10 Questions with ... Doug LaGambina

1) Here we go again. Remind me why we do this to each other and the All Access readership at the end of every year?

It's my/our holiday gift to everyone. We're doing it a bit early this year so readers can use this in conjunction with tryptophan to induce a short afternoon coma on Thanksgiving

2) What was your last non-industry gig before you started in the biz and do you miss it?

I spent most of college working part-time in the retail clothing world. It is similar to record promotion in that you are, on the one hand persuading people, but on the other hand you have to make sure they are happy with their decisions.

I miss the mall food ... especially Cinnabon. There, I said it.

3) What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?

I might have ended up in an executive position in the retail industry if I stuck to it. But most likely I'd end up in the wine business. For the same reason I got into the music business: access to free stuff that I love.

4) How did 2011 fare as compared to 2010 in the seemingly always embattled music business?

Everyone seemed more hopeful and re-energized this year. Although the Rock release schedule did seem lighter once again, the quality of the releases was impressive. There's been a lot of talk about the relevance of the format and its core demo. I invite any of those naysayers to attend next year's Rock On The Range to gain some real perspective.

5) What artist have you enjoyed watching develop Rock radio this year and why?

I think the AWOLNATION story at Active Rock was a great surprise. Not everyone "got it" at the format, but with stations like WAAF getting great research, it was a nice breath of fresh air on the chart. It was also nice to see Jane's Addiction get some new love at Active Rock. The Volbeat was a nice sleeper as well and it's not over yet.

6) What would we find in heavy rotation in your car?

My wife finally got me to put a child's seat in my car this year so the iPod has been serving up a lot of children's music these days. Yo Gabba Gabba, could replace waterboarding as a means of extracting information from terrorists.

But in between that, my daughter loves the Beatles. She can sing "Hello Goodbye" without a hitch. Other than that, Black Keys, Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat, Foo Fighters and lots of Led Zep lately.

7) What changes in the industry would you like to see going in to 2012?

I would love to see a few more independent releases get a shot ... again. I would also like to see all my label people get to do their jobs without fear of more consolidation.

I would like to see someone successfully explain iCloud to me.

I would like to see even more people at our 2nd Worldwide Radio Summit.

8) What was the best concert you saw this year?

The Foo Fighters played the Roxy earlier this year. They did the new album from start to finish and then proceeded to crank out the hits for another two hours. I was exhausted and happy. I don't know how Mr. Grohl does it. It's almost superhuman.

9) As you finish up the year, is there anything you would have done differently or changed?

I would have gotten an iPod with more space. Mine just filled up last week and it blew my mind given how much more stuff I need to download.

10) What are you looking forward to in 2012's calendar?

Again I think our second Worldwide Radio Summit is going to be even bigger and better than our first. Check it out here www.WorldWideRadioSummit.com

The results of the Justin Bieber paternity test and subsequent trial in 2012 is an interesting prospect.