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10 Questions with ... John DeSantis
April 4, 2006
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NAME:John DeSantisTITLE:Program Director/Air PersonalitySTATION:KCXX (X103.9)MARKET:Riverside/San Bernardino, CA (#27)COMPANY:All Pro BroadcastingBORN:1/13RAISED:North Hollywood, CA
LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:
Waiting tables at Gladstone's 4 Fish in Malibu, CA
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Interned at several stations out of college - KLOS, KQLZ (Pirate Radio), and 91X. First on-air job was at KROR (Hot Country!) in Yucca Valley, CA. Stopped at KCAL, XHRM (The Flash) and then here at KCXX. I started as a weekend jock, and over the last 10 years worked my way up to PD.
FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:
Oingo Boingo's EP in 1980
FIRST CONCERT:
DEVO at the L.A. Forum on December 10th, 1981
FAVORITE BAND OF ALL-TIME:
TOOL
1. How did you first become interested in radio?
It's all I've ever wanted to do. My grandmother once had a job where she changed out the records in jukeboxes, and my Mom ended up with all the 45's. These eventually became mine, and so I grew up listening to The Beatles, Elvis, The Beach Boys and more. My life changed at the age of 8 when I received my first tape recorder. That's when I began pretending to be a radio DJ. I'd record myself introducing the song, hit play on my Snoopy turntable, and hold the mic next to the speaker until the song was over (I still have the tapes!).
2. You've worked under a number of PDs during your tenure at X103.9, now you get the chance to call the shots, what are you doing differently?
I guess it's my overall philosophy of working together as a team to create a radio community for our listeners. Sounds like a pretty simple concept, and it is. But when I took over, everyone was living on their own island. Now we're all on the same page, and it's made a tremendous difference that our listeners can feel.
3. How has X103.9 changed over the past year?
X103.9 continues to be a work in progress. We've gone from being an Active-leaning Alternative to more of a Mainstream Alternative. For us it's all about variety. We play everything Alternative.
4. What part of your job do you like best? Least?
I love being on the air, connecting with the listener, and playing music I'm really into - it doesn't get any better than that. As far as what I like the least, it would have to be dealing with most of the sales people.
5. What makes your station unique?
We are one of the last independently-owned radio stations around. We are owned by one guy, NFL Hall Of Famer Willie Davis, and we all answer to him. We've been given the freedom to create radio as it was meant to be, without all the corporate interference. That also means we don't have the corporate budgets or corporate influence with record labels, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
6. What would surprise people most about X103.9?
We operate with a whopping 180 watts!
7. You have a pretty unique afternoon feature called, "Happy Hour." Tell us about it and how it originated?
A little over a year ago we were making some moves and wanted to do something different in the afternoon. What we came up with was Happy Hour. Our night guy, Steve Inman, joins me from 5p-7p, and we do a team show with games, phones, topics, and lots of requests. I've been friends with Steve for years, so our personalities gelled right away. Now it's our highest-rated daypart!
8. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Playing with my kids!
9. Biggest career highlight?
It would have to be getting the PD gig here at X103.9.
10. What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?
At one point I was planning on going into architecture.
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
Snowboarding, camping, and collecting Hot Wheels!
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