Filling In For The Free Zone Morning Show Challenge

I'm always up for a challenge. Probably even more if it involves some sort of a cash reward. Money always motivates me.

This week, Jim Free is taking a well deserved vacation, and normally, I'd have Doug Mosher fill in for Jim, but Doug took over the morning show on our sister radio station, WNBF recently, so he's no longer available to help me out, at least with the Whale morning show.

So, that honor goes to me. The challenge is on. It's been a while since I last hosted the morning show, and while I know the all the elements of the show that Jim masters every day, all is not as easy as it seems when it's been a while since I last hosted the morning show. It makes me appreciate that much more all that Jim does on the Whale morning show.

I arrived shortly before 5 a.m. on Monday morning, confidently ready to take on day one of Jim's show. I quickly realized I had not asked him enough questions of where he puts stuff that helps make the show run smoothly.

We all have our own setup on the main studio computers for our shows, and Jim's looks a lot different from mine. Where I might place something on my setup for the afternoon show, might not be in the same place where Jim has his morning show elements.

For example, I was having a hard time trying to find where he has the opening to the traffic and sports reports. At one point I hit the wrong button to get Kathy Whyte and the local news on the air. Instead, I fired off the opening to the sports report. Well, sports came first that time.

But it didn't take long to get back in the saddle once I found the elements I needed. The one thing that really messed with my head is the schedule reverse of my workday. Normally I end my day on the air rather than starting the day with a radio show. But once Friday work day is done, I'll be used to the routine. Just in time for Jim to return and my work day to go back to normal.