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"Bobby Novosad in the Morning" - KSMB - Lafayette, LA
August 27, 2008
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
SET THE SCENE: You've been there a while now, how has the radio landscape changed over the years?
Bobby: You figure out how to do more with less. As much as you want to have a budget to pay your staff big bucks, in reality, that won't happen so you need to understand that just when the new show finally jells and all of the players are comfortable with one another, someone will leave for another opportunity.
OPTIONS: If not morning radio, what else?
Bobby: I've always been fascinated by the work of the Secret Service and the D.E.A. My shortcut to that was, for a period of five years, I was a volunteer police officer for the city of Lafayette. Same training, same uniform as the regular officers but no pay. I had to give it up because I was recognized too often and listeners had a hard time understanding why I was wearing a police uniform.
Imagine trying to hook listeners to your show every morning doing whatever it takes then that night you give one listener a ticket. How many people do you think that person would tell? It wasn't worth it.
THE SHOW:"Bobby Novosad in the Morning"THE STATION:KSMB 94.5THE CITY:Lafayette, LATHE FORMAT:Top 40THE CAST:Bobby Novosad, Ali Roberts (co-host), Big Rob (producer)Resume Time
THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE UGLY: Give us brief rundown on your career
Bobby: I've been here most of my career. I started here in '85 part-time while going to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette then moved to mid-days later that year. Management back then allowed me to do a full blown morning show in mid-days. I was pulling 30-plus shares while everyone else was doing "more music, less talk."
In '87 I went to mornings and P.D. in '91. I've also held the titles of Promotions Director. A.M.D., M.D. and A.P.D. My hobby is mixing club music and I still mix our Friday night mixshow. I've even dabbled in sales. It was a short dabble!
Prep 101
How much time do you spend on prep, and what types of information do you find have worked the best over the years (i.e. lifestyle, health, news)
Bobby: I'm looking 24/7. I pick up on conversations a lot. Prep services are great backups when things in the market are slow or to add balance to the show but if your listeners are talking about something in town, whether it interests you or not, if it fits your target, you can't go wrong jumping on it.
You won't find me in bed at nine every night. 11:30pm-12:00am is the norm for me. I roll a digital recorder hook up to my computer and TV to grab audio from TV shows and commercials. It's really cool to hear a song played in a commercial or something played on the Hills that night and have it to play the next morning. Chances are the same song is hooked in the minds of my listeners. I also have a bookmark on my home computer of 138 useable websites for show material.
Since I'm also the Program Director and stay busy with the duties that job brings, I have to put trust in Ali and Big Rob to bring things to the table as well.
Most Memorable
OL' FAITHFUL: What's the one feature, bit, or element you've felt the most confident about during your career?
Bobby: "The Joke of the Day"! This is a very produced and complicated bit that requires extensive prep and intense phone interaction and editing. I wouldn't suggest it to anyone without at least five years of morning drive experience. LOL!!!
OOPS: What's the one bit or stunt you wish you had never executed?
Bobby: One year for Halloween, I had "The World's Smallest House." The "house" was a 6'x6'x6' box, decorated Halloween style on the outside. Listeners had to crawl in and be scared by a very monotone "boo!" from one of the morning show members.
I hooked up a nightclub type fog machine that put out 25,000 sq. ft. of fog a minute and bombed them once they were inside. Even though we warned everyone, I heard someone inside yell, "I have asthma!!!" A girl came out coughing and hacking. I really thought it was time to cut a lawsuit settlement check on the spot. Luckily, she actually had a good sense of humor and starting laughing about it.
That would never happen again. Today she would have part of ABC Radio and I'd be working as a DJ on a Disney cruise ship.
NOSTALIGIA: Name your most memorable radio moment. (Good or bad!)
Bobby: Recently, I was asked to appear in a music video for the R&B artist Cupid. We know each other because I broke his single "Cupid Shuffle" and helped get him signed to Atlantic Records. His new single is called "Happy Dance" and in the video, I play Mar-tee as in Maury Povich. I have a ton of screen time.
Once the video starts getting play on MTV and BET it then becomes something we can use on the morning show. Check out the rough footage at http://www.ksmb.com/Article.asp?id=532775.
Celebs-N-Stuff
NAME DROPPER: Who was your most memorable CELEB interview? (Good or bad!)
Bobby: The best was David Cassidy. I had him in studio one morning and he was the best. David and I hit it off to the point where you'd swear we had been on the air together for three years. More recently, Kelly Rowland was here and she was fantastic. Even though she was in town to promote her new single, you never got that vibe on or off the air. Kelly was all about the morning show and our contest winners. I feel that if I was left with a good impression then the listeners must have been blown away.
Quick Word Association
Jambalaya
Bobby: My wife makes the best
Election
Bobby: I hope we aren't running political ads this election
Favorite Song
Bobby: -"Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode
Internet Radio
Bobby: As long as it's ksmb.com
Cypress Lake
Bobby: There are alligators in the lake. For fun, tie some bacon around your waste and jump in.
X-tra Pointers
INSIDE INFO: tell us one thing about yourself that most people don't know. Be honest.
Bobby: I want to live in Telluride, Colorado! That town is beautiful. Last year they had six crimes committed and those were assaults, drunken skiers in bars type things. The scenery is spectacular. I'm not a skier but would probably change my mind. I went there a few days before the Morning Show Bootcamp this year to look at two businesses for sale in town. If I hadn't invested so much in Bootcamp I would have said "f-it" and stayed in Telluride all week. Check out telluride.com to see a little of what I'm talking about.
YOUR TWO CENTS: If there was one piece of advice you could give, what would it be?
Bobby: "Think different." Of course if you ask someone if they "think different" they'll automatically say "yes." It's sort of like asking someone in a job interview if they are self-motivated. What else would they say but "yes." Look beyond what's in front of you. I'm blown away at how many people get into this business and have it all figured out. They have no idea what's involved mentally or, what thought process goes into every break and direction that needs to take place.
BitXChange THANKS to Bobby Novosad in the Morning. You can find out more about the show, HERE: Bobby Novosad in the Morning
You can EMAIL them HERE: Bobby.Novosad@citcomm.com.
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