10 Questions with ... Mark Elliott

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Forty-plus years on-air, programming and consulting WKRQ/Cincinnati, WYNF/Tampa, WKKX/St. Louis

Worked with over 40 stations as a marketing/promotion consultant

Most recently WIKY/Evansville, WRQN/Toledo and now WLXT/Petoskey-Traverse City (as well as WDJO/Cincinnati) as morning show host.

1. How would you describe your first radio gig?

I was working at the college radio station when the GM/PD at WIZE/Springfield, OH came down to our studios looking to hire an all-night guy. I was the only one there, did an audition and started the next week. Years later, I discovered that the station's insurance company was ready to cancel their policy because there was no security in their building at night. But a guard would have cost a lot more per hour than a minimum wage disc jockey. So I learned quickly that radio was not going to be a lucrative career.

That guy chose my radio name ... Mark is mine but Elliott is my mom's maiden name. Little did I know about the real Mark Elliotts (there is more than one) or I might have picked something else. So to be clear, I never guest-hosted AT40 or voiced anything for Disney.

2. What led you to a career in radio?

Truthfully, I wanted to be on the air since I was nine years old. Even when the morning guy on WCOL/Columbus advised me not to get into "this f'ing business" (a direct quote; he was a customer on my paper route), I didn't get discouraged. I was drawn to it.

3. How does your morning show set the tone for the way that the broadcast day unfolds at Lite 96.3?

Lite is a music-intensive "listen at-work" station, with a huge midday audience. But it also has friendly positive personalities and on-air attitude. We stay music-intensive for a morning show (nine-12 songs an hour) while adding in news and weather, local happenings, games, perhaps a laugh or smile. Heather Leigh (we call her the Midday Radio Goddess) is really the face and heart of the station, we're her warm-up act.

4. Do you have some daily features that you use to set up some sort of 'appointment listening' for the station?

I love the games where people can play along even if they never call, so we play the "Culture Quiz" every morning at 7:20 (basically the Impossible Question; I stole the name from Dennis Jon Bailey at WIKY). "3 to Know Before You Go" airs at 6:20 and 8:40 - three facts, stories or events that might give you something to talk about at the office later.

5. Do you use an outside prep service, or do you do pull things together on your own?

My first love is Apple News - I always find a tidbit or two there, swiping each morning on the phone before I get out of bed. The station subscribes to The Hookup, I wasn't familiar with that before I started but I really like it. Prep services are way too dependent on celeb stories, which I mostly don't do. The Hookup has its share of celeb gossip but lots of great other stuff every day too. I would recommend it for AC or Classic Hits stations.

6. Speaking of the air staff, you folks have a weekender by the name of Jim Harper on the air on Saturdays. What's it like to have a Michigan radio legend as part of the team?

It's great having him around. When Jim retired from Magic in Detroit, he bought a summer home in Petoskey. One day he reached out to our PD Diane Shannon and said he missed radio. And now he's the voice of Saturday afternoons. Since we're in the vacation mecca of Michigan, all his listeners from Detroit have found him. Jim Harper as your 6th man ... what more could you want?

7. What kinds of social media engagements are working best for you these days?

Facebook is our prime social media platform and we get a lot of play there. I'm working on a station Instagram account, and might delve into Pinterest as well as I think our listeners are already there.

8. "Local, local, local" has always been radio's mantra. How do you keep yourself visible and involved in the community?

Great question and thanks for asking ... as I am NOT local. I'm doing this show from Columbus, OH every day, where I have to be for family reasons (85-year-old mom lives next door.) I've been working remotely (WDJO/Cincinnati -- Oldies) and doing a weekend shift for Lite since the first of the year). They approached me about taking over mornings; Tim Nixon moved to afternoon after 13 years in this seat. We worked out the details including hiring a great in-studio producer (John Kelly, Traverse City market veteran, who has become part of the show). I know the area -- lived and worked there for 10+ years. The show is very local on air; I take phone calls, introduce the pet of the week every Thursday. While every break is recorded, we are doing the show in real time. It's clearly not "voicetracked" (hate that word). Heather and Tim are the faces of the station and do most of the appearances; I go up about once a quarter (was just there a few weeks ago, did four events in four nights and went on sales calls.) But most of the time I am here, and listeners really aren't aware. I want to add one more station, maybe middays or a Mountain/Pacific time zone morning show. Other stations might consider taking this route, giving them access to high quality announcers who want to work but not move.

9. What was your favorite station growing up as a kid? Favorite jock?

I grew up on WCOL/Columbus and night guy Larry Clark. He moved out of town (I remember his last show) and when my family moved to Cincinnati, it was great to listen to him again on WSAI. Never did get to meet him though.

10. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?

As a PD, a consultant and a friend, Randy Michaels had the biggest influence on both my career and my liver. I do need to give credit to Mike McVay and Jack Taddeo, who taught me a lot about programming; and Tim Huelsing and the late Tom Severino, who are tied for best manager - both with very different styles but great GMs.

What has been the "song of summer" for your listeners? and what has been the "song of summer" for you?

My song of the summer is "Ain't Nothing Holding Me Back" Shawn Mendes, just my personal favorite. But for Lite 96.3 listeners, I'd have to say songs like "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" or "Take On Me" - our Mix Tape Weekends, with songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s without having to record your own cassette, have been their songs of the summer.