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10 Questions with ... Willobee
January 1, 2013
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Began radio career with New York's WLIR. First PD gig Y-107 Monmouth, NJ. Launched KCQR Santa Barbara where I discovered Ugly Kid Joe and helped get them signed to Mercury. Launched first Edge brand with Jacobs Media in Fresno and then moved to The Edge in Phoenix. Left radio for artist Management in L.A. with Jeff Kwatinetz and Peter Katsis (now with Prospect Park) working with Korn, General Public, Phunk Junkeez, and others. In Austin, served as GM for Two River Canyon Amphitheatre and part-time air talent for Clear Channel. Returned to radio full-time as OM/PD for independent Alternative WEQX in Albany, NY. I then joined Shamrock Communications in Scranton, PA as OM/PD for Classic Rock 107 and Alternative FM 92.1.
1. What led to the return of 104.1 KRZQ The Real Alternative?
Last year, Wilks Broadcasting dropped the format and flipped to Hot AC. They also let go of the 20 year heritage call letters. Our chief engineer thought it would be a good idea to grab them for future reference, no matter what the format. When I got to Reno in January 2012, all research and chatter pointed to the demise of the format and the station. It became very clear that the obvious choice for one of our stations was to resurrect the calls and format.
2. What is the signal coverage of 104.1 FM and how does it compare to the old signal?
Our signal is twofold. We have our main transmitter out in the desert with a stick taller than the empire state building. However, due to the mountain blocking our path into Reno, we also have a booster transmitter within the market itself to cover the shadow. We have a strong signal in the heart of the market.
3. Tell us about your new position in Reno with Shamrock Communications as Director Of Broadcast Operations and launching four new FM stations?
This is certainly the most fun, challenging, and rewarding position in my career. I previously had the chance to do one start-up in Santa Barbara and this is multiplied by four. For the past eight months, me and our GM John Burkavage have sort of been out of radio and been in the construction business. It was great to be a part of the design phase and build-out of our building and studios and watching the whole process come to fruition.
4. What excited you the most about moving from Wilkes Barre-Scranton to Reno?
I think I was most excited about the city itself. It's a beautiful city nestled in the snow covered mountains and the weather is spectacular. This is a great music town filled with so many things to do with skiing in Lake Tahoe to the casinos downtown. This place is fun, vibrant, and always jumping.
5. How important was it for you to hire some of the former KRZQ staff?
The best part of my job was being able to assemble my dream team of amazing talent handpicked from right here in the market which includes KRZQ alums Chris Payne and Smilin' Marty Whitney. Chris is our APD/MD and PM drive talent while Marty is doing morning drive and serves as APD/Imaging Director. Chris and Marty are so closely associated with the brand, and while we are not the same company, they bring that sense of familiarity that make our listeners feel at home.
6. What will surprise people the most about KRZQ?
I think the big surprise is out of the bag. It was very difficult to keep the plan under wraps once we decided on this direction. But listeners who grew up with the brand, we hope, will be pleasantly surprised at the new sound of the station. We are being respectful of the 20 year music heritage while taking the brand into the future with well thought out new music choices.
7. What is most important to you when championing new music for KRZQ?
We intend to be familiar yet adventurous at the same time making KRZQ the destination to discover new music and trends. The most important thing is that the new music fits the overall vibe and direction of the station. We will be tapping into our listeners' preferences in several ways to make sure we don't lose sight of why they love the brand so much.
8. Why will KRZQ be successful?
A few reasons. First, we have a company that supports a fresh take on the way we make radio. Shamrock believes in investing in this market so the market will in turn invest in us. Second, we have an amazing General Manager John Burkavage whose instincts are on point and direction is supportive beyond the norm. We have one of the most respected Director Of Sales Kara Brown, who has developed a solid client base without having any radio stations on the air. And finally, we have an amazing team in all departments that have a level of unbridled passion I have not seen in ages.
9. How did the station get such an impressive number of "likes" on Facebook?
Since the demise of KRZQ almost a year ago, there have been Facebook pages to bring back the station. There have been support groups (not really) but everywhere I went, that's all people talked about, the major loss in the market, sometimes sounding like the death of a loved one. Well, we tapped into that segment in a few ways. We had a website MyRenoRadio.com to introduce ourselves and ask the market what we should do with the four new radio stations. Bringing back KRZQ was the #1 request in the survey. Prior to launch, we fired up an advertising campaign blitz for the "???? Resurrection" concert starring Everclear, which started a buzz. We ran newspaper ads, TV spots and digital billboards. Five days prior to going live, we replaced the four question marks with the KRZQ calls and launched our Facebook page. We actually got shut down for several hours due to the overload.
10. What do you love the most about your job?
I love being surrounded by creative, passionate and dedicated people who all share the same vision. I get up every morning and for a few hours punch up three radio stations and continue to be impressed with the level of talent that we have in our humble little building.
Bonus Questions
What's the latest with your little girl and which new station will be her favorite?
My wife's favorite is Martini Radio but I think my daughter's will be KRZQ. My daughter is 2 years and 4 months old now. I haven't been on the air for about three years so she's never heard me on the radio. I am doing middays and the first day on the air my wife texted me and said they were listening. My wife told my daughter "listen! It's daddy!" My daughter said "no mommy, it's Mickey Mouse!" Some things never change.
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