10 Questions with ... Johnny Maze

1. What was your first job in radio and early influences?

An internship in the promotions department at KNRJ in Houston. I grew up in Houston, TX, and spent many summers in the NYC area listening to great stations like 93Q, 101 KLOL, 97 ROCK and KRBE in H-town and New York City stations like Z100 and K-ROCK. I found myself listening to the imaging and air talent more than the music for inspiration. I was lucky to listen to talent such as John Lander, Moby, Stevens & Pruett, Elvis Duran, Scott Sparks, Boomer, Scott Shannon, and Howard Stern.

2. Can you give us a quick career overview with stations and positions up to now?

My career took off with spending three years on-air at KTBZ in Houston, then to Des Moines, Shreveport, Lafayette, then to PD of WRXW Jackson, PD of WXZZ Lexington, PD of KICT/KFXJ in Wichita, a short time on the Maryland coast, to Huntsville, AL to oversee WTAK and ALT, and now here in Louisville at 107.7 The Eagle.

3. How long were you programming in Huntsville, AL and how did your Classic rocker WTAK do under your watch?

I spent almost two years at iHeart Huntsville. I enjoyed overseeing WTAK and we also turned on an ALT station while I was there. WTAK was a cool station with some market history, and we created some fun on-air promotions.

4. Congrats on your new gig as APD and Afternoon rocker on WSFR (107.7 The Eagle). First of all, tell us about the station and what makes it unique?

Thank you! 107.7 The Eagle is a straight classic rock! Great imaging and great promotions. Mike Rowe hosts the morning show, and he is a market veteran having been in the market for 15+ years. Les Cook who does nights has been in the market a long time and is an encyclopedia of classic rock and has a killer night show. Louisville is a hot market and region for big name classic rock concerts. The Eagles, KISS, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, The Who are all playing here in Louisville or within a short drive to see.

5. You’re the APD and do Afternoon drive. How are things going so far with these new roles for you?

Man, I love it. Getting back into the groove of scheduling music and doing a daily show has been great for me and I continue to be more comfortable and being better each day. The listeners have embraced me on the streets and on social media and I look forward to getting out more with the many events happening soon here in Louisville. Cagle, my OM, has immediately made an impact on me and is a great mentor and coach and we have really gelled. I look forward to working closely with him and our Promotions Director Davie Hill, who’s been in the market a long time, to continue to take 107.7 The Eagle to new heights.

6. I’ve asked this Question to most Classic Rock programmers. What does the Classic Rock format need to do TODAY to continue to stay relevant while playing music that is sometimes over 40 years old?

More and more classic rock songs are heard in commercials, movie soundtracks, and played a lot at sporting events. We need to continue providing solid content. Being creative in music features to highlight the format and connecting to your listeners via social media with content about the artists/bands is important.

7. Can you tell us about your experiences living in Louisville after your first month in the city?

I LOVE IT!!!! I wanted to FULLY experience Louisville, so I decided to live downtown. I live 50 yards from the Summit Media office, 100 yards away the Louisville Palace and Mercury Ballroom, 200 yards from 4th Street Live and within walking distance to the KFC Yum Center, the Muhammad Ali Museum, Louisville Slugger factory and Slugger Field to see the AAA Louisville Bats. I continue to explore the downtown and will be venturing out to all the other locales that Louisville has to offer.

8. Some big Rock festivals are coming to Louisville in September with the Louder Than Life Festival and Bourbon & Beyond Festival. What can you tell us about these events and will 107.7 The Eagle be involved?

To say that I am excited that I live in the host market of Louder Than Life, Bourbon & Beyond, the Kentucky Derby, and Thunder Over Louisville is an understatement. The line-ups for both DWP festivals are incredible, and we certainly are giving away passes and highlighting the many artists that The Eagle plays and we’ll find ways to be active during the weekends. I’ll be onsite at Churchill Downs on the day of the Derby which I’m super excited about after watching it on TV every year from my couch. Thunder Over Louisville is one of the biggest events of the year and I’ve heard so many great things about it and we are going to be involved with many events with that.

9. You spent quite a bit of down time between your last gig in Huntsville and your new job in Louisville. With so many radio people “on the beach” in this business, what did you learn during that time and what can you pass on to radio folks still out there looking for work?

Ken, you and I talked many times during that time. The biggest takeaway is just to stay positive. It wasn’t easy, as you know during our chats, that I was questioning my future many times. I also have a good group of radio friends that continued to make me laugh and kept me going. The pandemic added to the pressure, but thankfully things began to open up, and opportunities presented themselves. I would encourage others to rely on your relationships and contacts. They are not only there for support, but they can also lead you in the right direction of opportunities.

10. Finally, since you have Texas roots, I know you’re a huge fan of the University of Texas Longhorns. If they end up playing the University of Louisville Cardinals, who will you be rooting for?

I look forward to going to Louisville Cardinals games, but I absolutely will always be a Longhorns fan and root for them. With UT going into the SEC, it’s a short drive to Lexington to see them play there in the future. HOOK ‘EM!!!!