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10 Questions with ... Jonah Griss-Bush
May 31, 2022
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Bringing great live alternative acts to the Hudson Valley and sharing them with our audience is really the embodiment of who we are as a station. I’ve found a similarity with country and alternative formats is that there’s real passion about the music and an openness to discovering new acts. Being able to have these monthly events with our listeners is very special, and to be back live and in person is of course huge.
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Mornings KHTH (Hot 101.7)/Santa Rosa, CA 2012-2017
Afternoons WIL, Afternoons and Mornings WARH/St. Louis MO 2018-2020
Morning Show Content Producer and Co-Host WNSH/New York City 2021
Started at WRRV in December 2021
1. How did you first become interested in radio?
I was one of those people that was obsessed with radio from a young age, listening every morning and making fake shows on my tape recorder when I was a kid. Got my first internship in high school, did college radio, and haven’t looked back
2. What led you to your hometown station after previously working in the Country format at Audacy and Hubbard?
It’s a dream to be where I am now with WRRV. St. Louis and New York City were both great experiences, but everything lined up so perfectly when the opportunity came to join Townsquare in Poughkeepsie that I knew I had to jump on it. It’s also a special feeling to be “home.”
3. On your bio, you mention you actually grew up listening to WRRV. What do you remember most growing up in the Hudson Valley listening to WRRV?
The personalities. Live and local all day long. I was the P1 who would ALWAYS call in to every show (sorry, everybody). It was also the station that introduced me to so much music that I still love today. I remember listening for hours just to hear my favorite songs.
4. What’s it like working at Townsquare Media?
It’s been great. They’re a company that talks the talk and walks the walk. The environment in Poughkeepsie has been so welcoming and the resources have been very helpful.
5. Give us the 411 on the music and imaging on WRRV.
I’ve always thought of WRRV as the cool friend or even the older sibling that introduces you to great bands and is just fun to hang out with. We play a lot of great songs from the 2000s and even the 90s but we’re also constantly adding new music and staying on top of what’s happening in the alternative world. Our imaging reflects that too, and just like the personalities on the station, has a strong local angle with a sense of humor.
6. Tell us about the on-air personalities.
It’s huge for us to have local personalities on-air from 6a-midnight. Nick on the WRRV Morning Grind is funny, creative, and brings his life as a new father and husband to the show, Val in middays is a great reflection of our audience and is a major live music fan and alternative music authority, and Allison at night is a huge asset both on air and on our social platforms.
7. The WRRV Sessions recently returned. Share with us what makes these special for the station.
Bringing great live alternative acts to the Hudson Valley and sharing them with our audience is really the embodiment of who we are as a station. I’ve found a similarity with country and alternative formats is that there’s real passion about the music and an openness to discovering new acts. Being able to have these monthly events with our listeners is very special, and to be back live and in person is of course huge.
8. What is your favorite part of your job?
Seeing it all come together. From live events to on-air promotions, seeing the passion from our on-air personalities and the reaction from our audience is really special.
9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _______?
Second breakfast
10. What would surprise people most about you?
Had a pet peacock, Beverly, growing up. Peahen technically. Wandered onto our property one day and stayed for years.
Bonus Questions
What are weekends like for you?
My wife and I have a new puppy, so it’s a lot of obedience classes and walks. Now that the weather’s nice we’re back out in the beautiful Hudson Valley nature, too.
Tell us about reviewing watches on your YouTube channel.
Ha! It was a passion project I started in 2020 during lockdown and has been a fun creative outlet. I’ve found some parallels with radio too, showing me the truth in the “if you build it, they will come” mentality. I started the channel with zero subscribers and little-to-no idea what I was doing, but with consistent dedication to a quality product, I began to see results. The same is true for radio.
What are your favorite places to eat in the area?
Mole Mole in Poughkeepsie has great Mexican, and I’ve gone there more times than I’d like to admit.
Rank your sports teams in order of passion.
I’m more for the experience than the teams, and luckily, I’ve lived in some great sport towns. St. Louis especially was electric with the Cardinals and Blues, but when I was a kid, I was a massive Yankee fan.
First record ever purchased?
It was a cassette! Either Nirvana’s Nevermind or Prodigy’s Fat of the Land – both bands I learned about from WRRV.
First concert?
Korn and Limp Bizkit. I may have been 11. The mosh pit was terrifying.
Favorite band of all-time?
That’s too hard. Music, I listen to the most is probably The Decemberists, Coheed & Cambria, Breaking Benjamin, and Cake.
Favorite new band over the past year?
Not “new”, but new to me: big fan of Bob Moses. The Regrettes as well.
Anything else you would like to add?
Thanks for having me! Download the WRRV app if you’re curious about the station and if anyone reading this is ever coming through the Hudson Valley and wants to come to one of our Sessions, let me know!
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