This audio is a meeting between Trish Thompson and Charlie Cohn regarding me. See if you can find the incriminating statements.
TRANSCRIPT:
THOMPSON: Well, I will say that I’m a little shocked that you contacted me, you know, I mean after so many months that I’ve been here and I hadn’t heard from anybody about anything and…
COHN: Well, I do there was a lot of stuff going on and there was a lot of (unintelligible) going on ah…
THOMPSON: Well
COHN: Did you call me or did I call you?
THOMPSON: You called me…
COHN: Well, someone said that you called the front desk
THOMPSON: I called, I called to speak to Denise.
COHN: OH I
THOMPSON: I was calling about, you know, if Denise was back at work,
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: I knew she had been sick I’d tried to contact when she was in the hospital
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: I hadn’t heard anything and I was, it crossed my mind I said, well let me call and see if somebody can tell me where she is , is she back at work and she answered the phone and I siad God Denise is back at work
COHN: And (unintelligable) said something, you know what? Let me call and get a hold of Trish and then Denise said, she just called a few minutes ago
THOMPSON: OK, well, yeah I was calling
COHN: (Unintelligable)
THOMPSON: Laughs, yes, laughs
COHN: Like I said, there was a lot of volatility going on around here
THOMPSON: OK
COHN: in the last couple of weeks and we just had to do some stuff that I wasn’t all that comfortable about but
THOMPSON: OK
COHN: We just kinda had to do it. You’ve always had a real passion for the radio station. That’s one thing I think everybody (unintelligable) whether we agreed with everything or not I think, I think we all felt that you knew and understood the format especially as it pertains to the black community.
THOMPSON: …OK
COHN: We have… a sales issue in that we’re not really able to penetrate the black community, we just don’t have people who know people there and we don’t really have, you know we just really have people in house who can do it
THOMPSON: Uh Hm
COHN: And when I’ve had this discussion somebody said, why don’t you ask Trish. That’s what I’m doin. I just thought you had some thought or some ideas or some interest or something … that might (unintelligable) like something that we we we could work out. We’re doing only 40 or 50 or 60 percent of the job on that radio station depending on how you look at how its split, its just such a unique situation that here’s a station that obviously in the more we’re looking at it and examining it, it has a real split appeal and most stations are either or,
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: Its very rare that you can find a station that actually can make
THOMPSON: Tap into
COHN: Both
THOMPSON: Entire community
COHN: Yeah, and Yeah and we’re becoming more and more aware of the fact and then beginning to realize that we’re not really doing the best job we can for us… cause we don’t really have any people in house that can go out and get us that extra 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 percent of the audience. I’m not sure what it is it seems to fluctuate.
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: Its about a 40 or 50 percent split and that’s pretty amazing you can’t really do that that often
THOMPSON: Right, are you are you saying in terms of of representation as far as your account executives not being a minority base
COHN: Look
THOMPSON: To be able to go after
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: the minority community
COHN: Well I think they can go but they don’t know where to go they don’t have the contacts there I mean what they have is pretty clear to me that regardless of whether your talking about black, white, brown, pink or yellow somebody just walks in new has a rough long haul to go
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: If if you don’t have , you haven’t spent some time in Charleston
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: you don’t have some connections and know some people in Charleston and you just want to start fresh… pretty difficult, frustrating process.
