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10 Questions with ... Brian Demay
June 27, 2006
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NAME:Brian DemayTITLE:PDSTATIONS:WTSS (Star 102.5)MARKET:Buffalo-NiagaraCOMPANY:EntercomBORN:Royal Oak, MIRAISED:Oscoda (a small town in Northern Michigan)EDUCATION:B.A.A. Central Michigan University (Go Chips!)
Please outline your radio career so far:
2002 - 2006 - Operations Manager WBQB/WFVA, Fredericksburg VA
2001 - 2002 - Cluster Operations Manager CLEAR CHANNEL, Charlottesville, VA
1996 - 2001 - Program Director/PM Drive WUMX-FM, Charlottesville, VA
1990 - 1996 - Operations Manager/AM Drive WCLR/WZLR/WPTW Dayton, OH
1988 - 1990 - Program Director WMBN-FM/WWPZ-AM,TRAVERSE CITY/Petoskey, MI
1982 - 1988 - WDBI/TAWAS CITY, MI - WMMI-AM.Mt. Pleasant - WCHP AM/FM Mt. Pleasant
I started doing news in High School, and worked up to PD/PM Drive by the time I graduated college1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
I started at 16 as a high school elections correspondent for my local radio station in '82. This turned into a part-time on-air gig which paid $3.35 an hour, and eventually became full-time afternoons for a whopping $8800 per year. I jocked, I read news, I wrote and produced commercials, I emptied the trash. It was one of those now rare small-market experiences that gave me a chance to do EVERYTHING. It was fantastic!
2) What makes your station or market unique? How does this compare to other markets or stations you have worked at?
The thing that really sets Buffalo apart from other markets I've been is the longevity of air talent here. Aside from myself, the Star staff - including part-timers - has been here for 10 years or longer. The Buffalo-Niagara region has so much to offer, from the Falls to great professional sports, not to mention world-class wineries, people STAY.
3) How do you stay in touch with the latest music trends?
We have all the tools here at Star: weekly callout, two music tests a year, Billboard, Mediabase. It would be impossible to not know what's hot musically.
4) How have music file sharing services, affected the way you program to your audience?
If there's a song on the fringe that we're thinking about adding, we check to see how often it's being downloaded. That's often a good indicator of how something will do a few weeks ahead of the charts.
5) Besides your own, what is your favorite radio format?
There is an "AOL Music by XM" format that I listen to a lot on my computer, called "Acoustic Rock." I think it would make a great HD-2 format!
6) Where do you see the industry and yourself five years from now?
HD is going to change the landscape considerably. Once the public understands what HD can offer them, and the price comes down on consumer receivers, it's going to be a real boon to the industry as a whole. There are some very creative things happening on terrestrial radio, and I'm excited to be a part of it.
7) What can we be doing with our station web sites to better our stations as a whole?
The web site needs to be an extension of what you do on the air. Every promotion, and every major topic on the morning show, studio guests, "live" performances, should all be available on the web. If it's not, you're missing a great opportunity to make exclusive programming available to your P1s
8) What's your take on current music? Is it as good as six months ago, better, or about the same?
I think we are in a transitional period right now. There's a lot of different things going on musically, but we seem to be waiting for the "Next Big Thing." It reminds me of the musical climate just before Grunge in the early 90s; nothing major was going on, then everybody was trying to sound like Kurt Cobain. We'll see who it is this time.
9) Tell us what music we would find on your car or home CD player (or turntable) right now and what is it you enjoy about that particular selection?
KT Tunstall's "Eye To The Telescope" has been a very interesting listen. She's got a unique style which is hard to categorize, not blatantly commercial, but very listenable - which is why I like it. And I'm still listening to Liz Phair's "Somebody's Miracle."
10) Please describe the best or worst promotion you've ever been part of?
I went along with a disastrous "Win A Wife" promotion a few years ago. The moral of the story: on a station with a female focus, don't give your major promotion a sexist title to try to create buzz! Egad....
Bonus Questions
What's the best concert you've been to so far this year and why?
So far this year the Goo Goo Dolls show Star hosted was the best. I had dinner before the show with Tom Biery of WB, and hearing the background of this group from a man who was with them from the beginning made the experience very meaningful. Plus there's always something extra when a group plays before a hometown crowd.
Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff?
I'm still a fan of GARY BURBANK at WLW in CINCINNATI. The man can do it all, and he's consistently funny. And on the commercial production end of things, DICK ORKIN has always been an idol of mine.
What is your favorite TV show?
I love "The Office," and "Lost," the best comedy and drama on TV, respectively.
How often do you air-check your own shows? Is it mandatory that you run tape everyday?
I tape myself every day, and listen on the drive home. Without fail, the breaks I thought were GREAT on the air don't cut it on tape; and those that didn't stand out when I was doing them end up being archived for later use!
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