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10 Questions with ... Gavin 'Murph' Murphy
June 11, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. I love that there is so much variety in my job. Some days I get to listen to new music and try and figure out what our listeners would like to hear, some days it's coming up with new promotions and giveaways, other days I get involved with producing commercials, imaging, and promos. I never quite know what I'm going to be doing on any given day
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I went to SIU-Carbondale with a double-major in Cinema/Photography and Music. When I graduated, I worked for a little while as a Morning AP at a local TV station, and then got hired as Creative Director for our radio group here in Marion. After several years of that, I got an on-air shift on our sister station W3D before switch to VZA for the midday shift. I started as Program Director for WVZA around August of last year.
1. How did you first become interested in radio?
You could say I was born into radio. My Dad has been in radio since he was in college, so of course it was something I was always around and got to see the inside of studios from a very young age.
2. What led to WVZA flipping to Alternative 92-7 ALT 2K over Memorial Day Weekend?
We have been working on getting Alt2k ready for the airwaves for a long time. I was first brought in on the project back in late-August, when we finally got permission to launch Alt2k on 92-7, which was previously an 80's/Hot AC station. We wanted to launch with a bang, and also have ALT2k be the soundtrack for the summer here in our listening area, so Memorial Day just made sense. We were also able to preview it at Herrinfesta Italiana, a local festival that draws a lot of crowds into our area. We celebrated the weekend with a 1000-song weekend to give listeners a taste of the wide catalog of music available to us.
3. OM George Davis indicated that your company established the vision and brand name of ALT 2K in early 2018. Give us the 411 on Withers Broadcasting and 92-7 ALT 2K.
WVZA was purchased by Withers Broadcasting in 2008. We are one of several stations in the Withers Broadcasting of Southern Illinois group, part of the larger Withers Broadcasting-Dana Communications family, which encompasses over 20 stations throughout our market, Southeastern Missouri, and Western Kentucky. After owner Russ Withers passed away a few years ago, his daughter Dana took over the Withers Broadcasting group. Before the flip, Alt2k was a Hot AC station with a focus on the 80's, and newly appointed GM Chris Hugo wanted to make a distinction in the market from similar Hot AC stations, including stations within the larger Withers Broadcasting family. Chris and his wife Ashley had wanted to put together an Alt station in our market, as well, and the pieces all sort of fell in place to bring Alt2k together.
4. It sounds like the station is very aggressive with new music. How is 92-7 ALT 2K positioned musically?
We want ALT2k to be like your cool friend on the block that always knows what the next new great song is going to be. The sound is a little bit of a mixed bag. We try to stay away from edgy contemporary rock, and find a balance between Alt Rock with just a hint of pop thrown in. We play Alternative Rock hits from as far back as 2000, but we put a lot of focus on current Alt hits, while also introducing listeners to lesser-known artists and also the next big songs they'll be hearing on other stations. We want to bring them music they can't hear anywhere else yet.
5. Explain the station's positioning statement, "ALT 2K - Alternative For 618 & Beyond."
We are excited to be streaming the new station at Alt2k.com, with a mobile app soon to follow. Our hope is to bring Alt to Southern Illinois, a place where it has been missing, at least on traditional radio, and also build our station and fan base beyond 618 (our local area code).
6. In addition to programming ALT 2K, you also host mornings from 6-10a. Tell us about your morning show and the rest of the station on-air lineup.
We love to have fun at ALT2k. My morning show covers news and weather that people need to know, but also has several fun elements to make people laugh and brighten their morning a bit. Segments like ALTnews tells heart-warming or offbeat stories, and Unnecessary Spoiler Alert covers pop culture by giving out the most obvious tidbits about upcoming movies and TV.
Throughout the rest of the day, we have The Middle With Stella, who brings us a refreshing middle of the day, a 'Bad Guy' story (because we always like to feel better about ourselves by listening to the antics of others), and a wide variety of topics mostly revolving around alternative music.
Then there's The Afternoon Spark, hosted by Sparky, who likes to highlight how kooky and zany life can be. He also dives deep into info about songs and artists that listeners might not know, and he gives a Daily Dose of Good News, to remind people that there actually ARE still good things that happen in the world.
7. What is your favorite part of your job?
I love that there is so much variety in my job. Some days I get to listen to new music and try and figure out what our listeners would like to hear, some days it's coming up with new promotions and giveaways, other days I get involved with producing commercials, imaging, and promos. I never quite know what I'm going to be doing on any given day.
8. Your bio states that you co-produced a radio show at the ripe young age of six! How did that happen?
Like I said earlier, my Dad has been in radio since before I was born. He has had a Saturday morning sports show for as long as I can remember, and I used to love going in with him early in the morning while he did show prep and stuff. When I was about 6, I used to help run the show by answering phones and taking down callers' names. I always liked being part of the show like that.
9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
A large Coca-cola.
10. What would surprise people most about you?
I have a Master's Degree in Saxophone Performance.
Bonus Questions
Tell us about your band, Downstate Music Company.
Downstate Music Company is a cool group of talented musicians who got together to play Blue Brothers covers and sort of expanded from there. We play rock and roll, blues, R&B, country, oldies, and a little bit of modern pop, and are well-known around Southern Illinois for our 4-piece horn section. I play saxophone with the band, although I am currently taking a little bit of time off while my wife and I get ready to welcome our son.
What are weekends like for you with your family?
Right now, they are a little crazy. We have a 2-year old daughter Lily who keeps us on our toes. She is smart and precocious, and whether singing songs from the radio or telling us the dog taught her all about the Tooth Fairy, you never know what's going to come out of her mouth. My wife and I had just started the process of becoming foster parents when we found out she was pregnant with our second child, my son, who is due at the end of June. And, because we have big hearts (or are just a little crazy), we took our first foster child 3 months ago, just after he had been born. So, currently I have a 2-year old, a 3-month old, and a pregnant wife. Soon we will have 3 children under the age of 3 and I am still not entirely sure how I feel about that.
What are your hobbies?
I love watching movies. I keep a list of all the movies I want to see in a notebook that I can cross off after I watch them. Now that we have kids, I don't get time for much besides that and hanging out with my wife and the kids.
First record ever purchased?
Not 100% sure, but I'm a huge movie and film scores nerd, so it was probably a film soundtrack...
First concert?
My uncle is country artist David Lee Murphy, so my first concert was probably one of his concerts back in the day.
Favorite band of all-time?
It's probably a clichéd answer, but I've always loved the Beatles. If I'm not listening to Alt2k or new music to add to the station, I'm probably listening to the Beatles on my iPhone.
Anything else you would like to add?
I'd just like to thank you for taking the time and showing interest in me and our new station. I don't want to sound like I'm begging for listeners, but if you are a fan of Alt music and you want to check out the new station, we're streaming now at Alt2k.com.
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