From Minnesota to Florida and back again

This episode follows Tom through the next stage of his early career, from steadily moving up the schedule at KSTP to leaving for WDGY, a decision he says he still regrets. He talks about the veteran broadcasters who taught him the business, earning just $11,000 a year, and eventually moving from radio into record promotion with Ariola and Capitol Records. At Capitol, Tom suddenly found himself working with acts like the Beach Boys, Paul McCartney, the Knack and Ricky Nelson, while learning the business side of entertainment and how record companies influenced radio airplay. The conversation also covers his stint at WAPE in Jacksonville, his developing on-air personality, getting fired and returning to Minnesota, and ultimately discovering that his distinctive voice and ability to read copy naturally could become an entirely separate career in voiceover.