10 Questions with ... Brian Black

NAME:Brian Black LAST WITH:Cumulus Media KZRK-A/KPUR-A/Amarillo, TX PHONE:(727) 374-3634 EMAIL:revbrianblack@hotmail.com

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

I started at WYCS in 1992 while in high school in the VA Beach/Norfolk market, wishing I was either A) Tommy or B) The Bull. Two weeks after graduating I wandered into an APD position at KZZT/Moberly, MO, while waiting for my freshman year at Mizzou to start. Then when KCMQ/Columbia, MO flipped from Young Country to Active, I made sure I was one of the first hires.

At my best, I had a 28 share doing afternoon drive at Active KZRK/Amarillo, TX, but also learned a lot in Alabama at Rock WESP/Dothan as APD. I left radio to take a job at a newspaper in Oklahoma City before getting the itch again, and I started doing freelance imaging and production gigs a couple of years ago.

I recently joined the staff at Renda's WWGR (Gator Country 101.9)/Ft. Myers, FL for part-time work, doing weekends and fill-ins. New PD Justin Tyler is a really sharp programmer and I'm super-excited to be a part of such a great station, even if it's just part-time. I am also pleased to have jumped from market #195 to #62.

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

My wife has been extraordinarily successful in her field, and living in Florida now we have really found a community that fits us. It's just exciting making ourselves a home here, and I'm really motivated to continue my career.

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

With three kids under four, I have a lot going on, but I spend a lot of time in my office messing around with Dreamweaver and Adobe Audition, working on different projects.

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 think I actually started listening to music again. As a programmer, I listened to the station all day and all night. I had a radio on next to my pillow. When I first upgraded my bedroom stereo and got satellite, I had a heart attack each time I heard dry segues in my sleep. Now I hear them on Top 40 stations -- and as a listener, I kind of like it.

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

This is an important time for radio and an exciting time to be working in our industry. I would love to help shape how radio evolves to include the Internet. We still have yet to see a station with the perfect marriage.

5) How are you finding the "courtesy level" at places you've applied? (Callbacks, emails, rejection letters, etc.)

Actually, I have spoken with a lot more people than ever before in the last four months. Getting a call back or interview used to be impossible in any market, but now I get a call every other day from packages I sent out last year.

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

Working for PDs who expected me to be a personality/production slave/promotions workhorse/web geek/imaging/promo machine all at once has given me a number of skill sets available at a moment's notice. It's nice to have a promotions guy who can rewire the prod room, do the weather, run Selector, and design an ad for your website, promoting the event he just did a :30 promo for all in the same day.

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

No, way more. I travel all the time and have heard almost every station between Tampa and Seattle, plus over two minutes of dead air on 96 Wave and a Christmas song at 3a on a Sunday in April on Pirate 101 in Lake Charles.

8) What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

Well, it's not really an accomplishment, but something I'll probably never get to do again. While at KCMQ/Columbia in 1996 I saw 176 concerts in one year ... despite 50 of them being to see The Urge.

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

What I miss most is local radio that programs more than Latino or Religious formats. What I miss the least? Driving "the other" station vehicle ... the one that we only took out when there were 20 remotes at once or some weather event caused a trip to the tower site.

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

Understand this is a line of work that rewards results, but rewards networking and long-term professional relationships even more. Never throw away business cards.

BONUS QUESTION: Care to contribute a low-cost recipe to our "ON THE BEACH" cookbook?

If you like trout, head to the Southeastern corner of Washington to a town called Dayton. From there, drive 30 minutes to Tucannon up in the Blue Mountains, then choose from the numerous lakes and throw out a fly.

On any given day from March to May, you can catch 200 fish. Just keep the ones near 18 to 20 inches, lop off their heads and clean them.

When you get to camp, wrap them in foil with a slice of lemon and some butter -- 30 minutes over the campfire grill should do it.

I usually throw in some parsley and oregano with the salt and pepper, but not much.