November 1974 - Meanwhile over at Lake Highlands in North Dallas. High school student George Gimarc writes an article for the school newspaper on the subject of radio. Researching the story, he interviews DJs at KZEW, WFAA, KVIL, KAFM and KLIF. George says, "it was my first stumbling step into the industry."

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IT SURE BEATS WORKING ! by George Gimarc - November 27, 1974

Being a disc jockey is a job that in the public eye is something just below being a television personality. It seems the audience imagines someone with an easy job, earning lots of money, with few cares in the world. This could not be more untrue. There is really a lot of work, skill and experience involved in radio announcing. It is hoped by the time this article is read, a deeper appreciation may be had for DJs.

Several of the responsibilities include keeping a log or record of all songs, commercials, call and anything else that goes over the air. The time of each is also recorded. The transmitter also must be tended to, being sure all adjustments are made at the proper time. Answering the phone, between records can be a hassle; so do not be surprised if your calls are not answered. Amid all this, the DJ still has to make record choices, get out the appropriate tapes and be careful of what he says for mistakes on the air, such as obscenity, can be reprimanded with one year imprisonment and $10,000 fine for first offenses.

Another thing that the public does not realize is that a DJ has to work his way up in radio. Working at small stations, taking out the trash or alphabetizing records is often the rule for beginning in radio and more often than not for little or no pay. What shift you work is another matters altogether as someone has to work the late night run and it’s usually the new man. Work from 1-5 in the morning could be quite a trial for a young married couple. It involves a great amount of involvement, but I’m sure it beats working!

If you want to get away from the rush of the top 40 rock and settle down to some more contrasting album cuts, you’ve probably already heard of KZEW. A relatively new station in town, it has rapidly captured a large and devoted audience of young adults. At one time the general impression of the KZEW disc jockey was of some long-haired, strung-out dude behind dark glasses. Quite the contrary, they appear to be in control of themselves and wear Halloween masks – not dark glasses. Upon entering the studio, the program director was wearing a white Halloween mask; Mark Addy was soon to follow with his. Though this is not typical of all KZEW disc jockeys, it did reflect Mark’s unusual personality. Mark Addy is a good example of a KZEW disc jockey. Starting out interested in television, he switched to radio and got jobs at WMSW, then WBIC while in Michigan. Developing a relaxed image, keeping in mind introducing the public to new rock, Mark progressed rapidly and was soon in Dallas at KZEW working afternoons.

The station’s entire format is focused on bringing out what’s happening on the music scene locally and nationally. Unlike other stations who follow the Billboard rating charts, KZEW or ‘the zoo’ as it is called by avid listeners, follows local album sales, broadcasting cuts from records currently popular in their area. KZEW also has a policy of never playing more than seven commercial minutes per hour contrasting KVIL’s 12 or KLIF’s 18. They also have done away with the contests, claiming they don’t need them for ratings, or it would destroy their current style of broadcast. All in all, KZEW presents the most distinct format of progressive rock in this area, and with a program like that, how can you lose?

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George adds, "It was the newspaper assignment that intrigued me with the notion of radio – something I had never considered before, but appealed to my lazy nature. By April 1975, I was an intern at all-news WRR AM, just in time for the fall of Saigon."