If Bob Dylan thinks the times they are a’changin’, just you wait. I’ll bet that not even a visionary like Dylan foresaw the a’ changes occurring even as I write.

Major changes began with the sexual revolution. Aaron Copeland just got in under the wire when he wrote that stirring composition, “Fanfare for the Common Man.” Had he composed it a few years later, women’s organizations would have descended upon him like Dantean furies.

NOW would have sued, claiming discrimination against women and while they were at it, demanded a change in the lyrics because no woman is “common”. The new title- above on this page - would reflect the new enlightened attitude toward womankind.

Now, Mark Ramsey, the esteemed contributor to Radio Daily News, is foretelling the a’changin’ of FM music radio.

He posits that radio will, within five years, enter a new era.. “Not necessarily talk, but not particularly music either,” as he puts it.

How could I disagree? This is the direction I have been advocating, as an alternative, for some time, in my Radio Daily News pieces. In fact I am doing a combination music/talk show now on SignOnRadio.com Wednesdays from 1p-3p Pacific Time……AND

After painful introspection, I named it “The Happy Hare Show.” I have asked Mark to be on the show this coming January 16th at 2 PM. I encourage you to call into him if you are in the trade.

His Iposit is that the Ipods have become a IGods, which will marginalize what is presently called music radio.. I could elaborate on his vision, but will hold back till I, and I hope, you, listen that day and get it from him, pure and unadulterated.

I believe that what Mark is advocating is basically a throwback to the those thrilling days of yesteryear when Jocks actually talked between songs.

What should be swept away in the FM music formats are the long uninterrupted music sweeps, often poorly mixed because a computer doesn’t realize that we sentients don’t want to hear four sound-alike guys or women in a row.

Listening recently to a major FM music station here in San Diego, I heard a sweep with Andy Williams, followed by Neil Sedaka, followed by an early Tony Bennett when his voice was higher and reedy, ending with Jack Jones singing in a high baritone.

I like them all, but tuned out midway through Jack’s sweet singing, because cumulatively, the set became predictable, the death knell of a radio show.

Sweepwise, I’m still hung up on the boy, girl, group mix, preferably starting off each set with an up-beat song, then mixed by both tempo and sound.

I depend on Chuck Blore to keep me straight. Chuck knows more about programming than anyone. He is my personal friend, but does not spare me when I ask his opinion of any innovations I am pondering. We all need someone like that.  Ask Chuck’s counsel, and he will fire a one-line answer back that nails it.

Trying to justify my wandering off the beaten trail, I recently asked him how much talking I can get away with the music/talk show as I am doing now.

He startled me by replying, “Harry, you can talk as much as you want as long as you’re interesting.”

Last Tuesday, I previewed for you a Regis Philbin script that I was going to do live on the show with Regis. The next day, he called in, and we performed it.

On the air leading up to his call, I set up the bit by claiming that I could solve any listeners’ personal problems and invited listeners to call me. I gave the studio number and Regis was on the line.


Click onto the link and hear the bit with Regis as it happened “live” on the air.


(click here to hear the Regis - Hare audio)


Thank you, Reege. He has never failed to help when I ask.


In recent RDN pieces, I outlined the direction I wanted to take my show on SignOnRadio.com. It’s designed for 35+ listeners, people with discretionary money.

Here’s my formula for “grabbing” THEM. They like to travel (T) They are beginning to watch their health (H) They take an interest in bigger ticket entertainment (E) All of this with growing awareness of the importance of making money, and keeping it (M) Put them all together and it spells THEM.

What interests THEM interests me. Success in this type of show calls for a broad knowledge of music and a generalist’s viewpoint of things. I do a lot of reading.

Last week, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) teamed with Rep Howard Herman (D-CA) to introduce a bill aimed toward imposing music royalty fees on local radio for air play. despite the support (119 and mounting) for House Concurrent Resolution 244 introduced in October which stated: “Congress shall not impose any new performance tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings by local radio.”

Local radio is on the ropes. Bad timing for music folks to demand money for their wares. My guess is that Leahy and Herman know their bill won’t pass and are playing to their lobbies.

A partial solution dates back decades. I was just out of the army without a job unable to regain my gig at KLAC because Mort Hall had bought it and was not legally bound to rehire me.

It is an irony that I left Los Angeles , when Paul Weston hired me to go to work with an amazing man who was launching a pilot business in Philadelphia.

The idea was, I would learn this cutting edge business, come back to Los Angeles and run it for Paul and a group of investors.

My year with this young man set me on a life path that took me intellectually and philosophically way beyond my imagination.

He went on to become…well, that would be giving it away if I tell you more now. Wait till next week. He was a future Master of the Game.

I went off to a marvelous career in radio after my year with him in Philly.

In 1968, I was loaded down with offers, including one from WNEW in New York, when Mort Hall called, asking me to take the morning show at KLAC.

I went personally out of curiosity to see if he recognized me as the man he had stiffed some years before. He didn’t. I courteously turned him down without mentioning our previous encounter, and left the meeting smiling.

More next week about my life-changing work under the Master of the Game and what I learned that might apply to the senseless battle between the music and radio people.


Caller: Happy Hare, I was playing golf this morning and my husband took a driver and

drove a ball right down my bra.

Hare: Wow! Did it hurt?

Caller: No, but you should have seen that second shot.

My Grandma was a major influence on me. She laughingly told me…

“Boots, (My nick name) there are more horse’s asses than there are horses.”