10 Questions with ... Shane Warner

NAME:Shane Warner LAST WITH:WIST-A/New Orleans PHONE:504-236-2366 EMAIL:warnershane@gmail.com

Please begin by giving us a brief career history ...

I started off doing weekends at the Columbus, MS Country station WKOR, then moved over to sister Rock station WSMS, where I produced mornings, did promotions and did on-air. I had a brief stint as PD and morning man at KTIB before I got into Talk full-time. I began at then-WTIX/New Orleans as News Director and morning co-host. I also shared PD and OM titles. I took over the morning talk show host gig full-time after Katrina at WIST-A.

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

Listen to the radio. Traveling between markets of all sizes, you learn a lot about the Talk business. It's motivating to hear hosts who you think you're better than (but wait a minute, they have a job and you don't!), and to listen to hosts who you know you can learn from. Listening from the outside-in prompts a great deal of self-examination.

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

You think you're going to have all this free time and stuff to do without a job, but in my case all you want to do is get back to work. It's not nearly as much fun to watch the news or read the paper if you don't have a show to prep for. The last time I was out of work I played a lot of golf. After awhile, though, you kind of feel like a bum playing golf five days a week without a job.

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

Any job where management is looking for something they can make their own ... a station that wants some humor, passion and personality. There are a lot of stations doing a lot of good stuff, but there also seems to be a lot of stations that just want a different version of something they've already heard before.

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

It depends on the person. I haven't found any rhyme or reason to it. I've talked to PDs in huge markets who were more than willing to sit down with me even if they didn't have any openings at the time. I've also run into PDs in smaller markets who act like they're too important to deal with me. One thing that I learned in my brief time as PD is that it's important to get back to people. Just be straight with them. That's all I'm looking for on the job-seeking end. Just be up front with me, whether it's a phone call or e-mail.

5) With consolidation there are definitely fewer jobs. How do you separate yourself from the pack?

At the end of the day, I've got to trust that my stuff is good enough to stand out on its own. If it's not, then I need to keep working at it. That may be too much of an old-fashioned approach and may not seem all that ambitious, but I don't want to annoy the heck out of PDs and lose credibility trying to get their attention. The one tried-and-true way to get someone to recognize you is to use any contacts you have and to drop any names that you can. It's shameless, but necessary in this business.

6) Are you able to slow down and enjoy free time doing things with your family and friends that you probably did not have time to do while you were working?

I've found that I enjoyed the time with friends and family more when I was working. Anything that happens to you during the course of the day is potential show prep. There isn't another job in the world where your personal life and professional life can go hand in hand if you do it the right way. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to relay something that happened to my audience since I've been out of work, but can't because I don't have a job anymore.

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

The most? The release. Doing a four-hour talk show was the perfect cathartic experience. Now that I've been on the beach for a little bit, I don't get the opportunity to communicate anymore ... at least not the way that I want. You also miss the bond with your audience. Knowing that people out there want to listen to you is very gratifying. The least? The 2:30am alarm clock. You never get used to it.

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

There is always more to learn and always room for improvement. The day you walk into the studio and think that you've done and seen everything or have reached the mountain top is the day you don't deserve to be on the radio. I've also learned that even with all of the problems, real and perceived, in this business of ours, there isn't another industry I would want to work in.

9) Having been through all you have dealt with in this biz, what advice would you give people trying to break in?

Meet people and make contacts. Other than that, use your life as your primary source of show prep. The time you spend on the air should be when everything comes together. If you can't enjoy being on the air, then you need to move on.

10) How will this experience change you when you get back to work?

I have no idea. I'd like to think it can only make me better. I'm trying to take this time to act like a normal listener. For the first time in seven years, I'm not a part of morning radio. I guess I get to see how the other half lives.

What's your handicap now that you've had time to practice?

Time to practice? I'm out of the business, so that means an end to the free golf. Plus, I haven't yet decided if golf is worth tapping into the savings for.