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10 Questions with ... Chris Chaos
May 28, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. I'm unfiltered and caring at the same time. I say things that need to be said and have a heart for the underdog. I definitely go off-script but I believe that's what brings back listeners. Turn your radio on and you might be hearing us arguing over the legalization of cannabis or the sweet Santa Claus movie I just saw on Netflix! My show is organized chaos and we bring entertainment to that tumultuous morning drive or boring office job!
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1) What was your first job in radio and early influences?
It was the late '70s and the PD, Peter Parker was a super-cool hipster, so was the MD, Steve Feldman and Prod Dir. Brian Sullivan and my HS counselor/science teacher, Ulysses "ULI" Gallman. I ended up volunteering/ working at non-student on air with three shows a week at a student-run radio station,WRIU/Kingston-Providence at age of 15. Apparently, I was the first fired too ... and it wouldn't be the last time!
I shifted to covering AM news in a makeshift chicken coop trailer covering Monday night town hall meetings as a radio station reporter. The owner's son was a Dead Head ... so hanging after hours to spend extra time editing various actualities and typing cart labels was always hysterical. I was the guy who showed up and listened ... and the afternoon DJ called in sick one day and the owner asked me if I wanted to play a few records live and fill in. Duh! That was the beginning! I grew to on-air at WOTB (Jazz 100 )/Newport, then nights to Classic Rock WWRX with mastermind Dave Richards He won't remember me, but gave me the coolest, 30-second aircheck of my career. How NOT to sound like you are puking when you speak. For real, his understanding and common sense approach helped pop my seal to natural flow and pacing.
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it?"
I grew up listening to a clock radio always wanting to be a DJ. At age 10 I was DJ'ing neighborhood summer dances for $20 in different neighborhoods, which turned to weekend gigs. Since I didn't dance, and was shy when it came to girls (I was the skinny glasses type), I quickly learned girls came to you when they wanted to hear a song... some hung around ... then more and ... well ... that was the beginning!
When I was eight, my parents bought me a little mini-reel to reel and cassette recorder. I wanted to be on the radio so bad I recorded my favorite songs, sold newspapers door to door for extra money to buy the 45s and put together my own weekly top 10 show in my bedroom.
I mimicked my favorite DJs like Howard Hoffman at 92 PRO FM, Howard Stern at WNBC/NY, Lou Brutus and Rick O'B at WHJY/Prov. Transposed the recorded audio to paper and played the same song ... read it ... recorded it to small reel, then as time passed, cassettes over and over and over ... till I nailed it ... then to the next song and so on ... added my personality and ta-da! My HS counselor was a DJ ... played all our high school dances and mentored me. Uli suggested I speak with Dr. Paul Yazel, the Professor Of Broadcasting at the Univ. Of Rhode Island to get a jump start to get on the air. He told me I'd need a FCC license to even be considered legal to be on the air (1978). After studying, and my Dad driving me to Boston to take a FCC 3rd class radio telephone operators broadcast license (ya had to do it back then, elements 1,2 and 9 ... who else remembers?) I passed and when it was officially FCC stamped I brought it to the 3,700-watt FM local university radio station, WRIU for my two-night-a-week training start.
3) You had a nice run as PD for Rock WGBF (93.5 The Bar) and Classic Hits WYGC (104.9 Wow FM) in the West Palm Beach market. What were the highlights for you for that gig?
The beautiful Florida weather! Duh! Working with legendary major-market personality Jo Jo Kincaid! He was stoked with our programming and came on board just for fun! This was huge for me; as a jock who grew up loving the Top 40 style! Jo Jo could be heard down the halls and outside, he had so much energy! Jo Jo nailed four and five Michael Jackson posts in one song intro! Like nobody I've ever heard! He helped set us up for a Station Of The Year nomination. WBGF (The Bar)/Palm Beach Gardens was beautiful and the SEC college town Gator experience helped get me experience today at WVU. Kudos to JVC VP Shane Reeve, who with Bubba The Love Sponge, gave me an amazing opportunity that came after a very low point in my personal life -- divorcing after a 20-year relationship. I continue to learn about myself and strive and grow to be the best I can with today.
4) Last August you joined Active Rock WCLG/Morgantown, WV for mornings and PD. On your morning show, do you do any special features or benchmarks?
