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10 Questions with ... Steve Harper
November 18, 2008
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NAME:Steve HarperPOSITION:PD/OperationsSTATION:WBEAMARKET:Hamptons/RiverheadOWNER:AAA Entertainment
Please outline your radio career so far:
25 years at WBLI/Long Island doing mornings and afternoons.
I've been at WBEA/Long Island since 2/07.1) How would you describe your first radio gig?
I was 17 ... probably the youngest afternoon-drive jock ever in a medium market. It sounds good, but in reality it was an AM station and there were times the owner would send his 7-year-old into the studio while I was on air. I was a DJ and babysitter!
2) What led you to a career in radio?
I wanted to be on the radio since I was 7, listening off my little AM portable! I used to think the artists were at the station singing live!
3) Are you wearing more "hats" than you have in the past?
More than ever. I went from a medium market to a smaller one looking for new challenges. I'm very much into the technical end of radio, so I get to handle engineering issues as well. To me it's not work ... it's a passion.
4) What is your favorite part of the job?
Planning fundraisers. Using radio to make a difference in my community.
5) What is the most challenging part of the job?
Making the most of the resources available.
6) What artist would we be surprised to find on your iPod?
John Denver. I'm not a Country fan, but he's got a way with words and music ... a way to relax. By the way, please don't tell anyone I've got John Denver on my iPod!
7) What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid?
77 WABC/New York.
8) Do you have a favorite hobby outside of radio?
Electronics. I'm a geek with a soldering iron.
9) What music do you listen to when you're not working?
Reggae!
10) What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
My reputation. I'm often told I have a lot of intergrity.
Bonus Questions
What's the biggest gaffe you've made on-air?
Earlier in my career, I ran a recorded traffic report where the reporter screwed up and cursed. I thought we had erased it. I'll never forget slowly walking up to the front office area waiting to hear the GM explode. I asked the receptionist if he had heard it. He did ... and laughed. It's one of those minor moments still etched in my brain (2:47pm on a Thursday) that made me be extra careful about what makes it to air!
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