10 Questions with ... Stino Cirigliano

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

My first job in radio was with 93X in Fort Myers, FL. I actually "puffed" my resume to apply for the nights position and was miraculously hired! I owe a lot to Anthony Proffitt and Jeff Zito for helping me learn the ropes and having faith in me !

2) Was there a defining moment that led you to radio and made you realize "This is it?"

There was a moment about a year into working at 93X in Fort Myers when the guys from 100.3 The X in Boise Idaho actually sought me out and offered me a position doing afternoons out there. I sat there in the studio in Florida and was amazed that a company actually heard about me and found me. I realized then that this is what I'm meant to be doing.

3) Can you give us a brief rundown of your radio career with stations and positions/shifts?

• 93X/Fort Myers, FL- nights 6-10p
• 100.3 The X Rocks/Boise, ID - afternoons 3-8p
• 95 K Rock/Estero, FL- nights 6-10p
• 103.9 The Fox/ McHenry, IL - weekends
• 95 WIIL/Chicago afternoons 2-6p

4) How long have you been at 95 WIIL Rock and what makes this station so unique?

I started at WIIL ROCK in January of this year. What makes our station so unique? Well, first off we are pretty much the only Active Rock station in the Chicagoland area. We also have the award winning Studio East, which we have for bands to come in to our station and gives them a chance to play an inclusive, acoustic performance live -- that is also recorded on camera. It's a way to get up close and personal with the artists we play. I would have to say that we actually give a s#!+ about our listeners and make them a part of our WIIL ROCK family .... we try as hard as we can to interact and get personal with them!

5) Being raised in the Chicago area, how excited are you to be doing radio so close to your hometown?

Minus the cold weather ... LOL I'm super stoked to be back in my hometown! My mom and brother live in the area and being close to my family is always nice. I know the area and have been to many shows and venues around here so my experience with that makes it easier to talk about the places we go and what not!

6) As the new afternoon show host on 95 WIIL Rock, are you doing any special music features?

I do the 420 Hit of the Day, which showcases new music and on Wednesdays, we do a Homegrown hit, which allows local artists to submit their music and be heard. It's a great segment and a lot of fun to listen to callers' input on all the new music. I also do an Under the Covers segment where I play a cover song and have the listeners guess the original artist.

Daniel and Mark from Nothing More enter Stino's World!

7) What are some of your favorite rock star interviews both at WIIL or other stations and why?

I have interviewed so many bands and enjoy many of them, but a few that stick out. I once interviewed the guys from Three Days Grace and they were just so down to earth and easygoing. This was at Fort Rock in Fort Myers a few years ago. I loved hanging with them. Also recently I had the guys from Nothing More in the studio for a Stino's World Take-Over and we had a blast! They are really funny and were very good sports ... we talked about their favorite foods, bands and even drank the infamous MALORT together on air .... LOL

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

Active Rock has changed a lot throughout the years and seems to always be going in a different direction. As long as the creators keep creating, the Active Rock scene will keep its head above the water ... LOL ... Rock is not DEAD!

9) What are your three favorite artists or songs of this year so far and why?

I really love Incubus and always have. I was lucky enough to meet them last year at the Radio Contraband Convention and it made my year. They are truly a band like no other. I also love Alkaline Trio; those guys are from Chicago and I grew up on them. Matt Skiba especially is such a talented artist and singer. As far as songs go, I'm loving the new one from In This Moment, "Roots." It's such an empowering song for women! Maria Brink is rad.

10) Finally, what exactly is Stino's World?

Stino's World is my own little world that I live in. Not trying to sound selfish, but the rest of the world just moves around it in my head. I've always been a leader and this is basically my brand ... LOL ... I love telling my stories to the listeners and people who are not as fortunate to have experienced some of the stuff that I have with music and bands ... Hanging out in Stino's World gives the listener an opportunity to break away from the norm and become free-spirited and open-minded. Someone once said that Stino's World is a cross between The Land of Oz and Dante's 7 Circles of Hell! LOL

What do you like to do for fun when you're not in "radio" mode?

I love swimming (I consider myself a mermaid), ha ha, and I also do a ton of acrylic painting ... on canvas. I also go to a lot of rock shows even when I'm not in radio mode. Music is my life and this is the main reason why I decided to get into radio. It's my passion, it's what I live for.