Ear Witness

50 Years of Radio Adventures

By: Jim Vann

Narrated by: Jim Vann

In the last half century an amazing amount of history has occurred. Jim Vann was responsible for none of it but he had a great perch from which to watch. From behind the microphone, Jim has seen, shared and made fun of it. You may or may not have heard of Jim, but you are invited to share some good radio stories and reminisce about your own experiences. It is sure that you will flash back to the times, the tunes and the events that were shared on the radio, if not with Jim, with some other “disembodied voice.”
The stories are true, subject to memory lapses. And they are meant to be just for fun, just like radio was meant to be.

©2024 Jim Vann (P)2024 Jim Vann

An enjoyable story, from the best storyteller ever

I had the most enjoyable 1 hour and 6 minutes in a long time. My longtime friend and mentor, who hired me for my first radio job in 1986, has published a memoir of his 50 years in radio.
I'll always remember the day that 'Drivin Ivan' was born. I had an interview with Jim Vann, and at the end of it, he said, "I don't get it. "The hours are terrible (5a-9a and 3p-7p), the pay is minimum wage, and I had to drive a sponsor's car without air conditioning. Why would you want this job? "I told him the truth. My car had been repossessed that morning, and I had no way home without the job.

Jim went on to become a dear friend and taught me the voice-over business.

If you've spent any time in radio in the Southeast, you'll enjoy the stories and quickly figure out which chapter is my favorite.