10 Questions with ... "Arthur Wyman" - Arthur Thurber, Jr.

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I started at WHEB/Portsmouth, NH doing board op, then added board op/PT announcing at WPOR/Portland, ME. My first FT position was MD/nights at WMOU/Berlin, NH.

I got married and then left the biz (except for a very brief stint doing Sunday mornings at WNHX-A/Berlin, NH) to do retail management in Corporate America for several years. Then I returned to WPOR, working up to FT overnights, where I garnered the highest AQH ratings in the market. After a brief layoff, I did weekends at WKSQ /Ellsworth, ME, eventually going FT overnights before moving to sister station WLKE/Bar Harbor, ME as News Director.

Then I started my own business, which became a successful FT enterprise, giving my wife and I the time and freedom we needed to adopt and raise three children. Now that the kids have all graduated high school and the economy has crushed our business, it is time to return to radio.

1) What do you do to maintain a positive mental attitude and stay motivated?

I survived both the anal exam of adopting and then raising three children. Just like I knew my kids were "out there, somewhere" and I just had to find them, I know my next radio position is also waiting to be found.

2) How are you occupying your time, besides looking for a job?

I work on sharpening my computer, website and writing skills. I offer technical help to and sometimes participate on a weekly Internet talk show. I also volunteer at our local food pantry.

3) Some people get discouraged or enlightened with the business when they actually step out of it for a while. Tell us your observations from the outside.

When you hear the same technical mistakes over and over and over again, it is obvious that the station has nobody listening to their own product, giving the appearance that the station does not care. If the station does not care, why should the listener?

The magic of radio used to be that there was always someone there, communicating with the listener. There was spontaneity to local radio. If something was happening, radio was first to report it. Today, with the reliance on voicetracking, things can happen that may never get mentioned until sometimes days later. This is killing local radio.

4) Do you plan on sticking with radio?

Just as long as she'll keep me! ;-)

5) What's the longest stretch you've had on the beach?

Three years.

6) What has been your best resource for finding out about job openings?

AllAccess.com.

7) What is the next job you'd like to obtain?

One where I could grow into a management position.

8) How are you finding the "courtesy level" at places you've applied? (Callbacks, e-mails, rejection letters, etc.)

More often then not, I hear nothing except crickets. Few stations acknowledge receipt of an application, and most of those are automated responses. Usually, if I hear anything at all, it is a form letter/e-mail. Very occasionally I will get an e-mail that the writer actually took a few seconds to write directly to me.

9) What do you miss most about music/radio? The least?

I miss most being able to communicate with the individual listener via the microphone.

10) Is there anything specific that you regret doing while you were still working?

Not seeking advice from the bosses and others to improve myself. My mistake was thinking that I was doing things right because rarely was anybody chewing me out. I will never make that mistake again.

Any books you can recommend to people who need something inspirational to read?

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill.