10 Questions with ... Borna Velic

1. What led you to a career in radio?

Growing up in Chicago, there were no shortage of tremendous stations and personalities. My father was a big talk radio fan. Steve & Garry, Johnny B. and others were always on in the car. I was too young to really understand those shows, but I knew it was cool. When I was a freshman in high school, my best friend’s older brother flashed his FCC Broadcast License, which was still a thing at the time. I wanted one, took the class, passed the exam, and started broadcasting on WDGC FM. It’s a 250-watt station shared by the two high schools in Downers Grove, IL. Despite a brief hiatus post-college, I haven’t stopped since.

2. Before you started working with WHQG (102.9 The Hog) in Milwaukee, you spent quite a few years as MD for WAPL/WZOR in Appleton/Green Bay, WI. What were some of the highlights of your tenure there?

The top highlight for me is the incredibly talented people I worked with and the close friendships I made for life. I was hired to do nights at WAPL at 25 years old. I thought I’d stay there for a year and move on, because that’s what you do in this business, right? I stayed over 11 years. It’s a testament to the culture of Woodward Radio. ‘APL has clocked in over 40 years on the air as a rock station and Razor celebrated their 20th last year. The longevity speaks to the dedication and professionalism of those that have contributed in the past and are still doing great work there today. I am extremely proud to be an alumnus of both those stations.

3. Before we talk about adding your new PD stripes on Classic Rock sister station WKLH, how long have you been at The Hog and what makes this station so unique?

I recently passed my 7-year anniversary at the station. We win because of our air talent. A veteran staff that are committed to their craft and want to deliver a strong performance every day. Nowadays, it so much more than solely being great when the mic is turned on. It’s digital, video, social media, community involvement, and finding new ways to connect with our audience when there is so much competition out there.

4. A BIG congrats on your adding PD duties for WKLH. How are things going for you and the station in this new role?

Thank you! I’m certainly excited for the opportunity. What’s been a big help is I began pitching in on the station when our former Operations Manager/PD, Bob Bellini, was promoted to GM earlier in 2020. His mentorship gave me a nice head start when I officially took over the PD role. I’m blessed with a veteran airstaff that knows what they’re doing and wants to win. It’s certainly an accelerated lesson in time management, prioritizing, and figuring out what the most important objectives are short-term and long-term.

5. Overseeing the programming of both The Hog and WKLH must keep you very busy. Who is helping with programming and music on both stations?

On the Hog side, Mindy Novotny has been assisting me with music for a few years now. Her work ethic and passion made it a no-brainer to give her the reigns to Hog music. She’ll be great at it. My afternoon co-host, Mandy, helps me out on the ‘KLH side. Although, she is also heavily involved in programming our Top 40. Maybe she’ll have her hands in all our stations one day! Two is more than enough for me.

6. You are also still doing afternoons on The Afternoon Program on the Hog with Mitch & Mandy. How is that going?

It’s great, still a lot of fun! We’ve been together for over two years now. The chemistry among the three of us was almost instantaneous. Mandy and Mitch both show up prepared with content and ideas every day, which is a big help when I have a day that gets away from me. Mandy brings intelligence, quick wit, edginess, along with a playful side. Mitch is the born and raised guy from the south side of Milwaukee who knows everybody in town. He’s the character who is always willing to be whoever he needs to be for the good of the show. That often means taking the brunt of criticism from myself, Mandy, and/or our audience for the outlandish things that he says. My role is to steer the train down the tracks. It’s okay to veer off from time to time, but I need to be mindful of when to pull back or push forward.

7. Let’s talk about mornings on The Hog with Bob & Brian. They’ve been a fixture in that market for over 30 years. What makes that show work?

There are more elements to what drives their success than people realize. If I must summarize, it’s their utterly unique camera angle on life that sets them apart. They’re cerebral, intelligent, hilarious, and it all weaves together to create memorable moments on the air. Same goes for Carrie Wendt and producer, Eric Jensen. The entire cast has been in place for quite some time and that translates to an on-air chemistry that can’t be duplicated.

8. Dave Luczak does mornings on WKLH. Tell us about that morning show and who else is in the mix with Dave in the morning?

Dave is another mainstay in Milwaukee morning radio. He pre-dates the inception of ‘KLH and his tremendous track record speaks for itself. He’s joined by Dorene Michaels and Gino Salomone, who are full-fledged co-hosts and have their name on the show. They’re topical, funny, and have created popular benchmarks. I’m impressed by their attention to detail. From setup to content to payoff to teasing the next segment, it’s an extremely well-executed program.

9. Now let’s talk about the music on 102.9 The Hog and WKLH. Years ago the Hog morphed from Mainstream Rock to Active. How are the stations separated musically to coexist in the market??

Both stations have had subtle music shifts in the past five years or so, while still staying true to their respective core identity. The Hog has a mix of currents/recurrents and a gold library that mainly lives in the 90’s. ‘KLH is very much a 70’s/80’s-based station that slightly steps into some 90’s titles. I’m a numbers guy that loves to run Mediabase reports, and I constantly monitor to make sure both stations are positioned properly.

10. Finally, I’ve asked this question for the last several months and as we head into 2021, it’s still going on. How have you and the stations coped with Covid-19 and all that has come with this pandemic over the last year?

It’s certainly been tough for every business and every industry, and we’re not immune. We’ve had to restructure a few things, but I always like to focus on the positive. I give our corporate team at Saga tons of credit for maintaining a financial structure that can weather hardships and mitigate this downturn as best we can. I’m extremely proud of my staff who has shown up every day and created new ways to stay connected to our audience in challenging times. Our sales staff does an incredible job cultivating local business that has served us well. I truly believe better days are ahead in ’21, so I will leave you with that!