-
10 Questions with ... Johnjay Van Es
March 4, 2008
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
NAME:Johnjay Van EsPOSITION:Morning Show loverSTATION:KISSFM & KRQMARKET:Phoenix / TucsonOWNER:Clear Channel
Please outline your radio career so far:
WKRQ/Cincy (Jimmy Steal and Von Freeman gave me my shot), KKBQ/Houston, KRQ/Tucson and added KISS-FM/Phoenix.
1) Congrats on your continued ratings success. What were the highlights of your most recent Tucson book?
I think we were #1 in 59 demos ... all men and all women ... pretty darn cool.
2) You've managed to draw lots of media attention to the show, including national media attention. Tell us about the Ellen DeGeneres appearance.
Ellen was a BLAST! The whole thing was upscale and classy. Her entire organization was top notch. She called us ... liked us ... invited us to be guests on her show ... like actual sit-on-the-sofa guests. AMAZING! - YOUTUBE IT!
3) Your show has a lot of charity involvement, too...
The Johnjay And Rich Christmas Wish. The Johnjay And Rich Care For Kids Radioathon. we only do those two charities ... and then every single one anybody asks us to do, 'cause if we don't, we both believe something horrible will happen to our kids
4) How's the Phoenix end of the broadcast going?
Phoenix is BETTER THAN EVER! We thought it was going to take a lot longer, but two years and the show IS ... ON ... FIRE! Mark Medina and Tim Richards have been so supportive in letting us rock; one sweats the small stuff and the other is a big-picture thinker. It's a great team!
5) What promotion has gotten you in the most trouble?
Oh, God! Jeez, there was the banned-for-life stunt we did at the local military base with Prez Bush ... there's the woman who killed her neighbor's dog and told us about it on air ... there's the Michael Vick stunt guy who got attacked by pit bulls on the news and on our air ... there's the stunt guy in a raft down a flooded river ... there's the pumpkin chainsaw carving contest we did INSIDE THE HALLWAYS of CLEAR CHANNEL (that was a long day) ... there's the painting the local mountain red, white and blue when we went to war ... naked with Nana was scary.... Oh, soooo many, so soo many!
6) How would you describe your first radio gig?
My first real gig was insane. Jimmy Steal was my PD, Von Freeman was Marketing Director, Race Taylor did afternoons ... Brian Douglas was my partner and taught me the rules of radio. It was the best time and it was really the best of times. Then Jimmy f*#*ed me and moved to Dallas ... and then Von Freeman just f#&*ed me.... I mean for real; he was inside me.
What led you to a career in radio?
I've wanted to do this my whole life ... nothing else ... right now I am doing my DREAM JOB! I LOVE IT!
7) What is your favorite part of the job?
When a segment goes flawless; when it goes to the next level. We usually say stuff like "an okay show would do this; a great show would take it here." And then we take it higher ... THAT IS THE BEST!
8) What artist would we be surprised to find on your iPod?
The soundtrack to "West Side Story," all Lionel Richie, and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.
9) What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?
I have three boys with three women and didn't have sex with any of them. My wife and I adopted our first boy, then my sister-in-law carried my second son by way of in vitro and her being a gestational carrier, and then my wife carried our third son with in vitro ... CRAZY!
10) What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid?
This is the best: When I was a kid I listened to KRQ, and then I moved to Phoenix and listened to KZZP ... which is now KISS-FM!
Bonus Questions
What would you like to do to save radio from its "dying-industry" image?
I had no idea it's a dying industry. WTF? Can you be a little GLASS HALF-FULL, PLEASE?
-
-