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10 Questions with ... Marc Richards
October 22, 2007
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NAME:Marc RichardsTITLE:PDSTATIONS:WAFY (KEY 103)MARKET:Frederick, MarylandCOMPANY:Nassau BroadcastingBORN:June 14, 1970 in VirginiaRAISED:Thurmont, Maryland
Please outline your radio career so far:
1988-89 - WTHU, Thurmont, MD
1989-1990 - 92.1 GOLD, Hagerstown, MD/Greencastle, PA
1990-1996 - WFMD & WFRE, Frederick, MD
1996-1999 - 98 WYCR, York, PA and WHVR, Hanover, PA
1999-2001 - WLAN-FM, Lancaster, PA
1999-present - WAFY (KEY 103)/Frederick, MD
(I also worked part time for the station at various times throughout the 90s)1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
My first job was at WTHU in Thurmont, MD. My job was to run the board for the Transtar AC/II format and read the weather twice per hour. It was a pretty boring job, but it was better than my other part time job working at the 24-hour truck stop/convenience store/gas station/gift shop/deli/donut-shop! (Gotta love small town life.)
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment, which made you realize "this is it"?
I turned on the microphone the first time at WTHU and stumbled nervously through my first weather forecast, stepped all over the network rejoin, and even though no one was listening... I still loved the idea that someday someone might listen and I was hooked!
3) What makes your station or market unique? How does this compare to other markets or stations you have worked at?
More than most of the other stations I've worked for, I have to say I've never worked with a more talented and dedicated team. Key 103 is lucky to have a group of people who really like each other and love living and working here.
4) How do you feel terrestrial radio competes with the satellite radio and Internet these days?
To think there is no competition from these other media choices is deadly! Terrestrial radio needs to realize what will beat the national satellite services and faceless Internet streams... LOCAL... if you talk to your listeners in a real, meaningful way, and reflect their lives in every single thing you do on and off-air, it's pretty hard to not win.
5) What can we be doing with our station web sites to better our stations as a whole?
Why are radio station websites all too often nothing but an online brochure for the radio station? We should be making our web sites a destination for everything that happens on the air, and it will help grow our online audience. If the morning show talks about something, they should be putting it on the web every single day and driving people to their web site for more information, etc. Just cramming the site with advertisements and cutting and pasting the promo you wrote for the voice guy isn't going to make your web site anyone's destination.
Another thing that works wonders: if you give people a way to get in touch with a question about a song or a contest, reply to them! Even better...where possible, have one of the jocks do it. They're the people the listener knows.
6) How much of your day is spent working with your station Web site?
I probably spend 30 minutes to an hour going over things and tweaking stuff. We're lucky to have a great graphics artist in the company, as well as a very web- savvy morning guy who can crank out the most amazing graphics with one arm, one leg and one eye tied behind his back.
7) Just about every market has a station flipping to "Jack," "Bob," "Max," or "Movin' Rhythmic Hot AC. What are your thoughts on these new formats? Will they go the distance?
When I hear a Jack station say "Playing what WE want," I always ask myself, "When did it become about the radio station and not about the listener?"
8) What is your favorite radio station outside of the market and why?
I have a few: KFOG/San Francisco, WRNR/Annapolis, MD, Energy 92.7/San Francisco, and Blu102.9/ Santa Fe, NM.
9) Tell us what music we would find on your I-Pod right now and what is it you enjoy about that particular selection?
Right now in heavy rotation on my I-Pod is Thievery Corporation... I love the "Chill" genre, especially after a long day of Chicago, Clapton, Celine and Billy Joel. There's an energy there that just takes the edge off without making me want to curl up and sleep.
10) What is the best advice you would give to young programmers/promotion people?
Don't go into it with ANY pre-conceived notions about the business, the format, or your listeners (especially your listeners!) Research is great, but if you don't take the time to KNOW your listeners in your market and their motivations and passions, you're never going to "get it" in ways which mean success in the long-term!
Bonus Questions
1) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff?
JJ Kincaid at Z100... just about the funniest guy I know and a brilliant talent! I was lucky to have worked with him at 98YCR back in the day!
2) Do you read.....everything? Books, Magazines, etc. Nothing? What's your favorite reading material?
Right now I probably have 4 or 5 books of varying types in various stages of being read. Everything from Harry Potter to Marketing and all the territory in between!
3) Cat or Dog person?
Yes.
4) What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
Treat your staff and your co-workers with respect and support them in what they're doing and you'll always get the best from them!
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