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10 Questions with ... Mike Adam
July 19, 2016
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I did nights on WKSS/Kiss 95.7 in Hartford for a little over three years, then nights on WIOQ/Q102 in Philly for two years. Plus, voicetracking Rhythmic Premium Choice while with iHeart. Now I'm with CBS Radio, currently doing afternoon drive on WZMP/96.5 AMP Radio in Philly and weekends on WBMP/92.3 AMP Radio in NYC.
1) How would you describe your first radio gig?
I didn't know how good I had it! My first full-time radio gig was in a top-50 market in my home state of Connecticut ... on a heritage station, WKSS. The sales team members were animals! They sold me like I was the morning show host ... Lasik surgery, a new car, an engagement ring ... at that time, everything I owned was endorsed (LOL). Plus, we had such a wonderful programming and promotions staff there. We were really like a big, dysfunctional family.
2) Are you wearing more "hats" than you have in the past?
I'm actually wearing less ... or maybe just doing more of what I personally like to do, so it feels like less. At Q102, I was the PM-drive host, the Imaging Director, the Interim APD, a Premium Choice Host, and doing point-to-point tracking Monday through Friday on five additional stations ... I hated my life. Now I get to put on a killer show and crush social media ... two things I love to do, and I can now do well since I'm not spread too thin.
3) What are you doing social media-wise?
Facebook caters to the upper end of our target demo, so I use it mainly to post stories that I think could potentially go viral ... think "Man saves baby deer from shark by using Starbucks cup," or something like that. The biggest mistake I see people making on FB is treating it like it's Twitter. People don't consume content on FB the same way they do on Twitter ... two different animals. Twitter I use for pop culture news and appointment setting (songs, contests, etc.). Instagram I utilize for pop culture news, music-related memes and to promote contests. And Snapchat ... basically I treat that like my second show. I do breaks on Snapchat just like I would on-air. And I'm extremely active on all of them. Going dark on social media is equivalent to dead air.
4) What artist would we be surprised to find on your personal playlist?
John Mayer. I have an obsession with him ... I mean, his music. An obsession with his music. That's what I meant to say.
5) What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?
I used to rap. Go on YouTube and put in "Prolifik Drunk Dialing." Even got a few record contract offers off that song (LOL) ... they were garbage deals though. Radio was a much better career path.
6) If you could add one full-time position to your budget right now, what would it be?
A full-time social media guru. We do a lot now as is, but there's so much more that could be done. I obsess over social media, because the more time you put into it, the more results you see. It's dangerous. Social media is free marketing and promotion that's always there ... it's just waiting for you to take advantage of it. Imagine someone who had the sole job of just making all our social media platforms a major source for music fans ... that would be awesome.
7) What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid?
In Southern Connecticut you have a lot of options when it comes to stations to listen to. I would listen to "Astra After Dark" on BLI, Michael Maze in the morning on KC101, Matt Pinfield on RXP, Star and Buc Wild on the competing station of whichever one they had just been fired from ... so much good radio! But I think my favorite station growing up was Hot 97 (Radio 104.1 in CT gets honorable mention). With Hot back then, you were listening to celebs on the radio. I remember when Angie had "If I Could Go" out and when Flex and Big Kap dropped "The Tunnel"... and I could still turn on the radio and hear them just talking everyday ... it was so cool.
8) Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
Stan Priest and Cat Collins have done more for me than anyone else when it comes to my career in radio. Hands down. I owe them everything. And now, I'm learning so much from Bobby Smith and Rick Thomas ... their feedback and mentoring has made me a much better jock.
9) Do you have a favorite hobby outside of radio?
Traveling the world with my wife. If I had the money to do it, I would just quit everything and do that with her for the rest of my life.
10) What advice would you give people new to the business?
Say yes to everything, even after you think you're "too established" to say yes to everything. Broadcasting is a field that everyone wants to be in, so if you're not hungry, and don't stay hungry, it'll be hard to be successful in this industry. Oh, and get those social media numbers up!
Bonus Questions
Which character on a current TV series most reflects your personality?
Probably Phil Dunphy (although I would much rather it be Daryl Dixon). Phil's puns and cheesy sense of humor ... me. Spot on. Popsicle jokes make me happy.
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