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: And that if you do have connections and you do have contacts and you do know people just just facilitates you better just helps the movement better
THOMSON: Right
COHN: And… (hospitals, or unintelligable) look for people who do have some experience
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: and do have some knowledge and who have spent some time in the community … and before I just go out talking to people I have no idea who they are
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: I just thought i would talk to you first to see if yo had any thoughts or any interests or any ideas that is at all interest to you. I mean tell me you have a really good job and I’m not really saying
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: quit the job and come and do this but I am saying is, maybe there’s a way you can continue doing what your doing and … yes, this is a project that has some interest to you you might have some ideas
THOMPSON: OK, so are you presenting this in a form of a as a sales executive or as a promotional marketing type liason
COHN: I dunno
THOMPSON: or,
COHN: You know what
THOMPSON: what, (laugh)
COHN: I’m just sayin.. I just figure of all the people who hav worked here your the one person who always made a point of talking about the black community of having contacts with the black community of of having a real passion for the radio station to deal with the black community and so before I went on my own
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: like put an ad in the paper.. I thought I’d talk to you first to see if you had any ideas I mean cause, you know what, I don’t even need an answer now,
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: I mean you could say, you know what, I get it, I’ll get back to you in a couple of days
THOMPSON: Yeah
COHN: That works for me fine too
THOMPSON: (Laugh)
COHN: Just kinda throwing it on the table
THOMPSON: Yeah I see
COHN: What I’m saying is, we’ve got mostly white employees here
THOMPSON: Uh huh, Well, I think all, with the exception of Denise,
COHN: Right,
THOMPSON: I think all your
COHN: Right, but this is a radio station that needs a blend of color if we want to really maximize what its doing 98Rock… you know what its a white guy radio station, its pretty basic, its pretty clear
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: Most radio stations in this town are either or
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: I just think your somebody , if you’re interested you might be able to have some ideas
THOMPSON: Well I mean
COHN: So we would want to compensate you at some level for it, I mean
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: I don’t know exactly what kind of job it is you currently have , whether this sounds appealing to you or whether
THOMPSON: Yeah
COHN: Or its a conflict or your interested in it at all
THOMPSON: Well, let me say a couple of things because you and I have never really had an opportunity to talk on this level before I know we met briefly and we had a few meetings and ,
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: And I’ve always felt that whatever information I had to bring to the table I was kinda like , you know, don’t know what your talking about lady, kind of attitude that I felt
COHN: Maybe or just in general
THOMPSON: Well just in general
COHN: Right, probably true
THOMPSON: And ah, It is it is true (laughs)
COHN: Oh, Ok I don’t doubt it for a second
THOMPSON: And um even for myself opportunities that I’ve tried to position myself for when I was here as an employee I jsut felt that I was not, um, you know, considered as an asset or anybody that has the knowledge or the connections some speak that you’re implying that has come to the realization now . I do have a lot of ideas I do have a lot of suggestions and I have had a passion for the radio station, not specifically because of the black community but because it plays urban music as the format and that white people listen to it because it may be a top 40 song that they heard growing up that they thought was acceptable so they said, ok I like that song, its acceptable to me, its worth me listening to, and now the station is playing that, where fore the black community it has a whole different meaning, it has a whole different context, ah a passion for the black commununity, it doesn’t mean the same thing to a white person as it does a black person when they’re listening to the same song.
