Throughout this article I am sharing a few of my favorite somgs requested by listeners over the years.
Starting on Monday, KCOW listeners will be hearing a promotional announcement revealing that the final broadcast of “Flush-The-Format Friday” will be Friday April 24th. Since you are a loyal (I assume) blog reader, here is a sneak preview of the promo. It’s very silly.
I apologize for the singing.
Why is this happening? Well, as simply as I can put it, it’s due to changes in music licensing rights and increasing costs from music rights holders. That’s not really simple, is it? Well, as Walter Cronkite used to say, “That’s the way it is.”
I hosted Flush-The-Format Friday on KCOW for 23 years…and it all started in late 2002 when my friend Pat Adriance, who worked with me at the ol’ K-Cow for a few years, decided that being a teacher was his true calling.
When Pat and I were co-hosting the morning show we did all kinds of goofy stunts and games and contests and various nonsense. When Pat moved back east, I realized I needed to add something to my morning show now that it was a one-man-band. My one good idea was: “Hey, let’s do a real request show, where we play whatever people call in for! Any song! Any genre!”
The name “Flush-The-Format Friday” was a steal–I heard it on a radio station in New York City when I was in college. But I’m pretty certain they didn’t flush their format with the fearless vigor and unyielding openess as we have. Theme from “The Jeffersons”? Yes! “Duelling Banjos”? Yes! “Kiss Me Once And Kiss Me Twice, And Kiss Me Once Again, It’s Been A Long Long Time”. Yes! “The Auctioneer” by Leroy VanDyke? Yes!
Sometimes on the air I have referred to it as “the last honest request show on planet earth.” FTF (I’m tired of typing the whole thing) is a love letter to every man, woman and child who has called a radio station to make a request and been told grumpily, “I’ll see if I can get it on.” About 99.9% of the time, we got them on.
Along the way I have come to know a pack of regulars….most weeks I could expect a call from Eric in Ohio, my friend Peter in California, our Florida regular, Jim in Alliance with an outstanding song choice every time…and the sweet lady who always called for a crooner. Nat King Cole, Sinatra, Patti Page and so forth.
I’m definitely going to miss doing this show. But all good things come to an end. And before I wrap this up, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the KCOW managers who, over the last two decades-plus saw what a goofy idea this was…and trusted me to supervise it. From Mike Garwood in 2003 to Olivia Newton-Boss today, they all kept it going for a hell of a lot longer than I ever expected. (Trivia note: One General Manager, name withheld, deemed the phrase “Flush-The-Format Friday” to be in poor taste. So for a few months or so we called it “Friday Free-For-All”. When he left, we reactivated the flusher.)
Remember, the grand finale is April 24th! Let’s see how sturdy those new phones are!!!
Sniff so 😔