A just-for-fun group for former radio announcers that have made the transition to full-time VO, leaving their DJ days behind. What we miss (and what we don't) about being on the air, and working in radio in general. Share your stories!
Members: 169
Latest Activity: May 20, 2013
Started by Anthony Gettig. Last reply by Glenn Spatola Jun 11, 2012. 3 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Trish Basanyi. Last reply by John Tambascio Feb 26, 2010. 3 Replies 0 Likes
Fellow DJIR's, my name is Bill, and I'm a voiceaholic.
"Hi, Bill, welcome," comes the droning of professional mouths about the room.
What a great idea. I'm ashamed to say I was never fired from radio because I discovered the hottest format around: "Beautiful Music," (Mantovani, Percy Faith Orchestra, the occasional Lionel Ritchie hit...you get the idea - stuff you'd hear in the podiatrist's office in 1979.)
I started in '77 at K-Kiss 99 in Walnut Creek CA, and ended up on the morning show at KBIG-FM 104.3/Los Angeles '80 to '85. In the Spring of '85 my PD said, "We want you to write and produce a comedic radio drama script every morning before you come into work, and produce it with the newsman."
I sat at the typer for hours, came up with some decent sh_t, and realized, this would take me an extra ten hours a week...at 4 in the morning!!
I looked at my v/o income and realized I was making three times the money freelance lip-flapping that I was as a morning show host. I said, "Double my pay ($40,000 to $80,000) or I'm outta here."
"We'll offer you a 15% increase," said the PD.
I gave notice and never looked back. VO master Jack Angel had always encouraged me by yelling in my face every time he saw me, "GET OUT OF RADIO! QUIT! STOP DOING THIS! SAVE YOURSELF!"
That and Sweet Dick Whittington's admission, "When you get up at 4 in the morning, swing your legs over the side of the bed, and begin to sob uncontrollably for reasons you don't understand, it's time to get out of radio."
Since then I've become a virtual person: http://www.billratner.com/
And the big news is, in addition to continuing to flap my lips for a living doing v/o in Hollywood CA, I'm hitting the live stage this June in the Hollywood Fringe Festival with a 55 minute one-man show about my uncle who played "Bobby the Bellboy" in I Love Lucy. Bob Jellison was a well-working character actor in network radio comedy in the '40s & '50s, and did bit-parts in TV episodics & sitcoms through the '60s. VU member get a discount: go to: http://www.hff13.org/1191 and type in the discount code: rattix. I'm very proud of the show, and as a v/o master & DJIR, I think you'll enjoy it.
...Is this thing on...?
Bill Ratner
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