COHN: Right, for (unintelligable) plenty of stations in ths market (unintelligable) if your a black person looking for a culturally put together radio station for you got four or five options out there,
THOMPSON: You do
COHN: Most of them are young
THOMPSON: You do
COHN: One of them is really middle AC what have you
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: But I mean there’s real places just to make you feel right at home that’s for you
THOMPSON: Right, but its about also the demographic and the age demographic that your talking about and its not just about women, the men are very significant in it to and you have to you know, broaden that awareness and there are a lot of things I could get off into that I know ah, because I dream of having my own radio station and I’ve learned from other radio stations what makes Cool 105 unique… and its a shame that its classified in the books as a mediocre station , is because um, it does emphasize the oldies format of the R , of the true R and B songs,
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: the original foundation of R and B but its its so much more involved in in just how I feel, you know the white sector looks at it as oh that’s a good song I can shag to it I can do this or do that
COHN: Well, that’s pretty much what it is. Its kinda like its music that isn’t so ethnic that its black even,
THOMPSON: Yeah, its acceptable to them in that manner
COHN: It looks the whole beach music thing
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: Because it really was mainstream in the 70’s
THOMPSON: Yeah
COHN: By in large everybody’s familiar with it
THOMPSON: Oh Yeah
COHN: Some people really just tend to like rhythmic music
THOMPSON: Yeah
COHN: and this is it, We should certainly take music of the 70’s and make it far more urban sounding if you wanted to ,
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: we could also lighten it up a lot
THOMPSON: Yeah
COHN: which, I think we have a pretty good mix at the moment
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: And what we’re not doing is we’re not really dealing with 30 to 50 percent of our audience very effectively
THOMPSON; Uh hm why do you think that is that
COHN: We’re just a bunch of white people
THOMPSON: OK, well at least your honest in that regard about it
COHN: Well (unintelligble) just a bunch of white people how could we possibly do that and
THOMPSON: OK
COHN: You know what if I sent a bunch of white people to the black community i’m not sure that they, even if they are sincere and really looking for the right answers I’m not sure they’re gonna get a particularly positive reception I don’t know that they deserve a particularly positive reception as if it were me and the rolls were reversed I’d say why isn’t a black person calling on me
THOMPSON: yeah
COHN: its just something
(LOUD SPEAKER): Bobby , (unintelligable) (in background)
COHN: Someone who really knows alot trying to knows me I trying to know me I appreciate your sincerity black person but why didn’t you accompany me by a rock person to do this job
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: I mean that’s the kind of where I might be coming from,
THOMPSON: Yeah
COHN: Some people might be thrilled that there’s white people coming in trying to get involved in the black community but it just takes a big education. You look at Magic, you look at 3 W Z you look at ah, what’s the thing, Power, ah, I mean yeah these are stations from top to bottom designed to appeal to a group of people
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: I mean 98 Rock, we designed 98 Rock to appeal to a group of people, Cool’s a little different animal
THOMPSON: 101, ah, i mean, 101 is probably your biggest competition, its not 102 even though they are an oldies format that
COHN: In the white community it is, you’re right in the black community Magic is our main competitor,
THOMPSON: But
COHN: in the white
THOMPSON: right
COHN: community its 102
THOMPSON: But at the same time the people that the white people who listen to 105 arn’t going to go anywhere else, they may flip flop from time to time but if they already like this station they are going to stay with this station its going to be their primary one
COHN: Well, in arbitron you get a lot of cross cuming between stations
THOMPSON: Well, sometimes yeah, but then there’s always a reason for them to come back here
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: and you’ve capitalized on that as well but I think you know a basic of it , and real think about what we’re talking about you can think about some of the things that I’ve said but I think a lot of a,
COHN: Here’s an idea we’ll (unintelligble)
THOMPSON: Where we need to start is internally, you know I think its an internal issue as well
COHN: Right, although if we had things going on, we’re such a small group of people here
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: That if we had two or three people doing something externally it would have a major influence internally
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: Here’s the (unintelligble) idea
THOMPSON: Well, that’s what I mean internally its got you got to change the complexion of within a little bit in order to filter in what you need from the outside.
COHN: Ah, if we want to do this, but here is the idea now, you have a full time job (unintelligble)
THOMPSON: Yes
COHN: Ok, … If you knew two or three people that you thought would be really effective at this
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: And you wanted to have a piece of this,
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: What we’re talking about, I would work with you in whatever time frame you needed we would get these two or three people together and put together a sales where if they were successful you would have some of their success and I would have most of their success
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: Cause it my radio station
THOMPSON: OK
COHN: So I deserve that, they deserve ‘Y’ you deserve ‘Z’ in terms of the day to day effort your’s would be minimum we would pay you for hiring the right people , spending a little time with them about what you and I decide we want
THOMPSON: OK
COHN: They would work for me primarily but with you or for you part and we’d just kinda take the pot of money they bring in and collect and split it up equitably. So that’s kind of an idea. See I don’t know those people.
THOMPSON: OK
COHN: Maybe you don’t either.
