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10 Questions with ... Craig Mathew Edelson
July 30, 2013
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
107.7 WFCS 94-97, Central Connecticut State University ... 97-98, 105.9 WHCH and 104.1 WMRQ ... 98-current ROCK 106.9
1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
My very first job in radio was at my college radio station at Central Connecticut State University, 107.7 WFCS. I had no idea what I was doing. My buddy Matt Stockwell and I hosted it. One year we called it "Kissel and the Mexican," the next year we called it "Toilet Radio," because I was taking a crap on the toilet, and some dude snapped a photo of me in the stall. I put a "censored" sign over my junk, and used that as my advertising flyer around campus. Stupid, but it worked. People would listen to the show and come up to us at the local college bar and want to meet us. We even got sponsors to deliver us free food, and I would interview the senile old man who would deliver it. In my mind, it was a big ratings-grabber. We didn't actually get ratings, but would tell everyone we were the #1 show on campus.
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it"?
When I was in 2nd grade, my teacher went around the room and asked what we wanted to be when we grew up, and I said either a rock star or a DJ. I started doing a "radio show," when I was in 2nd grade with my friends. We would record music off of the radio on to a tape recorder, and then talk after the song was over and listen back to it. I thought I made it when I landed my first internship, got hired, got on the air, and moved up the chain. It just seems to continuously get better and better. I honestly never thought I'd have the opportunities that have been presented to me. I'm lucky.
3) How long have you been at WCCC and what makes this station so unique?
I'm on my 16th year here. It is the station I grew up listening to. We are a straight up Rock station; no one else in our market can say that. The shit we've pulled off was legendary. From backyard BBQs with Zakk Wylde, to gorilla promotions, broadcasting live with Sevendust on the top of the Hummer in the slums of Hartford. I feel we wrote the playbook on how to do it, and the other stations would watch us and take notes. We also broadcast from a historical brick house in Hartford Ct. that is haunted. We are located on Asylum Ave. near Mark Twain's old house. There is definitely some energy in this place, to say the least.
4) You have the dual role as MD and afternoon host ... how do you balance your time so both roles are effective?
I try to stay up as late as possible quite often drinking gin and tonics, which will get me into the station by the crack of noon. I then ignore most of my e-mails and phone calls, and hope that a label rep shows up to take me out for lunch. Most of the MD duties are taken care of by my team of helper monkeys who work for concert tickets, cigarettes and trade at the local strip club. Then I get on the air and spew information that most people don't want to hear, but will remember. They end up regurgitating that to their friends and family. I always try to be a hot topic around the dinner table and water cooler. Some programmers are big on the whole PPM thing, but I try to just win the popularity contest. I'm more of a word-of-mouth jock.
5) Now that you're the new MD working with former MD Mike Karolyi (now PD), Describe your weekly music meeting ... a) what is the process when you listen to new music? b) Approximately how important by percentage is gut, research, sales, video play and chart position when determining the status of a record?
- I actually spend hours each week researching new music. I look at the charts from Active, Mainstream, and more recently Alternative. I usually compile a CD of what I think would work here at Rock 106.9 and give it to our PD - Mike Karolyi. He usually chucks it at the wall and it shatters into thousands of pieces and then he tells me he is looking for a new MD. I weep, he laughs, and then he adds whatever the fuck he wants to. He got Music Director of the Year one time, but he paid for it.
- Honestly, all of these are important. A big part of it is our relationship with the band and label reps. Of course, when we see a band moving up the charts, we keep an eye on that and take it into consideration. And as far as a gut feeling goes, you always have to trust that. I still have yet to go to a music conference, but Karolyi finds new talent at these each time he goes out. We were the first station in the country to play Dead Sara, for example. They blew him away live, so we tried it out on a feature called Hit or Diss. They ended up getting an add, and came to play a couple of shows for us. They just level the crowd by the time they get off the stage. Recently at the Sunset Sessions he saw Heavens Basment, came back and added them. He also took a chance on Staind back in the day, and look what happened with them. So yeah, if they can pull it off live, and have that certain something about them, the charts don't matter, the label doesn't matter.
