10 Questions with ... Jon Marte

1) Before we get into your new gig/promotion company, give us a rundown of your radio career?

Started in 1996 as an intern in Sacramento, and have worked in markets such as Memphis, Little Rock, Salt Lake City, Jacksonville, Biloxi, Anchorage and Reno. I've worked mostly in Active and Alternative Rock. I have been on-air, production, promotions, web/social media, MD and PD. I've also been punched by someone in the sales department so that's a badge on my radio sash ;)

2) You've also had a great run doing radio promotion. Give us a rundown of your promotion career and positions up to this point?

I did the electric slide from radio over to record promotions in 2014 thanks to Brett Greenberg recommending me to Erik Baker who helped me get on with Century Media for three years.

3) Let's talk about some of the Rock radio success stories you've had a hand in promoting. Tell us some of the bands you've helped rock successfully at Radio?

Let me start with saying that without people like Don Robertson, Mark Abramson, Ken Pittman, Erik Baker, Adam Lebensfeld and especially Brett Greenberg ... I wouldn't know jack shit. Working with those guys ... watching them work projects like Stitched Up Heart, Radkey, Fozzy. Like A Storm, Otherwise, Butcher Babies, Righteous Vendetta and others have been not only a pleasure but an honor. Being a part of those teams ... just wow.

4) You've made the transition from radio to record promotion. What's the biggest challenge you had to deal with in doing record promotion?

Trying to learn the game and the players and the politics while also trying my best to consider the sound of each station ... Taking the time to learn their library and imaging and promotion style. Not every project that I'm working is for every station and no two programmers are the same. I've had to learn how to approach each programmer the right way so that when I have something that I believe will fit their profile and brand, they know that I'm not going to push them hard on something that makes no sense. Also maintaining friendships while also doing my job ... most of the people I talk to are my legit friends and I sometimes feel bad that we only get to talk when I call them pitching a record. I don't want my friends to ever think I'm trying to take advantage of them or use my friendship to get a foot in.

5) As a promotion person, what do you think are the most important tools/resources you use to stay on top of the Rock formats' growth and constant daily changes?

Every morning, my daughter and I say this to each other when I drop her off at school: "Have courage and be kind." It applies to the promo game as well. If all you are doing is pitching a record without taking the time to invest in your programmers and their stations and their staffs and their market, then you aren't getting the big picture. That's not courage, that's just pulling a paycheck. We are in the Rock N Roll business ... we don't make jackshit for money ... but we are in the Rock N Roll business and the radio stations are living, breathing vessels that we have to learn. We have to appreciate what these ladies and gents do, most on skeleton staffs. They don't do it for money; they do it because they love it. Hell, I love it and I'm honored to get to still be a part of radio. So have the courage to make it more than about the song(s) you are working and more about the stations over all ... and not just the Mediabase stations, Small markets sell records and have amazing people, too. And be kind. Just don't be a dick. Those are my tools. Oh and stupid memes.

6) You recently left Century Media and have started your own promotion and marketing company called Smarte Promo focusing on radio projects and set up for touring bands. How are things going for you with this new company?

November might not be the ideal time to start a promotion company, but whatcha gonna do? I've been lucky enough to have been hired on by the amazing people at CO5 to work the latest Heaven & Earth single as well as the new Bush single to Active and that's kind of rad cause I remember blasting Machinehead in my '66 Cuda in Roseville, CA on KWOD on the way to school. lso helping Concrete with the new Red single that is Bangarang.

7) Any new bands or projects in the works you can talk about?

There are a lot of music projects I am looking at, but I can't mention them because I don't wanna piss people off or something. Looking forward to dipping my robot leg into Alternative and Triple A next year as well.

8) You also mentioned you are going to work non-music projects to market to radio and have already signed up a clothing company, a bottled water distributor and a F3 racing team so far. Tell us about those projects...

The Water and F3 projects are still in development but we will be marketing them to radio soon. Mixi and Merritt of Stitched Up Heart have started a new clothing line called Filthy Animal and proceeds go to kitten rescue and kittens are awesome, so I'm gonna help them get the word out to radio.

9) Let's talk about the Active Rock format as a whole. What's your take on the state of Rock radio today?

Fewer stations, fewer staff members on those stations, less focus on proper sales training to sell Rock radio ... what does this all mean? It means that the driving force behind the Active format has to be heart. Heart in the music, heart in the people and heart in everything we do. Rock's not dead ... it's alive in the markets that have fought tooth and nail to keep it going because there is an audience for it. It's super-alive in the smaller markets that are often overlooked because they are not MB monitored. We really need to do something about getting more of those stations on the panel. Just because they aren't in a major market, that doesn't mean they aren't golden, pony boy.

10) Finally, what do you like to do for fun and relaxation when you're not in "work" mode?

Trying to raise a good human being is my #1 priority. It's my work and my fun. I also excel at self-deprecation and watching literally every movie that comes out (where I live, that's about all there is for "fun"). A lot of time when I'm not working, I'm listening to another radio station ... like right now I've listening to KCVI in Idaho falls while I'm typing this ...Vik is a beast programmer and a snazzy dresser.