By Beth Ann Matkovich

So that’s where it began. And though many years have passed, this eight year old never grew up. Sure, Scott’s a lot taller now, but he’s really a boy trapped in a man’s body. His neatly trimmed brown hair, round glasses, clean-shaven face and innocent glow are sure to get him carded at any PG-13 movie. But through his twenty-plus year career in radio, he hasn’t lost an ounce of enthusiasm from those reel to reel days of yore. His 2-7 p.m. weekday show on KOOL 99.3 is proof.

Yes, Scott started young. However, the proverbial ball didn’t start rolling for his career until his junior year at Central Dauphin East High School when he co-hosted a show with Lori Brown called “Life, Word and Music of the Christian Faith” on WKBO. It was here that Scott met R. J. Harris, then program director for WCMB, who signed him for an internship the following year. Actually, “intern” was a glorified term. He was a gopher. A guy Friday. An “I’ll do anything you ask, sir” person. After his half day of school, he would go to the station to retrieve coffee or sandwiches, organize records, and do almost anything he was asked. But he loved it, and he stayed for more.

Scott got his first professional gig doing weather on KOOL’s current frequency, then known as Rock 99. He tried his hand at college—studying mass communications, in fact—but lost interest when professors began asking him for professional advice. Scott figured that if he already knew or could learn on the job what he was being taught in college, he didn’t need it. He was right. He landed his first full time job out of school working the evening slot at WCMB, and did recordings for Rock 99 on the side. From there, Scott made the transition to FM full time doing Rock’s morning show. In 1987, he moved to WWKL, which was then KISS 95. The station switched to KOOL in 1989, and in 1990 Scott left to explore new territory at a station in Asbury, NJ. Unfortunately, that station was bought out and switched to satellite, leaving Scott jobless the following year.

Destined to return to his roots, Scott came back to central PA and spent the next year at a small station outside Harrisburg, which he prefers to remain nameless. He did everything he could once he returned to Pennsylvania to get back to KOOL because as he says, “It’s the best station I’ve ever worked for.” His wish came true when a position opened for the station production manager. Scott applied for and got the position. He says the job gave him more respect for the managers he had worked for previously because it gave him a “behind the scenes” look at radio. Although he enjoyed the position, he was itching to get back behind the mike again. About a year later, the afternoon slot opened and Scott made his move, where he’s been ever since. When 99.3 went from adult contemporary to oldies, Scott became‘'Scooter.’ “ I was walking down the hall one day and the production manager said, ‘Hey Scooter!’ and said that it sounded right for an oldies station, so now I’m Scooter.”

Aside from his name, a lot has changed during Scooter’s tenure with the station—from ownership to geographic location—and he hopes these are the last moves he makes. “I hope this is the last radio job I’ll ever have,” he says. “I’ve never tired of this station, I’ll never tire of this music, and we have a loyal listening audience that keeps growing.” That growth is thanks to Scooter, a.k.a. the station computer geek, who developed KOOL’s web page. Now he gets requests and e-mail from listeners in central PA as well as some in Ohio and as far away as California.

Just like that kid playing with his reel to reel, Scooter loves what he’s doing. “I have so much fun, I just can’t believe I get paid to do it,” he laughs. So much fun, in fact, that his best memories are too numerous to mention—and they might get him in trouble, he says. “Oh, there is one thing,” he adds. “My high school advisor told me that I’d never get into radio. She said I was too immature and just didn’t have what it took to ‘make it.’” Well, Ms. High School Advisor whoever you are, wherever you are, on behalf of Scooter, I’d like to say PPPBBBBTTTTHHHHPPPTTT!!!!!