I have an affinity for Cher, so I sing Cher a lot! It sounds strange but I'm a pro at "Half Breed!"
The highlights? Tons of celebrity interviews, contests, morons in the news, games, a ton of callers and chaos! We have a lot of listener interaction. Call-in contests and questions for them to answer. We combine social media and listener love to recycling and with intertwining contests on-air and online. T-shirts! Everyone wants a T-shirt, too ... and we oblige!
I work with Ashley Stevens and the iconic award winning sports and newscaster, "Dr." Dave McClung. We surprisingly have a hilarious trio that flows for four hours and then, sometimes, continue into the After Party (sometimes till 11a with phone topics and games) and things go sideways quickly! We love sideways and so does our growing audience.
5) Congrats on your recent West Virginia Broadcasters Association award for the 2019 On Air Personality of the year. What helped you win this award?
Well, I entered. So, I won. No really, again, my boss Rob, lets me be my authentic self and encouraged me to enter. I've not quite been here a year but Rob has helped me integrate into this raw radio station and has trusted me to turn it into a shining star.
Admittedly, I don't love awards! It's hard to fit my show into a three-minute bit but I hope I captured the fun we have!
I'm unfiltered and caring at the same time. I say things that need to be said and have a heart for the underdog. I definitely go off-script but I believe that's what brings back listeners. Turn your radio on and you might be hearing us arguing over the legalization of cannabis or the sweet Santa Claus movie I just saw on Netflix! My show is organized chaos and we bring entertainment to that tumultuous morning drive or boring office job!
6) Now put on your PD hat and let's talk about the music on WCLG. How Active is the station musically with current Rock?
We are a familiar, gold-based mainstream Rock station with about 30 currents and 20 recurrents. Like scallops wrapped in bacon, we balance new and familiar. I don't follow all the rules! If there's new music in the rock genre that needs to be heard, I'll play it. I am a rocker at heart, starting with setting up and taking down stages in the late '70s-'80s for regional bands. I want rock to stick around and grow so if there's something cool I play it!
7) What's your take on current Active Rock and the Rock format overall?
The Rock format is aging; obviously the "old school" Classic Rockers 25-54 core has expanded to 35-64. Active is like it has been since the mid-'90s; you sort and sift. Not everyone is the next Metallica. There are tons of unsigned bands, highly talented artists we feature locally as well every Sunday night. There are many more Greta Van Fleet, Pretty Reckless, Ghost stories to hear.
8) Who are three new Rock bands or artists that you like and why?
Man, I love this loud, unsigned guitar and vocal band called Sweet Blood from South Florida. They have a Pantera/Black Sabbath feel with eerie Alice In Chains four-part harmony. Big riffs and they zig when you think they are gonna zag. Cool lyrics, too. Check out Dance or Acid Ritual. Super-tight, fresh and a good fit between a Godsmack or Ozzy record. Ask about your "Blood Box" today!
9) As both a PD and morning host, how do prioritize the two jobs so both are effectively done?
My priority is first with the audience and what they hear. I try to make sure I'm at my best on-air so all the other DJs can hear and learn by my example. Once I feel comfortable with what I'm doing, it seems everything else can start falling into place with the right pieces, people and then programming. If the audience hears cranky and uninformed, we fix personalities. If the music sounds fragmented and not flowing, I fix music. Once we are synced and consistent on all levels and stations, I dig my teeth into programming.
10) Finally, Is your last name really Chaos? If not...how did that awesome radio name come about, and do you live up to that description?
Chaos was given to me in Ft. Myers by Hurricane Shane and my PD and GM, Swingin Dick ...Tyler! If I recall, and it is a tad blurry, I filled in for Hurricane afternoons on Rock 106 when I got wind of the crosstown (WRXK) DJ getting fired and called him on the air offering him a few embellished options taken from the daily paper. Swingin called Hurricane on day two of his vacation. Apparently, the guy's brother was a lawyer ... when I called the fired DJ, the outgoing answering machine voice message was his Mommy's voice. The lawsuits charged me with airing a public official's voice and/or likeness without prior knowledge or consent. Apparently, she was the Mayor! And so it began ... Hurricane and Swingin' offered me F/T afternoon drive and gave me the name Chris Chaos. The struggle is real, fun and hasn't stopped since I was 15. It's been a minute or two and a couple dozen stations since then, and I still feel 15, with 30 years' experience.
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