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10 Questions with ... Jade Springart
April 23, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Does general tomfoolery count? We like to have fun in our hallway so there's always a lot of joking around that goes on. I try to help everyone as best I can when it comes to any issues with our automation, podcasting, the website, etc. I believe that the vibe of what's happening inside the station translates over the air, so as long as I can help everyone and put a smile on their face while doing so, I'm good with it!
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1) What was your first job in radio and early influences?
My first job in radio was technically an internship at Greater Media/Detroit. I was eventually hired on the promotions team for the entire cluster and got to learn about the Active Rock, Classic Rock and AC formats. I've always been about rock n' roll, though, and I remember listening to Karen Savelly and Ken Calvert as a kid, thinking they had the coolest job. When I was young, my brother and I would play radio at our house and pretend we were DJs. We didn't know what "hitting the post" was back then, but I remember Jason always telling me it was okay to talk over the intro of the songs because all the real DJs did it.
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize this is what I want to do for a living?
After I graduated high school, I didn't exactly have a plan but knew the communications field was something I was interested in, so I was taking classes at the community college towards that. Through a little bit of luck, I met a guy who worked promotions for GMD. He gave me his boss' e-mail address and said to send him an inquiry about an internship. My first event was a WCSX car show with hundreds of people, and I knew instantly that I really wanted to be a part of all of this. I wanted to be on the mic, I wanted to know how all the equipment worked and I wanted to be the person that made all the radio magic happen.
3) How long have you been working for WRIF and what were you duties before you became the MD?
I've been at WRIF specifically for almost nine years. I was on the promo team for three before Mark Pennington took a shot on me and I made the transition to programming. My first gig was board op-ing live broadcasts and hosting the occasional overnight shift. Eventually I got my own slot and moved from overnights to weekend dayparts. Along with being on-air, I helped in the production department, I've been the PD of our Alternative HD2 station, Riff2. Riff2 has been an amazing attribute to my career. I started hosting the new music show The Undercover Sound System, plus creating imaging, promos and events. It's allowed me to explore and learn the industry first-hand.
4) You also do weekend air shifts and a podcast with Mark and Andy. Tell us about the podcast?
The Mark & Andy Show podcast is what airs live on Saturday mornings from 9a-noon and then we turn it into a downloadable podcast. We've been hosting the show for just over six years and I couldn't think of better people to do a show with. Our topics range from everything local, what's trending in pop culture, and since we're all pretty good friends and tend to hang out outside of work, we often discuss the happenings of the night prior or something funny that may have happened earlier in the week. It's a fun, relaxed vibe and I think the listeners can relate to us.
5) What's your take on current Active Rock music and the Rock format as a whole?
I think rock 'n' roll is alive and well. We still have some of the greatest bands in history making headlines and inspiring new younger bands. Music is always evolving and rock in 2019 isn't the same as 1987 rock or '95 rock or even 2007 rock. Evolution isn't a bad thing and I think the music we have coming out today is just as good, if not better than what we've seen in the past. It all really depends. You can have a week where you discover five new songs that are all awesome and the next week there's only one. Overall, I think this format just proves that rock is not only still alive, but thriving as well.
6) Detroit is certainly a great Rock 'n' Roll town. How much does the Detroit Rock City vibe influence the type of Rock you play on WRIF?
Detroit is still very much a rock n' roll town and it's evident by the number of local acts we have. Detroit's musical history is on another level compared to other cities and we definitely work at keeping the scene alive through our playlists on WRIF and Riff2.
7) I have seen some of your weekly videos on new WRIF Rock. Tell us about your weekly VJ hosting.
Last year I started hosting the "New Music Breakdown," which is a weekly video that features four news stories about new music. Because it lives on the website, it gives me an opportunity to expand our horizons with what we're talking about and sharing with our fans. It's been a lot of fun and has helped me discover things I may not have known about before. And because our HD2 station is Alternative, I can share stories that lean in that genre and still be relatable to our audience. Plus, video content has been a big project for us and I think it's a great asset to have. The biggest issue I've had is figuring out what to do with my hands! Ha!
8) I understand you also handle much of WRIF's social media. Tell us about that.
Social media ... It's a trip. It seems this category is always changing with its rules and regulations, but the biggest thing for us is to know our audience and be relatable to them and to be consistent. Some days we have things that hit and go viral and other days it's crickets.
9) Since you seem to be doing everything but sweeping the floors at WRIF, are there any other duties you do for the radio station that we haven't covered?
Does general tomfoolery count? We like to have fun in our hallway so there's always a lot of joking around that goes on. I try to help everyone as best I can when it comes to any issues with our automation, podcasting, the website, etc. I believe that the vibe of what's happening inside the station translates over the air, so as long as I can help everyone and put a smile on their face while doing so, I'm good with it!
10) Finally, when you're not in "radio mode," what do you like to do to get away from the biz and relax?
Traveling is a huge passion of mine. I try to go on one big trip a year and I've already visited Costa Rica in 2019. I play softball, attend Tigers games, explore new locations in Detroit and of course, binge-watch trash TV when it's 14 degrees outside in the winter!
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