10 Questions with ... Dana Hess

NAME:Dana Hess LAST WITH:KGBY-FM (Y92.5)/Sacramento PHONE:916-484-1713 EMAIL:dchess@surewest.net

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

I started in radio back in '78 at the 50,000-watt flamethrower KCRC-AM in Enid, Oklahoma. The great thing about small markets is you learn everything, from operating a board to writing commercials and covering local news. When you decide you'd like to make money in radio, then it's time to move on. I moved to Sacramento in late '88 and found a job at KAER-FM, now Y92.5. Our morning show with Paul Robins & Phil Cowan ruled for years, so it was nice being the afternoon guy their listeners punched in to after work. Finally, at the end of 2006, CC decided to voicetrack PM drive, and that was the end of a beautiful relationship.

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

I read "The Secret." I'm waiting for the Universe to serve up a great afternoon gig with killer benefits.

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

I'm bonding with my beautiful three-year-old daughter, Hannah. She reminds me daily that there's more to life than sitting in front of a mic.

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.

It's truly eye-opening to see what other people ("real" people) have to do to make a living. They go to work at 7 in the morning and don't get home 'til 5:30 in the evening. Yikes! My grueling six-hour day looks pretty good in comparison. Right now I feel like the world is passing me by. It's like someone punched the "Pause" button on my life, and I'm waiting for them to hit "Start" again.

4) Do you plan on sticking with the radio industry?

Yes! I've done an inventory of my job skills, and I realized I'm unqualified for anything else (with the possible exception of the Presidency).

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

This is it by far. I'm proud to say that this is my first "involuntary" unemployment in my 28-year radio career.

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

Because my wife has her own successful business here in Sacramento, I have to find a position for myself here. So, most PDs and GMs know who I am. The general response has been, "Gee, I'd love to hire you if I just had an opening." The second most-frequent response is: nada. Those people I have talked to have been very nice, though.

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

I find myself listening to a lot of Talk radio. When I tune in to music stations, I end up critiquing everything from content to, "Why'd they follow Celine Dion with the "Theme From Shaft?"

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

I miss my former co-workers and turning a listener phoner into a great bit. The least? Gee, after five months, all the petty grievances seem to have faded from my mind...

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

Get a degree in whatever career field you're going to tackle after you get fired from radio.

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

As I said, I will realize how much I love being on the air, and I'll definitely remember how much I missed it while I was on the beach. That station will have one happy camper on their hands!

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

"Ghost Soldiers" by Hampton Sides. It's the story of a group of elite Army Rangers that slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines during WWII. Despite long odds, they managed to rescue 500 American and British POWs who were scheduled to be executed by their Japanese captors in the last year of the war. It makes any obstacles faced in our daily lives pale in comparison. It's also a "great read."