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10 Questions with ... Alvin Stowe
August 29, 2006
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NAME:Alvin StoweTITLE:PDMARKET:Charlotte, NCCOMPANY:Radio-One, Inc.BORN:December 25, 1955 (Winston-Salem, N.C.)RAISED:Winston-Salem, NC
Please outline your radio career so far:
WSHA-FM (Shaw University) 1975-78
WRNC-AM (Raleigh) 1976
WDNC/WDCG (Raleigh) 1977-1979
WDUR (Durham) 1979
WFXC (Durham) 1984
WBLX (Mobile) 1986
WMGL (Charleston, S.C.) 1987
Atlantic Records (N.C./S.C.) 1988
WQMG (Greensboro) 1998
WQNC/WPZS (Charlotte) 20051) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
College Radio Announcer (WSHA) was my first job. J.C. Futrell and Joe Nuckles are my early influences.
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment, which made you realize "this is it"?
My brother spent a little time on WAAA-FM, so that's what led me to radio. My "this is it" moment came practicing doing commercials on my brother's reel-to-reel while he was at work.
3) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now, what you didn't then, would you still do it?
No question about it.
4) Where do you see yourself and the industry five years from now? How do you feel about the PPM eventually replacing the diary?
Programming Consultant. Wish it could happen sooner than later. Diary retrieving is so antiquated.
5) How you feel about being made to wait on a record you hear until the research validates it?
It's got to be played somewhere before it researches. I believe in research combined with a gut feel, especially when you know what your audience wants.
6) What is going to happen to the training of tomorrow's talent and programmers if the current trend continues? How do you feel about syndication and voice-tracking?
True "radio heads" will always develop into great programmers, training or not. Syndication bothers me a bit, but again if you're serious about your craft, you deserve to be syndicated at some point in your career. I absolutely love voice tracking, but not to abuse to privilege. It's also a great self airchecking tool.
7) What adjustments have you had to make in light of the new competition in Charlotte? You have hired a couple of new staffers, Jae Delai and Nikki Sanchez. How do you feel they will do and help you to continue to compete?
New Personalities and Wendy Williams in the afternoon. Jaye is an incredible talent who loves touching people with his show, especially on location. His midday show is the best I've heard yet. Nikki Sanchez, now Nicole Hill was raised here in Charlotte and knows the market. She has an incredible ear for music, sounds great on-the-air, and with her being our first evening personality she'll be very successful increasing our night time ratings .
8) Of all the skills you have gained through the years, is there an area you'd like to improve?
I'm always looking to improve on my Selector skills.
9) How do you feel the current pressure from the federal government and their on-going investigation is going to affect our industry? Are urban programmers going to be slower in adding and playing new music?
No concern, and I don't see it affecting our industry significantly. Urban AC programmers are already slow! Urban programmers may slow down slightly, but only if there's no quality music available to choose from.
10) As you look back over your career ... any regrets? Missed opportunities?
None that I can think of. Nope.
Bonus Questions
What's been your biggest disappointment in Radio today?
Programmers being restricted in making decisions best for their market.
How did you get your present job?
GM Debbie Kwei-Cook was determined to get me here, and I was determined to come.
What is your biggest challenge working at this station?
Knowing that we share audiences (Q92.7 & Praise 100.9FM). Also, we're "Radio David" vs "Radio Goliath," with our two stations being two years old and the competition (WBAV & WPEG) being over 12 and 25 years old respectively.
What do you do with a song you don't like?
Like John P. Kee - Wait On It
What's the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you?
Station ID First always! The worst? Put a winner on live (one guy won $500 and said his favorite station was our competitor).
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