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10 Questions with ... Ray Miller
February 28, 2006
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NAME:Ray MillerTITLE:Ops. ManagerSTATION:KERX - The X 95.3MARKET:Fort Smith, Arkansas (#177)COMPANY:Pearson BroadcastingBORN:Little Rock, AKRAISED:A little town called Mountain Home or as we called it, Heaven on Earth!
LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:
I worked in the Oil Industry ... for the 3rd time.
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started radio in high school, worked on the Gulf Coast, and then came home.
FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:
"I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles. I bought it at the Ben Franklin Store. Now you know my age.
FIRST CONCERT:
Deep Purple with an opening act called the Doobie Brothers. I learned what Pot smelled like for the first time.
FAVORITE BAND OF ALL-TIME:
My three favorites of all time are SRV, Pink Floyd and Eric Clapton, in that order.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
My speech teacher told me I should look into it after doing a radio show in class. I still love her!
2. How has The X changed since you joined the station?
The first and foremost thing is the new operating system. We went from a DOS Dinosaur to a new OMT system that allows me to work faster and more efficiently.
We have gone from "I can't listen to that" to "I listen to you guys all the time." In a nutshell, we changed from a REAL hard Active Rock to Alternative. We add new songs quicker than the station did in the past. There is more music maintenance than before. I love to program music and strive to make each day a "work of art" as far as doing the playlist. And we definitely live up to our liner that says, "Today's New Rock...FIRST."
The fact we are streaming now is a huge difference. So many people who live in Arkansas and Oklahoma who travel through here and listen to us can now hear us all the time.
3. What is your biggest challenge at the station?
Every day is a challenge. But no challenge is ever too big.
4. What would surprise people most about the station?
The fact that we actually play requests surprises most people. That we are a close-knit small family is surprising to a lot of our competitors.
5. How do you market The X?
We try to be everywhere. We give away a LOT of stuff. We are very community-oriented, and our web site helps a lot. We also run TV ads during the book.
6. What part of your job do you like best? Least?
Putting new music on the air before anyone else.
Least: Doing remotes at Car lots on holidays!
7. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Laughter.
8. What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
That I STILL LOVE radio and that listeners STILL want to get to know the person behind the mic. No matter what you do, salespeople will always bother you while you're on the air!
9. Biggest career highlight?
Working with the legendary Charlie West at KMOD was big. I have met a lot of rock stars, but the biggest was probably knowing I made a difference in a little girl's life who was dying of cancer, and I arranged for her to meet Elvis live on the air. I believed that a guy named John was actually Elvis for a few moments too. It was the first time I cried on the air, and I guess the last.
10. What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?
I would either be working in the Oil business or I would be a chef. I'm still looking at that option for later in life.
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
I LOVE to cook, I play golf when work allows it, and I like to go camping alone in a secluded place to clear my head.
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