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10 Questions with ... Jordan
March 31, 2009
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Please outline your radio career so far:
6/00-4/02 - WWHT (Hot 1079)/Syracuse: Weekends/swing/morning show co-host
4/02-4/04 - WEZB (B-97)/New Orleans: nights
4/04-present - WKFS (Kiss 107)/Cincinnati: started as nights/MD, now PD/MD/afternoon drive1) What led you to a career in radio?
I remember riding to my father's house on the weekends and memorizing street names so I could give 'requested shout-outs and dedications' to 'listeners' while I pretended to host a radio show from my bedroom. Live and local, I guess. I must've been six years old. I'd also stop the dental hygienist mid-cleaning to name the title and artist of the song playing over the inner-office monitors. Still no cavities!
2) What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid?
93Q (WNTQ) was the powerhouse Top 40 in Syracuse when I was a kid -- Dave Laird, Ted Long, The Ragman. Listening to hear my name announced on my birthday was a yearly tradition. I also grew up listening to Oldies 92.1 WSEN. My parents knew what music I'd benefit from later in life.
3) What is the current state of the radio "talent pool"?
Good question ... many routes to take on this one. It really doesn't feel like a pool, though ... more like a slip 'n slide, and I feel the blame is on those who teach the wrong fundamentals (or, the lack of teaching). No longer is radio about "deep voices and post hitting;" radio is about personality. Do listeners really care that your voice sounds deeper than James Earl Jones, or that you stopped talking just as Flo-Rida's voice started? Talk to me like you're talking to your girlfriend, asking where you're gonna go to dinner that night. Show me your personality.
Ask yourself, "Do I give my audience a look into who I really am? Do I offer up personal videos and photo albums from my birthday with my family on my personality page? Does my audience know what my pet looks like, or have they seen the video of my pet doing something stupid?" Chances are, your listener doesn't drive the Bentley Christina Aguilera drives that you have "featured" up on your blog, but I'm sure they'd relate to you being a pet owner.
Be real, be unique; if your audience knows the real you, you've made new friends. I carry a camera with me everywhere I go. I share as much about me as I can.
4) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?
Phil Hendrie. The first time I heard his material, my sides hurt from laughing so hard. Working the phone the way he does is amazingly impressive, and how he can concentrate on his material, character and listener without fumbling blows me away.
5) What music do you listen to when you're not working?
Oldies and '80s. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Sinatra, Huey Lewis and The News, Simon and Garfunkel, Dean Martin, Billy Joel, Neil Sedaka, Phil Collins, Sting, etc ... an interesting blend indeed.
It's difficult for me to listen to the Top 40 brand of music for too long a period of time outside of work; consistently monitoring Kiss, and sitting behind the Selector screen for too long means I need the "mental music sponge" squeezed; that's where the Oldies and '80s come into play.
6) What advice would you give people new to the business?
Don't be afraid to ask questions, and never turn down an opportunity. Never expect something will simply come your way; you have to work for it. It amazes me how many newcomers think they're "better" than what's asked or suggested of them. They feel that a few semesters at a "learn how to be in radio" school means they're ready to be behind the microphone. Show me you're hungry; passion is easy to spot by those who are passionate.
7) What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?
I'm a die-hard Syracuse Orange fan, and have watched "The Sopranos" start to finish four times. I'm also a weather nerd and love monitoring severe weather.
8) What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
Its not market size, but longevity that proves success.
9) What is your favorite part of the job?
It's too hard to pick one favorite part ... so much goes into Kiss 107. Being a part of the daily product is extremely rewarding, though. Hearing a new addition to the playlist for the first time on-air is great. Talking with a listener and having multiple reactions to the conversation, knowing you struck a chord and the listener felt the need to call (even if you didn't give out your phone number). Sitting in a promotions meeting and brainstorming ideas is great; strategic planning for upcoming quarters leaves me anxious for what's to come. It's a feeling of "how can we make tomorrow better than today was." Above all else, being outside of the station and meeting those who keep us on their presets. To know they appreciate what we do makes all the hours of work that much more gratifying.
There hasn't been a day that I've dreaded coming into work ... I can't believe how lucky I am each day to be able to do what I do.
10. Do you have a favorite hobby outside of radio?
I've been playing guitar since I was 12 years old, and I watch copious amounts of Food Network.
Bonus Questions
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A city snowplow driver. (Last snow storm, I actually called the City of Cincinnati and asked to ride along with a driver ... and I'll do it again next winter, too, if given the opportunity!)
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