10 Questions with ... Andrew "Jaye" Cannon

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Landed on the air by accident on the day before my 13th birthday. Had my own radio show on a local community station through my teens. Got my commercial start in the Parkersburg, WV/Marietta, OH market from the mid-'80s thru the early '90s. I helped sign on the first non-government-owned radio station in the Cayman Islands in '92 (Z99.9FM - ZFZZ.) Mid to late \-'90s was spent in the Key West, FL market including time at the powerhouse WEOW as PD. Early 2000s I spent a few years with Jones Radio Networks at their Denver studios (now WW1.) Back to the Florida Keys again mid to late-2000s for operations duties at WWUS and its group. I was lucky enough to work for a year with Steve Newberry and Derron Steenbergen at Commonwealth Broadcasters in Kentucky 2007-2008. My last move was to Pismo Beach CA to work with El Dorado Broadcasters as OM. After several years, El Dorado chose to close shop in town, and I didn't want to move ... so The Extra Voice was launched. I now track for a great handful of clients, as well as work with LRN, Local Radio Networks.

1) What led you to a career in radio?

A friend of the family worked in the media department at a local college, and knew I was interested in how radio worked. So she arranged for me to tour the college station at age 13.

2) How would you describe your first radio gig?

Back to the college tour, I was unaware they'd regularly bring in high school students to fill some shifts, and I started the night of my tour, and have never left the industry.

3) How did you arrive at your current business model?

As a remote voicetracker for multiple stations, and as a former programmer for several small/unrated market stations, the idea was to make having a remote tracker affordable, yet still make sound as local as possible. I work with each client to make sure what they're getting is exactly what they want.

4) What role does social media play in your process?

Believe it or not, not all stations are taking an active part in social media, which I believe is a mistake. Many of my clients are taking full advantage of the reach of social media, and even allow their remote trackers to post relevant info as needed. I try to post quality content on each clients' social media daily.

5) What are some of the things that you do to make sure that you're sounding as local as possible?

Research the area. Being a remote voicetracker presents the biggest problem, I'm not local in any of my markets. Before starting a new client, we spend plenty of time talking about the stations and the market. Learning about local industries, local organizations, even street and city names that could be a challenge to say properly. I follow multiple local organizations (Chambers, first responders, even other local media like TV and newspapers) on social media, so I always have a general grasp on what's going on in town.

6) What is your favorite part of the job?

Working with some amazing small-market programmers and operators who have figured out how to make the best out of every last cent in their budgets. These are the guys putting in 50-60-70 hours a week, wearing multiple hats to keep their stations running. I did it for years myself, and can appreciate all the long hours they put in so their product sounds top-notch.

7) What is the most challenging part of the job?

I spent over three decades working in local markets and getting out to meet the listeners. I miss that connection. I can make some great connections with listeners via social media, but having the opportunity to get out and meet the listeners and be at local events is something I do miss a lot.

8) Who is your all-time favorite air personality?

I first heard him on his syndicated Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown, and immediately clicked on his delivery and personality ... Scott Shannon. When he moved to L.A. in the late '80s for Pirate Radio, we were lucky to be able to listen via the Westwood One satellite. In the '90s, he vacationed in the Cayman Islands and visited the radio station I was programming, and it was the best day of my life. It's great to follow his continued career in NYC again.

9) Who were your mentors?

All my previous PDs who believed in me through my career, and who each taught me some sort of lesson I could take along with me in my career.

10) What advice would you give someone who was trying to make the same kind of move that you have made?

For me it was a case of, do I want to pack up my house and move again when/if the current company I was with decides to close or sell and dump all the staff, or do I want to remain where I am and still work in the industry? I've uprooted my spouse eight times to make a radio move. I promised it wouldn't happen again. It's a great choice if you want to remain where you are, or want the availability to relocate on a whim, but keep working the same gig. It's not for everyone, but for the first time in decades, it's nice to be wearing only one hat, and having the opportunity to fine-tune my on-air work again.

Who would your dream interview be?

Annie Lennox. I've played her music all of my career, which is already a reason for an interview. But she's become so much more even later in life with her philanthropy and activism, (and her photography ... follow her on social media, you won't be disappointed). She's an artist who has truly squeezed so much from life so far, and I'd love to hear her stories.