10 Questions with ... Randy Scott & Alana Lynn

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Randy: I started at an AM talk station that was in the middle of a wheat field in Ulysses, KS as the board op for a guy who read the agriculture report while smoking a pipe in the studio. Next stop was Wichita, KS at KFDI and then 94.1 KMPS Seattle.

Alana: I started out in promotions while in college, left for an internship at Good Morning America, when I came back, my GM at the time, Chuck Hammond, said "You want to co-host with your dad and Myles?" I said "Yep!" After being on the air with them for two years in Albuquerque, I decided it was time to break away from the nest, and my now good friend, John Paul, hired me to co-host mornings at 98.7 KUPL. He's awesome! Then after 3 ½ years at KUPL - Scott Mahalick came in and shot me with his iPhone Shotgun App, it was then I knew it was time to move on.

1) Congrats on the new gig at KAWO! What made the two of you decide to team up? Whose idea was it?

Alana: It all started with a monkey and a tattoo. We were at CMA Music Fest in Nashville a few years ago hanging out in downtown Nashville and a guy had a monkey. We got a picture with the monkey who then proceeded to lick my teeth. Then my co-host at the time, Lee Rogers, dared Randy to get a tattoo in Nashville, which he did. After getting kissed by a monkey and Randy getting a tattoo we looked at each other and said "Someday let's do a show together."

Randy: Honestly it was my wife's idea. She got tired of me being at home. She hoped I could hook my wagon to Alana's star and get a job. It worked! There is no question that I married up.

2) What can we expect from the new morning show? How are you going to endear yourselves to your new Boise listeners?

Alana: You can expect radio magic! Seriously, it's all about being real and having a good time. If we're having a good time, so are the listeners. I plan on endearing myself to the Boise listeners by dating the Boise State football team. Go Broncos!

Randy: The thing we agree on more than anything else when it comes to radio is the importance of being real. There won't be a bunch of "bits." We want to know about your life and we hope you want to know a little about ours. It's really about a genuine friendship with the audience. It's pretty simple really. Listeners, music, humor, God and Country. We're not trying to invent the wheel here, just make it roll smoother.

3) How did you both get your start in radio? Alana, your dad has been a radio guy a long time- did he influence you to start your career?

Alana: I started in promotions at the station my dad is at, BIG I 107.9 in Albuquerque, and then kind of worked my way up from there. My dad and mom absolutely influenced me getting into radio. My dad always (and still does) incorporate my mom and me into his show. When you grow up hearing your life on the radio, from your first period to your dumb choices (Mexico, Spring Break 2002 - sorry Mom and Dad), you realize that you're not the only one out there who has a story. And let's be honest - it's the best form of therapy EVER, when you have people who relate to you and who also believe that going 10,000 miles before your next oil change is okay.

Randy: For me it was a fortunate accident. I took a broadcasting class in college, but had no intention of getting into the business. But when I got out of school I was sleeping on my sister's couch and needed a job. Saw an ad in the newspaper (yes kids, they used to advertise radio job openings in the want ads!) for a part time board operator position. It was a little AM cinderblock building in the middle of nowhere and was a blast. I was hooked.

4) Alana, you were an intern on Good Morning America? Tell us a bit about that- what did you learn in the experience?

Good Morning America was AWESOME. I learned that a six-pack of Coors Light in New York City is $11! It was actually my time at GMA that I realized that radio is what I wanted. TV is a different animal. Very scripted, very prepared, and it comes across that way. With radio you can be very prepared but it still sounds organic (Ew, consultant buzz word). The day I got there we had a meeting and I was sitting down diligently taking notes, when someone plopped down next to me and said "What'd I miss?" When I looked up, there was Diane Sawyer with her Diet Coke. So, the experience was just awesome!

5) Who would you name as mentors in radio? What was the best advice they have given you?

Alana: Definitely my dad, Tony Lynn. He makes me so proud. The best advice he gave me was "Make sure radio is what you want to do because once you get bit by the radio bug you're in it for life." Like most daughters, I didn't listen and now six-years later I'm co-hosting a morning radio show, just like my papa.

Randy: I've been lucky to work with a couple of guys who could honestly be called radio legends (although one of them will kill me for saying that). The late Ol' Mike Oatman at KFDI was a genius as a businessman and as a broadcaster. He did a morning show, was the Great Empire Broadcasting GM, and even co-hosted a TV talk show, every single day! Nobody in radio has ever or will ever work harder than that dude but I'm trying! And in Seattle I was able to co-host with Ichabod Caine at KMPS for eight years. From him I learned the importance of being real and laying out who you are. People will either like it or they won't, but you have to be true to yourself. But the best advice I ever got in radio was actually from Alana's former co-host Lee Rogers who told me "Nobody goes to the rodeo to see a tame bull." I may get that tattooed on me someday.

