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10 Questions with ... Vinny Marino
October 2, 2012
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
This is my 25th year in commercial radio. I have been in programming and on-air at radio stations in NYC and Chicago, including FM News 101.9; the original Active Rock Q 104.3, Classical WQXR and WNCN; MIX 102.7; The Buzz, ABC News Radio, CBS News Radio, WCBS 880 (all in NYC), and at The Loop in Chicago.
1) What do you do to maintain a positive mental attitude and stay motivated?
Talented people will always find work. I know that I'm good at what I do and that I can work with any radio station team to help us win. I get up every day at 9a and hit the phones and the Internet. Looking for a job is a job in itself, and you have to treat it that way. That also means getting out of the house, going to the gym, and staying positive.
2) Do you plan on sticking with radio?
Absolutely. It's what I do and what I enjoy the most. I am also an adjunct college professor, so I may get back into that at some point.
3) What's the longest stretch you've had on the beach?
Two years.
4) What has been your best resource for finding out about job openings?
It's all about who you know. Work those contacts. And, All Access, of course.
5) What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get a job?
I once sent Jacor's Marc Chase a bottle of Jack Daniels and a shot glass with a note that read, "Give me a SHOT at a PD gig." It didn't work, though Marc still remembers it.
6) How are you finding the "courtesy level" at places you've applied? (Callbacks, e-mails, rejection letters, etc.)
Since I've worked in major markets, the most common response I've been getting is, "I promise I'm not ignoring you."
7) What has been your biggest career accomplishment?
That's still to come.
8) What do you miss most about radio? The least?
FM News 101.9 was the best radio job I've had thus far. Liz Aiello hired the best people and let us do what we do. That newsroom was a machine. We all locked in together and always did our best. I miss the immediacy of covering breaking news, and being on the air as it happened. That's why watching HBO's "The Newsroom" is bittersweet for me. I want to be one of those people again.
9) If you were offered a similar position to what you were doing for considerably less money, would you seriously consider taking the job just to stay in the biz?
Yes, because that's the nature of the beast today. You have to work, and go where the work is.
10) Having been through all you have dealt with in this biz, what advice would you give people trying to break in?
Do it. There are more entry level jobs in radio than ever before. If you don't love it, this business will kill you. If you do love it, nothing else will make you happy.
Bonus Questions
Uh oh ... now you're on your own for getting new music. If applicable, name your three most recent purchases since leaving the biz.
I still check the new releases at Amazon.com every week and order from there. Yes, I still buy CDs ... 14,000 and counting.
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