1) Why are you not on traditional (terrestrial) radio in Chicago?
The reason is simple. The charge most AM radio stations in the Chicagoland area access for airtime is overly cost-prohibitive. The average cost for a polka show on AM radio is around $200 a show, and you have to pay a 13 week minimum in advance, plus a deposit. ($200 x 13 weeks + $600 deposit = $3,200) That has to be paid upfront before you even tape your first show! In addition, most new shows have to stay on the air for at least one year before advertisers will consider sponsoring your show. For me, it's a Catch-22: you can't stay on the air if you don't have sponsors, but you can't get sponsors unless you've been on the air for a year. Today with AM radio, even the existing polka shows are having difficulty retaining advertisers. Polka AM radio here in Chicago is a closed shop.
Finally, there are NO stations in the Chicagoland area on the FM dial that broker airtime. In addition, the college stations around Chicago are professional stations and are also a closed shop. This is why we'll NEVER have polka music on FM radio in Chicago (and Northern Illinois for that matter.)
There is a new techology coming out called WiMax which will allow listeners to receive Internet radio on regular receivers and eventually people's cars, as opposed to being limited to their computers. However, the infrastructure still needs to be built in some areas and fine-tuned in others. Companies such as AT&T need to expand capacity, but will charge an arm and a leg for access. (they recently eliminated unlimited plans for new customers) It will take several years for Internet Radio in cars to be widely available. (remember how long it took cell phones to become widely available?)
After 10 years on Internet Radio, I was given the opportunity to do a show on FM Radio.....90.5FM WERG in Erie, PA. Most recently, I added an AM station to the roster.....WHYP 1370AM in Corry, PA. It's too bad that I had to go outside of Chicago to do a polka show on radio, but this is the next best thing.
2) Have you ever played for the late Lil' Wally? If so, what was your experience with him?
Yes, I have on 3 occasions. The first time was at Ron's Bungalow Inn in 1993, the second time was at a Chicago area lounge called the "Zakopanie Lounge" alternating with The Polkaholics, a banquet hall in Crown Point, IN, and the last time was for the IPA Convention in 2004.
While you have heard all the accolades about Lil' Wally, many of my listeners are not aware of the behind the scenes stuff. There was one downside to Lil' Wally. He did not pay his musicians well at all. Whenever he asked me how much I wanted for a gig, I would quote him my normal fee, and he would NEVER pay it.
To put this in perspective, Wally was one of the first bandleaders to establish the practice of booking a tavern for $600, pay his three musicians $30 each, and pocket the rest of the money. When I played for him at a banquet hall in Crown Point, IN, at the end of the night he hands me $60 and refused to reimburse me for gas and tolls! (the REAL reason for the high turnover in his band)
Needless to say, after that experience, whenever he called my house, it went to voice mail, and I didn't call him back ever again. When I received a call to play with a band backing up Lil' Wally at the IPA Convention, I initially declined, but decided to accept the gig when I was informed that the musicians would be paid "individually" by the IPA, and not by Wally.
Today, while this practice is still used by a few bandleaders, today most bands divide the pay evenly among the sidemen (that is, after expenses are paid off the top) with the bandleader receiving a reasonable "finder's fee" for booking the gig.
You cannot take away the fact that Lil' Wally was an institution who issued over 140 albums and composed close to 2000 songs in his 43 year career. However, my experience with him unfortunately was not very positive.