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10 Questions with ... Nick Valdez
May 27, 2014
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Interned at KCXX in early 2011. A few months later became part-time/weekend/fill-in DJ until January 2014 when I became the full-time midday DJ.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
As a kid I'd listen to the radio everywhere I went with my Walkman. The DJ was my buddy throughout all those adventures. I thought it was the coolest job ever to be surrounded by music all day and being able to share experiences with others.
2. What's it like working for All Pro Broadcasting?
All Pro Broadcasting is independently owned by the Davis family, as in Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis. I know everybody in every department so working for the company feels very trusting and comfortable.
3. What do you love most about working at X103.9?
The Riverside-San Bernardino market is very local and loyal. The X1039 listeners listen every day so it feels like chatting and playing music with friends for five hours a day.
4. How would you describe your midday shift?
I start my shift by first checking out what's going on with the station that day regarding promotions, prizes, etc. I then do research on the music for content and take requests for the Lunch Blox feature that I put together each day at noon. The research for the music also goes into the X1039 Music News feature I produce as well. The listeners are a great help to inform me about what's going on locally throughout the day.
5. How do you prep for your show each day?
I find most of the information about the music online. Official websites are good for tour dates, but I find sites like YouTube, Google, and fan websites great sources for more detailed information. The deeper your knowledge the better your show.
6. How are you using social media to interact with listeners?
Social media is awesome. I would have loved to communicate with my favorite radio personalities when growing up! You can interact with your listeners so much more personally with sites like Twitter and Facebook. I have both a Twitter page (Twitter.com/SenorValdez) and Facebook page (Facebook.com/SenorNickValdez) where listeners can win prizes, request songs, and find out where the station and I are going to be around town.
7. Who are some of your favorite air personalities?
I grew up listening to Howard Stern and Jed the Fish. I would listen to their shows for hours. Jed could just laugh for 30 seconds and it would be captivating.
8. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
A banana! I've been eating a banana in the morning since I was a child. Now I'm a man child and still eat bananas.
9. What would surprise people most about you?
This is my first on air job! Most of my radio colleagues have been on the air at many stations around the country, but I have only been on the air at one. That doesn't mean that it hasn't been a struggle. Getting on the air anywhere is incredibly tough. X1039 believed in me and I will always be grateful for that.
10. You love to travel. What has been your favorite trip?
Cambodia was astonishing. I stayed in the city of Siem Reap and there are these ancient 12th century monuments with the most well-known being Angkor Wat. You see and walk through these temples and have so much more respect for what came before you.
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
I love to surf, hike, camp, and spend my nights bar hopping, dining out and seeing shows with friends.
Last non-industry job?
Pizza delivery boy. I loved it because I got to listen to the radio the entire time.
First record ever purchased?
Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind. I still love that record.
First concert?
Blink 182 at the Forum on May 12, 2000. Bad Religion and Fenix TX opened up for them.
Favorite band of all-time?
The Ramones. They are the greatest. Love that the Cadillac commercial mentions them, but they did not start in a garage! They lived in apartments in Queens, NY. That's radio prep 101.
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