10 Questions with ... Robby Bridges

NAME:Robby Bridges TITLE:Afternoon Drive Host, 'Variety Hour' Host STATIONS:WEBE, WICC, WRKI & WDBY MARKET:New Haven-Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT WEB:www.bborproductions.com COMPANY:Cumulus Media BORN:Providence, RI RAISED:Providence, RI

Please outline your radio career so far:

BBOR PRODUCTIONS, LLC - 1992 to present - Owner
WWBB/PROVIDENCE, RI - 1993-2000
WELH/PROVIDENCE, RI - 1993-1997
WQGN/NEW LONDON, CT - 2000-2001
WFHN/NEW BEDFORD, CT - 2000-2001
WODS/BOSTON, MA - 2000-2004
WPRO/PROVIDENCE, RI - 2001-2002
WIOQ/PHILADELPHIA, PA - 2002
WHTZ/NEW YORK, NY - 2002
WBMX/BOSTON, MA - 2002-2004
WCTK/PROVIDENCE, RI - 2003-2-08
WEBE/BRIDGEPORT, CT 2008-Present

1) What Got You Interested In Radio?

Music...pure and simple. I love learning about a song, the artist and then conveying my excitement for it to an audience. I love the idea that in 10 seconds I could say something that could actually enhance the experience of hearing a song. Additionally, I love great audio processing so every note, instrument, and effect is audible. Most of all, I really enjoy meeting people and sharing a "brand" with them depending what format it is.

2) Who were your early influences?

George Michael (WABC), Dan Ingram, Eric Chase (KFI), Scott Shannon...and the first team I worked with in Providence with vets like Bruce Palmer, Dr. Don Spencer, Big John Bina. I try to pick something up from every jock I work with and every aircheck I hear...new or old.

3) Who do you consider your radio mentor(s)?

John Morgan, Rick Everett..had the great fortune to work with some amazing PD's like Curtis Hansen, Tom Poleman, Sharon Dastur, Greg Strassell and many others...I think it is important to make learning a continual growth process.

4) Describe a typical day in your position?

I do production, imaging, anchoring and newscasts on our AM sister WICC along with interview segments for my syndicated evening talk show, and an afternoon music shift on WEBE, then some programming meetings.

5) What makes your station or market unique? How does this compare to other markets or stations you have worked at?

This market is really seven markets not one. New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford and Danbury are all within about 25 miles or so of each other, and they all have their own flavor, landmarks, and highways. A person from New Haven would not often be in Stamford, and vice versa. Plus we reach most of the Nassau-Suffolk market on Long Island, Southern Hartford, and of course the "Big Apple." While we super-serve Connecticut, it's a large area with many different lifestyles from city, to bedroom community, to shoreline, and wooded suburb.

6) What do you like best about working in this format?

AC (and WEBE specifically), is all about variety. We are a consistent, friendly, familiar brand playing songs by artists that feel comfortable and fun. The magic of WEBE, I think, is the simplicity of our mix. We play the hits. A sample of the best and most important new music our audience is reacting too, and a sprinkling of great "Oldies." We are "Bright And Never Sleepy"...WEBE has got personality always.

7) In recent years, many station have been flipping to "Jack," "Bob," "Max," "Fresh" or "Movin' Rhythmic Hot AC. What are your thoughts on these formats? Will they go the distance?

In a nutshell, I think all formats succeed or fail on whether or not they're compelling in content and music rotation, whether they build cume while super-serving a core audience of quarter hour users. And that is done with formatics that are easy to use and build appointments for recycling listeners back to the radio.

I think in this ever more globally complicated world a personality who is live and local (or at least sounds as though they are) brings a listener everything the lifestyle of the format dictates in a way that makes them feel more connected to a community.

8) What format does not exist that should? Would it work?

How about an emotionally charged female leaning format with content all about emotions and music to match the mood? Take calls from listeners sharing their personal stories and struggles, triumphs, fun, love, and loss. Better yet, a Pop station that really super-serves the 12-24 year olds and creates excitement for radio as a media among that demo across the country.

9) What type of features do you run on the station?

"All day Connecticut Traffic & Weather," "Studio 108-70's and 80's Dance Party Favorites" on Saturday nights; "All Request Drive at 5" each weekdays, The John Tesh Radio Show Monday through Friday from 7p-12a, and "The Variety Hour-Late Night Talk Show" that I host on the weekends also heard on our sister stations in the region!

10) What is the most rewarding promotion or activity your station has ever been involved with to benefit the community or a charity?

Being part of the airstaff at WCTK/Providence, RI. In the five years I was there we raised over a million dollars combined for cancer and autism research through our radiothons.

1) What's your take on current music? Is it as good as six months ago, better, or about the same?

I am a big believer that the health of current music is format specific and is determined by how many format "stars" a station in a format can own and how many great "songs" are out...I think country has shown great strength in this regard and Top 40 has really bounded back to almost to where it was during the last Pop explosion.

2) What's your favorite junk food?

I love ice cream with jimmies (what we Rhode Island natives call sprinkles).

3) How do you prep yourself for your radio shift?

I Twitter, Facebook, and I blog with our audience. I read three different daily papers, and whatever magazines I can get my hands on in a given day. I also hit dozens of Web Sites from AOL, to Perez Hilton, to MSN.

4) What are your hobbies?

1) Antiques
2) I'm a politics junkie
3) And I like fixing things around the house.

5) What is your favorite TV show?

Year in year out, I rarely miss "David Letterman," "Saturday Night Live," "American Idol," and "24."