Former radio columnist for the Seattle Times (1964-1989).
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Bankson Named KVI GM
7 thoughts on “Bankson Named KVI GM”
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Actually I liked Jack, but he came in during an awkward situation as the corporate mediator. Fred Danz had hired a manager from the midwest who really was a foolish and demanding tyrant. I had been there for 10 or 12 years and was the chief engineer, program director, operations manager and did announcing as well. The new manager started making work schedule demands of me that I was not willing to put up with. Fred sent Jack up to wrangle it out when they realized their was big friction and I might quit. In our closed door meeting with the three of us. I was shocked because about 5 minutes into the meeting, as the manager was acting like a big shot…Jack Bankson turned to him and said with ice in his voice: “Mike, this is very simple. By the end of the day you two guys will either be cooperating with one another or I will fire you. If I have to choose between Steve and you, then you might as well pack your bags now because I am keeping Steve. He is much more valuable to this company.” I was stunned by that statement, but how can you dislike a hardass when he makes that decision. The manager left in about 3 months to wreck morale at another non SRO radio station in Eugene. I ended up becoming GM in Bellingham and then buying the place.
A mutual friend of ours told me he was a real tyrant. I once won a prize on KNBQ and came down to the station to pick it up. I saw him come out of his office to greet someone. Someone told me he was an office potato.
Jack was former military. A Col. as I recall. He did not like mambsy pambsy answers when he was grilling you. I recall he was asking me a couple engineering questions about the possibility of the daytimer back then going 24 hours of operation. He asked some question and I prefaced it with “I think.” He corrected me and said I do not care what you think. If you do not have a factual answer then to keep in my good graces I want you to say “I do not know, but I will find out and get back to you.” I guess that is actually a pretty good policy but one few of us adhere too.
Yeah, I wouldn’t get along with a cat like that.
It really is a waist of time and energy to get uptight over something like that. What he did say makes sense, but he could have been more pleasant .
Steve Randall referred to him as “Bang Bang Bankson” and was not a fan. But Steve was a rebel and marched to a different drummer.
I worked with Jack about ten years later when he was the GM of KZOK and quasi manager of the SRO broadcast division. He came up to KBFW a couple times. He was very direct, to say the least, but he was fair. He was the KVI GM Greg Aust complained about on the air. Jack told me stories of Aust’s odd personality and antics.