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10 Questions with ... Corey Carter
March 29, 2022
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How would you describe your first radio gig?
Reading the weather once an hour during the “Dick Clark Solid Gold” and “Dr. Demento” shows on an oldies station in Duluth, MN.
What led you to a career in radio?
I wanted to get into sports broadcasting so I got involved in my campus radio station and just really enjoyed all aspects of it.
The station is consistently the market leader seemingly for every ratings period—congrats! How do you motivate the staff to stay on top?
We all have a tremendous respect for the brand of WIXX. We know how important of a station it is--not only in our listeners' lives but also for the company, so we all want to give it our best.
You still crack the mic every day on your midday show. What is it about being on the air that makes you can’t wait to get into the studio?
My shift is all about positive energy. There’s too much negativity in the media, so I stay away from that. I do a “1:45 Feel Good” story each day as well as “Tell Me Something Good” where people call in and tell me what’s good in their day. I’ve gotten good feedback from listeners about how they really enjoy hearing the positives every day, so to answer the question: just having the ability to have a small but positive impact on people’s day is what really motivates me.
Who would be a “dream guest” to have on your show?
Will Ferrell or Chris Evans - I’m a huge fan of Captain America.
How does the Murphy In The Morning show set the table for the rest of the station’s broadcast day?
Murphy is a staple in the community and has just become an institution in people’s morning routine. He’s the voice of trust in our market and the consistent ratings that show pulls is borderline ridiculous.
Otis Day recently stepped away after a 24-year run at the station. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill—what would you like interested applicants to know about the afternoon opening?
Otis was a tremendous on-air talent. He could have worked in any market in America but chose to stay here. His passion for the station was also off-the-charts. So I realize that it will be tough to duplicate those things, but I’m excited about finding someone that will bring other strengths and new ideas to the table. The freedom given, overall culture and success of WIXX are unique in the business. While we’ll miss Otis, every change is an opportunity for growth, so I’m excited about the possibilities.
“Local local local” has always been radio’s mantra. How do you keep your station visible and involved in the community?
We keep coming up with new ideas to get ingrained in the local community. We’ve done “Crash Your Concessions” where our on-air staff literally helps work the concession stands at local high schools sporting events. We also do “Little Player of the Month” where our on-air staff will form our own “cheer team” for a little-leaguer and show up with treats and signs to make that player (and team) feel really special. We’re also known as the “traffic” and “severe weather” station in the market, partially due to the fact that we’re still blessed enough to have a LIVE DJ in the studio 24/7 - 365!!
Speaking of local—there’s this football team nearby called the Green Bay Packers. How are you able to take advantage of having such an iconic team in your backyard?
We are the home to the play-by-play of the team (unheard of for a CHR station, right?) so that’s a big connection. The organization has a great relationship with our station and every time there is an opportunity for a radio-station promotional tie-in, they reach out to us, whether it’s emceeing concerts they put on, interviewing former players, hosting pregame parties or even game day opportunities inside Lambeau - we continue to be involved in all of it.
Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
Gregg Swedberg—iHeart/Minneapolis. Derek Moran-formerly of KDWB/KQQL Minneapolis. Jeff McCarthy-VP of Programming for Midwest Communications. Also my current Ops Manager Jason Hillery. He leads weekly management training sessions that have been very impactful in my continued growth as a leader.
Bonus Questions
What was your favorite station(s) to listen to when you were a kid? Jock(s)
Like most radio geeks from Minnesota in the 1990’s it was KDWB and guys like Dave Ryan, Tony Fly, Scottie Davis, Zannie K. Listening to those guys motivated me so much when I was first starting in the business.
Which 3-5 acts would you pull together for a station bash?
With WIXX being such a unique, adult-leaning CHR station, this will be different than most. I would say P!nk, Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, and Flo Rida. That would cover our wide demographic range!!
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