The Morning Jam Session - KHHT HOT 92 JAMZ - Los Angeles, CA

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

CREATE THE SCENE: Diana's been at KHHT for a little while now, Rico has just jumped in. What can we expect?

Diana & Rico: A whole lot of Latino flavor, laughter & fun!! Sarcasm is something we both enjoy and we love to pick on each other like brother and sister!

You have a history together, before KHHT? Explain.

Diana: We did mornings together at KMEL-San Francisco from the late 90's to 2001. It was Rico's first "Real" radio gig and my first time doing mornings.

Rico: So we popped each others cherries!

THE SHOW:"The Morning Jam Session" THE STATION:KHHT HOT 92 JAMZ THE CITY:Los Angeles, CA THE FORMAT:Urban AC! THE CAST:Diana Steele, Rico Banana, Damon Knight

Resume Time

Give us brief rundown on each of you, your personal history, your radio bio, and what brought you together.

Diana: I started my radio career in Chicago, Illinois as a traffic reporter. After finding love (a ride to California) I landed at K101-SF then to KMEL-SF then to KKBT-Los Angeles for 10 years. Then it was back to KMEL-SF & Z957 and finally back to L.A. for mornings at Hot 92 Jamz!

I'm a single mom with a 9 year old son who is the future Terrell Owens without the attitude! I'll make sure of it!

Rico: I was practically raised in a radio station. My father has been a Radio and TV broadcaster for over 35 yrs. I started as an intern at KMEL-SF when I was 16 then to KSFM-Sacramento (What's Up Byron!) Off to KDON-Monterey then to L.A at KDL, KIIS-FM, KDAY & now HOT 92 Jamz! What can I say I can't hold a freakin' JOB!

I have wife and 2 year old daughter.....c'mon I'm Latino of course I got a kid!!

What brought us together is the fact that DI has had the biggest crush on me for years!

Diana: In your dreams shorty!!

Rico: Who told you?

Diana: Your height stupid!!

Rico: Oh!

What's It All About?

Briefly describe the show you're putting together your personalities and the "premise" listeners will wake up to every morning.

Diana: In a word, "REAL!" We are truly comfortable with sharing anything and everything about our personal lives good, bad and humiliating! Listeners need to know that just because we're on the radio doesnt mean were any different from them.

We've got the same dreams, aspirations and DRAMA as the rest of the world!! We just get to vent for 4 hours a day!!

Diana Steele and Charlie Wilson

Prep 101

Segue to the show planning, how much of it is prepared before you walk into the studio? How much left to spontaneity?

Rico: Life is Prep! Before we leave the station there is a general outline of what the next day will look like. It's done in pencil because so much can happen throughout the day and overnight that will completely change the direction.

Di and I should get a family plan on our cell phones since we communicate so much throughout the day!!

Diana: Whoever said doing mornings is like being married wasn't kidding!

Rico: See I told you you want me!

Diana: I want a divorce.

Who makes up your pop-culture VIBE team, in terms of the creative brain trust?

Diana: Damon Knight our Executive Producer...however, lately Pop Culture means "look at the pictures of my new baby boy!" Congratulations Papa!

Vanessa Herron & Lavelle Washington are truly Pop Culture Junkies and add so much to the show through their experiences and foul ups.

Rico: Di and I like to point out there shortcomings as often as we can....just like any dysfunctional family!

Most Memorable

Name your most memorable radio moment. (Good or bad!)

Rico: - eing on stage at my first Summer Jam at the Shorline Ampitheatre in Northern Cali. The energy of the 22,000 people in attendance made me decide to strip dance on stage before introducing Mary J. Blige. After hitting the stage she proceeded to call me a F#%$ing Clown!! Not only in front of all those people but live on the air! I love you Mary!!

Diana: Working at the BEAT we broke a Michael Jackson record. As expected we got a cease and desist to stop playing it. We were kinda surprised at how fast we got the letter.

Turns out Michael was listening and heard me playing it. He had called the label and asked that "Diana Steele stop playing my record!' It made national news, it was fun!

