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10 Questions with ... Ben Davis
June 13, 2023
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
- Started as a morning show intern for Dino and Stacy at WSNY/Sunny 95, Columbus, OH. My internship ended, but I just kept showing up. Eventually wound up as Assistant Morning Show Producer.
- Top 40 Evenings/Production Director at WMGI/100.7 MIX-FM in Terre Haute, IN.
- Top 40 WNOU/RadioNow 93.1 in Indianapolis for swing
- Finally to Louisville, KY to Top 40 WDJX/99.7 DJX as Evenings/Music Director. I've been fortunate enough to be here since. Now Mornings on 99.7 DJX, Content Director, Operations Manager, and Alpha Media's CHR Format Captain.
1. How would you describe your first radio gig?
My first full time gig was as Asst. Morning Show Producer for Dino & Stacy at Sunny 95. They were crushing it then and are STILL crushing it in Columbus. That was fun and a crazy time in my life where I was finishing up school and working at another job in the evenings, but I loved it. I really learned about personality-driven radio and what it takes to produce a great morning show.
2. What led you to a career in radio?
I went to college as a pre-med major, took a half-semester and decided that wasn't for me. Switched to Broadcast Journalism wanting to be the next big television sports reporter. Through an internship at a television station, I landed an internship with Dino & Stacy. My mom loved that station and was thrilled. I had always loved radio, but never considered it as a career until that internship. Morning Radio gets in your blood and it hooked me. That was it, this is what I wanted to do. My internship ended and I kept showing up, just never left. That led to opportunities and eventually where I am today.
3. You're on the air every day – hosting mornings. How do you make sure that you're able to cover all of your programming duties in addition to prepping the morning show, etc.?
Early mornings and late afternoons. I'm at the station by 4:00a to prep for the Morning Show, on air live from 6a-10a, then transition to my other programming duties. Every day I get to help curate content for a morning show, content for a radio station, and help others do the same. It's busy but rewarding.
4. How does your morning show with Kelly K set the table for the rest of DJX's broadcast day?
We've been fortunate to have been a team for over 15 years and have become part of the Louisville area's morning routine. I'm a firm believer that you have to have an appointment-setting morning show and one that outperforms the radio station in order to have a successful radio station. It's about getting those morning listeners to come back to the station's website/podcast/social media page after they've gone into work to see what they missed. It's an old-school thought, but still holds weight, that if they go into work with your station on their radio, they're getting back in their car and your station is there, thus setting up your middays and afternoons.
5. Who would be a dream guest that you'd love to come in and plug in across from you folks in the studio?
So many people, but I'd love to get Ryan Reynolds in the studio for a half hour. Kelly has lusted after liked him for years and I know it would be fun radio for the listeners (and for us too).
6. How can the format make sure that potential Gen Z and Gen Alpha listeners are being properly served?
Personality and keep plugged into your community. Hire content creators to produce entertaining content and make it available to listeners where they are, on social media as well as on the air and in the community. Make your content available in podcast form. Reinforce that radio is a free medium with engaging personalities that can get you closer to your favorite artists, with fun contests, and as a bonus, free hit music. I love to learn too… I don't have all the answers, and love to speak with people who are both casual radio listeners as well as people as passionate about this industry as I am. You can learn a lot by listening.
7. What's your all-time favorite backstage memory?
I have two. The first is when I had my twin daughters interview Miley Cyrus backstage. "Party in the USA" had just come out, and I didn't do my homework to know that Jessie J wrote the song, and we asked what her favorite Jay-Z song was and she gave the, "I've never heard Jay-Z before…" answer that will now live in infamy. Then, when Chris Martin from Coldplay pulled me aside and talked to me separately from everyone else about a misunderstanding with our on-air interview and some other stuff that has become urban legend around here. He then proceeded to shout my wife and me out on stage during "The Scientist" because he's an awesome guy. Surreal.
8. If you could take a spin in the custom 'All Access Back To The Future Delorean,' which legendary station from the past would you like to work at for a week?
I'd love to walk the halls and work at a station like B96/Chicago when Eddie & Jobo/Roxanne Steele were there or KDWB with Dave, Scotty Davis, Ton E. Fly, etc. Or QFM 96 in Columbua with Waggs & Elliott/Joeshow - they all had vibes I wanted to be a part of!
9. What was your favorite station(s) to listen to when you were a kid? Jock(s)?
I was a rock/alternative kid growing up. In Columbus I loved QFM 96 and Waggs and Elliott in the Morning. Then 99.7 The Blitz signed on with Suzy Waud! And CD101 with Andyman (RIP) was a fav as well. Finally as a guilty pleasure, the Morning Zoo on WNCI.
10. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
This is something radio can do better! Mentoring younger and less experienced personalities and programmers is so important. If you're in a position to do this, DO IT; be a mentor to someone. As an industry we like to complain about the lack of talent and how can we find the next great personalities and programmers? Consider they could be already working for you. Maybe they are the part-time Promotions person or a Sales assistant? How are we going to know unless we talk to them, ask their goals, and try to put them in a path to develop. If the next generation is so important, give them your attention and quit being so worried that they'll leave or take your job. *Gets off soapbox* Dino Tripodis, Stacy McKay, Mike Elliott, Mike Donovan, George Lindsey, Chuck Knight, Phil Becker, and countless others who helped me develop by studying their on-air work via streaming their show or the articles they write/have written. Thank you!
Bonus Questions
With the venue of your choice available and an unlimited budget, which 6 artists would you pull together for a listener concert event?
Boy Band Reunion Concert!
*NSYNC
Backstreet Boys
Boys II Men
Jonas Brothers
One Direction
New Kids on the Block -
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