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10 Questions with ... Kevin Mays
May 5, 2020
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I disavow any knowledge of the country station I worked at in high school, was the MD at my college station at VA Commonwealth U WVCW, but really started my career by spinning Lyle Lovett and Bonnie Raitt records at AAA WVGO/Richmond. But always tried to sneak in alt bands that I loved like Echo & The Bunnymen, NIN, and Rancid. My next stop was WFNX in Boston in 1996, then I segued to The Buzz in 2004 and I've been here ever since.
1. Congrats on your Sweet 16 at 99.9 The Buzz. The station’s programming team has been together for many years. How much has the station changed since came aboard in 2004?
Thanks Shawn, I’m very blessed to be with a great company like Hall Communications and to work beside some very talented people. Music trends have changed a ton since I moved to Vermont, but we’ve been very consistent up here and we don’t veer out of our lane too often.
2. Tell us about the 99.9 The Buzz crew.
The crew is a fun group. Work hard, play hard. We are always joking around and keep the vibe light, that makes it fun to come into a job every day. At 16 years in I’m still the new guy, our morning show Pete Powers has been here 18 and PD Matt Grasso over 20, we are all getting old now so we aren’t getting into much trouble anymore and that’s good from a liability standpoint.
3. Why do you feel The Buzz has been a successful Alternative station for so many years?
We have been part of the community for 24 years and listeners know what to expect when they tune in. As a staff we all live here, know the market and listeners well and we lean into that advantage of being local entertainers.
4. Tell us about the station’s signal and reach into Montreal. Where does the station perform best?
The signal is massive, we cover most of Vermont, upstate NY, and Southern Quebec including Montreal. Just from a population standpoint we have more people listening in Quebec than VT and NY combined. Our proximity to MTL lets us get involved with most of the big rock/alternative shows that play Bell Centre and Place Bell as well as the huge Osheaga Festival at Parc Jean Drapeau.
5. Burlington/Plattsburgh has a no current Rock and a legendary Triple A. The Buzz leans Rock. Tell us about The Buzz’s music position.
Musically we are a Alt station that isn’t afraid of guitars and being the only rock station we have the luxury of being able to have a wide wingspan plus we shade The Buzz a little older with our focus on 25-49 year old’s.
6. Take us inside The Buzz music meeting. What’s the process?
It’s a collaboration between Matt and me. We meet on Monday afternoons to talk about what’s working and what’s not and listen to all the new music. The chart doesn’t play a big part in our decision making, we dig into market streams and sales to help us make smart choices for The Buzz
7. What is your favorite part of your job?
It has always been music discovery for me and turning our listeners onto new music before anybody else.
8. You started in the Alternative format at the legendary WFNX/Boston. What’s your take on the state of Alternative Radio?
It’s pretty homogenized right now, seems like a few people shaping the sound of many radio stations. The Buzz is unique to our market and Matt and I are able to program The Buzz for this town and make programming decisions and apply them immediately.
9. What has The Buzz been doing to help the community during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Of course, we are keeping our listeners informed with the latest information, but we are still being The Buzz, we felt it was important to still be who we are and to be entertaining during this bizarre time. We are helping local restaurants and bars get the word out to our listeners that they are open for takeout and delivery as well as trying to point out all the silver linings that we can when we find them.
10. What would surprise people most about you?
I’m a competitive cornhole (look it up) player and have won a bunch of local/regional tournaments. Awful name, fun game. It could become an Olympic sport one day. Maybe I can make the team? That’s about the limit to my athletic ability.
Bonus Questions
What were weekends like for you before the Coronavirus?
Kind of the same. Lots of time with the kids and hanging out around the house. We love to grill out on the weekends and watch movies outside around the fire pit.
What are your hobbies?
Cornhole. Cooking, grilling and smoking meat.
What are your favorite places to eat in the area?
So many fantastic restaurants here. Waterworks is on the river near our office and their chicken wings are unlike any other. Bluebird BBQ is great and El Gato for solid Mexican. Literally hundreds of super restaurants, we are spoiled.
Favorite food?
Pasta in the winter, steaks in the summer
Favorite drink?
Beer, beer and beer
How often do you get back home and what are your top priorities when you get back to Richmond?
We take a family vacation home to Virginia every summer. We spend two weeks between Richmond and Virginia Beach. It’s great to catch up with family and friends and spend as much time on the beach as possible.
Rank your sports teams in order of passion.
Pats
Sox
Celtics
BruinsFavorite new band over the past year?
I’m happy that lovelytheband is having success, I like what I’m hearing from Matt Maeson too.
Anything else you would like to add?
Looking forward to being able to socially gather soon. Stay safe.
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