10 Questions with ... Mike Duffy

1) What was your first job in radio and early influences and mentors?

All of my jobs in radio have been here in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but my first gig was as producer of the Rocky & Sue Show at 98.5 KRZ. I started as an intern, then part-time doing the morning show, but eventually became a full-time producer and third personality on the show over the course of 14 years. As far as influences and mentors, by far Rocky Rhodes (who's still doing mornings at KRZ, by the way) would easily be my biggest radio influence. He taught me how to do this job the right way. Rock's an incredibly talented morning person. I've always loved listening to him weave formatics and content together seamlessly and make it sound conversational. He's a highly underrated talent in our industry.

As far as a programming mentor goes, since this is my first go as a PD, it's definitely Jim Kurdziel at our sister station in Buffalo. He's an incredibly smart dude, and he really knows music. I enjoy picking his brain. Constantly. And about everything. Probably more than he likes. LOL ... It certainly helps that we have a lot in common, like playing guitar and a mutual love of Star Wars.

2) When did you know that this radio thing was what you wanted to do for a living?

Honestly ... I had fully intended to study music and had applied to several colleges as a music major. But I realized I didn't want to be a music teacher, though I wanted to stay involved in music in some way. So right before my first performance exam, I switched majors to Radio and Television after a tour of the college's radio station.

3) It's pretty rare that you get to work most of your radio career in the town you were born and raised in but that's the case for you. If you were to pick some of the highlights of your time in the market, what would they be?

I remember early on in my career at a Morning Show Bootcamp, hearing the phrase 'Marry Your Market' over and over. I've definitely done that. I'm happy here. My family and friends are here. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to work in radio at the stations I grew up listening to. A lot of the biggest life changing things for me happened on the radio. I proposed to my wife live on the air on the Rocky & Sue Show (married 20 years now), and got to announce that my daughter was born with them also. At my last cluster, I did a Camp Out for Cancer that raised $10,000 for a local Cancer Support Center that my Dad had gone to prior to losing him to leukemia. And now here at Cumulus, I've stepped into a new role as PD of a 50k watt powerhouse rock station. It's the biggest thing I've done in radio yet, and I'm totally jacked about it!

4) How long have you been at WBSX (97.9X) and what makes this station so unique?

I've been here for about six months now. We have an incredible signal, and a stellar staff, but the listeners far and away make this station what it is. 97.9X has a very loyal and passionate fan base. I've always noticed and been jealous of that when I worked across the street. Our text club here is ridiculous with the number of registered users. I'm seriously the luckiest guy being here.

5) You have the dual role as PD and midday host ... how do you balance your time so both roles are effective?

I'm live during the midday, so I have two hours or so before I'm on the air depending on when I get in to prep and get some work done, and then three hours after. Sometimes I have to stay a little later or bring work home, but if I'm efficient during my day ... that's not a problem. Again, we have a great staff here, and because everyone is passionate about being successful, things get done the way they're supposed to, so it makes my job easier.

6) Many of the Cumulus Active Rock stations play quite a few Alternative leaning currents in the mix. How much autonomy do you have in playing Rock that works for your market?

That's one of the great things about working here and for Cumulus. No one is dictating a playlist. We're encouraged from the top down to play what works for our respective market/station. Wilkes-Barre is a very Rock leaning market, always has been. That definitely works in my favor. That being said ... we have some brilliant programming minds in Troy Hanson and Jim Kurdziel that I can lean on if I need to. It would be a huge misstep on my part to ignore that, which is why I talk with Jim regularly.

7) What's your take on current Rock music and the Active Rock format as a whole?

Rock is in an interesting place right now. The format can't survive on the early 2000s era bands at this point. That being said, I think rock has some very cool bands coming out that could really breathe some excitement into the format. Greta Van Fleet would be the prime example of that. Embracing the more rock side of Alternative really helps keep things fresh and interesting as well.

8) You guys have run the "Free Beer & Hot Wings" morning show for years. How is that working for the station?

Free Beer & Hot Wings have done very well for us. Those guys are so easy to work with and really do a great job of getting local references in. I hear lots of our listeners calling into and participating in the show, which speaks to how well received it is here. In fact, just before Thanksgiving, one of our listeners won $2,500 with 'Dumber than the Show Trivia.' Obviously I was really happy about that. And the first thing he did was message us on FB to tell us he won!

9) I read your bio on the station website that says you are a fitness nut and even a personal trainer. Can you give us the scoop on this?

I let myself get pretty out of shape in the early part of my career. So after being called out on the radio for it one morning by a listener, I hired a trainer and made changes in my nutrition and workouts. Then I started running and cycling and eventually developed a love of racing. I love the challenge of training for a big race and have done several half-marathons, lots of 5ks, and the Wilkes-Barre Duathlon a few times. I plan on tackling a Triathlon in 2018. Getting certified as a trainer and then a running coach came about because I hadn't had a raise in the seven years I worked for my last cluster, so it was a way to supplement my income doing something I personally enjoy. You really can't imagine how great it feels to help someone reach a fitness goal, whether it be losing weight, or hitting a PR in a race. I hung up my clipboard, however, when I got here to 97.9X. I still maintain my certifications, but I just train myself at this point.

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

Are we ever not in radio mode?? LOL ... That being said, I used to play guitar in cover bands, but that's kinda tough to do with kids. I have two (one teenage daughter and a five-year-old son), so they keep me pretty busy at home. Right now my main outlet is running and cycling. The nice thing is that my daughter plays field hockey, so she's all about lifting and running to get stronger and faster, so I get to spend time doing both of those with her. Hopefully, my son will too when he's old enough.