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Here's the page we like to call, "the spot where we put all the show-related stuff that we couldn't find a place to put anywhere else." Quite a mouthful, huh? To paraphrase a line from the redneck classic "Jaws", I think you're going to need a bigger computer.
SO... WHY THE NAME?
Now, get a hold of yourselves, perverts - that ain't the reason why it's called PamBanana.com... In fact, if I told the story, it wouldn't do justice, so I'll just step aside and let Pam break it down.
THE EBAY AUCTION - MAY 25-26, 2006
Here's the story about how the Pam Stone Show, in its final days on the air as a daily show, ended up being sold on eBay for roughly one entire day.
On Thursday, May 25, the penultimate show, Pam considered placing a classified ad in the Tryon Daily Bulletin - world's smallest daily newspaper, published continuously since 1921 - basically saying, "This Show For Hire." Moments later, show regular Brock called with an even better idea - place an ad on eBay. Anthony seconded the idea, saying that the radio trades would eat it up. So Pam greenlighted the idea, on the condition that Brian - your humble webmaster - write the ad.
Later that afternoon, at a Kinko's somewhere in the Big Apple, Brian worked his magic. Here is the description that would be placed on eBay:
PAM STONE SHOW - The Funny Farm - Award Winning Program
You are bidding on the 3-year-old two-time Gracie Award and Crystal Communicator Award-winning Pam Stone Show. Hosted by comedian, former sitcom star, acclaimed author of "Only Horse People: A Look At The Sport for the Deranged!", equestrian and occasional beanstalk Pam Stone. Produced and co-hosted by radio veteran and Mafia historian Anthony Michaels. Also included: Vegetarian sidekick Pip, who communicates via semaphore, as well as call screener, homogenic eater and ex-playa, Chad Bowar, and two dogs with a fixation on digging up dead rats. Regular callers include an ex-con from Michigan, and an effeminate postal worker from Charlotte. Studio located in a tin shack in rural South Carolina. But beware the skunk remnants. ISDN connection makes the show satellite-ready. The Pam Stone Show is a ratings success, logging loyal listeners in four states by the thousands! BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE! You'll also receive the domain name http://www.pamstoneshow.com with which you can upload show criteria! Willing to work two hours a day, or less. Will throw in an autographed copy of the James Joyce novel "Ulysses", and some balloons. Bid with confidence! Product is offered as is. Non-refundable.
Please direct all comments of inquiries to Tunstall Management - (XXX) XXX-XXXX.
For more information, check out http://www.pambanana.com .
NOTICE: The winning bid purchases only the right to enter into negotiations with legal representatives of the Pam Stone Show. Tunstall Management reserves the right to final approval of such negotiations.
Of course, the listing was posted under the username "brockcallstoomuch". The 10-day auction would be placed with a starting bid of $20.00. An esoteric number of fans viewed the listing and even placed "bids", but steam wouldn't pick up until Friday, during the final show.
The auction was mentioned several times during the show, with frequent updates on the number of bids, as well as the top bidder - who, at one point, was Carolina Surplus and Salvage. The listing had well over 1,200 hits that day alone.
For unknown reasons, the auction was ended just hours after the show itself ended. And in case you're wondering, it was not even picked up by the trades, as some have hoped. But it did make for some great radio.
KEYS TO THE CITY
One of the "bits" on the show was calling up Mayors of cities in which the show was heard, and even cities where it did not air, sweet-talk them by playing a "tourism" ad promoting their town, and then coercing them to send the show a key to the city. In fact, one of these segments actually earned the Pam Stone Show it's second of two consecutive AWRT Gracie Awards in 2005. Here's the final tally:
(Town, Mayor)
In addition, a listener named Chris from Rutherfordton called on 8.25.05 to inform that he would be sending along three additional keys to add to the collection. The cities are Farm City, NC, Spindell, NC, and the third city was unintelligible, but it sounded like “Charleston”.
AFFILIATES
Some have come, some have gone, and some have stayed for the ride. Here is the final tally of Pam Stone Show affiliates as of May 26, 2006 - in order of market rank:
(USA DMA, Call Letters, City)
Former affiliates include Supertalk 1350 WZNN in Asheville, NC (flipped to all-sports in January 2006 and later to a country variety format in the summer of that year) and WZXI 95.5 in Harrisonburg, Va. (switched to a Jack-clone format with Bob & Sheri mornings, and eventually became an oldies station).
PERSNICKETY
Birthday Cards. September brought the birthdays of (in order) Pip, Paul and Pam, and we couldn't help but put together some cards to mark the occasions:
GUESTS YOU WILL NEVER HEAR ON "PIP FILES"
"Pip Files" was a game played on the show every Wednesday, and featured celebrity guests, or "Phone-A-Friends" to help listeners choose the correct answer. Usually, Dr. Phil was there, along with former Monkey Boy Arroe Collins providing the voices of Casey Kasem and Billy Jack. There was also a fourth rotating celebrity guest, anyone from Judge Judy to John Kerry. After Arroe left the show, the celebrity guests were usually just Dr. Phil and Judge Judy, and a different celebrity was mixed in later on. (Of course, Taz would eventually be the games's sole "Phone-A-Friend" to help listeners.)
