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10 Questions with ... Jaymz Larson
January 17, 2017
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1) What was your first job in radio and early influences?
My first job in radio is when I started part-time here at KRNA. I became a "weekend warrior," doing one live show a week. I absolutely fell in love with the gig and took pride in every broadcast I did.
2) Was there a defining moment that led you to a career in radio and made you realize "this is it"?
I knew I wanted to work in television and radio at a very young age. I was hosting a music television show on my schools public access channel when I was in the 11th grade. The show was cancelled because I was playing copyrighted music from MTV.
3) How long have you been rocking on KRNA and what makes this station so special?
I've been at 94.1 KRNA since 2006 ... started as a part-timer and now I host the morning show. What's makes this station special is the people. We have a great team, and I'm not just saying that. I love working with the gang here, I consider them all friends.
4) As the morning host on KRNA, how do you balance your time so your role is effective?
Besides my morning show, I also work as an independent video producer and also have several contracts as a television personality. I'm the host of the nationally syndicated show called "The Heartland Poker Tour."
5) Do you do any special features during your "Shut Up and Rock" morning show on KRNA?
We have a segment called "Grand Larceny" You can fleece me, Jaymz Larson, for prizes, tickets and other giveaways during this segment. We start it off with the Dragnet theme music and pay off the bit with the listener playing a game to win the prize.
6) Now let's talk about the music on KRNA. Many Classic Rock stations have evolved into playing harder rock and '90s titles. How is KRNA positioned musically and what's your take on the Classic Rock format today?
We play all of the classic hits from bands like Boston, The Stones and Zeppelin. We also mix in some of the "hair metal bands" like Poison, Motley and Skid Row to give the station a nice mix of music. We take requests in the morning and you can always count on me slipping in some early KISS!
7) One of the programming challenges of the Classic Rock format has always been how to keep the station sounding fresh and relevant while it's playing Rock music that's sometimes 30 or 40 years old. What have you done to keep KRNA sounding relevant as we head into 2017?
We're big on "deep cuts" around here. We mainly play the hits but we mix it up with some cuts that aren't as popular. We know we can't do it all the time, but I feel people like hearing those obscure tunes. It's almost like a hearing a new song for some people!
8) Besides your KRNA gig, I understand you host a TV show called "The Heartland Poker Tour." Can you tell us about that?
I've been a part of the HPT for eight years. I started as the sideline reporter and worked my way up to being the host of the show. It's nationally syndicated and gives me a chance to travel the country on weekends covering tournaments at some really cool places. My favorite memory was interviewing Steve Martin in Las Vegas at a charity event. It was crazy!
9) I also understand you're a huge Minnesota Vikings and Twins fan. How do you think both teams will do next season?
I LOVE both teams but have ZERO faith in either doing well next year. I can hope, but it won't do much!
10) Finally, we recently posted a story on the passing of Gregg "The Shark" Scharnau, the longtime PD and afternoon guy on KRNA. What can you share with us about Gregg?
Shark wasn't just a co-worker, he was one of my best friends. I met him about 20 years ago and we hit it off right away ... He was so much fun to work with. The guy was very goofy and loved to clown around. We spent a lot of days eating lunch together and talking music. He was a family man and his kids meant the world to him. You never heard anybody talk bad about Shark, he was loved by all and he will be missed.
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