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10 Questions with ... MoJo
May 24, 2005
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NAME:MoJoPOSITION:PD/MD/morningsSTATION:WHHZMARKET:Gainesville/Ocala (#86)COMPANY:Sunshine BroadcastingBORN:Columbus, OhioRAISED:Columbus, Ohio
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
WFKS (99.9 KISS FM)/Daytona Beach, WHHZ (then-Z100 Today's Hottest Music), Sports Talk WTMN (AM 1430 The Team)/Gainesville, and back to WHHZ.
FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:
The first one I remember purchasing was Run DMC "Rasin' Hell." And yes, I still have it!
FIRST CONCERT:
Journey at the Ohio State Fair! Did I just admit that?
FAVORITE BANDS OF ALL-TIME:
Neil Diamond
1. Why did you recently re-position the station from North Florida's New Rock to Gainesville's Rock Alternative?
It identifies the product more accurately and puts more of a market feel on the station. It was the final piece in our morph to a true Alternative station. When we started North Florida's New Rock worked, but as time went on things changed and it became clear that we needed to freshen it up to give it a more accurate identity. The change identifies the station, the music, and the city. I know. We are perfect.
2. How do you have The Buzz positioned musically and why?
Missionary position! Oh, that's not what you meant? Dammit! Ok, musically we tend to stay away from the so-called "Kawk Rawk" and concentrate more on the true identity of the format. The other guys had a good grip on that way before we got here. Why does that sound so dirty? The other rock station in our market has been around for 30 years. From the time I took over this station I knew we couldn't survive doing the same thing they where. We had to fill a void. The void? Alternative!
Still to this day I can't believe that a great college town like this with a great music scene lacked a good Alternative station. Others tried to do it and some how failed. It had a lot to do with bad programming. Still you can guess that convincing the right people this would work wasn't easy. However what we were doing wasn't working so we had to try something new and different. I knew this station could work if done right musically. It was all about knowing the market and the music.
Slowly Godsmack and Linkin Park go bye bye and up pops Morrissey and The Pixies. Not as far fetched as one might think. The trick is to get the station sounding good. Let's face it; Alternative is a melting pot of music. You have everything from The Roots to New Order. Making it sound good is not easy. However the end result is one of the best sounding stations you have ever heard. Throw in a pinch of the old wave (Pixies, NY Dolls, Velvet Underground, Ramones, Sex Pistols), a pinch of the new wave (The Killers, The Mars Volta, Franz Ferdinand, The Black Keys), a spot of Goth, a sprinkle of Punk, and a dash of Indie. Mix all of that together and you have yourself one hell of a product.
You can do all of this and still be a great commercial product. People ask me all the time how we manage to pull all of this off and still be familiar. Two words: feature shows. We have a local show (covers the huge local scene in the market), a Independent show (They can play a lot of stuff we can't in normal rotation), a Punk show (another huge scene in the market), an Adult Alternative show (nothing like some Annie Difranco on your way to brunch Sunday Mornings), and a Goth/Industrial show (Spooky folks need love too).
A lot of people had given up on radio in this market. The music we play has made them turn it back on. It's shown in ratings and market research. We continue to grow and it's all a reflection of the music and of course my morning show.
3. How do you stay in touch with the latest music trends?
Mediabase, R&R, Billboard, Spin, Rolling Stone, Amazon, Pitchfork Media, and last but not least…Shawn Alexander and the fine folks at Allaccess.
4. Of all the things you've done at The Buzz, what has been your biggest accomplishment?
Surviving! We had a lot of ups and downs the first couple years. From technical problems to turn over. It wasn't easy. The fact that we are still standing and are starting to have success is truly our biggest accomplishment. It's all because of a fine staff that truly believes in what we are doing.
5. You also host mornings on the station. How would you explain your morning show and what is your goal each day?
I am sure it is obvious to most of you that have been reading this that I am not only amazingly intelligent I am quite amusing. So is there really any reason to explain how great the morning show is? Some day you will be standing around the water cooler talking about reading this and saying you knew me before I was big.
Ok! For the doubters, our morning show is quite unique. It's unique in the fact that we take everything that everyone does wrong and avoid it. It incorporates music as well as good topical content. I think it is very important to be relatable and I think we do a better job than most. People laugh and actually feel like they are part of the show. It's the difference in talking to them and talk at them.
6. If you could work for any radio station, where would it be and why?
I guess there is a standard answer for this question and yes I would love to work for K-Rock (WXRK/NY). There are a ton of great stations in a ton of great markets. I have just always wanted to do radio in my hometown. I grew up in Columbus Ohio a great radio market. It would be an honor to work for any station in that market. However if I had to make a choice I would have to say that CD101 would be at the top of my list. I can still remember when the station signed on. It's really amazing what a unique product they have maintained all these years. Its one thing I always identify with Columbus and when I am homesick I listen online. It would be quite a rush to be a part of a truly great station like CD101.
7. What do you feel Alternative Radio needs to change and why?
I think a lot of stations are out of touch with the needs of their market. Not everything works everywhere. What happened to the "home town station?" Heritage went from being an honor to being something meaningless. Radio is a whole new chess game now. Things that once mattered are gone. The trick now is to figure out how to survive within what's left. It doesn't matter if it's Alternative or Polka, if you are not in touch with the needs of the market. They need to see what voids they can fill in their markets and start building. There are so many untapped sources that this format could take advantage of.
It's amazing to me how marketable this music is right now and no one knows what to do with it. Every trendy commercial you see is using it. Yet we are asking this question.
What needs to change? Lack of patience. Sit back and wait. We are coming for you Bob!
8. Biggest career highlight?
Doing a morning show. There is no other job like it in radio. Since I was a kid I dreamed of being on the radio and doing mornings. I really can't imagine a better thing. Maybe I am just a big kid, but I still get excited every morning. In most radio dayparts you are a person in between … In morning radio you are part of someone's routine. Being a fan of radio, I truly appreciate being part of someone's routine. It's awesome and the most enjoyable thing I have been a part of.
9. What are you most passionate about?
My family. Yes that's right! MoJo has reproduced. I have a wonderful wife, three children, and two dogs that put up with long hours and the stuff I say on the radio. I can imagine how terrifying it is to hear what may come out of daddy's mouth. The whole tribe is really supportive of the gypsy lifestyle that this business offers. I always try to keep them at an arms length from everything. Just because dad decided to be in the public eye doesn't mean they have to be. A family and radio can be done.
10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Mountain Dew
Bonus Questions
How did you get the name MoJo?
MoJo derives from the German word Mojoe. Which in German means incredibly good looking and witty. Ok, I went Newsweek for a second. Actually, years ago a consultant gave me a choice. MoJo or Jammer? Since Jammer sounded like a low budget porn, I went with MoJo.
What do you enjoy doing for fun?
Scaring the metros on the golf course, antagonizing my wife, and running with the bulls.
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