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: But maybe the real answer is
THOMPSON: (Chuckle)
COHN: You know what I only know three good hard working self motivated conscienceous sales oriented people who could do this job.
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: I know that I don’t know them. If you know them then that’s those are assets I’d be willing to compensate, fine.
THOMPSON: Right, I understand what you’re saying, but I’m also, and I point well taken on that point, I agree with you on that but also your on air staff has to also reflect a portion of that too
COHN: Right
THOMSON: You can’t ah
(LOUD SPEAKER): Bobby a call on line one, Bobby line one (background)
THOMPSON: You can’t internally send a you know a white DJ into , no matter how good they may be, well you can because I think black people are a little bit more um get more comfortable and receptive to a white person than the other way around, but at the same time there’s an identity situation that’s there also
COHN: I have three black sales people who were really committed to the station and one of them had some on air talent, or you had some on air talent, I would have not problem paying you ‘x’ dollars to be a voice on the radio station to go do a remote if that’s what we felt was the best thing for the radio station
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: to do, Or maybe one of these people who you possibly know might have some potential on air talent, they should be the talent or we could send a white guy and have one of our three, I mean, the, there is no. there is no really (unintelligble)
THOMPSON: So you just seem to be trying to formulating a recipe right now
COHN: Exactly
THOMPSON: To see if you can get success with it.
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: Well how are you , I know you told me the other day that you let Lee go, so you know if you don’t can you sahre with me what your on air staff (unintelligable)
COHN: We have John Major,
THOMPSON: Right,
COHN: I don’t know if you’ve met John
THOMPSON: I’ve met him briefly once (unintelligble)
COHN: We have Linda, those are the only two people who are on staff right now, and we’re tracking other day parts and having no we found that having no jock at night wasn’t making a different and we got to do something in the morning
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: … I’m not sure what we could do we could keep it simple, we can even keep it basic, we’re gonna really let the music be the primary vehicle
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: And in terms of moving forward, with Lee gone its just a big vacuum, so we have a lot of options and rather just rush forward and fill the options as fast as we can I just figured summer
THOMPSON: Yeah
COHN: Is the least critical time for us. I got like four weeks before I have to
THOMPSON: Fall book right yeah
COHN: Oh, actually its 8 weeks for the fall book to start doesn’t start till September,
THOMPSON: September, I thought it was
COHN: You know the 19th, September 21st
THOMPSON: OK
COHN: So I’ve got time so I think about four weeks I want to have a game plan ready
THOMPSON: OK
COHN: so by Labor day or memorial day, memorial day?
THOMPSON: Labor day
COHN: Labor day. So by the end of
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: Labor day everybody kinda shifts back into fall gear I gotta have my team together by then, that’s kinda what I’m looking, by Labor day I want to have a I want to have the people in place and at the station I want to have going forward,
THOMPSON: OK
COHN: Although school starts quick and it all used to be
THOMPSON: Sure, the latter part of August
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: But Now like the first the last week in August,
COHN: Right, but Labor day still becomes the end of summer, people’s life goes back to that ten months out of the year I mean trying to get anything done in the summer is crazy, even trying to deal with my friends
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: Everybody’s running everywhere, people that people are out of town, People are here , people are, I means there’s just a lot more freedom especially because the kids are out, you have to figure out a way to entertain them (unintelligeable)
THOMPSON: Right, Right
COHN: So that’s different, now the kids go back to school Labor day, the days start getting shorter day, you know, it turns back to a more predictable lifestlye so summer is,
THOMPSON: Yeah there’s a lotta there’s a lotta things that can happen during that time frame, yeah,
COHN: So like I said I ‘m not in a super rush. I mean I
THOMPSON: Uh huh
COHN: We did what we did with Lee for a variety of different reasons, you know what he’s a really good guy and a really bright guy but… there were others,
THOMPSON: Yeah, (unintelligeble)
