Posted on 03/03/2012 8:43:31 PM PST by gaijin
pro flowers also pulled out... so i emailed that i would no longer use their services and that they may consider delivering a few condoms with each arrangement... since they condone others paying for birth control.
teeman
This shows the immense power of the MSM/progressives in this country, and the incredible handicap that conservatives have under this double standard.
Nothing to be sorry about...
If you were only a boy when Dale and Rush’s relationship started, how exactly did you became privy to all these insider details?
just wondering.
You joined FreeRepublic YESTERDAY so I owe you no answers.
Thanks.
What insider details? This is pretty much common knowledge in the area.
BTW—welcome to FreeRepublic. Don’t piss off the old guys. Capiche?
Look...sorry I was short with you, sorry:
For some things I have a VERY sharp memory, and Dale’s folks or Rush’s folks could confirm all this for you.
Umm...KFBK is pretty cool, and most of them also still know these details so they could confirm all this, also:
(916) 929-5325
The part about Dale, “staring out over a piece of pepperoni” was made up —I just added that, it’s not an actual detail. He might not have been eating pizza, but...it is likely it was pizza.
I also don’t know the exact number of Sleep Train stores now —I remember there was over 230 stores five years ago. I also don’t know ST’s exact yearly earnings, the figure I gave is probably over 5 years old:
It might be more, now.
OMG you are antedivullian also, wow..!!
Much respect...! ^_^
I’ll keep an eye out 4 ya.
Before the flood? Hah!
You have almost a year on me!
I remember your Chinese general get up, with the cash hanging out of your pockets, protesting with the DC Freepers.
I was able to make a few Saturday freeps at the WH in 1999-2000. I loved to hold the Clinton “Crime Wave” sign—the tourists loved that one.
Thanks for the welcome, and no worries. I probably could have been a bit more diplomatic in my phrasing of my question, especially for a new member. Ive been a LONG-TIME lurker here, and this thread finally motivated me to join. If I may, I would like to contribute my memory of how things started at the beginning of Dale and Rush’s relationship.
Mr. Account Exec was indeed a former musician. He had, however, previously left the music business and worked in sales for a year before moving to Sacramento. He did have an old friend in the radio business in Sacramento, whom he had kept in touch with since their days as friends in high school. His friend did not at KFBK. Dissatisfied with his current employment, and hearing of both the fun and profitability of working in radio, the former musician set up an exploratory trip from his home out-of-state to visit his old friend. A few job interviews were set up for the former musician. The Future Mr. AE ended up taking a sales job with a small pop/rock station, which was neither KFBK nor the one at which his friend worked (now we’re up to 3 stations LOL). Again, he did NOT start at KFBK few if any people do. It was and is a huge station with a serious, professional sales staff.
It was while at the pop station that Mr. AE first started calling on Dale Carlson, founder and owner of the original Sleep Train. It WAS in a pretty tough neighborhood, exactly where you describe. After many calls and much persistence, he eventually “got the business” with The Sleep Train. This was the 1st time Dale had advertised on radio, something he had steadfastly refused to do up to that point. The initial campaign achieved a modicum of success, so Dale continued to devote a small amount of money from the small advertising budget for his small store to the small radio station.
it was shortly thereafter that Mr. AE interviewed at KFBK. He was eventually hired. The process had nothing to do with his “friend”, who was still an account executive at the 3rd station.
At that time, KFBK was the dominant station in the market. Their new morning talk-show host Rush Limbaugh was already putting up VERY strong numbers. If I remember correctly, he may have been #1 overall for his time period, but at the very least he was in the top 2 or 3. And I distinctly remember seeing his Arbitron numbers and being stunned - his #2 or #3 rating in the 18-34 male and 18-49 male demos meant he was holding his own against the music stations... in the STRENGTH of THEIR market!!! It was something generally unheard of at that time. Rush really was a trailblazer in the business, and it all started for him at KFBK we all know the story.
Rush DID live in a small place. It might have been in Rio Linda, which, of course, would explain a lot LOL. He didn’t buy his 1st home in Sacramento until he signed his 1st good contract with KFBK (for I think $60K/year, good money in that market in those days), which is not surprising either. Rush was a veteran of the radio business by this time, and knew the fleeting nature of stardom for “on-air talent” (here today, fired tomorrow). So this was the situation that MR AE walked into
Mr. AE brought Dale with him to KFBK and convinced Dale to increase his radio budget, necessitated by KFBKs higher rates. Dale did not start with Rush right away, but spent a couple months in less expensive time periods and also participated in a few special deals. He started seeing better results from The 50,000-watt blow-torch. Soon thereafter, Mr. AE approached Dale about running spots during Rushs show with a bit of a twist. The original idea was NOT for Rush to read his spot live, nor for Sleep Train to have KFBK produce a spot in-house. Rather, Rush would PERSONALLY ENDORSE THE BUSINESS AND THEIR PRODUCTS. This was something Rush was already doing, with success, for a number of local companies. I distinctly remember Rush doing such spots for Accutune and South City Honda around then. The original deal between Dale and Rush was a free top-of-the-line, king-sized bed for Rush’s new home... and a $500.00 fee for 6 months (if you can believe it - how times have changed)!!! Things went VERY well for Dale and a long-term partnership was formed.
Oh, and regarding Mr. AE despite a few successes like The Sleep Train, he was simply not able to produce at the level KFBK required and was fired after 6 months. After a period of soul searching, he realized he was simply not cut-out for sales. He returned home to go back to college.
So thats how I remember it. Ill try to post some thoughts on the current brouhaha tomorrow if I have the time. If not, I will ASAP. Its VERY busy at work this week.
OMG the back-story has a back...?!?!?!?! And you gots OUR BACK, ahhahahha...!
Look, that was an amazing post, hats off 2 ya...! ^_^
Wow....laser-like detail...!
BTTT
gaijin, you were proved right.
Rush canned Sleep Train and Dale Carlsen, even though they begged to come back.
Fairweather friends, Rush does not need.
Rush owns the show. Only way it is “the end” is if stations start dropping him.
He’ll always find sponsors.
He’s a GREAT GUY, and Dale is too, but Rush HAD to do it.
He just had to:
If he hadn’t...? It would be more work, work, work, with sponsors going all wobbly every time Rush went off —which, let’s face it, is MOST of his job.
Sadly, this is a TEACHABLE MOMENT for sponsors: If Rush’s client turnover is to be manageable, I’m afraid that the best turn of events would be for Sleep Train’s earnings to plummet —for Dale to be visibly ruined, or at least very badly damaged.
If so, then Rush will have a much healthier total basket of sponsors —like what the Ice Age did for the T-rex/mammal ratio.
If Sleep Train were to come back it would have seen a big signal, “It’s OK to come, go, come, go, come go...”
That’s no way to run a company.
Sleep Train!! Your ticket to....A LESSON IN LOYALTY...!
“——always has those pull-out, postage-paid cards-—”
—
Oddly enough they are called blow-in cards.
I suspect Sleep Train will be closing some of those 250 stores soon...
I suspect that Sleep Train will be back in the Limbaugh stable of advertisers before long. ...Uh, no. They will not.
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