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10 Questions with ... Chris "DC" Delozier
May 26, 2015
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1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
My first official job was promotions (van driver, remote setup) and overnights on WJBX (no longer exists). But I got into radio by getting in with a friend, Mike Holiday, who was a production director for a cluster of stations in Fort Myers. I would come in before work (bartendering/serving at a friend's pizza joint) and just learn the equipment, programs, etc. Just watch him work, help him voice scripts, produce spots, promos, etc. I just fell in love with the idea of creating a scene or a thought for people with just audio. Then I started working as a third wheel, stunt boy, producer for a morning show, Zito and Garrett on WJBX. Once I started doing the morning show with them, I was fully hooked. I needed that and I needed that as much as possible. The idea that something I said or that we did, was sticking with people and being discussed at work, at the dinner table, at the bar, everywhere.
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it"?
I just wanted to make people react. I wanted to make people laugh. That's always been something I've loved. Whether it was through acting, stand-up, or just being out socially, I always craved reactions. When I got into radio, by dumb luck, I fell in love with the power you can have behind that mic. You can change the course of someone's drive to or from work, someone's entire day, week, year, life with something created from your mind, or commentary on topical news. I used to love Stern and loved watching (very fittingly with his last show last week) Letterman. I would stay up with my granny almost every night when I was younger and watch Letterman.
3) Before we talk about your new gig at WXNX, give us the highlights of your 10 years in the Ft. Myers market across the street with Beasley.
There are so many highlights in so many different avenues. Having my show, or a show I was a part of, be #1 in the market was always great. Taking the PD position of two radio stations, WJBX and WRXK, and getting them both to top 1 and 2 in targeted demos was something I strived for and accomplished along with helping spread the word and raising money for a great local charity, The Passion Foundation. It's a charity run by great friends of mine. They teach melanoma awareness and build shade structures over playgrounds in southwest Florida, giving kids a chance to get out of direct sunlight while playing. Jon Parla runs the charity. It was started by him and his late wife Tara, who lost an extremely courageous battle with Melanoma, but shined such a bright, positive light on everyone she encountered. I've helped people who were going through tough times get vehicles, get jobs, and get better.
Other highlights were people I've met along the way, bringing concerts to town, helping out bringing Danny Wimmer Presents Fort Rock to SWFL, thanks to Danny Wimmer and Clay Busch. And, fun promotions that got people drunk, dirty and sometimes naked, but always leaving with great prizes.
4) Now that you're working for WXNX (93X), what kind of perspective can you offer from previously working for the competition?
It's really just about what I bring to the table in general. Funnies, creativity, reactionary listenership (does that even make sense), obviously I'm a wordsmith. Ha ha. I know how the competition works for sure, I'd be a real dope if I didn't after all that time there, but I don't worry about the competition and what they're doing. I focus on what my strengths are, what John Rozz wants out of the station, and simply just bring it everyday.
5) Ft. Myers is one of the few markets in the country that sports TWO Active Rock stations. What sets 93X apart from WRXK?
MUSIC! We, 93x, run Billy Madison mornings from 6-10a, then we play non-stop rock music. Our jocks are great at delivering funny, informative, or provoking content with very few words, so 93x keeps the rock flowing. Whereas the competition runs ALL talk in both am/pm drive. 93x is SWFL's rock home. Even when our morning show or jocks are talking, its content that's catered precisely to the Rock audience. Everyone on this station lives the lifestyle of the listeners.
6) Now that you're back in action at the Active Rock format, 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?
In all, I think rock is strong. I hear some say that rock is dead, but the response that 93x gets out in the streets, the success of Fort Rock (Danny Wimmer Presents brings Fort Rock to town every April and we help promote the show, sells out every year, approximately 14,000 people), and interaction on our phones and social media proves that people are still very passionate about rock. With that said, there definitely is a smaller percentage of "new rock" that has staying power and making it into station libraries, but Rock is alive and well.
7) Besides your role as APD/MD, you're doing afternoons for 93X. How do you plan to balance all of these roles effectively?
It's actually going to be easy! Even though it's technically three jobs, my last job was double that. I was PD for two stations and doing an air shift. But being able to focus solely on the content of my afternoon show has been a huge breath of fresh air -- and the listeners and fans have responded to it well. As far as the APD/MD portion of my day, I love working Selector so I don't mind spending hours on it. I play Selector like Mozart played a piano. HA HA. Plus, my PD, John Rozz, was my first PD in radio, so we have a history, which makes working here much easier because we already know each other well and I know what he expects from me.
8) Since you previously did afternoons in the market, do you have any special features or benchmarks that you are bringing back to this time slot?
Not particularly. I've done games before that southwest Florida rock listeners really fell in love with. "Wrestling Move or Sex Move," "Drink, Smoke, Snort, or Swallow" ... games like that, but they were never done on a weekly or daily basis. I try not to limit myself to just a few things that work. I'm constantly changing things up, reaching for more. Now, on social media, I do share a funny/ridiculous news story daily and use the hash tag, #ThatsTooBad, and my listeners have really taken to it. They now post #ThatsTooBad stories to my page and the stations page. I live the lifestyle of the rock audience, so it's easy to connect with them, because I am them. The benchmark is the show, my personality, my music, 2-6p on 93x is full of rock, full of energy, and full of laughs.
9) How active are you and the station with social media in interacting with your listeners?
Extremely! It's super-important and gives us an opportunity to become tangible. They can reach out and actually touch us. Whether it's funny news stories with our commentary that the listeners can then comment on themselves, an important local news story or topic that the listeners can react upon, giveaway and promotional information, insight to the radio station that before would only be delivered on-air, once. Social media allows radio to almost have a DVR feature. We can deliver information, commentary, news, and promotions, whenever the listener choices to absorb it. It's posted, it's there forever.
10) I understand before you took this gig with 93X, you had opportunities for jobs outside the state of Florida, but you decided to stay put in the Ft. Myers/Naples market. Tell us about your love affair with the area.
I did have opportunities to stay in state and go as far as California, but this place is home. When my wife and I moved here from Philly, we were just like everyone else that moves to Florida. We made mistakes and decided a fresh start was necessary. It's like Florida is full of second and third-chance people. Coming from big cities my whole life, I fell in love with the vacation mentality down here. It's seriously like being on a vacation in the tropics everyday. I hope to live here the rest of my life and that one day, I'll be an 85-year-old man driving 30 under the speed limit on I75 pissing off the younger locals, just like the old hens down here now piss me off with their turn signal on for miles and miles but never turn.
Bonus Questions
You're stuck on a deserted island and you only have five CDs with you. What are they?
Tough, no iPad or iPod? I guess I am in the minority now, because I still do buy and collect CDs. I always will. I love albums. I just can't get into the "buying singles" mentality. But I'd have to say it would be very different. I wouldn't want just one genre. Hopefully that doesn't upset my fellow rockers.
- Metallica: Ride The Lightning
- Wu Tang Clan: Enter The 36 Chambers
- Marilyn Manson: Portrait of an American Family
- Rage Against The Machine: Evil Empire
- Beastie Boys: Check Your Head
- And I tried to sneak Soundgarden: Bad Motor Finger, and Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks
If I was stuck with other people or kids of mine, I would take Adelitas Way: HomeSchool Valedictorian as well, because Rick Dejesus and I grew up together and have been friends for 30 years already. We didn't grow up in a neighborhood where a lot of people went on and moved out to do great things, so I'd want to take that album with me to show NE Philly/Bristol can accomplish great things!
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