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10 Questions with ... Bernie Mack
April 20, 2020
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
- WKRQ/WGRR/Cincinnati (HAC/Classic Hits) 2002-2004
- WNDV/South Bend (Top 40) 2004-2006
- KLUV/Dallas-Fort Worth (Classic Hits) 2006-2013
- KSCS/Dallas-Fort Worth (Country) 2013-2016
- WNNF/Cincinnati (Country) 2017-Present
- Westwood One Radio Network (HAC) 2013-Present
1. Were you set up to broadcast from home before all of this began?
I goof off with internet radio and mobile DJed for years. So, a house full of random wires and computer parts has served me well in the last few weeks. Westwood built remote-from-home kits with an easy plan of action to get them running. The engineering crew killed it. It took me an afternoon to get their stuff up and running.
2. Were there any challenges making sure that you were able to get on the air from home?
Not really. Because of the mobile nature of our automation and having a boatload of affiliates to deal with, getting it running was effortless.
3. What’s it like doing the show from home?
I have to say… doing the show from 6 to 10a eastern is working in my favor right now. The early end gives me time to prep in a quiet house. My wife works regular business hours in our guest room, and we have a four-year-old. It almost mirrors what the listeners are doing. The early part of the show is orderly and normal. And then, and as the listener starts “get to work” in their house at 8:45 or so, my show gets a little messy as our house gets more activity. Because my show is virtually live to markets, the 9a hour is fun because there is a possibility you will hear screaming and playing in the background. It’s not what I’d want on the show any other time, but is so relatable trying to do that right now. I figure, if Jimmy Fallon can do The Tonight Show out of his house with his kids interrupting, so can I.
4. Have you added any news type content to your show?
Not news. I am not a news guy. But I can help you distill what’s going on. That’s my strength. The night that Tom Hanks said he had COVID-19 and the NBA announced they were stopping, it got real. Everything got super serious. And the challenge became finding relatability in this temporary new normal. The common themes became isolation, being extra patient with family, social distancing, internet socializing, creature comforts being gone, etc. I also think that fantasizing about getting it back to normal are good breaks right now.
5. Are you adjusting the way that you engage the audience through social media?
I think I’m leaning more on silly memes that reflect what we are doing right now. I’m not a meme guy… but, there’s a lot of humor in part of this. Everyone is cooped up, so social media is getting funnier and weirder in the moment. Also, the artists are trapped too, so the livestreams are awesome.
6. What’s one thing that you’ve quickly learned during this crisis?
It’s the first time in a long time that we, as a culture, are experiencing the same thing together in real time. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, early on, this felt like a slow moving 9/11 in the way that it developed over a couple of weeks. Just a sort of shared shock. Now that the shock of it has worn off, and it’s become a little more way of life, and in that you can do some slice-of-life content.
I have learned that people are OK with your going on the air unsure. In the first days of this, I was vulnerable and worried with the audience. I think that’s the best spot I could be in with them. I wasn’t panicked, but I was very unsure. When you can open the mic and just say what you’re thinking because you are reacting, which is a scary thing to do. But it’s good radio.
7. What led you to a career in radio?
It’s a common story. I grew up knowing I wanted to do it, obsessed over it, and followed it through college and into adulthood. I tend to have a weird take on things, and this is a good business for being strange.
8. What was your favorite station when you were a kid? Jock?
I think a lot of people grow up listening to music radio and that’s their entry point into it. I didn’t do that. Mine was weird. I have always preferred personality talk radio. At 15 or 16- years-old, I was listening to “Bob and Tom” and “Imus in the Morning.” I was always mystified by how three or four people could talk to each other with such rhythm, be in-sync with one another, and have it land in such a funny and interesting way. And, of course, they made it sound effortless.
9. Who were your mentors?
Mentor? One of my first bosses at 103.5 WGRR in Cincinnati, when I was just out of college, was Peter Zolnowski. He went on to hire me to be a part of the morning show at 98.7 KLUV in Dallas. I don’t think there is a professional opportunity I haven’t bounced off him for feedback. He’s been a valued friend and great radio man.
10. Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
Influenced? It’s a boring answer. Howard Stern changed the dynamic in the way hosts related to audiences. His bit was crude and rude…. but seemingly authentic. He did two things in the 80s and 90s, he was the anti-jock who didn’t have a “radio voice” and did unique content. No one else was doing that. And then, he pivoted to great interviewer who can get compelling stories out of most guests. He is a master of character-driven radio.
Bonus Questions
When this is all over, which artist would you (respectfully) like to hug first?
Not an artist, but the guy that cuts my hair has a big tip coming his way. Maybe a hug. That would be weird.
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