John
Sipos
Hometown: City of youth -- Poughkeepsie, NY
Born at Fort Benning -- Columbus, Georgia
Started in the business in 1960, WKIP AM & FM Poughkeepsie
NY.
Stations: WKIP AM & FM Poughkeepsie NY,
WHVW AM & FM Hyde Park NY, WKNY& WBAZ Kingston NY, freelance
for WGY Schenectady NY, NBC News 30 Rockefeller Plaza assistant
to Morgan Beatty, Edwin Newman & other national correspondents,
the old WSUN (1973) anchoring morning & afternoon drive,
the old WQSA Sarasota when it was all news, the old WPLP when
it was news& talk, WFLA 970AM anchoring, writing, reporting,
ALL 5 Paxson radio properties (talking heads TV for PaxTV Tampa
Bay and nationally) on/from Tampa Bay. And, a bunch of other
stuff.
Current position: hOUR Tampa Bay for 3 of
Infinity/CBS' 6 radio properties on Tampa Bay, airing in decent
time slots on weekends. Also, talking heads TV for UPN 44 WTOG
TV.
Career Highlight: I happen to think Rush is
right about a lot of stuff, even his views on what our industry
laughingly calls -- public affairs. With rare exception, all
in our business know -- it's awful. For a zillion-463-trillion
years I did the anchoring, writing, editing, interviewing, information
management thing in the conventional major market way -- working
with some of the best people in the business -- Harris, Webb,
Taylor, among them. And, I guess the work was reasonably acceptable,
enjoying gainful employment most of the past 40 years. But, concurrently
across those years -- the personal me -- dedicated countless
thousands of hours doing volunteer community service work.
Imagine. A Conservative Republican with a
heart for the homeless and hungry and others in need of thoughtful
consideration. THEN! Thanks to the Paxson people, in 1990, I
was given an opportunity to merge my 2 first loves -- news and
talk with creating radio (and some TV) designed to help people.
25 air exposure hours a week. RUSH, YOU ARE 99 & 44/100TH
% RIGHT. Public affairs is that throw away time that nobody in
our business gives a stink'n darn about. EXCEPT! When it's done
right; when it's done by people who understand the business and
who genuinely love serving and it is obvious in the work product
-- HERE'S ONE FOR RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT: Not only will people
listen, they will go out of their way to listen to what I like
to call -- Alphabet soup with just an occasional nut; rich with
the sounds of the streets and life being lived, and when appropriate
-- music -- and filled with situationally driven APPROPRIATE
good humor. Not at all like PBS.
That's what I've been doing, and trying to
make a living at it for some 13 years now. One of these days,
it continues to be my prayer, public affairs will enjoy commercial
acceptance in day parts filled with Arbitron (Neilsen) people's
ears (and, eyes) and in that moment -- I will become an overnight
success. Am I BLUE, yet?
UPDATE: August 2nd 2016
John Sipos – (970 WFLA) passed away on August 2nd 2016 - RIP |