eternal thanks...It was an honor & a privilege to play music for you on the radio or Internet...

To those of you that do not know, I was unceremoniously dumped from WCLM. They wanted me to continue my usual schedule (Monday-Friday, 1-4PM) for the next 2 weeks and then would have relegated me to piece meal time slots after that. Instead of accepting this, I decided, in the words of Keith Richards, to walk before they make me run. I'm not the type of guy that allows himself to be fisted.

Here's the skinny on the fisting I would not allow to happen:

They are bringing in Kirby Carmichael who was (emphasis on was) a popular radio personality here in Richmond in the 80's. I was looking forward to working with him as I thought we could really do something special with a mixed race line-up of shows that would be truly unique on the still segregated commercial radio dials. After talking about the advertising possibilities with management I was told that Kirby wants my time slot. To make matters worse, they intend on paying him a handsome wage which was something that was never offered to me despite years of loyal service. Everything that happened on my show started and ended with me. Sales, engineering, promotion; all me. I built the station's web site without any monetary compensation. No one lifted finger one to help me. Considering the amount of press, accolades and exposure my years of steady diligence my show brought to the station, it is a slap to the face to be considered with such casual disregard. This is not unusual in the radio business as it is a cut throat business to begin with. But given the amount of exposure my show garnered the station that they would have never otherwise would have received, it is a particularly bitter pill to swallow. In fact, Carmichael would have never even considered moving to the station if it were not for the exposure my 15 hours a week of programming that put the station on people's radar to begin with.

They are trying to keep me on the station with some piece meal time slots though I am reticent to work with them in any capacity. All they want is me to continue bringing them money that they would otherwise never be able to secure. Coupled with the fact that I feel criminally under appreciated, it will be a cold day in hell before I would do anything for them.

If you feel so inclined, call the station and voice your displeasure if you disappointed about not be able to listen to the Bopst Show anymore. Here are the numbers:

Studio line: (804) 231-7685
Office: (804) 231-2186 or (804) 231-0123

I would greatly appreciate it if you would call these numbers with alarming frequency. Feel ever so free to spread these numbers around to all of your friends as well. As of yesterday, I got word that nobody is answering the phone (including the request line!) at the station because they have been overwhelmed with angry calls demanding that I be put back on the air. Apparently, a thirty minute answering machine tape was filled with people voicing their displeasure. If you, dear reader, could continue to overwhelm the station with calls on my behalf, I would be forever in your debt. I thank you in advance and if you get an actual human on the line, I would be greatly interested in the response you receive. Let me know what happens when (and if) you can call...

In the end though, I will not go back to the station under any circumstances. Once someone tries to fuck me in the ass, they are dead to me. After all I did for the station and to be treated with such callous contempt, it is, as you might well imagine, a bitter pill to swallow. I can barely control my seething hate.

I also am filled with a profound sadness. As I said before, I considered it an honor and a privilege to play music for those of you that found the time to listen to my radio show over the years. Given the current state of radio, I doubt I will be able to move my show to another station so chances are The Bopst Show will never be heard again on the local airwaves. I have to eternally thank the locally owned and operated businesses that supported my show over the last 6 years even though they didn't have to and I hope that you will too. They are the good ones.

Well, I can not tell you how much I have enjoyed and appreciated your support over the years and how sad I am not to be your musical penicillin in a world trying to give you audio syphilis.

To each and every one of you, I wish you all every good thing,

BOPST