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10 Questions with ... Frank Anderson
January 1, 2013
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
As the son of a broadcast engineer, I literally grew up under consoles and tech benches. I loved following my dad to work, and always dreamed of being on the radio. Career-wise, however, I went where the money was and spent 20 years in the electrical trade, moonlighting part-time as a mobile DJ at local bars. In January 2011, at 37 years old, I made it my New Year's resolution to make my childhood dream a reality. (The first New Year's resolution I've ever kept, by the way!)
1) What do you do to maintain a positive mental attitude and stay motivated?
I find the best way to keep positive and stay motivated is to laugh. It can get discouraging sending out aircheck after aircheck and not getting so much as a "No thanks" back, and a lot of people get discouraged and give up.
I just keep reminding myself, "It's this or Barber College." I mean, I don't have the body to do exotic dancing anymore, and they won't let me back in WalMart.
2) How are you occupying your time, besides looking for a job?
People watching. I've always considered the world my collective ant farm, and now I have lots of free time to do just that. Speaking of which, you know that old guy at the park by himself? Don't feel bad for him. He's dying laughing inside thinking about what kind of bet you lost to have to walk around in public wearing that sweater.
3) Do you plan on sticking with radio?
Absolutely. There are things over the years I've thought I might like to try, but quickly decided shortly after I started, "Wow ... this was an epically bad idea." Bull riding, for instance. Or the time I organized a ladies' Jello Wrestling match and thought I'd take on the 300-lb. barmaid. Or the time before that when I said, "Jello is expensive and hard to make. Let's use cream corn instead!"
But radio? I simply can't imagine ever doing anything else. I've known it since the first time I sat in the chair. It was as comfortable as putting on an old pair of shoes.
Kind of smelled that way, too. I blame the Sunday guy.
4) What has been your best resource for finding out about job openings?
The larger "consolidated" stations actually have pretty nice search and submission tools to apply for open positions. All Access is, of course, a treasure trove of recent job openings. I found my current part-time gig on Monster, of all places.
5) What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get a job?
Many would say agreeing to drive an hour-and-a-half one way to do a four-hour Saturday afternoon show crept dangerously close to the edge of sanity. But to me, it seemed crazy NOT to do it.
6) What is the next job you'd like to obtain?
I'd love to get a daypart, and my ultimate goal would be to be part of a great morning show. But at this point, anything that gets me in a station full-time that includes an air shift.
7) How are you finding the "courtesy level" at places you've applied? (Callbacks, emails, rejection letters, etc.)
I hear back from about one in 12 places I submit materials. In the current economic climate, I'm sure PDs are swamped with submissions and responding to each one would be a full-time job in itself. But it's always nice to get that occasional, "Thanks, but we found someone. Good luck!" e-mail, though.
8) If you were offered a similar position to what you were doing for considerably less money, would you seriously consider taking the job just to stay in the biz?
That's an interesting question because I actually left a job that paid considerably more to move to radio. For me, the biz IS the reward. It really is the coolest job in the world. I get to talk to people, play music, tell jokes, and give stuff away. And they pay me for it.
I might have a very different view of things had I started in radio, and watched my salary drop year by year. I can absolutely see how that might be discouraging, but at this point I think the people who get up every morning and plug away looking for work (or currently work) in this industry are not doing it for the big paychecks. Radio is like a drug.
9) Having been through all you have dealt with in this biz, what advice would you give people trying to break in?
Keep trying. You never know what a PD is looking for, and somewhere, someone is looking for you. It's just a matter of finding one another. I suppose in a lot of ways it's a lot like Internet dating, except you don't have those awkward first meetings sitting across from "Sarah" who (not so clearly from "her" profile picture) is a man in a dress.
10) Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
Hopefully not standing beside a freeway exit with a cardboard sign advertising my "golden voice." I just don't look good in camouflage.
Bonus Questions
Care to contribute a low-cost recipe to our "ON THE BEACH" cookbook?
"I want pizza," my roommate said.
"Well order one," I said, my eyes glued to my MacBook screen (scanning the AllAccess.com job postings, of course).
"But I don't have any money," my roommate replied wistfully.
I checked my wallet. $3. Payday is a week away.
"I'm broke, too," I said, closing my wallet and sliding it back in my pocket. "Let's see what we have in the kitchen."
CUE McGYVER THEME MUSIC
Franks World-Famous Ramen Noodle Pizza!!
4 packs of Ramen noodles (save the flavor packs for a future culinary pinch)
Olive oil or corn oil, just not motor oil
Fresh garlic if you've got it ... garlic powder if you're broke like me
Oregano, or some of that "Italian Seasoning" is just as good
Some kind of cheese
Can of spaghetti sauce
Your favorite pizza toppings or whatever you might have lurking in the dark recesses of your cupboardsPreheat oven to 425°
Okay, now that you've got all that stuff together (or most of it) and your oven cranking up to 425°, let's get to pizza making!
First, boil your four packs of ramen noodles in a big pot for about four minutes. Drain completely, then set them aside.
Next, heat up your garlic in a bit of oil. We don't need a bunch here. The object is to make something to "italianify" what will be our pizza crust. So use enough oil to get the noodles "wet." Heat the oil and garlic/garlic powder for about a minute or two.
Now mix up your ramen noodles with your oil & garlic and shake in some oregano or Italian seasoning. I find at this point, it helps to start singing in a bad Italian accent. It's okay if you don't know any Italian songs. Even Red Hot Chili Peppers sounds good with a bad Italian accent ... but never, ever sing Conway Twitty. Ever.
Once your ramen is sufficiently "Italianified," you're going to need some kind of round pan that won't melt in the oven. Grease it up good with butter, then whilst still singing with a bad Italian accent, lay the ramen in the round pan... you know, kinda like a pizza.
I used a round cake pan that was about 11" in diameter.
Now you can put your soon-to-be pizza crust in the preheated oven for about five minutes.
After five minutes, pull it out (CAREFUL, IT'S HOT!) and cover your crust with the canned spaghetti sauce, and add whatever kind of cheese and toppings you were able to scrounge, then toss back into the oven until the cheese is nice and melted.
Voila! Ramen noodle pizza that would have Chef Boy-Ar-Dee seething with envy!
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