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10 Questions with ... Peter Gunn
April 4, 2005
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NAME:Peter GunnPOSITION:Jedi MasterSTATION:KBWF -- WB101MARKET:Little Rock (#86)COMPANY:Equity BroadcastingBORN:Norman, OklahomaRAISED:Lafayette, Louisiana
LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:
Working at Guitar Center in Little Rock.
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I got my start in Lafayette, Louisiana working with perhaps the best personalities on earth. Then I accepted an offer to work in Little Rock, Arkansas for Equity Broadcasting. I started out doing nights and within five years became Director of Music and then Director of Operations for Equity's Lick106.3 and Hot 96.5. Then I got a call to go work in Panama City, Florida. I was Director of Programming overseeing Styles Media's five-station cluster. I learned so much about programming multiple stations/formats and had fun doing it. I have nothing but great things to say about Styles Media. Then I was offered to go back to Little Rock and work at an Alternative station again.
FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:
Cure -- Head On The Door
FIRST CONCERT:
Bon Jovi and Ratt
FAVORITE BAND OF ALL-TIME:
Radiohead
1. How did you become interested in radio?
After a long and painful year working as Tom Cruise's butt double in various movies, I was frustrated and needed an avenue to let my personality out. I needed radio!
2. What made you want to come back to Little Rock?
Honestly, I wanted to work with Neal Ardman again. And I love this town. It's home for me and it's so good to be back. Equity Broadcasting is such a fun and progressive radio group, I had to come back.
3. What do we need to know about WB 101?
We are a true Alternative station. I hate radio stations where everything sounds like bush...you know? I think the texture of WB101 offers the listener many things that they could not get from other stations in the market. The music is the star here and when Little Rock started hearing bands like Interpol, Mars Volta, Tegan & Sara, Muse, and Modest Mouse, we were inundated with calls like "thank you for being here" and "at last, a station that plays cool music in Little Rock. Our music director is Aylene and she is doing a wonderful job with the music.
We're playing the Classic Alternative stuff from The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Clash, and even Tori Amos. The station sounds very eclectic and has a dynamic sound. We are a daring station and taking chances on new music and playing deeper cuts from core artists from the library. We're playing oh wow songs, people haven't heard in a while like "Orange Crush" by R.E.M.
4. What would surprise people most of the station?
We're owned by a TV company. For the first month we were commercial-free.
5. What are your expectations for the station?
You know, here is where everyone says, "we will kick butt!" But we are really striving for mediocrity.
6. What are you doing to recapture the old Lick listeners?
We recently tried renting a black van and going to kidnap them one by one, but we got paranoid and bailed on that idea. So I guess we will have to start with playing good music for the real music fans in Little Rock. I think the Lick fans will go where their music is. If we do our job right, we might even cut into some of the Country shares in the market. Sure, we'll play Alternative Rock, but all of the jocks will wear wranglers. Brilliant!
7. I hear Peter Gunn is a legend in Little Rock. What type of morning show are you doing?
Well, it's a very music intense show and the listeners are really enjoying the fact that we are playing so much music in the morning. I just be myself and if listeners want to participate and call in, that's cool.
8. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Playing my guitar.
9. Biggest career highlight?
I was nominated Alternative Music Director Of The Year once. That was pretty cool.
10. If you wanted to completely change careers today, what would you do?
I would start Nukiegunn records and go on tour as a drummer for a famous progressive rock band.
Bonus Questions
What do you enjoy doing for fun?
Playing my 1957 Fender Strat guitar, writing music, and lots of X-Box.
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