10 Questions with ... Brian Spieker

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Also known as Brian Douglas, or Brad Davis, I took a major interest in radio (and television) at age five, always fascinated with the voice, and the music as I grew up in Fargo, ND. In 1987 I moved with family to Phoenix. After trying out military service and falling ill to a medical issue, I entered school there and earned my Associates Degree in Broadcast Arts. I interned at KFNN-A/Mesa, AZ (at the time), and was offered a position in Detroit Lakes, MN, a small resort town in Minnesota on the air doing Country at a rimshot to the Fargo, ND market at the time. In my last 30 years of involvement in broadcasting I have at one time or another filled many positions except sales or a station GM or owner.

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

I have been attempting to find an investor or two and pick up a western U.S. station in a couple of states, I fill some gaps as a contract engineer and occasionally do production for hire from my home studio.

Storm chasing, traveling and fishing have taken a lot of my time that remains in my daily search for full time employment.

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

Presently 31 months off the air, if you don't count the occasional call to help cover an engineer as a contractor.

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.

I still get encouraged when I listen to some smaller market stations, as they still have live personalities occupying the studios, and actually are profitable. I'm a little discouraged in the number of stations that are automated and not sounding like they have a local influence other than in the stopsets. There is a lack of service of the public interest, and music, music, liner, music, etc.

I certainly would like to see that change. If it does, I would be willing to go out on a limb and predict that the live and local stations will see the first increase in revenues and profits.

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

I would like my next place of employment to be a place that I would be proud to complete my career at ... five to 10 years, a complete turn-around in profitability and ratings ... a place where a little hard work yields a successful team ... mission-orientated co-workers who are like family, and an on-air product so good that when you go to bed every night, it's with a smile on your face as you drift off to sleep.

5) What's the most unbelievable on-air bit you were allowed to do?

At a station in Kansas I was the "Alter Ego to the co-host" as the Exec. Producer. I booked the afternoon drive, ran the board, and at the end of almost every show we ended with a parting shot at what was in the sports news. Now in this role I was at the studio while the host and co-host usually were on remote somewhere, whether it was a bar, a restaurant, a ball park, you name it. This day it was a little wet out to go on remote and we were just a week away from our 5th station anniversary and we were in a roundtable talking about this listener event we had scheduled during a festival for this anniversary.

So I challenged the co-host to a funnel cake eating contest. (fully knowing that we were both diabetic and the listeners were unaware) and he took his shot. It was actually very humorous. Fast forward to the end of the show ... we had discussed a story about Michael Vick being on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I threw out this line being a dog person ... "I wonder what fashion accessory he will have to wear ... a shock collar or a choker." The building erupted in laughter and we had to hit the Top of the Hour so it was an interesting close. All the staff in the three studios and in the hallways were still rolling.

6) What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

In 2009 I was an on-air personality and technician at a new Talk station in Fargo, ND. I was there in the final stage of studio build-out and station launch. That spring we had a record flood in our area. I was on the air when the alert broke. I did some updates hourly and the next evening when I had arrived it was decided we would go wall-to-wall and all hands on deck. It was decided after the emergency declaration by the mayor and governor that we would invoke an FCC rule that had allowed us to legally interfere with WTAM-A/Clevelend. We didn't want to have to do it but it was not my call. I ran the board and produced the first eight hours for two nights. I was the only other staff member who was familiar with the transmitter site so I was sent there for numerous days as we lost our remote control contact to the transmitter. I was out there with flood water surrounding the site and a blizzard with sox inches of new snow on top of a flood. We survived the flood and stayed on the air for over the two weeks. The station received an award for new media community service, and I felt good about our team that we overcame what I saw as the possible end of the station and my own life for volunteering to be in a dangerous position.

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

Definitely listener interaction, remotes, communicating on the air, the phoners, being there when someone needed radio to give comfort, to help them feel good, or even if it was to give them something to sleep or party with. I was thrilled to give my talent to help be a part of some listener's world. It never bothered me to have people walk up to me and say "Hey heard your show on the radio last night."

I miss the politics the least, the part-timers who didn't show up or call in for their shifts, being undercompensated for my contributions, never being thanked for covering a show or shift. Being thought of as an expense, rather than a means to make the company some kind of profit.

8) Are you finding salaries/benefits lower than you ever thought, about the same, or have you seen some pleasant surprises?

I see salaries about the same, a few pleasant surprises and a few disappointments. I am seeing that many position listings are in a state of delusion as far as qualifications for positions. To find board operators with five years of experience and bachelor's degrees in a small market and to offer them less than $18 per hour part time is insane. Or worse yet, a contract employee that only gets offered $200 a week, and is expected to work full-time. I hope you see the picture.

9) Are you spending as much time listening to radio as you used to?

More so lately, even though the area I live in has only a few choices.

10) What have you learned about yourself, others, or life in general in your downtime?

I have learned that there are so many possibilities and so much determination a person can have. Keep on trying, there is always someone out there who is looking for you ... someone. It just is a matter of patience to find that right fit.

Life is just like anything else... You get out of it what you put into it. The more you put in, the more detail you go to the better the results. You may not notice it... others surely will.

Care to contribute a recipe for our "On The Beach" cookbook?

Sure!

I like wild game and at my parent's farm they have pheasant. So let me share the Honey Mustard Pheasant Wings with you.

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 pounds pheasant wings
• 1 quart pheasant stock or chicken broth
• Salt
• ½ cup yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce
• Cayenne and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put the wings and the broth in a heavy, lidded pot. If they are not totally covered by the broth, add water until the wings are just barely covered. If you need to add water, sprinkle a little salt in there, too.
2. Bring to a bare simmer and cook gently, with the lid on, until all the wings are tender. You want the meat to be thinking about falling off the bone. Normally this takes an hour, but 2 hours isn't unreasonable.
3. When the wings are ready, put them in a bowl and add the sauce.
4. Toss to coat. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
5. Set the wings on a baking sheet (save the excess sauce) so they don't touch each other and bake until they begin to brown on top, about 15 minutes or so.
6. Turn and repeat.
7. Toss with the remaining sauce and eat.
8. Meanwhile, make the sauce by mixing all the other ingredients to a small pot and bringing it to a simmer.
9. Turn off the heat and tinker with the flavors by adding more salt, honey, cayenne or black pepper.
10. Add Favorite Beverage and Enjoy!