10 Questions with ... Eddie Gutierrez

NAME:Eddie Gutierrez TITLE:GM/PD STATION:KJEE MARKET:Santa Barbara COMPANY:Montecito FM BORN:Bronx, NY RAISED:Fort Lee, NJ

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

When I moved to Santa Barbara in 1989, I came here to go to college. While I was attending UCSB, I had an opportunity to work for the local rock station KTYD as an engineer's assistant (setting up live broadcast's, sales remote's, promotional stuff). While working at this station was just a part-time job, another opportunity came up in 1993 to help start a brand new station from the ground up which was KJEE.

LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:

Working as a technician for an antenna site in Santa Barbara.

FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:

Actually there were two records I bought at the same time. The Police's "Zendetta Mondetta" and the soundtrack to the adult cartoon movie "Heavy Metal."

FIRST CONCERT:

Rush "Moving Pictures Tour" Madison Square Garden in NYC 1983.

FAVORITE BAND OF ALL-TIME:

Stone Temple Pilots

1. What do you like best about living in Santa Barbara?

I've been a lucky one, and have traveled all around the world, and I even had the opportunity to live in Hawaii for 6 month's. But of all the places I have traveled to and have been, Santa Barbara is really the best place in the world for me. People always say it but it's true, It's really a paradise, with the ocean and mountains all within walking distance. We have a great music venue in the Santa Barbara Bowl, and we get major acts coming all the time. My wife and I can both walk to our jobs from our house and the schools are great, and the weather ROCKS!

2. What are you most passionate about?

Right now I'm really passionate about my family. I've been married for almost 13 years now and have two wonderful boys. I'm really passionate on making sure they have the proper upbringing and what better way then to be able to grow up in Santa Barbara.

3. What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?

I use to repo cars in New Jersey when I was 20 (actually a very fun job).

4. What has been the biggest highlight at KJEE in the past year?

I'd say the biggest highlight right now for 2009 was to score the Kings Of Leon as our Headliner for our KJEE Summer Round Up.

5. Of all the things you have accomplished at the station over 15 years, what are you most proud of?

I'm most proud of starting the station from the ground up. From un-boxing the radio transmitter to digging the whole for the antenna. Looking back now it's really amazing what we have been able to do in the last 15 years.

6. What stands out the most about your first few days at KJEE?

Back then grunge music was huge, we were being hit with music from Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, TAD (maybe not TAD) and the hits seem to never stop. It was an amazing time back then and may never be duplicated again.

7. What is the most challenging part of your job as GM and PD?

As GM I am always aware of the sales and business side of the biz. Being GM includes going down to the National sales meetings with our National sales representative KATZ RADIO and going on sales calls every three months, and other regional accounts to help sell the station. I think it's very beneficial for every PD to go to at least one national sales meeting and I think they would come out with a better feel for the industry and what the perception of the station is though the buyer's eyes.

8. What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid and what do you remember the most?

I had two favorite stations growing up. My favorite station growing up in FORT LEE, NJ was the Classic Rock station WNEW-FM. I remember listening to interviews with Jimmy Page, Bruce Springsteen and even Billy Joel. I remember the DJ Scott Muni playing all the great classic rocks tunes of the time. That was a great station and really got me into music as a kid growing up in the eighties.

But I had another favorite station and that was the college station Seaton Hall which was known as Pirate radio back then. This is the station where I first heard upcoming new bands like REM, the Talking Heads, and the Police. It was the precursor to Modern Rock and I loved listening to it as a kid in my 1976 Buick Skylark which had a great antenna to receive the station.

9. What advice you would give people new to the business?

Stay true to your goals. Start out as an intern if it's your first time in the biz, it's an opportunity to learn everything about the station. If you love what you do, then it's not work.

10. What is the biggest change that you'd like to see happen in the business?

I don't think stations should let their station be run by a computer. With some station's revenues down 20% or more I think it's easy for some GMs to cut talent and staff. It's important for listeners to be entertained by the station's they listen to. Yes music can be entertaining but it's what's in between that's important too. If I just wanted to hear music I would listen to by IPOD, but if I want to be entertained I want it to be though radio with human interaction not a robot.

What music do you listen to when you are away from the station?

I'm actually a closet classic rock guy, and I really enjoy the old classic rock bands like AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, THE WHO and my all-time favorite PINK FLOYD.