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10 Questions with ... Brooke Hunter
November 23, 2021
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Back in the 90's, Alternative was HOT. Grunge was huge. The music is still very popular, but I believe that with streaming and social media, we hear less about the artists and the music.
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
WKQX (Q101)/Chicago 1994-1998
WZZN (The Zone)/Chicago 2000-2004
WCFS (Fresh 105.9)/Chicago 2009-2010
WLIT/Chicago 2011-2017
WQYQ 2020-present
1. How did you first become interested in radio?
I have always loved music. I really wanted to be an off air music director.
2. Welcome back to Alternative. You were part of the original Q101 in Chicago back in the mid-90’s. How did you reunite with Bill Gamble on 106.1 The New QYQ? Bill & I have always kept in touch. So, when the chance came to work for him again, I jumped at it.
Q101 was my very first on-air job, and I was GREEN! Bill Gamble threw caution to the wind and put a “kid” on the air with no on-air experience - just a love of the music. Lucky for him (& me) it worked. I loved that job and I love the format. I’m really happy to be back working for the man I consider my mentor and playing the kind of music I love the most!
3. What is it like working in Alternative now vs your Q101 years? It's not that different, just some new artists.
Back in the 90's, Alternative was HOT. Grunge was huge. The music is still very popular, but I believe that with streaming and social media, we hear less about the artists and the music. There are still many artists from the 90's that we still hear from: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Offspring, Green Day. But we now have newer artists popping up like AJR, Churches & Machine Gun Kelly.
4. What’s it like working for Bill Gamble?
Bill will probably kill me for saying this, but I adore him. If it wasn't for Bill, I probably wouldn't have had the career that I have had. When I started, I worked in the music research department. When we flipped to Alternative, I approached him and asked him that if I put together a demo, would he listen to it? He said no. Instead, he threw me on the air for an overnight shift! (I was so nervous)
5. Tell us about voicetracking afternoons on 106.1 The New QYQ from Chicago. What is your show prep routine and benchmarks of your 3-7p show?
I don't do a ton of prep. I keep up on the music trends, I listen to a lot of new music and bring a lot of my daily life to my show.
6. How would you describe your on-air style?
It's laid back & just me, hanging out & enjoying the music I play!
7. What do you love most about being on-air?
It's a job that I LOVE! I get to play music, hang out and play on the internet. And I get paid for that. Who wouldn't love that??
8. How are you using social media to augment what you’re doing on-air?
I have a love/hate relationship with the internet and social media. I love being able to share music information and some goofy memes, but I try to keep it at that. Right now, I find the internet to be a platform for a lot of controversy and arguments, I try to avoid that!
9. What would surprise people most about you?
I'm deathly terrified of heights. I've never been to the top of the Sears tower, and I never plan on going up there!
10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Caffeine!
Bonus Questions
What are weekends like for you?
I hang out with my boyfriend. We're like an old married couple we go to the same restaurants and bars EVERY week!
What are your favorite places to eat at in Chicago?
One of my all-time favorite places is Peqoud's Pizza. The best pizza in Chicago! I also love the Weiner Circle.
I’m guessing you must be a die-hard White Sox fan like Bill? Rank your sports teams in order of passion.
Haha, I'm not a fan of any Chicago sports teams. I'm a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan. I've been a die-hard fan ever since I was a kid.
First record ever purchased?
A 45 of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
First concert?
Rod Stewart with my mom!
Favorite band of all-time?
Queen
Favorite new band over the past year?
I'm really into KennyHoopla right now.
Anything else you would like to add?
Not really sure if you want to add this. But I love my life, I'm a single mom to a 17 (almost 18) year old son. We lived in the city for years, but now live in the suburbs - we live in Geneva, IL, which is about 30 miles out of Chicago. Bill doesn't want me to mention on-air that I have a kid, but clearly, he's a huge part of my life, lol.
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