10 Questions with ... Mase

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

To be honest my "radio" career had been VERY brief and will probably tick off a lot of people who have been doing this for years. I did college radio with my roommate and later on bandmate at GA Southern College (Now a University) in the mid-late 80s for two years. Then transferred to GA State Univ. in Atlanta and decided that I wanted to play drums in a band rather than play bands on the radio, so the next 15 years of my life was spent in bands, one of which got signed and later involved in a NASTY lawsuit with a major label that shall remain nameless. After 15 years of "we have a gig in Knoxville on a Tuesday night, just to get our foot in the door" gigs, I kind of lost the dream. My wife Joy and I decided to move to the beach, any beach, and here we are eight years later.

1. What's the first thing you do when you get to the station?

Pick out an album on the iPod to help start the day. Usually something from The Clash, Johnny Cash or Elvis Costello. I listen to that new Rock N Roll from time to time as well.

2. Why did the station recently shift in a more Active Rock direction?

You might have seen the Daily Show's recent installments of "Thank You South Carolina" at the end of the day we still live in a beach town in S.C....so give the people what they want.

3. How has the imaging and air staff changed with the music?

It hasn't changed too much at all. We always try to keep it fresh. We were trying to make it as subtle as possible. The positioning statement "96.1 KZQ The Only Home For The Grand Strand's New Rock is still the same."

As far as our air staff goes we lost our afternoon guy Jersey back in February (he is in Chicago now looking for a gig...so if you know anyone) so we just moved our night guy Dr. J to his spot and we now have this Boston guy named Crash doing nights.

4. What would an outsider find most surprising about the Myrtle Beach radio market?

That we have a population of 35,000 residents and 13 Million visitors a year. If it was based on how many people actually hear the station at times we would be a Top 10 market.

5. What makes the station unique and stand out from the competition?

Live Jocks! Yeah...it's weird right? Someone there to actually answer the phone, give away concert tickets and even play requests from time to time. It's a crazy idea I know, but that's just how we roll where the others don't.

6. Describe your weekly specialty show, "The Flight Test," and what motivates you to do the show each week?

My first "break" at KZQ was doing The Flight Test when I was a part-timer. I call it the two hours a week to play ANYTHING that I want to play...and I do. I of course keep it all very current, but I do a few special things like Lloyd's Classic Album Of The Week (named after a guy in prison that listens to the show) and The Vinyl Pick Of The Week. Yeah, I play records.

I also do a lot of interviews/podcast with bands. I must admit that I voice track that show and spend Monday nights on my sofa with a beverage listening to it. It's 2 hours of stuff that I like. If anyone reading this needs a Specialty show, let me know.

7. What new bands are you most excited about?

There are always so many great album coming across my desk. Right now I am really digging the new DEVO, Band Of Horses, Black Keys, Gogol Bordello, and The New Pornographers. Of course those bands aren't all that "new." There is a great band out of NYC called A Million Years that I have gotten into lately. I also dig the new STARS album.

8. What would shock people the most about the station?

There is a working cassette deck in on of the prod. rooms and it actually still gets used from time to time, not by me of course.

9. What is your favorite radio station outside of the market and why?

There are two stations. WEQX has to be the coolest station in the country. Whenever someone is working me on a really cool record and they say "but EQX is playing it" my response is always..."Of course they are."

The other would be WRXP in NYC. Not only is it a great station, but two people, Leslie Fram and Steve Craig from 99X in Atlanta work there. They were both always very good to my old bands and as well as a lot of other bands in Atlanta and really helped shape the music scene in Atlanta.

10. What stands out the most from your first job in radio?

I would say the people. Not just the people at the station, but the people I have met in the last six years from other stations and labels. When I moved to Myrtle Beach I didn't know anyone but my wife Joy, as cool as she is, she doesn't want to get into a music geek conversation with me. So it is great to have others out there to just talk music with.

When you're away from work, what are you music listening habits to the radio, iPod, online, etc.?

My iPod is #1. I have no idea how I managed to live all those years without one. I also have a confession to make...I have a subscription to Sirius/XM. I spend a lot of time on XMU. It's like having an intern that goes through all the CDs on my desk and plays them for me so I can decide what I like and don't like for The Flight Test. Now if I could only get them to fetch me a beverage.