10 Questions with ... Lynn Hernandez

NAME:Lynn Hernandez TITLES:MD/Middays STATIONS:KMOD MARKET:Tulsa #65 COMPANY:Clear Channel BORN:Bellefountaine, OH RAISED:Findlay, OH

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

1987 - WLFC, U. of Findlay, Ohio; WQTL/Ottawa, OH; WBVI, Findlay/OH; 1992 - KPEZ/Austin; 1994 - Key 103/Austin; 1996 - KROX; 1998 - Star System and Mix 94.7/Austin; 2001 - 2005 KDGE, KEGL and KZPS/Dallas; 2005 - KLBJ-FM/Austin; 2005-present - KMOD/Tulsa. During the past seven years I've voicetracked many stations in Atlanta, Albany, Colorado Springs and more.

1) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now, what you didn't then, would you still do it?

EVEN MORE SO! Getting PAID to go to strip clubs! Interviewing some of my childhood rock heroes, working with and helping support new artists and watch their career skyrocket. Working with charities, helping those in need. Very rewarding.

2) Most of us have known or even worked for a "colorful" owner/GM/air talent. Care to share a story? (The names can be changed to protect the innocent.)

I'll just give props to my fav people I've ever worked for: not kissing ass here but current ringleader, who is one of the main reasons why I left my beloved TEXAS to live in Oklahoma, Don Cristi (whom I also worked with in Austin at Star Systems), my first GM at KROX/Austin and is now Emmis/Austin VP, Scott Gilmore, and my PD at the Edge in Dallas who gave me the chance to work and live in the same city as my fav football team.

3) How have the recent FCC regulations impacted the way you program your music and the station's dialogue on the air?

Music no. And being middays I wouldn't want to get too blue ... oh wait, except Fridays at noon when I have two strippers battle it out playing Strip Rock'm Sock'm Robots. I track a Saturday-night shift on KMOD 7p-midnight; the closer I get to midnight, the more in your face I get.

4) How do you feel terrestrial radio competes with the satellite radio and Internet these days?

Very well, in fact Clear Channel station sites embrace the Internet by streaming the stations live. It's cool to get an email or even call from a soldier over sea's that's from the Tulsa area and just can't live with his Roy D. Mercer! Plus CC stations have music and videos on the sites. All CC stations share the same database of music/videos on-demand and FREE. Thousands of them! And even exclusive acoustic performances.

5)What can we be doing with our station websites to better our stations as a whole?

Just keep it updated as much as possible. It can be time-consuming to upload videos/podcasts to a website, so unless you have a webmaster whose sole job it is to update the sites it can be challenging to find the time. Remember what your audience finds interesting on the Internet and give it to them. Clear Channel just announced a "mini-MySpace" on some test market stations and that looks like certain demographics would be all over that. Depending on your audience, but I think some are interested in pictures of station events with other listeners. I try to get pictures of random listeners at our events having a good time, interacting with station staff. KMOD has been in Tulsa for 34 years, so it's pretty cool when a fan comes up wearing a vintage KMOD shirt and are very proud to be wearing it. I like to take a picture of it and upload it to my web page.

Have more info on the site for your events so you don't always have to list off all the info on the valuable airtime: "More at KMOD.com." Last year Clear Channel started letting jocks update their own page which is a HUGE help not only to keep it updated more quickly, but takes the burden off the promotions director or webmaster (if you're lucky enough to have one on staff).

6) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff?

Mikey Morning Show on KIOZ/San Diego. I was a huge fan when I was on The Eagle in Dallas; Mikey did mornings. I don't think I had ever been drunker before 10am than when I invited myself to hang out with them during their weekly Free Beer Friday. Oh, also Ayo on the Edge in Dallas. He cracks me up. And the best thing radio-wise is he can do it with only a few words and attitude.

7) What is your favorite radio station outside of the market and why?

99.5 KISS/San Antonio. 'Cause they fucking rock! Solid air staff with a legendary morning shows Lisle and Hahn. Great playlist. One of the few Active Rock stations left that are getting number one ratings across the board. Way to go L.A. Lloyd.

8) Besides your own, what is your favorite radio format?

Active Rock. We're mainstream Rock, but I gotta tell ya it was fun to play Drowning Pool and Pantera while at The Eagle in Dallas! I love Alternative too since it was the first fulltime format I worked in at KROX/Austin. I remember hearing Soul Coughing for the first time thinking, wow, now that is cool!

9) What format does not exist that should?

Well, I'm just going to copy off of Duane Doherty's paper for this answer. Though I hated seeing one of my former stations KZPS flip format, I think he came up with a killer sound! A hybrid of classic rock and outlaw country. And how perfect that he got Willie Nelson to be his voiceover! Their innovative way of how to sell it is very out of the box also. Though I hated seeing my friends Cindy Scull and Crash lose their gig from it. I still wish him and my old buddies Bo and Jim and JD all the best! If you've not see it yet, check out their web: www.KZPS.com.

10) What is the most rewarding promotion or activity your station has ever been involved with to benefit the community or a charity?

Just last Thursday KMOD got together with most of the other radio clusters in Tulsa to raise money for the Jan Dean Cancer Fund. Let me say that again: WITH most of the other clusters! Jan worked at numerous stations in Tulsa and has such a dynamic caring personality that many competing stations laid down their rifles and picked up tools by way of signed merch and trips to raise the needed $30,000 for her treatment, which is not covered. Former co-workers flew in from other parts of the country just to be a part of it -- Jan LOVED that you came, Raydog (from 101X)!

What was the first song or full-length release you purchased?

Rush "All The Worlds A Stage." Ha! Now I'm playing "Tom Sawyer" as I type this!

You're stuck on a deserted island and you only have 5 CDs with you. What are they?

Rush "Hemisphere" or "Hold Your Fire," Yes "Tales from Topographic Oceans" or "Going for the One," Kansas "Monolith" ... shit, there's so many.

Newer ones: Seether, Shinedown, Tool... I give up. My head hurts now.

What type of features do you run on the station?

The All Request Drive Thru Lunch. One of the highest rated hours in Tulsa. Plus Saturday night at 11 is KMOD's RATT POISON. You can guess what it is, and now we have this HUGE '80s Hair Band concert in our area in mid-June that we already are all over. The promoters flew me to Hollywood to broadcast my show from the Whisky A Go-Go, which is where they had the press conference about the concert. It's called Rocklahoma. Cheesy, yes, but they've already sold 20,000 campsites and we're still 2 1/2 months away. Check out the line up: www.rockfeverfest.com

How often do you listen to your station when you are away from the station?

All the time. That's why I'm so fortunate to work at a station that's my first choice to listen to anyway. I've worked at stations where it was not my favorite in the market. As the phrase goes, find a hobby you can get paid to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life.

Who is your best friend in the business?

L.A. Lloyd, PD of KISS/San Antonio. Although when we were living together downtown Austin when we both worked at 101X he kicked me out. Something about him getting married and the place wasn't big enough for three adults. I mean, c'mon!