(gentle music) - I think you start knowing as a kid, when you start doing voices as a kid in school, you start doing teachers, and you start buying comedy records in the '60s, and you always stayed up.

You wanted to see Johnny Carson with these great guys on TV, and I think that's where you started mimicking people.

And also, comedy became the funny thing you did, and then you get used to wanting to be on top 40 radio, and you do a combination of the two.

And I first got my start doing that at the University of Miami, a mass communication major back in the 70s, but I'm more of a character guy.

We did some impressions, but I'm more of a guy that always did characters.

Matter of fact, Mayor, why don't you kill two birds with one stone?

There's always a guy on the phone.

Hello?

Hello?

Hello, Chris.

Hello Rod, the boy, Howard Smith setting up here.

Taking it easy in Chuck, Pennsylvania.

Howard Smith in Chuck PA, I mean, it's amazing where these guys, Howard has carried me.

If Howard had never called me, I would be working down at Lowe's selling paint in aisle 12.

- [Announcer] What do you watch weeknights at seven?

- We don't watch much TV.

- Yeah, we don't watch much.

(buzzing) (explosion) - [Announcer] Play it safe with PM Magazine.

(upbeat music) - Yeah, PM Magazine, I mean, it was a huge break for me to get a chance to do TV.

I'd been doing radio, and we had a great following here in central PA, and PM Magazine in 1984 did the Favorite DJ contest.

And they had a winner over in the Wilkesboro Scranton area.

I happen to be lucky enough to win, get enough votes here in central PA, Chad and Jane came to our station at the old twin W, gave me a plaque, I won it.

And two weeks later he said, hey, how'd you like to be a feature reporter for PM Magazine?

And that's how it started.

(upbeat music) - One last order of business, guys.

- Okay.

- Farewell toast.

- Thank you very much.

- Okay, I guess we should put this right in the middle.

Jane, why don't you do the honors?

- Years later, when PM magazine ended, I always wanted to do TV play by play.

And I pursued the local cable company, a guy named Joe Leche, and I pitched the idea.

A boss at KISS FM Al Name backed me.

And next thing you know, I have my own side venture called Cable Sports Productions.

We were one of the first doing TV high school and some small college football games on a regular basis, and basketball.

Chrisman Show's 10th Anniversary Special.

Yeah, we've got more coming up, a lot more, including the king, Elvis Smeal.

Yeah, Chrisman Show Live, when you do crazy stuff in the radio, not only am I doing different characters on the air, you attract some offbeat people.

A farmer from Mansfield, a real farmer that does comedy and jokes.

- Our anniversary, our kids gave us three free sessions with a marriage counselor.

- Is that right?

- Yep.

- And you will get a kick out of some of the crazy videos we did with some of these characters and some of the people that we met along the way.

Did it for 11 years.

And finally, it was always the pressure.

I'm doing sports and comedy and the morning show and all this stuff, and we need a break.

And once we took that break in 2001, from '90 to 2001, we always thought we'd bring it back, but we didn't.

So I guess we went out on top.

And I don't see at this stage that we'll bring it back again.

You gotta be passionate about what you do, you gotta love what you do.

But I was lucky enough to do it in my hometown, which I love Williamsport, PA.

I didn't plan on coming back.

I made the most of it.

I was able to do my radio stuff, all the comedy, had all the freedom.

Nobody ever stopped me and said, hey, you can't do that.

You're hoping the young people want to be creative and do these things.

You gotta pay your dues.

But if you want it bad enough, there's something creative out there, and I was glad I did it when I did.

(gentle music)