But originally, "Phone-A-Friends" were celebrities and impersonations. With that said, the following are celebrities that you'd wouldn't expect to hear from on the weekly "Pip Files" game. Click on the audio sample on each person's name, and find out why.
Lawrence Taylor
PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN...
Speaking of Dr. Phil's likeness being used in the aforementioned "Pip Files" game... I've found the source for the sound clips: this soundboard. You may recognize some of the clips used on the show from this board. It's got them all.
FROM THE MIGHTY DAILY BULLETIN OF TRYON...
The Pam Stone Show wins Gracie second year in a row
Jeff Byrd
Pam Stone has done it again.
For the second year in a row, her two-year-old radio show has won the Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Entertainment Program Radio - Comedy .
The "Gracies" are awarded by the American Women in Radio & Television (AWRT). In addition to The Pam Stone Show on 107.9 the Link, the long list of winners this year included Meryl Streep, Susan Lucci, and Michelle Wie of ABC News.
Stone, and sister-show hosts Bob & Sheri, were all on their way to the AWRT black-tie gala in the New York Marriott Marquis June 22 when weather diverted the Jefferson-Pilot Communications Co. corporate jet to Richmond, Va., and the schedule to make the gala became impossible.
The AWRT radio awards were based on short clips from one segment of each show.
"We submitted (the required) nine minutes of tape for judging," Stone said. "In that clip, we were parodying a woman named Delilah. She is a huge, nighttime, syndicated radio host in L.A. She has no psychiatric training, yet she counsels people in such a condescending way. She is so syrupy, the Thomas Kincaid of radio."
Stone said she has since heard through the grapevine that Delilah herself heard the piece and thought it was hilarious.
"I do feel somewhat bad that I won a national award parodying someone who didn’t win anything," Stone admits.
But, soon it’s off to the next parody, part of the regular fare that has made The Pam Stone Show a hit with fans. The show, which has been syndicated in the past year and is now heard in the Carolinas, Virginia, Ohio and Michigan, airs from 10 a.m. to noon on the east coast. It also streams on the Internet. Stone says she has heard from fans from such far-flung neighborhoods as Mexico City and the Phillipines.
Stone and her anonymous, mute sidekick Pip broadcast from a small studio, dubbed "The Unabomber Shack," behind Stone’s house and barns in Gowensville. Two Alltel ISDN lines connect her to The Link’s studios in Charlotte. Much of the show is Pam bantering with show producer, Super Todd, who mans the controls in Charlotte and, for laughs, regularly belittles Pam’s life in the sticks.
"We have created an extremely intimate relationship with our audience," Stone says. "In focus groups, we find our fans are hardcore fans. They use the word ‘addicted’ to describe their relationship to the show. They listen and then go look things up to help us. I have been really touched by the genuine emails."
Stone developed a following as a comedienne years ago, starting a stand-up career by accident while working her way through college by waitressing at Atlanta’s Punch Line Comedy Room. She opened shows for Jay Leno in the mid-80s, and when he got "The Tonight Show," he booked her there. In 1989, Stone was hired for the role of Judy Watkins on the television series, "Coach," and worked that role until 1997. She won an American Comedy Award in 1993 for Funniest Female Stand-Up Comic.
She and her husband Paul, owner of Ashdown Roses in Gowensville, moved to Gowensville in 1993 and Stone decided to become a riding instructor, a lifelong passion of hers. Just then, the head of syndication for Jefferson-Pilot called her agent, looking for someone to do a national radio show for the slot after morning drive time.
The basic premise of The Pam Stone Show has remained rock steady since its inception two years ago – Stone calls it a "reality-based Lake Wobegon." Stone works to create a hip, rural feel. Standing on that base, she "sets up call in topics" from the news, or from conversation with guests, looking for a common denominator, "common to anywhere."
Earlier this week, she brought in a "gay, flamboyant caterer" from Charlotte and chatted a while, then spun off into taking calls from listeners. The topic: "‘When were you a guest at a banquet and were served something repulsive, but you had to eat it?’ That’s something a Campobello truck driver or a San Francisco stockbroker can both relate to," she says.
It’s most-ly all for laughs, entertainment. But Stone also aims to add to the audience’s knowledge, healthful living and citizenship. Sidekick Pip, who makes her presence known only by "ringing her bells," nonetheless feeds the show’s host "amazing facts and trivia" to share with the audience. Sometimes they’re political facts, such as the news item reporting that the U.S. government was allegedly selling plated Humvees on e-Bay. Sometimes they’re health-related, such as the fact that cinnamon is good for the human immune system.
When Terry Schiavo was in the news, Stone led a discussion of how the case had changed people’s lives, and put instructions for making out a living will on her website.
When Stone broke a rib in a riding accident last week, and was unable to make her flight in time for her father’s memorial service, she used the story and started a radio discussion based on the saying, "When you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."
Her father’s ashes were to be spread off a mountain in Germany, and Stone said when she realized she wasn’t going to be there with her siblings, she heard her father tell her just not to worry about it.
There’s a poignant story anyone can relate to.
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