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10 Questions with ... Dan Binder
January 31, 2012
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
WDRE/New York On Air/Engineer, WCTO/WGSM/New York Assistant Chief Engineer, WQBK-WQBJ/Albany OM/PD, WENZ/Cleveland PD, Eversteam Radio Network Director Of Radio Operations, WQAL/Cleveland APD, WMJC/New York PD, Pinnacle Media Worldwide Music Research-Data Analysis, and Sunrise Broadcasting OM/PD of WRMR, WAZO, WKXB, WILT, and WMFD.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
Ever since I was little, I was always playing with my records and pretended to be a radio announcer. As most radio people know, it's something in your blood. You know what you want to do at birth.
2. What are you most proud of since WRMR's debut a year ago?
I am proud of creating a vision of mine for the masses of Eastern North Carolina. WRMR has a great staff that is passionate about the music and portrays it as part of the overall product.
3. How would you describe the station?
Modern Rock 98.7 is a station that plays the entire history of the progressive/new wave/alternative format. It's all of the music that made what the format is today. It focuses more on a 30-35 year old as opposed to most of the alternative stations today.
4. What is the station's impact in Greenville-New Bern-Jacksonville market?
The communities that Modern Rock 98.7 reaches have embraced us with open arms. They appreciate that they have something different on the dial that isn't cookie cutter. The coastal communities in Onslow, Carderet, and Craven counties have been with us from the beginning. The local businesses love the station and understand the level of listeners we strive to reach.
5. What makes the station unique?
The Music! You can't find any other station where you can find four decades of music that belong on the same station. Bowie, Talking Heads, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Blink 182, Coldplay, Mumford & Sons...There's a cross section!
6. What part of your job do you like best? Least?
The part of the job I like the most is creating what comes out of the speakers as a result of music and personalities...The least, TRICK QUESTION!
7. What is the most challenging part of the job?
The most challenging part of the job is serving two markets at once. Not only do we cover most of the Greenville-New Bern-Jacksonville market, we cover the entire Wilmington market as well. WRMR is a 100,000 watt station that covers a tremendous amount of real estate. Every county has its own feel and as everyone knows, not one market is the same.
8. How are you using Social Media?
We are using Facebook, Twitter, video, and database marketing like everyone else. However we are continuing to develop new ways to communicate with our audience. There are a lot of other options out there and we need to be the first thing on everyone's mind when it comes to media. We are constantly evolving the way we reach the population and we will be the leader in all things media in the coverage areas of all of the stations in my building.
9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Learning something new about the business.
10. What would surprise people most about you?
I was on the Howard Stern show a couple of times...Having Howard Stern on your station was a double edged sword.
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
My newborn son.
Last non-industry job?
Working at the local Bowling Alley in Levittown, New York. We like to call it, "The B.A."
First record ever purchased?
Information Society. Yes the one with "What's on your mind?" and "Running."...sue me
First concert?
When you've seen so many concerts they all blend together. It may have been Chicago and the Beach Boys. I will tell you that I have seen Michael Bolton and Barry Manilow. Just for the record, I was peer pressured into those. The best concert I was ever at was the U2/Sting show at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. I got to watch it from the catwalk.
Favorite band of all-time?
I get that question a lot and it's really hard when you're in this business. I grew up listening to Z100, WPLJ, and WKTU in New York (through the teen years) with freestyle and started in the business in the alternative format so for the sake of the answer I'll say Company B or TKA on the Freestyle side, R.E.M. and Pearl Jam on the alternative side. When I'm by myself, I like Disturbed, Static X, and Billy Talent.
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