6) What's your take on current Active Rock music? Is it as good as six months or a year ago, better, or about the same?
Active Rock is tough right now. It's snowballing out of control, down the hill. We changed from Active to Mainstream a few months ago. We still support many of the active bands, but we are trying to appeal to a broad range of people vs. the small demographic that we previously targeted. Look, it's just a label, right? We are still and always be a Rock station. Six months ago, we would never have played Imagine Dragons, now it's in Power rotation here. Times change ... and so do we. If you're not flexible, you're going to break. Personally, I'm excited to where I think we can take Rock 106.9 now.
7) Your company Marlin Broadcasting is a small independent owner. What are the advantages of working with radio ownership like this?
Advantages include making decisions on the spot. Our owner can be reached a minutes notice, and we can make big decisions quickly. There's not a ton of red tape to go through, and our clients appreciate that.
8) WCCC is a heritage set of calls that has undergone some music adjustments over the last year. How would you describe the station's current music position in the market?
Adjustments are an understatement. In March we did 1,069 songs in a row jock-free. Our listeners panicked and even protested. Literally. We went to a mostly Classic Rock format, which we saw quickly was not working for us. Currently we are Mainstream Rock, taking the best of the Classic Rock, '90s 2000s and current music. We are still trying to figure out what works and sounds the best for us. We have cut our library from about 1,200 songs to 500. The songs we are playing are very familiar big hits, but we also understand that people want to discover new music, and we give them that, too. There is no doubt a resurgence in rock music right now; most of it is being filed under alternative, but that's cool with me. As long as there is no autotune in it, or someone bragging about how tough and cool they are in the club, I'll open my ears to it.
9) How does WCCC use social media like Facebook and Twitter to interact with its listeners?
I personally have banned from Facebook six times in the past year. I use photos that get noticed, and really try to get listeners to "LIKE" or comment on a page. For example: What do you like better, side boob or underboob? -- and then post photos of both. Our Social Media Manager Carissa Lozinski has meltdowns multiple times per week when I'm on the air and posting. We are actually really lucky to have her. We do all sorts of contests online, custom videos, scavenger hunts, and more. I'm about to celebrate a birthday, so today she had a singing telegram chicken come into the studio with balloons and embarrass me. She took video of the whole thing, edited it, and posted it online. It totally sucked, and I kind of hate her now that I think about it.
10) What are your three favorite artists or songs of this year and why?
I'm not going to give you the "Rock Charts" answers here, so don't judge me.
I've been listening to this dude Johnny Craig, he was in Dance Gavin Dance and Emarosa. His voice is just killer. I hope he gets his shit together because he's a guy that can do BIG things.
Stone Temple Pilots. I grew up on those guys, and I love Linkin Park, too. I'm really curious to see what Chester Bennington adds to this band. I smell good things for them. Like warm chocolate chip cookies that your mom just pulled out of the oven.
Karnivool. These guys became the new TOOL when Maynard stopped caring. I'm now going back and listening to their old stuff. They have a new CD that just came out and I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.
Bonus Questions
What do you like to do for fun and relaxation when you're not in "radio" work mode?
I love all things outdoors. I snowboard like a mad man, and mountain bike. I love sports, but sports that I can actually do. I don't count sitting in front of the TV and watching eight hours of football and stuffing your face, sports. Fresh air and a bit of adrenaline, and I'm the team captain. I just forced our programming staff to an outing at an adventure park near UCONN, and we climbed in the trees, zip-lined and all that stuff. THEN we stuffed out faces with horrible food and drank beer. ;)
You're stuck on a deserted island and you only have 5 CDs with you. What are they?
Now I know why rock stars get annoyed doing interviews.
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