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10 Questions with ... Allen Beebe
February 7, 2012
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started out in radio in 1969 and worked in a few small markets. My career started to take off at WNOE-A/New Orleans in the mid-'70s. I moved on to San Diego, then "W-NNNNN" BC/New York and worked at a bunch of stations in New Orleans again, including B97, WCKW and WRNO. I moved on to part-time work at KFRC/San Francisco and wound up at KLDE in Houston in '99. I moved on to WMJY in 2003.
1) What do you do to maintain a positive mental attitude and stay motivated?
By talking to friends who pump you up and make you feel good about yourself.
2) How are you occupying your time, besides looking for a job?
Internet porn ... ah, not really. I am in the process of putting together a new voiceover demo. I also plan on trying to get a website going, which I've been wanting to do for awhile now. I also like reading different articles about things that interest me.
3) Do you plan on sticking with radio?
I would like to. But that decision may be made for me. If I really can't find anything this time around, I intend on doing commercial voiceovers, station voice work and voicetracking. Photography interests me a lot, too. Since I left N.Y., I've also done some acting, which I really like, and even some stand-up.
4) What's the longest stretch you've had on the beach?
I gotta say I've been pretty lucky. Probably the longest stretch was after I moved back to New Orleans from New York. It was about seven or eight months.
5) What has been your best resource for finding out about job openings?
So far, it's been All Access and people I know trying to help me out. It's nice to have great friends who want to help.
6) Are you finding salaries/benefits lower than you ever thought, about the same, or have you seen some pleasant surprises?
Definitely on the downside.
7) With consolidation there are definitely fewer jobs. How do you separate yourself from the pack?
One thing I definitely have on my side is experience. I've done every shift there is to do and just about every music format. Versatility, I guess. But, now a lot of shifts are tracked. Of course, I do a good "I AMMMMM BEEBE!"
8) Are you spending as much time listening to radio as you used to?
No. I rarely listen to radio at home. I don't even have a big sound system anymore. I do listen and punch around when I'm driving, to see what stations are doing.
9) What has been your biggest career accomplishment?
That would definitely be W-"NNNNNNNN" B-C/New York. It was definitely a great time and a fun time. That was the longest job I had in radio, 7 1/2 years, until my last job, which was eight years, nine months.
10) Having been through all you have dealt with in this biz, what advice would you give people trying to break in?
What, are you crazy? GOOOOOOD LUCK! Do the plan "B" thing. It's really hard, and there's no telling what this business is going to be like 10 years from now. Some things in this business are cyclical. Let's hope warm bodies and localism come back soon!
Bonus Questions
My favorite new diversion is...
... my computer. Normally, I have just enough time to go through e-mails and look up things I need to look up. I'm teaching myself a lot of things I didn't know how to do with a computer. And there's so much more to teach and learn.
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