Rico: Our most memorable moment together though was when we partied with the 49ers on a work night and Di slept in her truck in the parking lot of the radio station. I was nominated to go and wake her up live on the air. To my surprise, I found her topless!! For the first time in my life I was speechless!!

Diana: That's cuz that was the first and last time you've seen a woman's breasts!

Celebs-N-Stuff

CELEB Interviews... do you do 'em? Love 'em? Hate 'em?

Rico: Celeb interviews are great, as long as they don't feel like an interview. No one likes to be interrogated! It's better to get info conversationally than to try to beat it out of someone. Make the person feel like a part of the show and you'll get so much more out of them!!

Name your most memorable CELEB interview.

Rico: Charles S. Dutton! He played Roc and was in A Time to Kill and Get On the Bus. He was also a convicted murder and did time! Let's just say he didn't like my comedic approach to the interview and threatened to physically prevent me from continuing on in that direction! The Jokes Stopped There!

Diana: Janet Jackson! Backstage at the Forum in LA. She began giggling out of nowhere. I checked my teeth...all clear. I checked my shirt...no stains.

I asked "what's so funny?" She said, " I didnt know you were white!"

Rico: Di, you're white?

Diana: Don't I look like I'm White?

Rico: Not from the back.

Quick Word Association

Traffic?

Rico: Welcome to LA

Diana: Used to It!

Reality TV?

Rico: American Idol! I wanna Pickle Pickler!!

Diana: Love It!

Gas Prices?

Rico: Ree-Goda--n-Diculous!

Diana: Don't care how bad it get's, I wont carpool with Rico!

Tom Cruise?

Rico: We're both Aliens!

Diana: Alien....but he's legal!!

Immigration?

Rico: Where? Gotta Go!

Diana: Stop the Madness!

If there was one facet of radio you'd like to see change, what would it be... and what kind of change?

Rico: I wish "Morning Drive" didnt start so damn early! Getting up at 3am sucks!! Let's work on that Mike Marino!!

Diana: The industry needs better looking men!! It's heartbreaking when you hear a sexy voice on the air and it belongs to the A/V guy from High School!

Rico: Present Company excluded right?

Diana: No Comment!

X-tra Pointers

Were any (either) of you voted "class clown" in high school? Voted anything at all?

Rico: We were complete opposites!! Di the straight 'A' most popular girl in school type. Rico the class clown not enough ritalin in the world to control type.

I guess Paula Abdul was right' "Opposites Attract!"

Diana: That's so corny!!

Which of you is most likely to be caught wearing 80's or 90's fashions, and 'getting your jig' on at a Flashback Night 'club event'?

Rico: I am an 80's fanatic!! Don't get me started on The Last American Virgin, Silver Spoons or Dexy's Midnight Runners!! I still have a pair of checkered vans in my closet as a tribute to Jeff Spicoli (only 80's geeks will get that reference)!! NO LIE!!

If your PD suggests something lame and insists on you executing it, how do you react?

Diana: Our PD is quite possibly the most intellegent man on the planet and nothing he says is remotely lame!

(Our PD happens to be Mike Marino the same Mike Marino who runs the Bitxchange. The site you are currently on. So to express how we really feel would be RETARDED! Love Ya Mike!)

Throw us a freakin' bone, name one thing about yourself or about each other, that most people don't know. Be honest.

Rico: I grew up with 3 older sisters and no brothers. I didnt know I could pee standing up til I was 7. I always wipe front to back though....it's more sanitary!!

Diana: I got a tattoo on my 29th birthday to commemorate the fact that I lived that long!! Seriously, I drank enough Jack Daniels in my twenty's to kill a small elephant!

Parting Thoughts on anything, from the radio industry to the world we live in, marriage to this painful interview.

Diana: Radio is Volatile!! Think twice before you enter!!

Rico: Volatile? Why do you always use those big ass words?

Diana: Go back to high school and figure it out!

Rico: Why do you think I got into radio, No High School diploma needed!!!!!

LOL! BitXChange THANKS Diana & Rico for their time, and support!
You can find out more about them here.
You can email them here: Diana & Rico.