10 Questions with ... Courtney Quinn

NAME:Courtney Quinn TITLE:PD/MD/Middays STATIONS:WLZX (Lazer 99.3) MARKET:Springfield, MA COMPANY:Saga Communications BORN:Virginia Beach, VA RAISED:Virginia Beach, VA

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Active Rock WBRW (105.3 The Bear)/Blacksburg, VA from January '01 to July '04; Rock WXMM (100.5 Max-FM)/Virginia Beach, VA from September '04 to December '04; and Active Rock WLZX (Lazer 99.3)/ Springfield, MA from January '05 to present.

1) How did you land at WLZX?

It's all Harvey Kojan's fault. Ready to move on to bigger and better things in the world of radio, I left WBRW in the summer of '04 and moved home to Virginia Beach. I ended up landing at WXMM for a spell, and in the process of getting that job, I managed to impress Harvey via email with my use of the word "conundrum." To which, he immediately said, "A girl with a vocabulary like this can't be working for my competition! Let's steal her away and send her to Lazer in Springfield." The rest, as they say, is history.

2) Your promotion to PD is fairly recent. What is your biggest challenge as a new Program Director?

By far, my biggest challenge has been the peer to PD transition. It is truly difficult to move from a level playing field with your co-workers to a position of "power" with your staff. However, my General Manager, Gary Zenobi, has been amazingly supportive since we started down this path. He has taken the extra time to usher me into the persnickety world of management, me armed with my wits and he with his support.

3) What makes your market unique?

There is a MESS of rock in this market. WCCC booms in from Hartford. WAAF comes in from Boston. Toss Lazer into the mix, and our listeners have THREE different choices for essentially the same kind of radio station. Depending on the day and where you go, you could even toss HJY and PLR into the mix, too. Despite the barrage of choices, people in Western Mass want to listen to Western Mass radio and our out-of-market competitors are moot. Take a look at the numbers and it's clear. We've managed to build a solid, dude-centric "rock wall" at Springfield Rocks Radio Group. Alongside our Classic Rock sister station, WAQY, we absolutely OWN the vast majority of men listening to the radio in Western Mass. It's pretty rad.

4) What's your take on current music? Is it as good as six months ago, better, or about the same?

Summer is always a good time for rock. We've got event records galore from Velvet Revolver, Smashing Pumpkins, Linkin Park, Puddle of Mudd and Ozzy -- all releases that provide the "career-artist cred" rock is always looking for. Bands that are new to the scene like Operator, Hell Yeah, Red and Fair to Midland offer much needed texture to playlists that get may bogged down with the same type of artist and the same type of song. With so much traffic vying for so few slots, I dig the fact that all of the currents I'm playing are strong. What more could you ask for? On a personal note, I think Nine Inch Nails' "Year Zero" is insanely good and it makes me angry that Avril Lavigne's "The Best Damn Thing" edged it out on the Billboard charts. Angry, I tell you. Angry.

5) How is the relationship between programmer and record label changing?

Record labels get the short end of the stick on this one, working harder to claim fewer slots for less in return. Unlike other stations, WLZX doesn't carry 30 or 35 currents. I'm not able to play every single from every artist with every record company. It's tough, too. The pressure is on everywhere. Reps call, email and IM all of the compelling information under the sun. They send sales numbers, research, chart position, rotation increases, early supporters and phone stories. Sure, it's helpful and allows me to make an informed decision. But, despite the pomp and sizzle, the fact of the matter is that I only have so much room to play so many songs and the songs that I DO play not only have to be winners but truly have to fit the direction WLZX is heading. In that respect, programmers have an easier job of saying "no" while record labels have the more difficult task of getting us to say "yes."

6) What do you view as the most important issue facing radio today?

Have you ever watched a slightly overweight, uncoordinated, flat-footed person try to run? They pick up their feet and pump their arms as fast as they can but never seem to get out of their own way. That's radio on so many levels.

7) In today's world of multi-tasking and wearing many hats, how do you find time to show prep and what sources do you use?

While I constantly check for updates on the fly in the studio, show prep is mostly relegated to my evenings. I plop on my couch every night and fire up the laptop. Blabbermouth.net, Perez Hilton, I Don't Like You In That Way, Fark, MTV News, major news outlets and artist websites always bring something to the table. I pick up Revolver, Rolling Stone, Spin and Blender as often as I can, and I've also found reading rock star autobiographies to be indispensable. Re: "The Dirt." If you've read it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

8) What format does not exist that should? Would it work?

I'm a firm believer in a Rock/Hip Hop hybrid. I mean, how could you NOT like a Rage Against The Machine/Mims/Buckcherry/Prodigy/50 Cent/Godsmack/Eminem sweep? Then again, I'm probably the only one who'd be listening besides a handful of 17-year-old guys with anger-management problems. Wait. Does that say something about me?

9) How do you interact with your sales staff?

As pleasantly as possible. The sales/programming relationship is one that can turn ugly if you let it. Salespeople are out there, beating the streets trying to bring dollars to the table while programming is hard at work being creative, shaking hands and kissing babies to bring more listeners to the table. Every dollar counts. Every ratings point counts. In the end, each department exists for the benefit of the other; and a lot of times, I think we lose sight of that, getting lost in the idiosyncrasies of five to seven word tags.

10) What is the best advice you would give to young programmers/promotion people?

Watch, look, listen and learn. Be a sponge. Absorb worthwhile experiences, tried and true wisdom and honest to God knowledge when it comes your way. Be smart enough to recognize all of it when you see it. Be nice to people. Be tempered. Keep a finger on the pulse, your eyes open and an ear to the ground.

What do you do in your spare time?

Besides shopping my heart away for the cutest pair of pumps in town, I've managed to gravitate to two hobbies on complete opposite ends of the spectrum. On one end, there's Muay Thai Kickboxing. I set aside four to five nights a week to sweat, punch and kick my brains out. No finesse required. On the other, there's Golf. If I think about it, I'll set aside a Sunday here or there to hit (and subsequently chase) plenty of lost balls. Lots of finesse required.

What's the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you?

"Hose it off." Just think, "What would I do if a cow shit all over me?" The answer: You'd hose yourself off and move along.

Your radio or records dream gig?

Music Supervisor for a major production company. As Wikipedia says, the job is both "creative and logistic."

Who is your best friend in the business?

Definitely not Doug LaGambina. What a prick.

You're stuck on a deserted island and you only have an iPod Shuffle. What's on it?

A nice sprinkling of Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against The Machine, A Perfect Circle, Tool, Stone Sour, Deftones and Chevelle with a touch of Thievery Corporation, a smattering of Dave Matthews (I'm from Virginia, leave me alone) and a big hunk of Ray Lamontagne just in case I'm forced to make sweet sweet love down by the fire to some Sawyer-on-Lost castaway type.