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10 Questions with ... Anthony 'Roach' Proffitt
October 15, 2019
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
- 1989-1990: WNFI/Daytona Beach, FL (Intern)
- 1991-1995: WPUP/Athens, GA (PD/MD/PM Drive/nights)
- 1995-2000: WKSM /Ft. Walton Beach, FL (MD/nights)
- 2000-2005: WNFZ/Knoxville, TN (PD/MD/middays)
- 2005-2009: WJBX/Ft .Myers, FL (APD/MD/middays)
- 2013-present: WXNX/ Ft. Myers, FL (PD/middays)
1) What was your first job in radio and early influences?
Wow...now I really feel old. It was back in the early '90s at a station called WNFI -I100 in Daytona Beach, Florida. I started as an intern for their morning show and got the bug and knew that is what I wanted to do. I really got interested in radio back in 1985 when I won 100 bucks (which was A LOT for a young kid) from Mason Dixon on Q105 (WRBQ) in Tampa. I knew the last Christmas song he played and it was "Grandma got ran over by a reindeer"! Bam...just like that I won, and it was a great phoner for him as my mom was yelling at me in the background for running into the house with my soccer cleats on and getting mud everywhere. He then heard my Mom yelling and put her on the phone....she was not thrilled...but again...a great phoner! I recorded it and went everywhere with me on a cassette with Mason!
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment, which made you realize "this is it"?
I always loved radio, for me I grew up on it! I loved the wacky and phone stuff the DJ's would do and the music was always something I loved! For me being able to do both would be a dream. When I got to Athens at the almighty UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA (Gooooo DAWGS...SIC EM) I had a shot to do College Radio. I asked what the pay was, and they said nothing. I told them I already had experience as I interned and did a weekend shift in Daytona. They said, well you can't get on the air at college radio until you complete six months of school. That was BS. So I went to the local CHR radio station called "The Bulldog 103.7" WPUP and the PD ...Allen Tibbets said he'd hire me to run the AM station board on Sundays to get started and he would pay me and then I could maybe move up...I was sold and knew I could do this.
3) Congrats on your recent promotion to Program Director. How are things going now that you're sitting in the big chair?
Well thank you, Ken. Things are going very well. I really have a great staff and some fun people to work with here at 93X. It is definitely a great opportunity and having a team like this makes the future look very bright.
4) You're recently made a change in mornings at 93X. Tell us about your new morning show.
Oh, those guys! Yes Big Ric and Marija! Ric and Marija are seasoned vets in the rock format, but they have never worked together before. We knew Ric and Marija had a friendship through years of meeting at various conventions and shows, but to see that connection and hear it on the air is really cool. We got them together and threw them into the "fire" per say and the chemistry keeps building and building. There hasn't been a live local "Morning Rock Show" here in many, many years. We saw the void and new it was time to fill it. Live and local is the key and when we can do that and play music in the mornings, that is what we think will be a formula for success. They feed off each other and know their roles. However, the glue that keeps it all together is David Rodriguez (D-Rod). He is their producer and adds that Latino feel. With the SW Florida being a major Latino market that is growing, he definitely helps to tie that in. This should be fun and we love hearing from listeners who are beginning to grow with them.
5) Ft. Myers is one of the few markets with two Active Rock stations. How is your market battle with WRXK shaping up?
I don't look at it as a battle. I think the competition brings out the best in all of us. What we do is totally different from what they do. We are a rock station that plays rock music in every day part 24-7-365.
6) For a period of time the station played what amounts to a hybrid mix of Active Rock and Alt titles. I understand the music is transitioning back to straight ahead Active Rock. How would you describe the music on 93X?
We still are SW Florida's Rock Alternative and yes we still play some really great Alternative rock, however the core of the station leans in the Active Rock world more today than it has in the past. I think those ALT records that we do play separate what we do compared to the "other guys". I will also say that that when people want to hear music throughout their day, they know they can tune into 93X and hear rock and some alternative music.
7) What's your take on current Active Rock music and the format overall?
I think the Active Rock world is alive and well and if you go to any rock show down here you will see that. We really are the most southern rock station in the continental United States and it's great to see promoters recognizing they have an untapped market down here. We have recently had Disturbed, In This Moment, Scott Stapp, Messer, Sunflower Dead, Godsmack, Halestorm, and now we have a special acoustic performance with Skillet on the way. In November, we welcome Five Finger Death Punch, Three Days Grace, Bad Wolves and Fire From The Gods! What I truly enjoy is getting behind the new artist that you know have "it." Bands like Badflower, Dirty Honey, The Rival Sons and now Fire From The Gods make me believe we definitely have a solid foundation to keep building upon.
8) What are your three favorite artists or songs of the year so far and why?
Badflower are really talented and I just love what they are bringing to the format. Seeing them perform at their early stages and seeing how they have grown personally and professionally is awesome. Bad Wolves continue to impress me as they were known as a "hard core" band but they began to write music that appealed to a mass audience and have begun to separate themselves from just having that "hard core" image. They still throw down though! Another band that I continue to get excited about is I Prevail. These guys write some really great stuff and have turned a corner I think. People say bands sell out when they become mainstream, but to me that isn't selling out...that is selling "UP". They are now reaching so many more fans that may have never heard them before if they didn't evolve with their music.
9) Give us three Rock bands to watch for in the next year and why?
Dirty Honey, that gritty sound is contagious. It's raw .... just plug in and go rock! I love that and hope more good things are to come for them. I will also say Badflower. I know I touched on them earlier but I think they are just getting started and really look forward to the next album they put out. Lastly I will add two more; I know you said three but I have to break the rules Ken...you know me. Ice Nine Kills are a band that I think have something going on. They performed for us earlier this year and were such nice guys and if you can do it "unplugged" that well, you have a bright future. Lastly... Fire From The Gods. This band I really know nothing about but I know that sound is solid and they are writing with a message with their new track "'Right Now." I am looking forward to hearing them live down here in November.
10) Finally, I know how busy you are but I know you always make time for your beloved Georgia Bulldogs football team. How far are they going to go this year?
I think this year could be very special for this team. They really have a great chemistry and the depth in so many positions is the key. If your #2's can be as good as your #1's then that can really make a difference down the stretch. They are playing for each other to do something that will create a legacy. A great quote came recently from our QB Jake Fromm after the Georgia win at Tennessee. "We're not playing for the number on the back, we're playing for the team on the front." Go Dawgs!
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