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10 Questions with ... Beavis
May 9, 2006
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NAME:BeavisLAST WITH:WBNQ/Bloomington ILPHONE:309-830-6060EMAIL:beavis@beavisradio.com
Please begin by giving us a brief career history ...
1995-1997, Utility jock KBKB/Fort Madison, IA; November 2003- January 2005, part time jock for WBNQ, WBWN (B104) and WJBC/Bloomington IL; January 2005 - November 2005, afternoon co-host, and night host, WBNQ/Bloomington IL.
1) How are you occupying your time, besides looking for a job?
Watching reruns of Law and Order and NYPD Blue. God bless TNT! I can't wait for the third season of Rescue Me!
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 actually was one of those people. After KBKB, I attended Brown Institute, where I met a lot of upset people; they were tired of not making any money. It was at that point that I decided I didn't want to be like that, so I got out of radio. In 2002 my best friend Russell Rush (Formerly WBNQ, now KXXM/San Antonio) lost his niece to SIDS. Late that year I was furloughed from my cable TV job. In 2003 Russell decided to honor his niece by living on a roof of a local McDonalds until he raised "1 million pennies" to help fight SIDS. Because of my history in radio, and my lack of having a job, Russell asked me to come to Bloomington to produce the event. 3 days into my trip, Tony Travatto (formerly WBNQ PD, now KXXM PD) asked me if I wanted a job. How could I say no? Something as powerful as my childhood best friend losing his niece said it was time. Every time I get discouraged, I think of that little girl.
My observation from the outside is ... it's all about who you know! It is VERY hard to get back in. The 15 hour days wear on you, I know (been there done that), but at this point all I want to do is work! I want to get back to what I love; the only thing that's ever made me feel like I wasn't at work!
3) What's the longest stretch you've had on the beach?
5 Years. It took me that long to realize that while I may make better money doing something else, that didn't make me truly happy. Radio does.
4) What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get a job?
I too lived on that McDonalds rooftop, for 8 days to be exact. I also co-hosted shows, maintained and tore down equipment, and so much more, ALL FOR FREE!
5) What is the next job you'd like to obtain?
I'd like to do afternoons or evenings on a CHR. I'd also like MD, maybe APD stripes.
6) How are you finding the "courtesy level" at places you've applied? (Callbacks, emails, rejection letters, etc.)
Actually, very poor! I realize that there is a high volume of applicants, but could you get an intern or someone to send me an email stating that you got my stuff? I do have to give props to Mark Pollitt, and the Cumulus family. They have kept me in the loop from initially applying, to the hire. Even though I was not the one selected, it was still nice to have closure. It felt good to have someone in the industry treat me with respect.
7) Are you finding salaries/benefits lower than you ever thought, about the same, or have you seen some pleasant surprises?
Well, I haven't gotten any offers yet to compare, but, I do have to ask you to PLEASE write your Mayor, Governor, Congressman, Senators, and everyone in between. UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS BASED ON 1976 STANDARDS DON'T MEASURE UP WHEN GASOLINE IS $2.85 PER GALLON, AND RENT IS $600 A MONTH!!!
8) What has been your biggest career accomplishment?
Runner up: Being number 1 (all day parts and all stations) in afternoons and scoring a station record 16.3 (12+) at night in my first book. Number 1: Living on the roof of McDonalds 3 years in a row, and raising over $85,000 to help fight Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
9) What do you miss most about music/radio? The least?
This is going to sound cheesy, but I miss the listeners. I miss interacting with them on the phones. I miss cranking out 20 calls a night and going home with that complete feeling. The one that makes you feel like "yeah, that was a great show!" What do I miss the least? Jocks that use clichés. I'm trying to think outside the box and to be more in touch with my listener. I've eliminated phases like "coming up," "music from," and "your weather is sponsored by" from my vocabulary. And every time you front sell commercials you just undid everything I worked so hard to achieve.
10 Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
I see myself back together with my co-host from afternoons, Russell Rush. Maybe doing mornings, maybe another afternoon show. I know the money is in mornings, but afternoons work better with sleep! Plus, imagine how growly a man would be if he didn't have a date for five years. That's Russell in the morning. Wait, it all makes sense now, that really IS his dating life!
Bonus Questions
What's your handicap now that you've had time to practice?
HAHA Golf! Yeah right. I highly recommend watching "Robin Williams - Live on Broadway." That's pretty much how I feel about golf. Stupid crooked stick. And since when can anyone who works in radio (or on unemployment) afford golfing? I need to get an agent! I'm getting hosed.
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