10 Questions with ... "Trooper" Troy Stephenson

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

• WSUP/Platteville, WI - College Radio! - 2001-2003
• KNIX/Phoenix, AZ - Internship - 2002
• WWQM-WJJO/Madison, WI) - 2003-2005
• WKIS/Miami, FL - 2005
• WWGR/WJGO/Ft Myers FL - 2006-2008
• WCKT/Ft Myers, FL - 2008-2010
• WBCG/Port Charlotte-Punta Gorda, FL - 2010-Present

1) What Got You Interested In Radio?

While I was in College, my old middle school was having a "Valentine's Dance" and needed a DJ. I brought in two boom boxes and played the music for them, I loved it so much that I invested in DJ equipment and became a corny school dance/wedding/etc. DJ. I'm still doing that corny job! I decided I could work with music for a living, so I went back to college and changed my major from Criminal Justice to Communications.

2) Who were your early influences?

I remember listening to Dave Pratt while in Phoenix and thinking how cool his job was. He influenced me to have fun getting up and performing in front of people. My cousin in Arizona has always been an influence to me for music. He introduced me to the Hair Metal bands that I still love like Motley Crue, Dokken, and Ratt.

3) Who do you consider your radio mentors?

I worked with Mark Phillips at WWGR in Ft Myers for a year before he landed a dream job at KPLX in Dallas. I saw how he was a respected leader that people loved being around. He is someone that I still call for advice, guidance, etc. I've learned from a lot of great radio people including Randy Hawke and OZZ (WJJO-Madison), Joe Bell (WKIS-Miami) and several people at Clear Channel in Ft Myers.

4) What is your favorite part of the job?

It's still considered the "Entertainment Industry" so there are many things. And meeting famous people never gets old! But those are only the perks of the job. I still enjoy the sales, NTR part of it!

5) How did you get your present job?

Persistence! And by proving I am someone who wants to work hard to do my part in making this a profitable business and a fun place to work.

6) Describe a typical day in your position?

Since I'm only two weeks in to this job, I'm talking with my co-workers to learn about this market and these stations. This is one of the most active radio groups I have ever worked for. There are a lot of events that are coming up soon that need my immediate attention. So, I'm all over the place! I even took out all the trash yesterday!

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

Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte is like being back in small town radio and I love it! There isn't any local competition so our community embraces us as their local station. And we are very involved in many events that happen in our area...but it is still relevant to talk about stuff that happens in Ft Myers or Tampa. In a market the size of ours, staying current will always be important.

8) How often does your airstaff front and back-sell songs?

I try not to backsell a song that everyone knows. That is something I learned from Randy Hawke. He called it the "No Shit" rule, or something like that. For example if you were coming out of "Like a Rolling Stone" and said, "That was Bob Dylan with, "Like a Rolling Stone." What did your listening audience just say? That's right... "No Shit!?" You can save about five precious seconds of air time by cutting that out.

9) Who is the most amazing talent you've worked with?

I've worked with some great people that I would consider amazing! They include Scott Fish (WWGR), OZZ (WJJO) Tim and Willy (KNIX, now with KMLE) and Jason Stephens (WWQM). But I would have to say Val St. John from WWGR is pretty darn amazing! Her morning show is always flawless and she works very hard to prepare each show. She has been at the same station for about 12 years and was named the ACM Award for Best Radio personality in 2008. As far as talent is concerned, she is probably the best I've worked with.

10) Where do you see the industry and yourself five years from now?

Unfortunately it won't be as "local" as it is today. People want more music and less talk and they could care less about local DJ's. They want to feel part of something bigger and more glamorous. That is why shows like TMZ, Access Hollywood and anything Ryan Seacrest appears on are so popular. In addition to providing more advertising content, we will be talking more about what's happening in Hollywood.

1) What are your hobbies?

I really like playing sports...I haven't been in a softball league for a while, so I need to check that out. You can play softball year round in Florida!

2) What do you plan to do different this year, regarding work, family, or both?

My wife and I are hoping to have our first child this year! She has been with me long before I was in radio, so she knows how it can be (long hours, weekends, etc.) And I need to learn every aspect of radio to become a more valuable employee. I've done on air, promotions and sales. Now I'm looking to learn more about programming and production.

3) What area of your "game" do you want to improve?

Anyone in radio knows that it isn't necessarily improving; it's learning and keeping up with the times. Radio is changing and those that don't adapt and keep up will be left out.