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10 Questions with ... Big Mike Patrick
May 23, 2006
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NAME:Big Mike PatrickTITLE:OM/MiddaysSTATIONS:WBECMARKET:Albany/Schenectady/Troy, NYCOMPANY:Vox CommunicationsBORN:January 10, 1956 -RAISED:Coral Gables, FL - Albany, NY
Please outline your radio career so far:
WNCO & WNCO-A/Ashland, OH - 1977-80
WMAN-A/Mansfield, OH 1980-83
WEOL-A & WBEA/Elyria/Cleveland, OH 1983-86
WFLY/Albany, NY 1986-91
WFLY/Albany, NY 1997
WPTR/Albany, NY 1998
WKKG/Columbus, IN 1998-2002
WWFY, WORK & WSNO-A/Barre/Montpelier, VT 2002-20031) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
The Sunday morning Church services starting my junior year of college in Ashland, OH! Actually, I worked the previous Saturday night until midnight, took the station van to the bar, got hammered, drove back, slept at the station, and was "saved" by the preachers coming in to do their shows. Early influences will always be "Boom Boom Brannigan" from the legendary 1540 WPTR in Albany, NY. From Boomer I learned it was cool to wear sunglasses on a cloudy night at midnight.
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment, which made you realize "this is it"?
At my first remote, someone came up to me and said, "Hey, you're fatter than you sound on the radio."
3) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now, what you didn't then, would you still do it?
Great question, and honestly I don't know. This may sound like sour grapes, and it isn't meant to be, but I feel (and I think lots of "Old School" jocks will tell you this), the heart, and more importantly the soul of radio is hurting. It's too cut and dry today, too cookie cutter. That said, I'd still give it a shot, and keep both eyes WIDE open.
4) What is the best advice you would give to young programmers/promotion people?
Learn EVERYTHING! The broadcasting world does not revolve around you, so make yourself available to WANT to do it and LIKE all you do...that, plus always wear clean underwear.
5) In today's world of multi-tasking and wearing many hats, how do you find time to show prep and what sources do you use?
No matter what I do, after all these years, AND as a supposed role model, you can't help but MAKE time for show prep. As for sources, nowadays there's an overabundance of materials, but you can go no better than the local newspaper.
6) If you are wearing more hats this year than last, what area is suffering and how are you handling that?
That's the main reason I took myself off the LIVE 95.9 morning show. Ego says one can do everything well equally, reality says that ain't the case. In order to be Operations Manager for the cluster, I had to remove myself from the high profile/high maintenance focus of the morning show.
7) How do you feel terrestrial radio competes with the satellite radio and Internet these days?
LOCAL! LOCAL! LOCAL!
8) What do you think is the next emerging music trend?
I haven't gotten over the non-acceptance of Punk Country, so nothing else matters.
9) What was the biggest gaffe you've made on air? (dead air ... forget a mic was still on ... etc.)
It was my first full-time job in Ashland, OH doing afternoon drive on a Country station. I was in a heated argument on the phone with a woman I was involved with at the time, and I didn't know the mic was hot, and in the background of the current Conway Twitty hit at the time, I called her a word that rhymes with "bunt." As I did, the GM walked through the front office and kept staring at the speakers, looking like "I didn't hear that...did I?" I soon as I saw him, I did a Chevy Chase on SNL moment and got off the phone asap!
10) What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?
Welcome to Wal Mart.
Bonus Questions
What's the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you? The worst?
Best from my friend John Foster of White River Broadcasting in Columbus Indiana..."One hundred years from now, who's gonna give a damn?"
What is your favorite TV show?
Lost, Prison Break, Svu, Csi, The Three Stooges, I Deleted The Question, But I Believe It Was About What Dod You Do Outside The Job. When not enjoying time with my wife Nancy, having fun with my (almost) three year old Grandson Christopher. He laughs at my farts.
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