6) Alana, your bio says you co-hosted mornings with your dad when you were on KBQI/Albuquerque. How was it working with a family member on air and will you incorporate him into your gig in Boise?

Not going to lie. It was a bit awkward talking about dating life on the air with my dad sitting right there. But beyond that it was the off-air relationship that was interesting in cultivating. I think it made our father/daughter relationship better. Being on a morning show is a lot like being married (so I hear). You have to work at just as hard as a real one. So, yeah, that whole being married to my dad theory was strange, but sometimes you have creative differences and when those would happen I just prayed he wouldn't cut-off my credit cards. My dad and mom will always be part of our gig in Boise. They keep me grounded. Plus, I steal all the best bits from my dad and Myles.

7) Randy, you worked on crafting radio commercials and campaigns for advertisers while Creative Director at CBS Radio Seattle. Did you write any funny jingles? What do you think was the key to making a successful commercial that listeners would pay attention to?

Not to knock my copywriting brethren, but the one thing I wish radio would embrace more is the art of live reads and endorsements. After all, the immediacy of radio is what makes us different from all other mediums. The jock can change the focus of a spot in an instant with a live read based on the day. Love that! Plus, with the new focus these days on "more music," being able to communicate with a listener and being able to address their needs is something that radio will always need jocks for. None of that answered your question did it? Sorry.

8) One of the things the press release emphasized about your new show was a commitment to community and community service for the Boise area. Tell us why you think that's important and if there are any charitable plans in the works for your new home city.

Alana: When you go into any community as an outsider, it's important to immerse yourself in every day life and prove to the community that you care about what affects their life. Randy had an AMAZING idea of starting a Volunteer Army. We'll get shirts made and solicit for listeners to tell us what needs to be done. We'll get together our "Army," made up of us and listeners, and hit the streets. Whether it's Edna who needs her house painted or the West Boise Little League that needs its dugouts rebuilt.

Randy: Not to sound weird, but I really think being on the radio isn't just a job, it's a responsibility. We're asking the people of Boise to spend part of their day everyday with us on WOW, and we owe them for that. That means marrying the community and doing what we can to make it a great place to live. Maybe it'll be as simple as organizing a trash clean-up at a local park. Or it could be using our "celebrity" to bring attention to a charity or fundraiser. Whatever, as long as it's all about doing good, we're in!

9) I heard there were a total of five cats making the trip to Boise, Randy with three from Seattle and Alana with two from Portland. How did the trip go? Any mishaps on the long drive?

Alana: My youngest cat Hugo Boss was an angel, once my dad and I stopped the dog, Lucille Ball, from lying on his carrier. Gucci, the older cat, who accompanied me to NYC, Albuquerque, Portland, and now Boise, knew a move was coming and managed to have IBS just 15 miles outside of two separate rest areas. Awesome!

Randy: My wife owes me for the rest of our marriage. I had three cats, a litter box, and a dog in my tiny Hyundai hatchback. Meanwhile she and our daughter got the spacious and litter box-free SUV all the way from Seattle to Boise. At the first rest area I got a few of those little trees to hang from the mirror and it wasn't bad after that!

10) What are you excited to see and do in Boise so far?

Alana: I'm excited to see the Boise State football team and I can't wait to float down the river in a tube. One tube for me, one for the cooler. I'm in!

Randy: SUN AND SNOW! Being in Seattle for the past 11 years I forgot what seasons are like. I want a hot summer and snow up to my butt this winter. Plus they have a minor league baseball team (the Boise Hawks) here and I can't wait to catch some games.

1) Who is the more organized of the two of you?

Alana: RANDY! Without question. He likes to color-code things and I just like to color, so it works out nice.

Randy: Alana informed me today that she thinks I'm a control freak. I took that as a compliment. So I guess the answer would be me. But she's obsessed with color-coding things.

2) What junk foods do you snack on while you're on the air?

Alana: Goldfish Crackers (because they're so delicious) and pickles.

Randy: I'm pretty OCD, in the sense that I eat the same thing every morning at the same time. All pretty healthy stuff. Apples, egg white breakfast burritos, yogurt. And I make sure I eat something every hour I'm on the air. Keeps the motor running and prevents any dips in energy. Oh, and I was very excited when I discovered they have Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee in the WOW break room.

3) What music do you two listen to when you're not working?

Alana: Ga-ga-ooh-la-la - let's just say the other Boise stations that will be getting my quarter hours will be Mix 106 and KISS 103.3.

Randy: I'm grew up listening to the old school country like Merle Haggard, Don Williams and the like so that's all in my iPod. But I'll mix it up with some Godsmack and Jay-Z, too.