HOW DO I FIND AN ON-AIR PARTNER? QUESTION FOR DAN O’DAY: I have such a cruddy dilemma. I almost feel as if I am typing out a Dear Abby letter as I sit here. My situation is one that I am sure a number of air personalities have fallen into: My show was consistently Number One across the board in every demo except the wretched 35 to Dead. I'd been there for about seven years, beginning as a part-time weekend goober, moving into middays within a year, less than a year later was popped into PM Drive, had phenomenal numbers and after about six months in that slot was moved into mornings where I remained until I was blown out like a cheap lightbulb a few months ago. I came back from maternity leave and BANG got fired three weeks later. I've had stations in several Top 40 markets talk to me since. Actually, this is the only thing that has convinced me that I don't completely suck. However, they were all looking for giggle chicks. I actually had one guy whose regulars called him up and told him that the other women he'd had on air doing their auditions were bimbos. They told him that they loved me. They were laughing at my stuff...it should've been great. BUT, the guy got all freaky after they began calling him and barely spoke to me after the audition. He ended up hiring a chick that just giggles from time to time. He even keeps her mic turned down a couple notches below his. I actually had another guy who'd spent 95 percent of his career in the majors that was looking for someone to do his work for him, be grossly underpaid and all during the interview and audition process complained about everything and everyone. He trashed his old partners, his producer, the music...blah blah blah. He even trashed his former partners ON THE AIR. How unprofessional was that? Geez. All I am looking for is someone to build a show with. Someone that is willing to have the guts to be an air talent and won't worry that someone else on the show has talent too. If one person is successful, that's great. If others are successful on the show...well that's even better. Where can I find someone to build a show with? Where are the people out there that aren't so busy being egomaniacal? I know I have my quirks and oddities just like anyone else. But the guys that I have talked to seem to terrify their PD's. I find that so bizarre considering that their numbers weren't exactly incredible. So...back to my question. How and where do I find someone to work WITH? DAN REPLIES: Based on the situation you describe, your best bet is to start rebuilding your own career before you worry about finding a partner. Get yourself a full-time gig at a station you respect, and work on your own show. Most successful teams are created either by accident - two people work at one radio station, hit it off professionally and think, "Hey, let's form or own team!" - or some visionary PD puts together two strangers, based upon a visionary talent for finding good people and using them to build new teams. But for either of those to happen, you first need to be in a steady, productive work environment. Not a quick fix, I realize, but I hope something there might help in some way.