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10 Questions with ... Blake Hayes
February 15, 2021
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started my radio career at 12 recording “radio shows” with my childhood friend, Tommy. At 16 I eventually convinced Danny Ocean and Jimi Jamm at WKCI in New Haven to let me intern. I got on the air at 17 and have since worked part-time at WWBX and WXKS in Boston, WPLJ in New York, then afternoons at KHMX in Houston. I held a brief stint doing mornings there before joining WMGX in Portland Maine as morning host in January 2014.
1. How would you describe your first radio gig?
My mom had to drop me off for my internship at WKCI in New Haven, near where I grew up, because I didn’t have my driver’s license yet. Once I turned 17 (and got my license), they hired me to do some overnight and board-op work. I’d toss my trumpet in the car after playing in the marching band under the Friday Night Lights, cruise in my sexy 1990 Honda Civic over to the station, sleep in the conference room and go on the air at 2a. It sounds horrible now, but then, it was my dream!
2. What led you to a career in radio?
I always loved listening to the radio and the way the jocks communicated. I wanted to do that. I wasn’t as interested in the music as I was what came between the music. So I’d do contests, bits, and produce my own little “imaging” pieces for my “home radio station” in my teenage years before I got an actual radio job.
3. How does what you, Kelly and Todd do every morning set the table for the rest of the station’s broadcast day?
We promote the different dayparts and try to maintain a sense that we are all friends at the radio station, which is true. We bust our afternoon guy DJ’s chops, and beg and plead for 90’s songs for Heather to feature on our 12 noon “90’s Nooner.” We do our best to start the day on the station, then hope people keep it here and recycle it all over again the next morning.
4. How has navigating the pandemic made you a better programmer and what have you learned that will stay with you moving forward?
We have doubled down on the Companionship, Connection, and Consistency we offer our listeners. It’s been important in both live talk and imaging to relate to what’s going on in our listeners’ lives, and adjust that messaging to reflect the climate in our community. When things were truly locked down, we reflected that. As things opened up and businesses needed help getting the word out, we reflected that. It’s also been a great reminder of the risk our business takes by ONLY being an in-vehicle medium. We need to constantly promote other ways to listen, and that will continue to be more consistent as we move forward out of the pandemic.
5. Music comes at us from all sorts of angles these days. What else are you looking for when something from a new artist shows up that already has impressive streaming numbers or other sorts of metrics?
Every streaming stat, piece of research, M Score, etc. needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Listening to the radio is a very different experience from turning on a song to stream. I’m always hesitant to weigh Shazam numbers too heavily, for example. We don’t know why they Shazamed the song, we just know that they did. Did they wonder what terrible song they were listening to, or did they want to download it? Or maybe they were just settling a bet on which artist it was. None of those are really good reasons to play (or not play) a record.
6. “Local local local” has always been radio’s mantra. How do you keep your station(s) visible and involved in the community when we really can’t go out and interact?
We have a very active Facebook page, which is largely an extension of our morning show. We discuss various topics there, and when things were very locked down, did a lot of Facebook Live posts to keep listeners who weren’t in their cars engaged. We also made it a point to direct people to businesses and organizations needing help. This was the right thing to do, but hopefully it also kept our station and show’s names out there with a positive affiliation when we weren’t showing up in person at events. We also helped stream and/or co-host virtual fundraisers and hosted some Zoom Happy Hours with listeners.
7. What are the most effective social media platforms for your air staffs these days?
Instagram has been our most successful platform for personalities.
8. What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid? Jock(s)?
I grew up in Connecticut listening to the big New York stations like Z100 and ‘PLJ so I had a lot of “pinch me” moments when I got to enter that studio in Penn Plaza.
9. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
Scott Shannon was my number one mentor and I still go to him on occasion for advice on contests or some feedback on my show. I was lucky to have such an icon for a teacher, and he also instilled the confidence in me to go out and take the steps I needed to advance my career. And I listen to the Matty in the Morning podcast every day. Eric in the Morning in Chicago is another favorite, and I steal his topics all the time because they’re so good with listener interaction on that show.
10. What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
Curiosity is the most important skill to have in radio, and in life. If you’re genuinely curious, you’ll ask good questions during interviews, truly wonder what’s going on in your listeners’ lives, and wonder how you can expand a promotion or a sales relationship in a more beneficial way. Asking questions like “what if?” or “why?” every day will make you a better jock, host, programmer, and person.
Bonus Questions
With an unlimited budget and the Cross Insurance Arena at your disposal, what 3 acts would you bring together to celebrate “No More COVID” concert with Coast listeners?
P!nk, Taylor Swift, and Shawn Mendes.
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