the F Word.
Lets talk about the F Word. No not f***, Fresh. If you’re new, and found Kelly and me as podcasters in the wild west of audio experiences or know me as your friendly SCENE correspondent on NBC4 I had a whole former life as a morning radio show host. I started on the radio at 15 at my hometown station Froggy 101 in Scranton, PA. For a few months I was a cashier at a grocery store and then wore the "Mr Froggy" suit on the promotions team and then it was an on-air career for this plucky (the New York Time’s descriptor not mine) young man. Well, I’m not as young as I used to be and I’m currently not a “radio host” in the traditional sense of the word. That being I don’t host a show on the radio, currently.
“Lets talk about the F Word.
No not f***, Fresh. ”
Anywho, if you were part of the "Fresh Family" (what we lovely called our radio audience) you know what went down. I was sitting on the beach recently relaxing, reflecting and recharging. A photo popped up in my iPhone memories. It was the night the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup. My husband and I are posing with the front page of the Washington Post. Upon zooming, you'll notice I put an emoji on the photo to cover the 94.7 Fresh FM logo on my hat. I think maybe it was for a 2018 highlights post since the CAPS won in May and our show was cancelled in October, three years ago today as a matter of fact.
Back to the photo. Truly, what in the actual hell was I thinking?!? That pic took me to a nearly outer body experience. I was so pissed or hurt or some combination of the two that I wanted to completely scrub the logo, the history, the memory from my life. That was a bad decision.
When our show was cancelled, on a whim by an out of town corporate owner, blue flame rage doesn’t even begin to describe it. Since I was fifteen radio is all I’d ever done. At twenty four I got my dream job, hosting a morning show in a major market. I did it in the city that I love with two women who I admire the hell out of. Washington, DC was a radio town that had been home to Howard Stern, Donnie Simpson, Elliot Segal and many other icons in the business. I got to share the airwaves for more than a decade with those giants.
When the plug was pulled I completely freaked out. Part of that "screw you and the tower you transmit on" wasn’t all bad. It was the fuel that led Kelly and I to start a company Real.Fun.DC., build a broadcast app, and keep reconnected with our “Fresh Fam.” Cutting the “F Word” out of my vocabulary was a ridiculous over reaction to the trauma of having my world turned upside down and the thing I cared so much about taken away. Like how crazy was I about cutting out the "Fresh" word?? Beginning on October 4th 2018 I ate "seasonal fruit," went for walks to get some "outside air," and my browser was "reloaded." As an only child millennial Gemini I can take petty to the next level.
Upon reflection and plenty of chats with my therapists I can separate the shame, embarrassment and lost of the "Fresh" radio station going away from the fabulous Fresh moments we created together. "Fresh Family" calling in to talk about the most intimate and hilarious moments of their lives, connecting people to the artists they love, and making the often cold town of Washington feel like a community. That’s way bigger than a radio frequency. So I’m going to embrace my Fresh-ness, celebrate the memories and find ways to continue to build community in the Nation’s Capital. You might call it a refresh.
From Real.Fun.DC. “The Tommy + Kelly Show” is produced in Washington, DC providing news, culture, playful conversation, positive energy, and a dose of morning fun any time. Download the Real.Fun.DC. APP to check out our wide array of programming app.RealFunDC.com
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