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10 Questions with ... Bob Waters
June 13, 2017
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1) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it"?
I wanted to be on the radio from the time I was about six years old, but as a teenager, the first time I heard Sarah Fleisher on 98 Rock in Baltimore, that was it.
2) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now, what you didn't then, would you still do it?
Absolutely! Without hesitation.
3) How long have you been at WTPA and what makes this station so unique?
I've been with TPA for four years, and we're unique for many reasons. We're locally, independently owned first of all. Our decisions are made almost entirely in-house. We have a small but very good, veteran staff, and everyone here has been in the area for a long time. Our afternoon guy, Alan Criswell, is a native of the area and has spent his career in Central Pennsylvania. LeeAnn Taylor does nights ... she's a CenPenn veteran. Our midday guy is Randy Rock Johnson, who has been with TPA for the better part of the last 27 years. Even our weekend staff ... Bruce Bond is a legendary personality in Harrisburg. Bill Moulfair has been with the station all 35 years! Everyone genuinely likes everyone else; we respect each other. We all really kind of rely on each other for ideas and suggestions. There is a free flow of very communal thinking and a marketplace of ideas that exists here that I've never experienced before.
I think the biggest thing with TPA though is the heritage of these calls. TPA has been the Central Pennsylvania radio staple for 35 years. Randy is an institution in this town. He's an icon. Bill's voice is synonymous with TPA 35 years later. Bruce was on TPA in the early days, too. Those who've come and gone, we all know, are owed our gratitude for laying this amazing foundation. We never forget that. They're important to our community, and certainly to us. And for all 35 years, TPA has been rockin'. TPA's done the Classic Rock thing, the Mainstream Rock thing, Active Rock, AOR. But for 35 years, without fail, WTPA has rocked Harrisburg and Central PA.
4) A couple years back, the station transitioned from Classic Rock to Mainstream Rock. What was the reason for the switch and how has the audience responded to the changes?
We kind of eased into it. We got (and continue to get) lots of help from Gary Jay and the amazing crew at Land Shark Promotion Studio. So the first two months, we were still primarily a Classic Rock station, but we added new titles into the mix. And it was pretty well received. And in the interest of appealing to a younger demo, we continued the transition into Mainstream. By now, we're basically an Active Rocker that still pays homage to some of the great acts of the past that still fit. And audience response has been great! By going back to our unique, long-standing relationship with our listeners, we've earned the benefit of the doubt. Our community likes us. We have an amazing core that we've been able to maintain and keep happy for the most part because WTPA has earned their trust over the years. And we've upheld our end of the bargain. We've been very selective and diligent.
5) There's always this discussion about the Rock format and lack of quality new music. What's your take on current music in the Active Rock format?
The quality of new acts and new music is terrific. It drives me nuts when I hear people bitch about the quality of rock today, and find out the people bitching stopped listening to the format 10 years ago. I hear Royal Blood and Highly Suspect ... Greta Van Fleet, The Struts, Holy White Hounds, and to me, the future is in really good hands. Metallica's latest album is, in my opinion, their best in 25 years. Green Day's latest project is up there with some of their best stuff. We're all waiting for "The Next Big Thing" to pop from the format. Until then, it'd be great to get an actual, legitimate rock song to cross over and maybe generate some sampling of the format.
6) You've had success working in mornings and are also doing the morning show for WTPA. Who is on the morning show with you now and how is it performing?
It's doing well. It's billed as a solo show, but anyone listening knows better. I have a rolodex full of contributors. Most often it's stand-up comic and old high school buddy Charlie Charnigo. He's a remote partner, not in-studio unfortunately. He's hilarious and smart. We hit every topic imaginable ... nothing is off limits. When we hit on politics -- which we obviously will be doing a lot more often -- he provides a great conservative offset to my liberal rants, and vice versa. Charlie is usually in on about four or five bits a day. I'm lucky enough to have a local sports writer (who is really fantastic) in once a week. Harrisburg is a huge Penn State area, and we have former Penn State WR Scott Shirley, who heads up of an amazing non-profit called Uplifting Athletes, in on Fridays. We hustle for lots of interviews, too. We have lots of very key contributors who volunteer their time and add so much. The more voices, and the more opinions, the better. Overall, though, it is a music-driven show.
7) How do you balance your dual role as PD and morning host so both get the attention they require?
I have more homework than my kids. And my family is extremely patient and understanding.
8) How does your station effectively utilize social media as a marketing tool?
We promote and supplement our on-air content on our socials. At the same time, we try to be careful to sprinkle the teases there while driving the audience back on-air.
9) Is WTPA in the middle of any special major Spring book promotions you can share with us?
I'll share in generic terms. We're our promotions through Labor Day under the Summer of Rock umbrella.
10) What do you like to do to relax when you're not fully in radio mode?
I'm a big baseball guy. I catch the Orioles whenever I can. We live about five minutes from Harrisburg's City Island, home of the Harrisburg Senators (Double-A affiliate of the Nationals), so many nights you'll catch my family and I there. I read a lot, but when I'm not radio mode-ing, I'm in family mode.
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