Kim Carson fondly remembers:

Got my first job in radio by making a home made air check tape at the age of 14; playing it for my favorite DJ Rockin' Ron Baptist at WDRQ in Detroit; he promised me a job when I graduated; I attended summer school and worked for him in Knoxville, Tennessee. He taught me the basics of radio and I built on those.

I flew up to Detroit to visit my parents; took an aircheck with me on the plane so I could play it for them; got to Detroit; No aircheck; Flew back to Knoxville and there was a message on my answering machine from Bob Goode at WROK in Rockford, Illinois. He said, "You're not gonna believe this but a stewardess friend of mine found an aircheck of yours on a plane. She knew what it was and gave it to me and we'd like to hire you.

Then I received a call from a guy named Gary Firth at WDRQ in Detroit. He asked me if I knew a Ron Baptist. I said "Yeah, he gave me my first job in radio." Gary said that Charlie Lake was at WBBF in Rochester, New York when Ron was listening to an aircheck of mine. Charlie heard it, called Gary and told him he should hire me. Gary said he never heard the tape but he trusted Charlie Lake and wanted to offer me the job.

I worked at WSSX in Charleston, SC for half of an air shift on September 21, 1989. I was moving in at the exact same time as Hurricane Hugo. He stayed, I left. My station was water damaged; didn't know when we'd be back on. I called Jerry Clifton; He rescued me. Oklahoma City was awaiting my arrival. So my parents finally got together a moving truck, brought it down from Detroit and moved me out. I spent about a week in Charleston with no electricity, no water and a diet of what was left on the store shelves before the storm; a bag of chips and seltzer water; breakfast? Chips; lunch? Chips; dinner? Chips. The one exciting thing I did do was air the EBS warning except this time it was not a test. We opened up the pink envelope and everything. That was exciting! What did I learn? Be more specific about your prayers; dreams of living on an island is not enough; pray for no storms either. The other lesson is this: at night a radio station aired TV programming so we wouldn't miss out on the shows; Jeopardy was more fun to listen to than Wheel of Fortune.

A couple other highlights...

Singing with Cyndi Lauper and Rick Derringer in front of a sold-out crowd at Joe Louis arena. My PD, Brian Patrick, surprised me with that one night. I thought we were taking listeners backstage but it turned out to be one of the most exciting nights for me.

Publishing a book of my poetry and short stories called Essence of Life: a Compilation. barnesandnoble.com sold it ... exciting!

11/03 update...

I resigned from WDMN radio station in Toledo Ohio. I am now working for someone who I listened to on WDRQ/Detroit as a teenage girl. I have always been in awe of him on the air and he has always been someone who I have respected.

I accepted the Midday/Music Director's position at WLHT W-Lite 95.7 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am working for the legendary "Bill Bailey". I listened to Bill on WDRQ's morning show back in the day. I waited for him to slurp his coffee on the air and do a time check, I loved to hear him talk about "Angie" at the "Hot-Diggety-Dog Restaurant And Boom Boom Room" next door to the radio station, I enjoyed his back and forth banter with "Jim Hawk" the news guy, I tried to call in early so the phone wouldn't be busy and I could ask him to put someone in the "All Gone Plant" for me, I ALWAYS answered my phone "WDRQ's A Ball" to win money, I went to most of the "Q-Ballers" basketball games and I remember waking up for school one morning and hearing him say that "Jim Croce had been killed in a plane crash". Who would have ever thought that ONE day I would have the opportunity to work for and with the guy who programmed and designed the radio station that made me want to get into this business to begin with? I am so blessed.

Regency owns WLHT and 4 other radio stations with various formats in this city.

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