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10 Questions with ... Rick McNulty
July 27, 2020
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
College Radio (Indiana, Loyola Marymount, Northwestern) to Community Radio (KOOP/Austin) to Public Radio (KUT and KUTX/Austin). Never held a job in commercial radio.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
My family was a big believer in radio; I was given a transistor at the age of five and became obsessed.
2. Who were your mentors?
John “Records” Landecker (WLS), Captain Whammo (WMET), Johnny Mars (WXRT) – all in Chicago. I never met them, but they made me want to be a disc jockey. Later, it was Vin Scully and Harry Caray with the way they could make baseball entertaining even when the game wasn’t.
3. How would you describe the music on the KUTX?
We’re all over the map. Our main passion is finding new music that has substance plus elevating the vibrant music scene in Austin. We mix that up with deep tracks from most genres and eras, going back to the ‘50s. In a typical set you can hear Anderson Paak into Chuck Berry paired with LCD Soundsystem and Gary Clark, Jr.
4. How are the music meetings being handled during this trying time?
It’s strange, but I think our music meetings have benefited because of the quarantine. Now everyone listens to the entire song usually more than once. We still have spirited discussions on Zoom, but these days we have time to sit with a track for a better-informed opinion.
5. What kind of specialty programming has the station been doing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?
We went fully automated for the first seven weeks of lockdown, so I added some songs to light rotation to let our listeners know we were thinking of them: John Lennon’s “Isolation,” The Specials’ “Ghost Town,” and Vera Lynn’s “We’ll Meet Again.” In early May we returned with live hosts.
6. What charity and community support events has the station tied into?
We have been supporting local music industry organizations like Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, the SIMS Foundation for mental health, and the Central Texas Food Bank.
7. Have you been doing any special programming around the social justice movement?
We participated in Black Out Tuesday and went with all black artists for Juneteenth. We are also addressing our music library so that we are more reflective of our community every day. This will be on ongoing concern.
8. What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
I learned from our legendary DJ Jody Denberg that this business can turn on a dime. He is absolutely right.
9. If you wanted to completely change careers today, what would you do?
Music Supervisor for HBO or Netflix. It’s not that different from being a radio MD.
10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without …
… Trying to find my next favorite song.
Bonus Questions
Last non-industry job:
Corporate Webmaster
First record ever purchased:
CCR’s Willie & the Poor Boys
First concert:
It was supposed to be Zeppelin in 1980, but sadly it was Styx’s Paradise Theater tour.
Favorite band of all-time:
Steely Dan
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?
Chasing down the best pressing of a given album.
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