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10 Questions with ... Sean Mack
December 1, 2009
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
After doing college radio for three years at Syracuse University (Let's Go Orange), I moved to Atlanta and worked at WBTS (95-5 the Beat). Starting in such a big market, I did whatever they let me do (phones, board-op, promotions), eventually working my way up to weekend/swing as well as the program director for the station's HD channel. In 2006, I was offered a job 10 minutes from the beach. I took it and I've been here ever since. I started as the night jock and have been afternoons/MD since the beginning of this year.
1) How would you describe your first radio gig?
My first job was at the Beat in Atlanta. I beat out a hundred other applicants ... to be the phone op for the afternoon show. I was working in a music store to pay bills as well, so my days consisted of four hours at the store, four hours at the station, and then four more hours at the store ... as well as weekends board-op'ing and eventually my first on-air shift in the middle of the night. An amazing experience ... from what I can remember.
2) What makes your station unique? How would you compare it to other stations you've worked at?
Working at Apex, we're allowed a little more leeway than a station owned by a bigger company. We've used this to our advantage by "living in the now." If there's a song we like, we don't wait on research or a consultant to tell us it's good. In the past couple of years we (myself, PD Bryan Taylor and APD Special Ed) helped break such artists as Lady GaGa and the Ting Tings with this philosophy.
3) Are you wearing more "hats" than you have in the past?
Isn't everybody? Ten years ago, if you wanted to get into radio you needed to be a good jock. Today, you need to be able to deliver across the board ... on-air, on the web, on the streets, and at your desk.
4) What's the coolest promotion you've EVER been involved with?
When I was at the Beat in Atlanta, our PD (Cagle ... holla at ya, boy) knew we had to do something BIG for summertime. So we rented a 65-foot houseboat on Lake Lanier and called it the "B-Yacht." The promos sounded awesome, "Some stations have a van ... we have a yacht!" We would bring listeners out every weekend and even have artists perform on the roof.
5) What artist would we be surprised to find on your iPod?
My iPod is a sheer delight, I tell ya. Mostly old-school hip-hop. Let's find something truly odd ... hmmm ... lots of Ani DiFranco. Like, eight albums worth. Moving on...
6) What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?
I have an imdb page. I had a part in a good friend's independent film, "Left/Right." After hitting the festival circuit for the past year, the film is gearing up for distribution. Check it out at leftrightthemovie.com.
7) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?
My boy Austin and I worked together in Atlanta. He's since moved on to Indianapolis and now mornings in Ft. Wayne at Hot 107.9. Austin lives and breathes radio. He's always thinking of new ways to present himself on-air and is as dedicated as anyone I know.
8) Do you have a favorite hobby outside of radio?
I love sneakers. Love to collect them, stare at them longingly, and tuck them in at night. I wish my wallet loved sneakers as much as I do.
9) What music do you listen to when you're not working?
Mostly old-school Hip-Hop. A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Hieroglyphics, Wu-Tang Clan. I'll also sprinkle in some Radiohead, Beck and the White Stripes for good measure.
10) What is it about our industry that keeps you wanting to do it for a living?
The chance we have as radio professionals to truly reinvent what we do. When I was in school, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do television or radio. Now, I can do both through web videos. Twitter and Facebook give us ways to reach our audience like never before. Do you know what the radio industry will look like in 10 years? Me neither. And that excites me.
Bonus Questions
Name the artist/act (living or dead) you'd love to meet and why?
Rick Rubin ... because he's a freaking genius. And weird. And he looks like the kind of dude who would be cool to sit with at a bar for hours and talk about life.
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