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10 Questions with ... Cody Black
August 18, 2015
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
From pizzas to promotions to programming, the 5 year story.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
If I'm being honest, I don't have a mystical tale of how I always knew that I was destined to be in radio. I had a friend who worked in the business and they referred me in to work for the Promotions department. It was fun, easy, and involved my greatest passion - music. My interest grew from there. After working here for 4 months, I was watching The Black Keys perform a few feet in front of me. I was so close they should have handed me an instrument. That's when I knew that this was the career for me.
2. What was your favorite station growing up in Jacksonville and what do you remember the most about the station?
My favorite station growing up was WPLA. It was the only new rock station in town. I wasn't old enough to grasp the bits or "attitude" but I remember loving the music at the time. My first day at WXXJ was the day that they forced WPLA to flip its format to Hot AC.
3. How did you get your recent promotion to APD?
I can't say enough about the incredible leadership that exists in this company and especially in this building. Cox Media Group puts a huge emphasis on developing their talent and giving you the resources to be anything that you want, as long as you're willing to put in the work and prove your talents. They allowed me to do just that. I mentored closely under the former PD, Aaron Schachter, to learn the trade, develop my programming skills, and become intimate with this unique product. Aaron was given the opportunity to run our News/Talk station and they asked me to step up and take on the role of APD and day-to-day manager of WXXJ. It's a dream job and I'm very grateful.
4. What has been your biggest challenge since taking on APD duties at X1029?
I will harp on my previous point. The leadership in this building provided me with the mentorship, opportunities, and challenges it took to be ready for this position. They have been there to answer any questions that I have had. The biggest challenge so far has been time management. We are in a period where you must be efficient and do multiple jobs at once. I believe that the biggest challenge moving forward will be my development as a leader. Picking records and writing jokes is easy, but how will I inspire people around me to be great? It's a challenge that I am eager to accept.
5. What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of this job is creating experiences for our fans. We own the live and local music scene in Jacksonville and we put together some remarkable concerts and events with the help of our partners.
6. What sort of things make X1029 unique?
The most unique thing about X1029 is its imaging. We don't have traditional jocks. We have one talented and hilarious personality - Tank. He writes and produces comedic imaging pieces that run throughout the day, such as; "Jobs Stoners Shouldn't Do" and "The Memoirs of Vladamir Putin." Think of him as the host of a 24 hour radio show that includes dozens of other nameless voices and characters. We customize every piece on the air from Legal IDs to music intros. This has become our thing. It's what we're known for. I think it's why we're nominated for a Marconi. (I had to fit that in somewhere) :)
7. What are you most proud of from your role as Promotions Director?
While in Promotions I had the opportunity to help other talented people grow into their careers within the building. Many great members of our team started in Promotions and seeing them achieve their goals is quite rewarding.
8. What do you like best about living in Jacksonville?
A lot of people say that Jacksonville is a big city and a small town. You get the great food, booming concert scene, and pro sports franchise without the traffic and noise. Plus, I live at the beach.
9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ________.
Asking Tank to turn his music down. He has the worst taste. Right now, he's blaring Glass Tiger's "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" at the highest possible volume. Ugh.
10. What would surprise people most about you?
I'm 24 years old.
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
Playing music. Eating food. Comedy.
Last non-industry job?
I worked at a pizza shop.
First record ever purchased?
Limp Bizkit "Three Dollar Bill, Y'all". Did you really think you were going to make it through an interview about Jacksonville without a Limp Bizkit mention?
First concert?
Van Halen.
Favorite band of all-time?
Beck. He is the definition of an artist. So creative, so versatile. Sea Change is a masterpiece and I'm glad that he is finding new fans during this golden age of alternative music.
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