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10 Questions with ... John Sebastian
November 1, 2021
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Long career as a program director and consultant with dramatic ratings success in Top 40, AOR/Rock, Smooth Jazz, Classic Rock and Country, in nearly every one of the top 50 markets in the United States
1. How would you describe your first radio gig?
Exciting! Working weekend overnights as a disc jockey at KPFM/Portland, OR!
2. What led you to a career in radio?
A broken back and heartbreak over the state of politics in America. I gave up my dreams of an NBA career, lawyer and politics and really on a whim I chose to pursue radio!
3. What keeps leading you back to Phoenix?
I love the sun and have more friends here than anywhere else. I find the desert magical...
4. Your WOW FACTOR format has turned 2-years-old. You went on the air with the mission to play the best testing songs –drilling down on the 60s and 70s- from every format covering the past 60 years. How has that played out as the station has evolved?
We play the songs that Boomers love, no matter the decade or genre. We've dominated the 55+ demographic for 6 months in a row!
5. Obviously, the format is very Boomer-centric. How do you staff the station in regard to air talent?
We have no DJs per se. In the morning we have a personality well known in Phoenix...Danny Davis, doing traffic reporting and mixing in topical event and promotional information.
6. What are the advertising upsides of the format?
We appeal to the wealthiest listeners on the planet and they spend more money than any other age group! Oh, and by the way, they still love radio, listening to The Wow Factor more loyally than any of the radio formats I've programmed.
7. What’s your plan to grow the format into other markets and stations? How can interested parties get hold of you?
When the time is right I'd like to share the ingredients that make this format the unique radio concept in decades. Email contact is best: johnsebvoice@gmail.com
8. What’s the most fun that you’ve ever had programming a specific station? Which one was it and when?
If I have to pick one, it's WCOZ/Boston, in the early 80s. Fantastic city for the college age people that dominate the town. We had a legendary on air and off air staff. I was given complete freedom! All these advantages resulted in the most amazing AOR/Rock turnaround and ratings success in American radio history!
9. What were your favorite stations growing up as a kid? Jock(s)?
KISN/Portland, KGO and KFRC/San Francisco, KHJ/Los Angeles. The Real Don Steele, Ira Blue, Charlie Van Dyke, Michael O'Brien and many other radio stations and personalities!
10. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
Gary Stevens, Todd Wallace, Jay Stone, Bill Drake, Buzz Bennett and too many others to mention. I've been extremely fortunate to be inspired by, to work with and for some of the top professionals in the history of radio.
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