While on my daily drive into work this morning, I was naturally listening to the Current and I heard a four-song set:

• Hall and Oates

• Linda Rondstadt

• Cat Stevens

• Old Peter Gabriel

I FREAKED out! Not another format change! This isn’t happening again! I was convinced we had flipped formats overnight and this was my way of finding out I no longer had a job at the Current.

I know this sounds overly dramatic, but friends, this has happened to me before in my radio career: One day I have a job, and the next day we are playing Scorpions and Nazareth. BOOM! “Thanks for all of your hard work, now who needs a box to pack up your [stuff]?”

What I didn’t hear was Barb’s introduction that it was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees’ set of music; they were just announced today. I panicked and called Jill Riley and left her an expletive-filled message of horror and questions:

I fully expected to come into work and find my coworkers drinking their sorrows away at the Amsterdam Bar and Hall down the street.

I can’t tell you the relief I felt to come in and learn that it was a set of pre-programmed music highlighting the inductees and not some cruel radio switch.

I guess having been burned a few times you never forget that sinking feeling.

All I can say is I am so grateful for the members of MPR who keep the Current afloat every member drive and ensure that we won’t be playing disco-period KISS—except occasionally at 4:00, for No Apologies.

Deep breath. I’m OK now.

Your friend and mine,

Looch

PS: You guys were quick to share your reassurances and kind thoughts:

From Twitter:

From email:

OMFG!

You r awesome

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Mary,

That was awesome. I wish you’d leave a message on my machine some time.

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Oh Mary,

That message just made me laugh out loud … you’re awesome.

Thanks so much!!

Jody

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Luce-

Been listening to you since Rev, you're kooky and I love it.  You're message to Jill made my day

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Dang!

I just missed the beginning of the freakout.

You need to post that.  Put ‘er up on the blog.

Maybe if you have a freakout from the old station too — REV 105 — that would be cool. I knew I freaked out.

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I had just turned on the radio and had to check my old school dial to see if I had bumped it or something!! I was pleasantly surprised when they came back on and I heard my familiar DJ voices. I could just imagine you wondering if you were getting punk’d!!  Thank you for sharing your VM.

Merry Christmas! I mailed off my Christmas card to you guys today!

Jenn

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Mary:

Just heard your freak out over the streaming Current. You just identified my greatest fear: that I would come into the office one morning in NYC and find out that the Current was a new format. Probably stems from my Minnesota upbringing on Rev 105.

Please do what you can to prevent this nightmare. I’ll do what I can (i.e. continue to contribute during the pledge drives).

Ryan

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Hey Mary, 

I’m going to start by apologizing and I’m not laughing at you but laughing with you. Honestly you made my day with that message you left Jill!!! I completely understand where you are coming from. Though I’ve never been through the torture of having to find out I don’t have a job on my drive into work, I still understand your level of “secureness”. Just know that we are all here for you and that we all love you, or at least most of us anyway. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day and can rest easy in knowing that your station is not an ‘80s music station, at least not yet… Thanks again for the good laugh! 

Sincerely, 
Patrick