10 Questions with ... Craven Moorehead

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Graduated from The University Of Cincinnati in 1995. Worked at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles in 1996. In 1997 came to Phoenix and worked at The Edge 106.3 and 100.3, which became Edge 1039 and later X1039. I started off in promotions and then made my way over to the production and programming side of things.

1. How did you become interested in radio?

When I graduated college I really wanted to be an audio engineer for record bands. So I moved out west to L.A. and did that for a year before I realized that being the next Rick Rubin was probably not in the cards for me. I was about to make the move back to Ohio when some friends of mine who had relocated to Phoenix invited me out to visit. I listened to the Edge the whole time I was in town and it was really the first radio station I had ever really embraced as a listener. So I decided I would take a shot at getting a job there and staying in the desert.

2. What was you favorite station to listen to growing up as a kid and what do you remember most about the station?

QFM96 in Columbus was the first station I ever really listened to. I remember my friends and me staying up all night with our Boom Boxes rushing to hit record when our favorite songs came on. Then trading these tapes back and forth ....it was really primitive file sharing.

3. What stands out most from your early days in radio?

Just how immediate and creative this industry was back then. It's crazy how fast an idea could go from a conversation in the hallway to a bit on the air. I remember working with Steve Tingle when I was just getting started..... He would come up with these insanely funny characters and no sooner than the concept was created it was coming through the speakers. I think radio still has that magic, but it's certainly more cautious in the PPM world.

4. How do prepare for you your show each day?

I keep up on current artists and music events through different blogs and websites like punknews.org,pitchfork.com, specific band web pages, and our show prep service Westwood One's Rip Rock Read. I also still subscribe to Spin and Rolling Stone. Plus, I get factoids about older artists online constantly and read books like Nirvana: The Chosen Rejects. I just try to keep learning all I can about the artists and the music we play.

5. How has your show changed moving to PM drive?

Prep Prep Prep! I actually do a ton of writing now for the show. Making sure every time I crack the mic something of importance or interest to the listener is being delivered in a clear concise manner.

6. What makes your show unique?

I really try to create an experience with the listener like we are just a couple music fans hanging out listening to records together. Sharing a love of music without just hyping up the latest hit singles. I talk with them like music fans would over a drink or at a show. Everything ties into the music. No breaks about who Lindsey Lohan did blow with last night or where I happened to be partying over the weekend....unless I can tie it in with music I am playing. Plus, I love to throw in crazy factoids about bands we play.

7. What part of your job do you like best? Least?

I love that I get to do so many creative things. I am on air playing music, meeting bands, and talking to listeners. As the Imaging Director I get to creatively write and produce. Plus, I have even got to live my dream of recording bands by engineering and producing our Acoustic Live And Rare CDs.

The least favorite part of my job would be that sometimes wearing so many hats can be overwhelming....total double edge sword.

8. After 13 years at the station, what are you most proud of?

Generally speaking ... I found a job I really enjoy doing, at a place I really love, and I have worked hard to stay here through 13 years of crazy turnover.

More specifically....it would be creating the Blobots parody song of the Flobots "Handlebars."

And my baby at the station is hosting The Skapunk Show.

9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without_______?

Watching "The View." No matter how bad my show is that day, I know something was still broadcast that is much worse.

10. What are you most passionate about?

My family and music. Hmm, and maybe college football.

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies are collecting and restoring vintage BMX bikes, playing guitar, playing drums, and listening to Ennio Morricone records while sun bathing.

Last Non-Industry job?

My last totally non-media related gig was probably back in college when I worked at a shipping store called, The Box Shoppe.

First Record Ever Purchased?

It was a cassette of "Oh No It's Devo." I think I also picked up Billy Squier's "Don't Say No" that same day. Two Epic purchases!

First concert?

U2 on The Unforgettable Fire Tour was my first big concert. But my first show was Black Flag during the My War Tour at a little laundry mat venue on Ohio States campus called Marco Polo's.

Favorite band of all time?

The Desecendents.