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10 Questions with ... Dana Cortez
November 28, 2006
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NAME:Dana CortezPOSITION:APD/MorningsSTATION:KPTY/KKSSMARKET:Houston/AlbuquerqueCOMPANY:Univision RadioBORN:Big Spring, TX (yeee haaaw)RAISED:Dallas, TX
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I've worked six formats in seven years for AM/FM RADIO, CLEAR CHANNEL, HISPANIC BROADCASTING and UNIVISION RADIO. I love what I do and wouldn't do ANYTHING ELSE!
1. What got you into radio?
My sorry ass ex got me into this business. Besides my beautiful daughter it's the only other good thing I got out of the relationship. The girl he was cheating on me with thought it I had a GREAT personality for radio! LOL!
2. To date, what is the highlight of your radio career?
Interviewing the Hip Hop superstars I grew up LOVING. Run of Run DMC, Jay Z, Bun B, Ice Cube and LL Cool J! Those are moments I'll never forget.
3. Think back 10 years. Could you have imagined doing mornings in Houston in 2006?
NEVER! I was working @a phone company doing their books and this just HAPPENED. God is GOOD! My grandmother always told me I should do TV or radio. She said my big mouth was my biggest asset!
4. Can you tell me a little about your team at KPTY?
My team is not a team...WE'RE FAMILY! I work with such an amazing crew! Such talent! We fight, we cry, we laugh and at the end of the day, (just like FAMILY), we love each other!
5. How do you make KPTY stand out in a crowded market like HOUSTON?
By being EVERYBODY'S Hip Hop station and by being REAL. There is GREAT talent here, but no one thinks they are too good to shake hands and kiss babies. We know how lucky we are and hopefully our audience picks up on that.
6. Ever entertain the idea of transitioning to TV in some form?
Yes. I'm open to do TV. I've done it in the past and I've always wanted to report from the NFL sidelines! REALLY! Since I was a little girl! My uncle used to tell me I couldn't because I was a girl, now it's nothing but WOMEN! Anybody got any connections?
7. What's next for DANA CORTEZ?
NFL baby, HERE I COME! LOL! Seriously though, I want to be successful in this business I love so much. I've been blessed starting off in small market, (Midland/Odessa), to end up in Houston, TX in only 7 years! I don't know a lot about everything, but I KNOW radio. I'm CERTAIN my goal of growing in this industry will be fulfilled.
8. Who do you consider your mentor?
I've said this since day one...JOHN CANDELARIA is the person who started me in this game, showed me the ropes and taught me how radio is supposed to be done. I still have piles of e-mails and reports he gave me years ago. The one thing he said to me I'll never forget is, 'Radio is radio no matter where you are. Always run your station like you're in a major market. The studio is about the same size everywhere you go.' I love you John. I hope to grow up to be you someday!
9. A freak gravitational shift has added three hours to everyday. What would you do with those extra three hours?
More family time... NO QUESTION.
10. Where do you go to get away from it all?
Ya know, I used to take vacations thinking how great it would be to 'get away from it all' and now I've come to the realization that even when I'm off, my mind is on music and radio. This isn't just a job for me, it's how I live. Music has always played a very important role in my life. From listening to my grandmother's classics, Nat King Cole and The Glenn Miller Band to my mother's favorites, Marvin Gaye, Rufus and Chaka Khan, Earth, Wind & Fire to my earliest Hip Hop memories, Kool Moe Dee, NWA, Run DMC and even Cameo, (Hahahaha. I even have She's Strange on my myspace account), I've been in love with music. So getting away may be cool, but I'm still in it, always.
Bonus Questions
Bonus #1. In a couple sentences...what, if anything, is Radio missing right now?
Originality, passion...BALLS. Is that short enough for you?
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