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10 Questions with ... Dominick Brascia
June 28, 2016
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Demo:
I'm an actor, writer, director, producer and now radio talk show host with a wide range of experiences to bring to the show. As an actor, I starred in the films "Friday The 13th part 5," "Busted," "National Lampoon's Last Resort" and television shows "Knight Rider" and "Night Court." As a director/producer, my films were released to movie theaters by United Artists. But of all the things I have done, Talk radio is what I like best. My love of politics, news and comedy brought me to Talk radio, and I started doing radio at KXNT/Las Vegas, WEVD/New York City, KNRC/Denver, PD/mornings at KRCM-KOLE/Beaumon, TX, afternoon drive at WERC Birmingham, AL and KSTE/Sacramento, CA.
1) Do you plan on sticking with radio?
Yes, I've starred in movies and television shows, I've acted with Jim Carrey, written comedy scripts for Universal Studios, produced and directed movies for United Artists, did stand-up comedy at the Comedy Store and NOTHING compares to Talk radio. I love it more than anything I've ever done. I love politics, story-telling and humor and I can do it all every day on radio.
2) What's the longest stretch you've had on the beach?
Two years, and while I was between jobs, I drove a limo in New York City. Then when I got back on the air I could repeat all the stories I heard. You never know when you chauffeur might be a Talk show host between jobs.
3) What has been your best resource for finding out about job openings?
All Access. Honestly, I got jobs in Texas and Birmingham from All Access.
4) What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get a job?
It was my first job in Las Vegas. I had just left Hollywood ... I e-mailed and called the PD of KXNT every day for months ... I was like a crazy man ... I left long messages on his voicemail explaining what I would do if I had a show on the station. I begged him to watch some of the movies I starred in. I said my show would be a cross of Bob Grant, Howard Stern, Bob & Ray, Dr. Laura, Larry King plus a little Bruce Williams and Tom Leykis. I think he thought I was nuts. Finally he agreed to meet me. When I arrived at the CBS station I didn't even have an audio tape. We talked and talked and he saw something in me. A few weeks later someone got sick and he called me in to do fill-in work. Soon I got my own show.
5) What is the next job you'd like to obtain?
I love mornings and I would like to do mornings again but I am in an odd situation. Because I've done Talk radio in major markets, some PDs in smaller markets think they're too small to hire me. I just talked to a PD who said he loved my tape but he didn't understand why I would want to move to his little city. I told him I just wanted to do great morning radio. He kept saying, "We're too small ... we need local talk and you'll leave when a larger market calls." I told him I'm past jumping to the next bigger market. He never called back.
6) What's the most unbelievable question you've ever been asked in an interview?
Would you be willing to live in Modesto?
7) What's the most unbelievable on-air bit you were allowed to do?
I was working on the morning show Armstrong & Getty. We were trying to raise money for a great charity, The Fisher House. We told the listeners that if we reached $1 million, I would get tazed. We hit the goal and I was going to get shot with the dart throwing tazer gun. Well, the PD came on the air and said iHeartRadio (Clear Channel) would not allow me to get tazed. The company was scared I might get hurt. I was told don't do it, wink wink. A few days later I was hit with 50,000 volts. I did bleed a little and the feeling was one of the most painful things I've ever felt. But if you promise listeners something, you have to do it. We played it on the air and it was great radio. Take a look!
8) With consolidation there are definitely fewer jobs. How do you separate yourself from the pack?
What I bring to my show is that I seriously care about what's happening in the world. But if I don't make my listeners laugh and get crazy on the air, I'm not doing my job. I make the listeners my friends, my family. I share my life with them. And when it comes to pop culture, how may hosts can say they hung with Brad Pitt, Jon Voight, Mark Wahlberg, acted with Robert Downey Jr, got chopped up in Friday The 13th and had dinner with President Ronald Reagan? Not bad for a conservative guy from Hollywood.
9) What has been your biggest career accomplishment?
Well, I have two career accomplishments that I am very proud of ... My first morning show on KNXT-A in Las Vegas The Dominick & Michael Morning Show. The CBS station would read the ratings over the intercom system. First the Music stations, then they got to the AM Talk station last. They read the morning numbers and my co-host got very excited. I turned to my PD Alan Eisenson who had a big smile on his face. Michael explained to me that our numbers put us at #6. It was the first time in seven years that an AM morning show in Vegas broke into the top 10.
And my last job at KSTE-A put me up against Rush in Sacramento, his starting place. I mean, I grew up listening to him. We didn't stand a chance. The numbers came out and my show beat him for the whole year we were on. I am very proud of those accomplishments.
10) 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. I love the work ... it is my life. I remember we were talking with a radio station and they were offering me big bonuses if I got good numbers. They thought that would make me do a better show if they offered bonuses. I didn't want any bonus. I do the best show I can, whether I am in New York City or Mayberry. I give the show 100%. I live the show. I must say that when I got called in the GM's office to accept a huge bonus check, I was very happy they put that in the contract, and I now had the money for a down payment on my house.
Bonus Questions
Seen any great movies?
Yes ... The Jazz Singer. Al Jolson was great and I think this talking picture thing is going to pay off.
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