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10 Questions with ... Rizzuto
August 2, 2005
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NAME:RizzutoPOSITION:Afternoon DriveSTATION:KPNT (105.7 The Point)MARKET:St. Louis (#19)COMPANY:Emmis CommunicationsBORN:8/17/78 in New York CityRAISED:New York City
LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:
Worked at a foto-mat inside a drug store (for some reason, I never got any nude photos while working there. Bummer! That's why I took the job, not for the money, but for the free porn).
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
WXRK (K-ROCK)/New York - Promo Coordinator/Swing Air-Talent, WHTG/Monmouth, NJ - Weekends, Sirius Satellite Radio (Octane Channel) - Nights, KPNT (105.7 The Point) - nights, now Afternoon Drive.
FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:
Remember those Columbia House, 8 CDs for a penny? I got a whole bunch of TAPES. The only ones I remember getting were Def Leppard - Hysteria, Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood and Gun's N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction (I think that I still owe Columbia House money).
FIRST CONCERT:
Page and Plant for the UnLedded Tour at the Brendan Byrne Arena (now Continental Airlines Arena).
FAVORITE BANDS OF ALL-TIME:
I can't say just one. Tool, Jane's Addiction, System Of A Down, Stone Temple Pilots, and Deftones.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
I did the college radio thing for a year, and said that this is what I want to do for a living. I also thought that it would be real easy. I was wrong! When I got an internship with K-ROCK in New York, I was just blown away. Radio is fun and unless you are a sales person, doesn't involve sitting in a cubicle.
2. Who are your mentors?
Steve Kingston - Firm but fair.
Booker (afternoons at K-ROCK)
Mike Peer (APD K-ROCK) - I would go into Mike's office with an aircheck and say "Does this suck?" When I was offered the job in St. Louis, Mike encouraged me to take the job; he told me that Missouri isn't such a bad place to live.
Will Pendarvis (Sirius Satellite)
Rick Balis (VP Programming Emmis/St. Louis) - Hasn't fired me yet!
3. What do you like best about your job?
I love that I don't have to wear a suit to work. Every day on the radio is different. You never know what's gonna happen, I enjoy coming to work everyday. The people at my station and everybody at the Emmis St. Louis cluster are awesome.
4. How would you describe your show?
When I'm on the air, I try to be the listeners friend. Call me up if you have a question about a band, call me up if you have a problem, and call me up if you want to report a speed trap on I-70. As far as playing music, you never know what you are going to get with me. I'll surprise the listener with some pretty weird stuff (ex. Green Jello, Three Little Pigs or deep album cuts).
5. What do you do to prepare for your airshift each night?
Mega prep and a lot of drugs and alcohol. I'll come in about 2 hours before my shift and read the newspaper, and check the web for stuff to talk about.
6. Since joining KPNT, I'm most proud of __________?
being comfortable in the Mid-West. I'm a New York City guy, up until now, I had never lived anywhere outside the NY Metro Area. St. Louis is a great city! Good music scene and good people. I at first thought that I would be a fish out of water, but I feel like I belong here (even though listeners give me a real hard time about being a Yankee's fan).
7. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Coffee and Iced Tea. Caffeine is GOOD!! I wish there was some way for me to have a coffee IV in the studio with me.
8. Who's your favorite air personality NOT on your airstaff and why?
Woody at Q101 in Chicago. He is an incredible talent. It comes so naturally for Woody, he can BS about anything and make it sound interesting and funny. When he was doing afternoons here in St. Louis, he "owned" this city, that's what I want.
9. If you could work at any radio station, which one would it be and why?
Without my boss getting pissed at me, I would want to go back to New York and work at K-ROCK. That's where I'm from; my family and friends are there. I think that it would be pretty cool to return to your first station in a fulltime capacity.
10. If you were to leave radio and you could choose any other occupation, what would it be?
Either a professional cow tipper or chicken sexer (somebody needs to tell the farmers if the chicks are male or female).
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
Watching TV and sitting on my couch! Is that really a hobby? To me, there is nothing better.
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