COHN: So now, its just a function of exploring the what the possibilities are, although we probably have an issue on everything he does or the way he’s done it, I’m not really one to harbor a grudge or kinda just
THOMPSON: (chuckle)
COHN: (unintelligalbe) somebody cause I don’t agree, you know what I’m saying
THOMPSON: Yeah, well
COHN: I do, .. I I did appreciate your concern and your passion for Lee even though if it was up to me, if he would have said something to me, I would have asked him to do it differently, he did it the way he thought he needed to do it, that’s fine, you know
THOMPSON: Well, the problem is some of my concerns when I directed them to my first line supervisor um I was told that it would be taken care of and it didn’t need to be taken further because there were some issues that when they occurred I wanted to talk to you but you were not available, you were out of town and so then I had to talk to who I thought, you know and, maybe in that respect you weren’t as aware of it as I thought you were or Mr. Martin was not aware of it as I thought he was
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: and at some point when you have a General Manager and an owner of a company and things are happening and you’re bringing these things to someone’s attention who should be keeping these people informed and nothing is being done about then you wonder well, do you not care yourself or does Mr. Martin does not care so when I finally had my fill of it and decided to leave um the letter that I wrote him was to you know enlighten him in case he was aware and just decided oh well, you know with her I wanted to put it informal format
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: so that he would know and I also wanted to do it in case he didn’t know
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: and I found out that I guess there was some things that he didn’t know
COHN: Well (unintlliigble) a lot of what you said both he and I were aware of at a certain level and somethings you said that I don’t necessarily agree with
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: and there are some thing you said that we were totally unaware of, kind of a combination
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: which is , has to do with your point of view our point of view,
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: but there was no question in my mind that you were someone who cared about the radio station
THOMPSON: Alright, but in that I thought too well, if I’m able and capable and wanting to do more you know, why was I not being offered an opportunity to do more rather than just youn know the weekend gig and there were several times that dayparts came open and I was never offered the opportunity
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: to say would you like to try it or no, you know I was never even asked I had to ask I had to inquire and when I inquired I was always told oh well we have somebody else in mind, you know that kind of thing
COHN: Right, I wasn’t really aware of that so much, but… its history
THOMPSON: Yeah it is, but anyway but that
COHN: And I expect things turned out well for you I hope.
THOMPSON: Oh well yeah you know I have an impressive work history, background, um I’ve educated myself and I’ve learend through all types of experiences, traveled , been in the military , uh put myself through college, so
COHN: Some good , some bad (unintelligelble)
THOMPSON: Well yeah, you know a few a few not so good but you take a negative experience learn from it and make it positive and that’s what I’ve tried to do,
COHN: Here’s an opportunity, ok, and I would say that if you are happy in your job, let’s just keep that separate, and here’s an opportunity to you to possible do something a little bit on the side, keep your hand or foot or toe or something in radio,
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: make a little money, if we’re successful have a kind of a management kind of position in this little thing that we put together
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: Or basically go man I work 8 9 10 hours a day I (unintelligable)
THOMPSON: (laugh)
COHN: Thanks but no thanks and that’s fine too and then that was really it I don’t really have a lot of answers for you, i’m not saying quit your job and come back and do this
THOMPSON: Oh no I wouldn’t
COHN: Alright, no no
THOMPSON: (laugh)
COHN: But but but I didn’t think I said that,
THOMPSON: Yeah
COHN: (unintelligble) that you heard, what you heard from me was, back when we separated
(LOUD SPEAKER): Mike (unintelligeble) line one, Mike line one (background)
COHN: You were somebody that I heard your message loud and clear. I didn’t have to agree with it. A lot of things people say
I don’t agree with I don’t really care.
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: I really come look if its coming from the heart or if its just coming from self serving.
