10 Questions with ... Mike Karolyi

NAME:Mike Karolyi TITLE:APD/MD STATIONS:WCCC MARKET:Hartford COMPANY:Marlin Broadcasting BORN:Winsted, CT RAISED:Winsted, CT

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

WBIS Bristol, CT, Traffic Reporter 1986-1988. WCCC 1986-today.

1) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment, which made you realize "this is it"?

For me it is my passion for rock music that led to a career in radio. I tried my hand at playing guitar, but learned very quickly that I have no musical ability whatsoever. So how do I get into the music business? For me, it was radio. The fact that I have interviewed nearly every band that I grew up listening to is so incredible to me. I am very lucky.

2) What's the best concert you've been to so far this year and why?

In my opinion Family Values is THE summer rock festival for 2007. Korn is always great live. Flyleaf wins over more people every time they play and it was great to see a new band like Five Finger Death Punch get the reaction they did. They could be one of our next core bands. The Family Values lineup fits WCCC better than any other tour this summer and I just think it's the best overall package. $9.99 for a lawn ticket? Not bad.

Yes, Ozzfest is free. but in Hartford the distribution of those free tickets was challenging, to say the least. Many of our listeners were saying they would rather pay for a ticket so they wouldn't have to go through the hassle of waiting 10 to 12 hours (in some cases) to download the free tickets.

3) What led to your station's recent ratings increase?

WCCC is the most unique rock station in the country. We don't do things the way any other rock station does things. We don't do music testing or callout research, and we don't have a consultant. At WCCC it's all about ears, gut and the listeners. If we hear a new song that would fit WCCC and we feel in our gut that it could be a hit, we add it to the playlist. Then it's up to our listeners. If they like it, we play it. If they like it a lot, we play it more. If they don't like it, we stop playing it. It's really that simple.

WCCC is an independent station with some of the most talented people in the industry. This starts at the top with owner Woody Tanger, VP/GM Boyd E. Arnold, VP Alan Tolz, PD Michael Picozzi and GSM Jay Schultz. We have a staff of jocks that we feel totally comfortable with for any interview that may come along, any remote that we need to do. These guys can handle anything. Most of them -- Don Steele, Slater, Holden Johnson, Craig the Pornstar, Stephen Wayne and Beef Stew -- have been with WCCC for nearly 10 years. We also have a weekend jock/production guy, Jay Raven, who worked in Boston and did mornings in Providence, RI. Major-market experience, yet he wants to work at WCCC because of what we offer.

Our promotions department can't be beat. either. Rex Emrick is our on-site guy who handles massive events like Ozzfest and Family Values, as well as smaller events like a WCCC "Hummer Hit" and everything in between. It's because of Rex's ability that I don't have to go to every single show. Now that is valuable! Jonny Promo takes care of all of our on-air contests and winners, which is no small task. There is nobody in the country quite like our Production Director Rich Conway. Rich gives WCCC a sound and attitude that is unmatched. I could go on and on because there are so many reasons why WCCC is successful, but the combination of a great staff and the fact that we are independent has been a big part of our success over the last 9 1/2 years.

4) Over the years, we've had the "British Invasion," disco, new wave, rap & hip-hop, "boy bands," and many other genres & subgenres of music take off. What do you think is the next emerging music trend?

I don't think anyone can predict the next emerging music trend. People will say they did after the fact, but I have never heard of anyone correctly predicting the next trend. We all have guesses, but the country will ultimately and collectively decide what will happen.

In my opinion, rock music has been pretty stale for a number of years now. That's not to say we don't have some very good artists and some very good songs. What I am saying is that the next Guns N Roses, Metallica, Nirvana or Janes Addiction hasn't surfaced in a long time. We need a revolution.

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

WCCC, like every other radio station, has made some changes to our programming due to the recent FCC regulations. I have been with WCCC for 19 years and there was a time when the phrase "bullshit" in Pink Floyd's "Money" was safe to broadcast. We didn't get complaints. Nobody seemed to be offended by it and, for the most part, it was accepted by our listeners. Today we cannot take the risk of airing the song as it was originally recorded.

Aside from the editing of the songs, we have stayed true to our style of broadcasting. We feel it is important to take the necessary precautions, but not change the sound of WCCC. I don't think the everyday listener hears a different radio station since the FCC regulations have impacted radio.

6) Favorite artist you have met?

I have been lucky enough to meet most of my favorite artists over the years, but I'd have to say my all-time favorite is Aerosmith. Aerosmith has been my favorite band since I was about 15, so to think that I'd get to meet them blew me away. The fist time I went backstage at one of their shows was in 1988 on the Permanent Vacation Tour. We were waiting in a room backstage at the New Haven Coliseum and I was very nervous. What do you say to your favorite band? There is nothing cool to say that they haven't already heard. Would they be dicks? I heard so many stories about bands that were not very cool in person, but I was willing to take the risk.

Finally the band walks into the room. My first impression was that they seemed so much smaller that I thought. Yes, Tyler and Hamilton are tall but the rest of the guys are short -- just like me. To see them standing in front of me and talking like normal people was very surreal. I had only seen them on stage at that point, so to see them so close was kinda weird. They couldn't have been nicer to me and all the people there that night. I have been to several Aerosmith meet-&-greets since then and they have been the best at every one of them. America's greatest rock band.

7) What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you at a remote?

This isn't something that happened at a remote, but it is radio related. I had a comedy club sponsor a feature I was airing. In an attempt to find a different way to promote the club, I decided to call them posing as a comedian by the name of Shecky Slatts, and asked if I could get an audition. During the call I would tell very bad "knock-knock" jokes and just harass them. Needless to say, they didn't want anything to do with Shecky Slatts.

At the end of the week I went to the comedy club to see the show. In between two of the comedians the host for the night began introducing a "surprise" guest comedian. "This guy is here direct from Las Vegas. Please welcome Shecky Slatts!" They put a spotlight on me and the host was gesturing for me to come up onstage. I was in total shock. I tried looking around as if I didn't know who they were talking about, but it was no use. They were waiting until I came up on the stage.

So I hit the stage and the host didn't reveal the joke. He decided to just leave me up there to fend for myself. Well, I had nothing to say. My mind was totally blank. What seemed like 30 minutes later the host came up and explained what had happened and I returned to my seat. I have since stopped telling "knock-knock" jokes.

8) How is the relationship between programmer and record label changing? For better or worse?

It has been my experience that the relationship between programmer and record label hasn't changed that much. There is a lot of extra paperwork with all the letters we have to write today, but the actual relationship stays the same for me. Maybe we don't actually speak as often as we once did. The phone conversations have gone down and the e-mail correspondence has gone way up. It is amazing to me that I have done some big negotiations with people I have never met -- and some I've never even spoken with on the phone. That is a shame because it's the face-to-face and the one-on-one conversations that really build the foundation of the best relationships. The problem is that there is less and less time available for face-to-face meetings.

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

It doesn't cost anything to listen to WCCC. You can listen to us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and keep your money in your pocket. We play requests for our listeners. We give our listeners tickets to shows happening in our state. We are here for our listeners around the clock and our entire air staff is from Connecticut. We are the listeners. Instead of "terrestrial radio" and "satellite radio," the labels should be more exact - such as "Free Radio" and "Pay Radio."

10) How often do you do remotes, and which ones work best for the station?

WCCC is on the street all the time. We do concert broadcasts, bar remotes, baseball game remotes, etc. I would have to say our concert broadcasts work best for the station. We incorporate clients into the broadcast and we are truly in our element at a concert. We consider what we do at concerts to be the "show before the show."