10 Questions with ... Mike The Janitor

NAME:Mike The Janitor LAST WITH:96.1 KLPX/Tucson PHONE:(801) 966-6824 EMAIL:mikethejanitor@yahoo.com WEB:www.wildvoice.com/MikeTheJanitor/Posts

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

Mornings at 96.1 KLPX in Tucson; mornings at 101.9 KPQP in Salt Lake City; nights at 104.5 KDOT in Reno; Mornings at 93.9 WRPL in Erie, PA; mornings at 104.5 KDOT in Reno, NV; mddays at 97.3 KWNZ in Reno.

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

I've become addicted to writing blogs on MySpace.com and recording podcasts on WildVoice.com. I also like to drink heavily and wander into Wal-Mart at three in the morning and buy stupid crap I don't need. For instance, wall art. Who really needs a framed picture of a badly drawn wine bottle? How chic. Oh, and I love to knit.

2) 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've come to realize there is nothing else I know or nothing else I'd rather be doing with my life except radio. Yes, I've been burned, jaded, bitter, frustrated, angry, let down, despised, hated and deflated by the industry. But I've also been successful, creative, excited, ambitious, smart, dedicated, admired, loved, respected and at my best while working in radio. It's like any job, really. You take the good with the bad. But you have to really know if it's a career meant for you. And for me, radio is and always will be my lifeblood.

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

Yes, I'm overqualified for most other things, since I've been doing radio for over 15 years. I've actually been turned down for jobs because, apparently, my radio career means I can't operate a forklift, do customer service or jockey a register at Arby's.

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

Right now, actually. Almost two years. I guess I've been a little disenfranchised to find another gig.

5) What's the best way to get your foot in the door?

Put it there! You want it? GET IT! Be relentless and go, go, GO! Let nothing get in the way of what you want to accomplish. If you're meant to do something and really desire it, nothing will stop you. So, good luck. I sincerely mean that.

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

I do this by being different and original. That's why I like to do myself up as a mentally challenged, wheelchair-bound Black Hispanic female who forces the hand of a potential employer to hire me so they can meet their EEO requirements and avoid a lawsuit from me due to discrimination.

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

That I've made many mistakes and learned from them. That I have regrets and have learned from those, too. That if I don't get back into radio, I'll die a completely unhappy individual.

8) Is there anything specific that you regret doing while you were still working?

Oh, yes. But if you want details, you'll have to wait for my book "The Power Of Negative Thinking Because Someone Moved My Secret Cheese," in bookstores, summer of 2042.

9) 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?

Yes. Right now I'm doing morning drive over the local bank drive-thru speaker box.

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

Yes, I've been through a lot. Keep your nose clean. Be nice to everyone and maintain good relationships with everyone you encounter. Don't gossip and don't be a part of gossip. It's like the old saying, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." You never know when you might need a job from your enemy. Plus, if you keep them closer, they make a great human shield if you get in some kind of gun battle or sword fight.

Uh oh ... now you're on your own for getting new music. If applicable, name your three most recent purchases since leaving the biz.

Arcade Fire, "Neon Bible"

Peaches, "Impeach My Bush"

Music From The Motion Picture, "Hot Fuzz"