10 Questions with ... Eric Johnson  

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Started by hanging out and finally working at South Jersey stations at age ’12 in 1974.  By ’82 I was the night DJ at Top 40 WPST/Trenton.  Then it was onto AC WSNI/Philly and Top 40 WAEB-FM Allentown.  By ’91 I was PM Drive at AC Kiss 100 Philly, was promoted to PD and we changed AC Kiss to (at launch-Hot AC) Y100.  By the mid ’90’s APD at sports WIP. From ’99 to ’17 I was the PD of Talk/Classic Hits NJ101.5 WKXW/Trenton.  While there we launched Hot AC SoJO 104.9/WSJO/Atlantic City. I joined Beasley in ’17 as PD of sports 97.5 The Fanatic WPEN/Philly. In July of ’20 I was thrilled Joe Bell, Justin Chase and Bruce Beasley gave me the opportunity to get back on the air in music radio as PD/PM Drive at heritage mainstream AC WJBR Wilmington DE.

1. You’d spent 18 years away from programming music radio.  What was it like to step into the PD office under those auspices? 

It was thrilling!  My roots are in AC radio, and this move made my 40+ career seem new and wondrous again!  I’ve always intensely and obsessively studied whatever format I was involved with at the time.  So it took no time at all to know what was working in the format in 2020.

2. When you programmed Talk WKXW (NJ 101.5), the station played music on the weekends.  Did that give you a leg up as far as music scheduling, etc.? 

It sure did! When I started at NJ101.5 in ’99 we were working with Selector Version ’12…and in the early ‘10s we switched over to GSelector.  I love studying perceptual studies, music tests and Mediabase.  I enjoy working with GSelector and the trial and error to get the priorities and coding just right and seeing those results on sample logs and then finally hearing your work on air!  Honestly, it never gets old!  

3. Plus you’re back in the air chair.  What’s it been like for you to crack the mic every afternoon? 

I love my day of being in the office for the first half of the day and in the studio for my 5 hour show starting at 2pm.  I could not do it without the help and talent of our APD Chris Leonard.  I was on the air full-time from ’80 to ’94— when I moved into off air positions.  I still did weekend shifts at Y100 and then NJ101.5 to keep from getting rusty.  But I love being back on the air every day!  It’s as much fun at 59 as it was at 15!

4. You returned to Beasley smack in the middle of the pandemic. How were you able to connect with the staff when everyone was not able to be together in person?  

Beasley led the way last June in bring people back in the office and studio!  I got to work with the (masked) staff in person in most cases.  Of course like everyone else, we Zoomed our staff meetings to avoid larger gatherings. I love the fact that I got to work in the studio from day 1.   And I am so grateful to have received this opportunity during the height of the pandemic.    

5. How does the Johnny B & Jessie Jordan morning show set the table for the rest of the broadcast day?  

Johnny B is a gifted broadcaster and story teller and Jessie is so upbeat and fun!  Johnny spent many years doing mornings in this market and I’ve been a fan of Jessie’s during her time in Philly.   They’ve had that elusive on air chemistry from the very beginning! They set the table for our positive, upbeat and fun approach to Mainstream AC radio!

6. Musically, how would you describe the format in 2021, and how does that translate into what comes out of the speakers on Mix 99.5?  

Even prior to the pandemic we learned that up-tempo 80’s Gold was a key ingredient.  I think the pandemic sealed the deal on “good time, feel good” Gold reliance.   The most successful stations in the format put equal value in Bon Jovi and Journey as they do Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5 and Pink.  

7. Between programming both Sports and Talk radio, you managed some of the industry’s highest echelon broadcasters?  What did you take away from those experiences that you still carry with you?  

I’ve always been a “golden rule” guy.  Treat people as you want to be treated.  That certainly applies to any manager in any industry.   I think as we get older, we learn what we must act on and what is best to ignore.  Hire talented people and let ‘em go!  And step in when you must.  

8. How would you describe your first radio gig?  

My first on air was in ’78 at WRDR in Egg Harbor City, NJ. I was 16 and there was no music system in place.  And the station played everything from Sinatra to Steely Dan…on albums, 45’s and carts!  The older guys made it work, but with me, it was a “sloppy unfocused mess!”

9. What was your favorite station(s) to listen to when you were a kid? Jock(s)?

Nobody better ever than Dan Ingram in my mind!  Loved that WABC ‘70s sound.  (Anybody that listened to NJ101.5 in the 00’s and ‘10s knows that—as we recreated that sound on what I called our “classic top 40” weekends.)

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

Tom McNally at WOND/Atlantic City took interest in teaching me the board and how to pass the FCC test.  Other mentors include Tom Taylor at WPST, I’m thankful I got to learn from consultant Scott Shannon to launch Y100/Philly, Tom Bigby at WIP and John Dziuba at NJ101.5. As far as influencing my career the most, I would have to say my Mom.  She listened to me on my teenage bedroom radio station, told me what she thought of my “air work” and would drive me to and from stations before I had my driver’s license.  My start in life…and radio would not be possible if not for her.  

If you were planning a post-COVID Mix Welcome back show, and your budget was unlimited, which 3-5 artists you enlist for the concert?  

Let’s keep it fun, upbeat and current….Maroon 5, Dua Lipa, P!nk, Harry Styles, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran!