it will be considered a little odd if I'm open about it and don't mind talking about it. So I like being a little bit odd, and who knows what I'll discover doing that. So. And I also felt like I need to do some projects if I only have limited time, and I don't know how much time, what do I want to do? I want to do. I want to do some projects. So I've been working on a bunch of Things I'm. I'm doing a film soundtrack about Alan White, the drummer for yes for 50 years, which was recorded at his celebration of life two years ago. I'm recording an EP, an album with my two brothers, Michael and Richard. Michael and his wife Chandra play little folk bars and coffee shops. And he's a good little songwriter. And I. You think about, oh, there are things you wish you did in your life. Well, I wish I had recorded something with my brothers. Well, I have the time now, so we're doing that. And the way I explain it to friends of mine, because I do have friends of mine going, how come you're not stressed out, depressed? I've never seen anybody. And I go, well, I can be. I mean, I can make that choice anytime. Gets really bad, but why not have fun? I know very little Shakespeare, in fact, pretty much none, but. And I'm not well read, and I. I don't have a degree. I have more in common with the guy at the auto parts store who's changing my muffler than I do with really educated people. But I look at life as like, it's a show. All the world's a stage, and we're performers, and I'm in the. I'm in a reality series, by the way. I think the whole freaking planet is a reality series right now. This Trump reality show is the best global reality show of all time. You know, it's a drama. But anyway, I look at, as I'm hosting, I'm in a reality show. I'm in my 68th season. There are 365 episodes per season. And so every day when I wake up, and this is how every morning show host feels. Anyway, doing the morning show, right? Every day when I wake up, it's a new episode. And I can't control. There's a lot of it I can't control. Apparently there are higher powers that send people in and out and create various stresses and hassles for me, but I can control how I interact with everybody and what I do. And so, you know, it makes life seem long to be in your 68th season. I would have got sick of MASH and Cheers way before that. And, you know, and it gives me a mission every day, which is to do what I've always done, which is to have fun and hopefully help and empower some other people to have some fun as well.

[Buzz Knight]

You're amazing. Your career has been absolutely amazing and still is amazing. You're so inspiring. I have to tell you, doing this podcast and being able to connect with people I have no business connecting with.

[Bob Rivers]

And I love that part about morning radio, by the way. Isn't that the greatest?

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah. And reconnect with people who I've admired and, and, and certainly watched and emulated is, is one of my great joys. You mentioned how you, when you would have that big interview the next day, you know, be up late prepping, but really being anxious as well and in a, in a good way. Well, I, my friend was, that was me last night in anticipation of really wanting to be at my best for you and.

[Bob Rivers]

Oh, thank you. And you were much appreciated.

[Buzz Knight]

I just, I, I'm so grateful that you took the time and, and words can't express how appreciative I am of it.

[Bob Rivers]

Well, Buzz, that's super kind of you. And you know, I did more or less discover that a lot of that worry was, well, it's good, it's good to stress out for a good cause. But a lot of it, of course, melts away and disappears the moment you're on stage, the moment you're having a conversation. And it's a hard, hardest thing to learn as a performer is to truly be in the moment and be willing to be intimate, to let your guard down, to take a risk that you might not look good. In fact, it's not even a risk someone's gonna hate you. I figured that out. Now. The Internet is a good teacher of that. So I appreciate that very much, Buzz. And you know, the ability to come on with a very well respected and well watched and listened to industry executive and speak a little just off the cuff is a blessing. Thank you.

[Buzz Knight]

Bob Rivers the great Bob Rivers on Taking a Walk.

[Podcast Host]

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you know, never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Bob Rivers]

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[Buzz Knight]

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[Bob Rivers]

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[Buzz Knight]

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