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10 Questions with ... Judi Diamond
November 4, 2012
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1) Hi Judi! First off, "Judi Diamond" is such a great radio name, is that your real name?
I ALWAYS get that question! I also get that it "sounds like a stripper's name". Which, I can honestly say, I have never done! LOL! My real name is Judi Diamant, but pronounced "Diamond," so it was just easier to change it with SAG/AFTRA a long time ago, and it stuck!
2) Walk us through the typical Tuesday in your life.
My typical Morning Show wakeup call is 3:30am. I get to the studio by 4:15am and do all the producer morning show prep and audio stuff (whatever I missed the night before such as breaking news, yada, yada, yada). I'm off the air by 10am. I head back into the office to discuss the morning show with Cornbread, our thoughts and upcoming promos and ideas, etc. I'll then have an air staff meeting at 11:00am. I'm usually I'm off by noon-ish, and if I'm filming for "Mom Friends Forever" that day, then I'll go to the set. They usually want me there as soon as I can get there. We shoot the show til' evening, sometimes as late as 9pm. I then go home, and try to spend some time with my son Leo (14). I'm a single mama. Then I'll go to bed and do it all over again the next day!
3) What is the last song that you sang in the shower to?
"Phantom of the Opera." Don't judge me. ;)
4) Tell us, from your perspective, what are the top 3 things that a radio station MUST do to stay ahead of their competition?
- Cultivate the brand.
- Cultivate the listener relationship
- Do NOT be afraid of social media! It is our FRIEND! Use it!
5) Who is your favorite artist that you have had the opportunity to meet, and why?
There's a lot that I've been lucky to have met, but the MOST fun I had was interviewing Jerrod Neiman. He is just an all-around good guy! He is funny and genuine, and I think he is an underrated talent.
6) Radio is always changing- formatically, musically, technologically, etc. What is the one thing that you miss about "old school" radio, and one thing that you feel has been the biggest improvement?
I miss listening to longer talk breaks, which PPM has killed. Yet I also understand (being one whose attention span is about 60 seconds) that a lot of what has been improved is "fast listening." I don't care what age you are, let's face it- our attention spans have shortened immensely thanks to all the electronic devices, fast food, and DVR's to name a few. I also miss BIG personalities. There used to be a lot more of them when I was a kid.
7) Besides being a radio gal, a mom, a vlogger and a TV personality, what hobbies do you have?
I love to run (but I haven't had much time for that). I'm a huge reader. I tandem read, meaning two books at once. I also love crossword puzzles because I used to do them with my dad. He's the smartest guy I know.
8) Speaking of being a vlogger and TV personality, your vlog (video blog) recently gained the attention of a major cable network, and you now have your own reality television show! How did that all come about, and what will viewers see when they tune in?
It all came about because I lost my radio job due to a format change. I decided that I wanted to try my hand at podcasting while taking my career into my own hands. This was when it was really popular, about 5 years ago. Then a friend of mine said, "Why podcast? The next BIG thing is 'VLOGGING'." I had on-camera experience so I thought, "Why not?" The whole idea of a mom Vlog was because I was a mom, working my butt off, without nannies and without maids. All the "mom" shows that I saw were either about moms fighting with each other (those housewives shows), or celebrity moms who had it all. I roped my best friend (also a mom and actress) into it and taught myself video editing, shooting and all of that. Then, we had a Vlog! Little did I know that it would gain millions of hits like it did! That's when we partnered with Coolfire Originals and they sold the show to Nickelodeon! We did 20 episodes for the first season! I'm still pinching myself.
9) When is your TV show on?
"MFF: Mom Friends Forever" is on Mondays at 9:30pm (and re-broadcast throughout the week) on Nickelodeon's "Nick Jr." network.
10) What advice would you give to someone who dreams of a job in the broadcasting industry?
All of the answers that I have are cliche': LOVE broadcasting (cuz it's HARD WORK). Don't do it for the fame. Get a niche'. Brand YOURSELF, and be willing to do a lot of work for free. And most of all, LISTEN and learn from those who are successful.
Bonus Questions
1. Would you rather spend a weekend in Vegas or in Napa?
Napa. I don't gamble (I REALLY have a dream to do the whole "Eat, Pray, Love" thing though!).
2. If your life were to be summed up with an existing song title, what would it be?
"The World As I See It" by Jason Mraz
3. What's the #1 thing that you hope Santa brings you this year?
A new man? Kidding! Okay, maybe not! Seriously? I hope that Santa brings my sister to come visit me! She has battled cancer TWICE and lives in L.A. I miss her sooooo much!
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