-
10 Questions with ... Jade Springart
March 24, 2020
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
1. What was your first job in radio and early influences?
My first on-air gig was at Central Michigan University’s campus station back in 2008. I started doing the Thursday night shift from 11pm-2am which was actually a ton of fun because of Thirsty Thursday. I eventually moved to hosting the top 5 at 5 Mon-Fri and had an afternoon shift as well. My first job in the real world 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 makes this station so unique and special?
I started my internship in 2007 and was officially hired on the promo team in 2008. I did my first on-air shift at WRIF in May of 2010. It was a one hour shift and my first break consisted of me saying “101 WRIF” because I got too excited and hit the song too early and it only had a 4 second intro. Long story short, I’m going on 13 years at the station. What makes this station so special is the passion the entire staff has and how legendary it is in rock n’ roll. We’re about to celebrate 50 years in 2021 and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this team.
4. Congrats on your new duties as APD and new midday host. How is everything going so far with your new position at the station?
Thanks. It’s been busy, exciting and with the current situation in the world, humbling. We are so dedicated to our city and communities so it’s been a real honor to stay live and local to entertain and inform our listeners. I have to give credit to my fellow co-workers and the staff at Beasley Media Group who have been incredibly supportive and helpful in getting the best content and news out to our fans.
5. What's your take on current Active Rock music and the Rock format as a hole?
I still believe rock n’ roll is alive and well! We have some of the hardest working bands in the music industry and their passion doesn’t go unnoticed. Now more than ever, music is an escape for people and I’m so happy I get to be a small part of it. Music will always evolve but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. The rock format and community is so strong amongst us, between fellow people in the industry and fans of the format we will keep rock alive!
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?
I’ve been hosting the “New Music Breakdown” for almost two years and I love it! I have an outlet to talk about lesser known music and share what I’m passionate about with people online. It’s been a ton of fun and I’m finally starting to figure out what to do with my hands on camera! HA!
8. I understand you also still handle much of WRIF’s Social Media. Tell us about that.
Social media is bigger than ever and it’s always changing. I’m fortunate to be front and center with what’s trending and what appeals to our audience. I think it’s a great way to communicate with our listeners and right now, I think it’s something people look to more than ever.
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?
I haven’t driven the WRIF van in quite some time so I may do that this summer! I have to give credit to my co-workers in the hallway. I couldn’t do any of it without my PD, marketing director, events coordinator and the rest of our staff. We are a team and being able to rely on them is something I never take for granted. I work with the greatest staff in the industry as far as I’m concerned!
10. Finally, when you're not in "radio mode," what do you like to do to get away from the biz and relax?
Well, I typically go to concerts, hang out at the bar and in the summer I’m big into golf and softball. I’m hoping I’m able to do any of those activities in the near future. My work-from-home co-worker (my cat Miss Karl) is tired of my shenanigans.
-
-