-
10 Questions with ... Nate Adams Cholevik
September 30, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Moving fresh out of school from Granite City Illinois (just outside of St. Louis) I started at WRSA/Huntsville in May of 1997. While working at WRSA a local partnership with WHNT 19 TV CBS affiliate WAAY 31 ABC affiliate gave me the opportunity to be a morning traffic anchor for seven years in the market. I then moved to the sales side of WRSA taking over the General Sales Manager in 2012. I know serve as both General Manager (since 2016) and GSM.
1. We're already starting to see new releases show up for the upcoming holiday season. Yikes. What's it like to get all of that up and running, and then transition out of it?
A transition into a completely different format such as Christmas music is good for both the station and a mental rest for the person scheduling the music. It does help on a couple of levels. 1.) The fact that the songs have rested helps with rotations and it is a bit easier to schedule (for a couple of weeks anyways). The other advantage is giving a small break to the person scheduling the music. The music is the most important thing on the station. It can be a struggle to make sure you have the right tempo, mood, hour rotations, etc. while creating the best music log on the air each day.
2. You've recently celebrated your 22nd anniversary at the station. First of all-CONGRATS! Please give us some insight into your longevity.
I am extremely lucky to have worked for so long at one independently owned station. I believe that one of the main reasons I have stayed this long is I have always been provided with new opportunities and new challenges. I believe these opportunities are what have kept me here at Mix 96.9 WRSA. I encourage people to accept new challenges and to not be scared to take them on. I started doing overnights, then midday, to afternoon drive, to morning drive. During some of that time I also was creative/production director. Then I got into music director and music research all while still being on the air. I then transitioned into General Sales Manager and now General Manager. The thing is I still schedule the music each and every day.
3. What led you to a career in radio?
I've always had a passion for radio and for music. My dad had an incredible record collection (everything from Anne Murray to Black Sabbath). My brother and I would challenge each other on who could identify the song the fastest and walk the intros. I also remember being influenced by the late, great St. Louis Cardinals play-by-play announcer Jack Buck. Listening to him on KMOX as a kid was very influential to me. My dad would take me to a Cardinals game and I would do play-by-play talking into my soda cup. I wanted to be the next Jack Buck and that helped push me into pursuing radio.
4. How does the Abby morning show set the tone for the rest of the broadcast day?
A morning show on an AC station is crucial. Abby sets the pace for listeners, taking the radio station from the car to the workplace. Listening at work is vital for our station. Having a morning show that sets the tone for a listener is key for our station.
5. What's your take on the reemergence of the softer side of the format with the 'Breeze' stations, etc. now a part of the landscape?
When I started here at Mix 96.9 we were Beautiful 97 playing the instrumental version of "Take It Easy." While the 'Breeze' formats are not playing those types of songs, as they are more true to what AC station were playing 15-20 years ago. I am not surprised as this format was driven by the Baby Boomer generation. It's what the whole 25-54 demo was based on. Today there is not a single Baby Boomer in the 25-54 demo. However, they are the strongest buying force our economy has even seen. A station attracting this demo which was so "instrumental" to AC stations 15-20 years ago makes sense to go after them today with an older demo in mind.
6. How important is the world of social media to the success of Mix?
It has created positions, increased the responsibilities of our on air talent, and gives us immediate interaction with our audience (even if they are not listening). A person can be a fan of our Facebook page, not be listening, but still participate in what's happening on our station. It's unproven if that relates to better numbers with Nielsen, but it has to help build the connection/relationship between the listener and our station.
7. "Local local local" has always been radio's mantra. How do you keep your station visible and involved in the community?
We come up with our own community and marketing events. Instead of being at a local 5k race and handing out free station promotional items, we decided to do something different. We come up with a way to make it a station event, tie-in clients, and do something good for the community. This is a way we can raise money for a local organization, create successful marketing campaigns for our clients, generate revenue, and have our community involved. Example: "Century Cares Day with Mix 96.9." Century Automotive (local BMW dealership) host our morning show encouraging listeners to come buy a dozen pink Dunkin Donuts. The event is held in morning drive, on their dealership lot. The goal is to raise money for a local breast cancer survivor fund. The dealership sold over 500 dozen donuts during one morning show. The event raised over $5000 to support the fund and that is the power of radio, social media, and our LOCAL team.
8. It's not uncommon to be wearing more hats these days. What's your day generally like in terms of time management?
Well I hope I am not the only GM of a 100,000 watt station who still does the music scheduling, but I could be. I usually meet with my sales team individually each day. These are not planned sit down meetings. They are more simple conversations in seeing what they are working on, who they are seeing, and if they need any assistance with a client. I then transition into daily duties of the station such as e-mails, national sales, and then scheduling the music. However, it's not uncommon for me to be involved in a computer problem in the studio, a client we need to go see, or having a team marketing meeting about an upcoming event.
9. What was your favorite station growing up and who was your favorite jock?
WKBQ - Q 104.1 St. Louis! I remember listening to Steve & D.C. in the mornings each morning as I went to school and work. Their show was a great example of theater of the mind. To me, great radio is when a person has to be at work at 8:00 and they will sit in the parking lot listening to your show to hear the end of a bit and be a few minutes late to work. I also remember Steve & D.C. coming to the Broadcast Center (where I attended radio school) and asking them advice on moving to a new city for the start of a radio career. KMOX and listening to St. Louis Cardinals games was also a favorite of mine.
10. Who would you say that your mentors have been?
The person who hired me here at Mix 96.9 passed away several years ago. I have to give credit to Danny Krouse, who gave me the opportunity to be a part of this great station. John Malone (who is now Market President of iHeart/Tuscaloosa) has also been a great mentor and friend for me in my career. John and I worked together for 15 years here at Mix 96.9. John mentored me not only on the air, but also with station imaging, production, music scheduling, music research, sales, and so much more. I also have to say Alan Burns has been very instrumental in the growth of my career. The knowledge, experience, and focus he provides not only have helped me in my career but also the growth of our station.
Bonus Questions
We've all heard the funny asides about "rocket scientists." Huntsville is home to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. What kind of effect does that have on the area?
First of all, it makes you feel like you are not a very smart person when half the city is full of rocket scientist and engineers. The effect it has on our city is that the people are educated, have higher household incomes, and we have to relate to them. A quick bit of information on our station is--Paul Nielsen the man who built Mix 96.9 WRSA was a NASA Propulsion engineer himself. He built the station in 1965 and called it WRSA after Redstone Arsenal where he spent his time working for NASA. There is a common saying in Huntsville that "Nobody is from Huntsville." This city has people from all over the world that move here due to work and end up retiring here.
-
-