breakdown, didn't you?"
"What? No. I didn't know that."
"Fuck yeah. That week during the fall book when Chase, the night guy, took over mornings?"
"Oh. Yeah. I thought that was weird."
"You put him in the fucking hospital, he was so stressed out. He was convinced that we were going to can his ass," Steve laughed.
"Shit. I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's a shame your run ended the way it did. You weren't given a fair shake in the papers out there, man. That was brutal.”
"Yeah. I know."
"We almost called you when we cut Ramirez but you were pretty fucked up back then."
"Yep."
"Hey, anyway, have a seat. Did Mike tell you why I'm here?"
"Well, he said it was 'excitin' news'," Graham gave a smile to Mike, who gave him a fist bump. Steve became quite serious. "I think it is. Graham, what would you say right this moment if I were to offer you national syndication?"
"Doing what?"
Steve and Mike laughed heartily. "Doing your show, man!" said Steve. "'Doing what' he says!”
Graham shifted in his chair and waited for the hilarity to settle. What was happening on the air wasn't syndication-worthy. He knew that. "Guys, what you're hearing on the air right now... it isn't my show. It's a hijacked broadcast. I can't control what's happening in there."
Steve's eyes lit up. "That's why it's so fantastic! Graham, you know the state of radio. You read the trades, right? We're dying. Dying on the vine, bro. The Internet is fucking killing us. And why? Because radio has become so fucking predictable. Stale. The same five hundred songs played ad nauseam and devoid of personality. No life. No pulse."
"No pulse," Mike echoed, sadly shaking his head in agreement.
"What's happening right here, right now, today on your show is absolutely thrilling."
"It's damn exciting," said Mike.
"Dude, you've got a fucking space man on the air with you. Your second chair is motherfucking E.T. That's genius!"
"It's clever," Mike nodded.
"It's clever, and we know it's marketable. How many times has your stream crashed in the last two days?"
"A lot. I don't think I know exac-”
"The listeners have spoken! They want this kind of programming. I'm with Regal Networks now."
"Oh, yeah? When did you land there?"
"About two years ago after the bottom fell out of Prestige. Y'know, after they got swallowed up in the Stratus-RedComm merger. Fucking brutal."
"I bet. Sure."
"Anyway, we're confident that we can place you on at least thirty six stations in the first week alone. Hundreds within a month."
"What?"
"I know! We're talking Stern shit here, and you do nothing. Change nothing. Broadcast right here, we beam you nationwide, handle the stream, the website, place you in iTunes and develop the app, the works. You just come in to work every day and do what you do."
"That's just the thing... Steve, I'm not really doing anything. Mike, you know that...”
Mike shook his head. "You're being modest, Graham."
"I'm calling bullshit, too, Graham," Steve said. "I've seen you in action. When you were on your game, you were a motherfucking titan, man. I would have put you up against any jock in any top twenty market without thinking twice. But the pressure got you, bro. It happens. It happens to the best." Steve's cell phone began to ring. "But now you're back, Graham and we're willing to pay handsomely for a piece of the action. Look, I've got to take this. Mike, can you fill him in on what we talked about?"
"You got it," Mike said as he followed Steve to the door and closed it behind him.
"Mike...”
"I know what you're going to say, Graham, but you just hold on one minute because I got somethin' to say myself, ya hear?"
"Ok."
"This man is offering you and, yes, me a lot of money. A lot of money, Graham." Mie laughed. "Moneygram. Anyway, I don't think we can pass up this opportunity."
"Mike, you know as well as I do that this could end at any moment. Hell, you're trying to put a stop to it right now yourself."
"I can call off the dogs."
"What if he
"What? No. I didn't know that."
"Fuck yeah. That week during the fall book when Chase, the night guy, took over mornings?"
"Oh. Yeah. I thought that was weird."
"You put him in the fucking hospital, he was so stressed out. He was convinced that we were going to can his ass," Steve laughed.
"Shit. I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's a shame your run ended the way it did. You weren't given a fair shake in the papers out there, man. That was brutal.”
"Yeah. I know."
"We almost called you when we cut Ramirez but you were pretty fucked up back then."
"Yep."
"Hey, anyway, have a seat. Did Mike tell you why I'm here?"
"Well, he said it was 'excitin' news'," Graham gave a smile to Mike, who gave him a fist bump. Steve became quite serious. "I think it is. Graham, what would you say right this moment if I were to offer you national syndication?"
"Doing what?"
Steve and Mike laughed heartily. "Doing your show, man!" said Steve. "'Doing what' he says!”
Graham shifted in his chair and waited for the hilarity to settle. What was happening on the air wasn't syndication-worthy. He knew that. "Guys, what you're hearing on the air right now... it isn't my show. It's a hijacked broadcast. I can't control what's happening in there."
Steve's eyes lit up. "That's why it's so fantastic! Graham, you know the state of radio. You read the trades, right? We're dying. Dying on the vine, bro. The Internet is fucking killing us. And why? Because radio has become so fucking predictable. Stale. The same five hundred songs played ad nauseam and devoid of personality. No life. No pulse."
"No pulse," Mike echoed, sadly shaking his head in agreement.
"What's happening right here, right now, today on your show is absolutely thrilling."
"It's damn exciting," said Mike.
"Dude, you've got a fucking space man on the air with you. Your second chair is motherfucking E.T. That's genius!"
"It's clever," Mike nodded.
"It's clever, and we know it's marketable. How many times has your stream crashed in the last two days?"
"A lot. I don't think I know exac-”
"The listeners have spoken! They want this kind of programming. I'm with Regal Networks now."
"Oh, yeah? When did you land there?"
"About two years ago after the bottom fell out of Prestige. Y'know, after they got swallowed up in the Stratus-RedComm merger. Fucking brutal."
"I bet. Sure."
"Anyway, we're confident that we can place you on at least thirty six stations in the first week alone. Hundreds within a month."
"What?"
"I know! We're talking Stern shit here, and you do nothing. Change nothing. Broadcast right here, we beam you nationwide, handle the stream, the website, place you in iTunes and develop the app, the works. You just come in to work every day and do what you do."
"That's just the thing... Steve, I'm not really doing anything. Mike, you know that...”
Mike shook his head. "You're being modest, Graham."
"I'm calling bullshit, too, Graham," Steve said. "I've seen you in action. When you were on your game, you were a motherfucking titan, man. I would have put you up against any jock in any top twenty market without thinking twice. But the pressure got you, bro. It happens. It happens to the best." Steve's cell phone began to ring. "But now you're back, Graham and we're willing to pay handsomely for a piece of the action. Look, I've got to take this. Mike, can you fill him in on what we talked about?"
"You got it," Mike said as he followed Steve to the door and closed it behind him.
"Mike...”
"I know what you're going to say, Graham, but you just hold on one minute because I got somethin' to say myself, ya hear?"
"Ok."
"This man is offering you and, yes, me a lot of money. A lot of money, Graham." Mie laughed. "Moneygram. Anyway, I don't think we can pass up this opportunity."
"Mike, you know as well as I do that this could end at any moment. Hell, you're trying to put a stop to it right now yourself."
"I can call off the dogs."
"What if he
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