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10 Questions with ... Clint Strand
April 16, 2012
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
- MD, KOZI/Chelan, WA
- PD/MD. KOHO/Wenatchee, WA
1. How did you become interested in radio?
I've always been interested in broadcasting in general. My aunt worked at the ABC affiliate in Portland; she'd take me to the newsroom all the time, and I had a ball blowing up reporters' deadlines asking a million questions. I started to fall in love with radio in college. The intimacy of the medium was the hook for me, and I have always held a passion for music.
2. Who are/were your mentors?
Unfortunately, I was raised by wolves. Joking ... kind of. Since I've worked at small, independent stations, my in-house professional improvement has been largely self-directed. That being said, a number of programmers I respect have allowed me to bend their ears from time to time.
3. How would you describe the music on the station?
We try to straddle the middle line between a progressive playlist and our core artists. Our playlist will always comes back to the center lane ... Dave, Jack, Coldplay, etc. At the same time, our listeners look to us to break new artists and introduce new finds on a weekly basis. Can Adam Duritz and Sharon Van Etten play nice in the sandbox? I say yes ... and I think our listeners agree.
4. What do you like best about your job?
First and foremost, fostering the connection our station has with our listeners is wonderful. When we find an artist we can champion and cultivate with our audience -- when we pull that off, there's no better feeling.
5. What is your typical day like?
I'm at the station before 5a and on the air for our morning show from six 'til 10. After that, I meet with our news staff to check on developing stories for later in the day. Once those tasks are taken care of, I plow through all the music I've been serviced that day, tinker with future playlists and, of course, work diligently on my long-term projects, because we all have so much time to devote to that, right?
6. What are some of your biggest challenges as an independent station?
Doing more with less from a personnel standpoint, without a doubt. It's a daily challenge to devote some time to long-term initiatives and planning when so much needs to be done right this instant. That being said, I know we all feel like we're taking the knife to the gunfight to some degree no matter our ownership situation. All in all, my experience of independent ownership has been wonderful. Supportive, it gives us the tools to make great radio, and about as stable an employment situation as one can expect in this industry. Now please excuse me while I find some wood to knock on.
7. If you could add any one full-time position to your budget with no questions asked, what would it be?
Thanks for giving me license to daydream for about 10 minutes. Honestly, I would just love someone who can be a utility infielder of sorts; able to commit time to dub in our features, produce ads, execute some of the time-sucking but necessary planning details for upcoming promotions, etc. If I had to commit a full-time position to just one task, I would love to bring aboard a new media all-star; someone updating our web presence, engaging our listeners on our Facebook and Twitter platforms and so on.
8. What type of features do you run on the station?
National features we run include eTown, Acoustic Café, and Putumayo World Music. We also create features in-house, including a weekly outdoor report, a locally sourced cooking feature (sounds odd for an auditory medium, I know, but it's amazing), and an album feature once a week where we show off one new release in its entirety.
9. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Older. Wiser. Happy. Less hair.
10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ...
... at least one very large belly laugh, and kisses from my wife and daughter. And, of course, coffee.
Bonus Questions
Last non-industry job:
Barista, in college.
First record ever purchased:
Thriller ... like every other eight-year-old at the time.
First concert:
Ever? Elton John. Yellow Brick Road tour. Still in the womb. My parents told me I was a dancing machine.
Favorite band of all-time:
Pearl Jam, for purely sentimental reasons.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?
Definitely playing my guitar, although between the job and my family, it's really been shooting me lonely glances from the other room recently.
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