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10 Questions with ... Charles Robinson
May 3, 2016
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started with Wild 939 with Clear Channel as a guest DJ playing Old School music. I didn't get paid for this at all. I just wanted to be on the radio. Later, I was hired to be a board-op for 1150 WIMA and I loved it, but I wanted more. I bugged and bugged to be a voice on Wild 939, and a year later I was doing overnights, and it was a blast. Clear Channel changed to iHeart, and now Wild 939 is known as 939 Kiss FM and I am the afternoon-drive guy!
1) How would you describe your first radio gig?
Being a board-op was fun and very demanding. When running the board for sports, it taught me how to multi-task in radio, and then I fell in love with the business and how it works.
2) What led you to a career in radio?
As a kid, I would pretend to be that radio guy talking on the air. My mother would tell me to hush it up so she could listen to what the man was saying. Now she tells everyone to hush it up cause her son is talking on the radio.
3) Are you wearing more "hats" than you have in the past?
I think we all are wearing more hats than ever. I handle a lot of our promotions and also work with our great sales team. I handle Kiss-FM social media, but it's a team effort and we succeed as a team.
4) "Local local local" has always been radio's mantra. How do you keep your station visible and involved in the community?
We do a lot in our community. We had an Easter egg hunt, and we also do Oldskool's Pool Patrol, where I go to different pools in the community and just DJ for them, and let them have that pool party experience. The kids love it. A lot of people contact me for various charities to emcee, and I have no issue being a part of that.
5) What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part is learning. I always ask my Market President Matt Bell and my PD JB Webb a ton questions. I want to learn everything that has to be learned! I have goals and the only way I reach those goals is to make sure my brain is a sponge.
6) What is the most challenging part of the job?
I would say voicing different genre's of stations. I do afternoons on a Top 40 station and weekends on an Urban station. There are some things that I can say on a Top 40 that I can't say on an Urban, and vice versa.
7) What's the coolest promotion you've been involved with recently?
Our Easter Egg was such a blast. To see all the kids, and talking with them and their parents, is beyond awesome. And it gives families something different to do.
8) What's the coolest promotion you've ever been involved with?
The coolest is our Club 939, where I DJ live on the air at a club called The Yucatan in Findlay. To be a part of this is a dream come true.
9) What artist would we be surprised to find on your personal playlist?
Taylor Swift ... I listen to her when I work out ... Don't judge.
10) Who were your mentors? Who influenced your career the most?
I have had a ton of mentors who pushed me to be good. From Ed Douglas -- he took a chance on me -- to Jon Zellner, who challenged me and pushed to be better, along with Keith Kennedy who would help me reach the listeners a little better on what wording I should use. Always remember, when you're talking on the air, pretend you're talking to the person and they are right next to you!
Bonus Questions
What ringtone do you have on your cel?
I am a huge Biggie fan. Big Poppa is my ringtone.
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