10 Questions with ... Brian Demay

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

• 2006 - Present WTSS PD/Webmaster/Afternoons
• 2002 - 2006 OM WBQB/WFVA, Fredericksburg/Greater DC Area
• 2000 - 2002 Cluster OM Clear Channel/Charlottesville, VA
• 1996 - 2000 PD/PM Drive WUMX/Charlottesville, VA
• 1990 - 1996 OM/AM Drive WCLR/WZLR/WPTW Dayton, OH
• 1988 - 1990 PD WMBN & WWPZ-A/Traverse City/Petoskey, MI
• 1982 - 1988 WDBI/Tawas City, MI - WMMI-A/Mt. Pleasant - WCHP AM & FM

1) What Got You Interested In Radio?

I visited my local radio station on a school trip and didn't want to leave. I was fascinated by the whole idea of it. The first chance I got, I worked for free covering a local election when I was 16. Then I fell into a part-time overnight gig. That turned into full time by the time I graduated college.

2) Who are your radio mentors?

When I was younger, I wanted to be Dick Orkin. The man's a genius writer and voice actor. I listened to Dick Bartley a lot, and probably modeled my on-air style most after him. I also stole a little from Casey Kasem. I learned a lot of programming wisdom from the inestimable Mike McVay, and today I bounce my ideas off Bill Pasha and Sue O'Neil. We have some great programming minds within Entercom and I love that it's collegial, and cooperative between stations.

3) What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?

If radio hadn't hooked me early on, I would probably have become an English or History teacher, singing bad folk music at a coffee shop on the weekend.

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

Buffalo is a fantastic radio market right on Lake Erie just minutes from Niagara Falls. The architecture here is second in the nation to only New York City and Chicago. From Frank Lloyd Wright to Frederick Law Olmstead, it's here! We also have world class wineries (seriously), a vibrant arts community, great professional sports teams, and it takes less than 20 minutes to get anywhere you want to go with hardly any traffic. When I worked in the DC area, it took 20 minutes to go one block! Buffalo gets a bad rap from people who have never been here. But take it from me, the people who live in Buffalo stay in Buffalo because it's a great place to raise a family.

5) Describe your weekly music meeting ... a) what is the process when you listen to new music? b) approximately how important by percentage is gut, research, sales, video play, and chart position when determining the status of a record?

The first thing we do is to listen to the songs we like. Star is more conservative with our adds than a lot of Hot AC's. So just because we like something doesn't mean we add it that week. But we get a pile of songs that we all agree on and then we look at callout to see how many titles need to be retired. From there we pick based on a combination of chart position, downloads, and research.

6) What other stations and markets do you like to monitor?

Being so close to the Canadian border we get a lot of Ontario stations booming into the area. CHUM-FM is one of my pre-sets. I keep track of WMMX and WDVD to see how certain artists play in the Midwest. And if WPLJ's Scott Shannon steps out on an up-and-comer I do take notice. But by and large, we do our own thing here in Buffalo. Some things only work here

7) Do you have any music scheduling tricks you've learned that you wish to share?

If you want to get a truly accurate projection of turnover rotation in the non-windows version of Selector, which includes gold recycling, here's how to do it:

• F7 to freshen
• Pick "from (date) at 6am" (or whenever your morning show starts)
• Tab down and choose "Block"
• Tab back up and choose "To (same date) at 11:59pm" (or whenever recycling starts)

It's important to make it only one day in the date range, and "block." If you're not doing this already, you'll be surprised how different this analysis is vs. the default Selector analysis. Set up your music rotations accordingly, and your listeners will thank you.

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

Hot AC has always been my favorite because it takes the best of every other format and integrates it into an interesting, very listenable mix. We're not stuck playing every single Top 40 hit every two hours. We pick only the cream of the crop. Don't like twangy country? Here's a great Pop mix of Taylor Swift. Love the 80s? Here's that Rick Springfield tune you remember, followed by the new one from P!nk. It's a little bit of everything, while being completely current.

9) How much leeway do you give your jocks to talk between records?

There's a lot of freedom to be a personality at my stations. I am lucky to work with a stable of talent that thinks like programmers. So the on-air discipline exhibited here is remarkable. A good radio person can tell you their life story in two minutes. If it takes you longer, you need to hone your craft.

10) How do you feel about the new royalty rate increases for Internet radio and proposed royalties for terrestrial radio?

Here's the thing I don't think people realize about music radio: each station ALREADY pays hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties every year. We don't get anything close to a "free ride," as has been portrayed. BMI/ASCAP fees take up a much larger chunk of a station's budget than most on-air salaries I'm sad to say. Now there's talk of a Performance Royalty on top of that? With all due respect to my many record label friends, is it fair to pay twice for the right to play, and promote music?

Music stations on the brink financially are already thinking long and hard of switching to Talk formats to save money. This will push them over the edge. Having fewer music stations isn't good for anybody; not the labels, not the artists, and certainly not the on-air talent, who could lose their jobs over it. It's a bad idea, and it also unfairly diminishes the value of music promotion on radio, which is proven and quantifiable.

1) For someone vacationing in your market, what one thing would you say they "must see"?

Besides the Falls, you've got to get wings at the Anchor Bar (the originator), and Duff's (the innovator), and see for yourself which is better. Then, head to Shea's Performing Arts Center and see what going to a play in the 1920s was like. It's like a palace inside and fully restored. Then take in a Sabres game at HSBC Arena and see how real hockey fans live!

2) What do you do in your spare time?

I watch too much TV. Lost, Mad Men, and Friday Night Lights are my faves. Now that it's warm enough, I try to run with my dog every night (I'm a Jack Russell Terrier fan), visit vineyards with my wife, and chase my kids around the house the rest of the time.

3) What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?

"Music - Marketing - Mornings." If the music isn't right, you won't win, no matter how good your talent is. If you don't have a sound marketing plan, you won't win. If your morning show isn't right, you won't win. It seems so simple, but a lot of stations still don't get that.

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

We are very involved in the community. We recently did a Request-a-thon for the Alzheimer's Association that went even better than I hoped. Not only was it very interesting to hear on the air, but a lot of tears were shed by volunteers and air talent alike. It's hard to beat being able to help an organization in need so directly and so personally, like that.

5) Do you have any good stalker stories? Misty requests? "Fatal Attractions?"

Anyone who has been in this business long enough has a good story or two. My favorite is still the Ohio woman who left meat in my car for my birthday. Such an odd gift: steaks, hamburger, corned beef, all wrapped up and sitting on the passenger seat when I got off the air. Thereafter she was known as "Meat Lady" to all my (jealous?) co-workers.