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: A lot of what you said I thought was really sincere it came from the heart. I’ve got an issue that kind of addresses the (unintelligble) that you addressed. Like I said I’m not saying that we agreed on everything
THOMPSON: Right
COHN: or we even agreed on most of it. You brought up some points that I thought were really well taken.
THOMPSON: OK I appreciate you saying that.
COHN: I’m throwing this on the table. Here’s an opportunity. The real answer is let’s think about it. Get back to me one way or the other.
THOMPSON: Ok
COHN: But if you can tell, if you know people
THOMPSON: Uh hm
COHN: and you have a pretty clear idea about what it is what I’m trying to accomplish this could be a win sitation for you a win situation for them a win situation for the radio station and a win situation for the community ultimately that everybody kind of benefits at a certain level and believe me if I could hire two or three people and give them a decent salary and throw you some money and let me make some money and let the station really be financially viable and credible, everybody wins.
THOMPSON: ….. I gotcha … ok
COHN: Let me know
THOMPSON: Alright
COHN: Cool
THOMPSON: Ok
COHN: Thank you for your time,
THOMPSON: (Unintelligeable)
COHN: nice to see you again
THOMPSON: Nice seeing you too
COHN: How’s your son doing?
THOMPSON: He’s doing fine, in fact I’m getting ready to take him to ..
COHN: Where’s you son go to school
THOMPSON: University of South Carolina, for a minute my mind went blank, he’ll be there on the 4th I’m taking him up there
COHN: Well where’s he going to school
THOMPSON: University of South Carolina
COHN: Oh, he’s made his decision
THOMPSON: Yeah
COHN: Oh ok, I thought
THOMPSON: He got a scholarship to go to the University of Sou.(laugh).
COHN: Schools looking at him and you said
THOMPSON: Oh there were but um
COHN: Right
THOMPSON: But he’s going to go to the University of (unintelligeble)
COHN: I thought maybe you were going up there, I didn’t know what your time frame is when you have to make your decions. I guess you had to make the decision a while ago
THOMPSON: Oh yeah, He decided back in February.
COHN: Oh, really. (Unintelligable)
THOMPSON: See if you had been paying more attention to me of what I was saying you would have known that already.
COHN: (Unintelligable)
THOMPSON: (laughing)
COHN: (Unintelligable) from England, he was over there for a year
THOMPSON: Oh really, ok, well,
COHN: great
Denise: (Unintelligable)
THOMPSON: Alright sweetheart bye bye, you too
(sounds leaves building)
THEN.. the follow up email from Trish Thompson
Reply-To: “Lee Kent”
From: “Lee Kent”
Subject:
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2002 20:32:25 -0400
Organization: Cool 105.5 WCOO
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Hi Joyelle,
My name is Trish Thompson, and I am a former radio announcer in the =
Charleston Market.
I was reading the KATZ Media Group Report and realized the uproar that =
was received by a published Memo … So, I thought hummm, maybe I should =
let
them know about the interesting conversation I had on Jul 25, 02, =
yesterday!
How do you think Tavis and Tom would respond to an approximately 7 =
minute tape recorded conversation between the white General Manager of a =
station in the Charleston, SC market, that plays an R&B Urban Oldies =
Format, and who by the way, only has one black employee and she is the =
receptionist … offer a bribe / “an opportunity” as he put it, to an =
African-American female and former radio announcer / employee of his =
station, to basically consider and or attempt to solicit or offer to him =
2 to 3 hard working, “other” Black people … who together with him =
could work together “on the side” in effort in trying to penetrate the =
black community to increase profit and make money … of course he would =
get the most because it’s his station, etc.
I recorded the entire meeting and the GM was not aware of it …
Let me know if this is something Tavis and Tom would be interested in =
hearing.
By the way, Magic 101.7 which hosts the Tom Joyner Morning Show, is one =
of the stations that this particular GM is trying to compete with in =
this market.
Thanks for your time … Trish ;o)
You can also email me at [email protected]
Hope to hear from you regarding this one way or the other! Thanks ;O)