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10 Questions with ... Doubledown
June 6, 2006
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NAME:DoubledownTITLES:Program DirectorSTATIONS:WXTB, 98 RockMARKET:Tampa, FLCOMPANY:Clear ChannelBORN:In the 70'sRAISED:In Miami, FL
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
WJRR/Orlando, FL- On-Air (4-02 to 5-03)
WQTM/Orlando, FL- Sales (10-02 to 5-03)
WRAK/Albany, GA- PD/Mornings (6-03 to 5-05)
WBZY/Atlanta, GA- Overnights (5-05 to 5-06)
EA- Marc Chase-SVPP/Mike Wheeler-RVPP- (5-05 to 5-06)
WFBX/ Panama City- MD (11-05 to Now)
WXTB/ Tampa, FL- PD (Now)1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
My first gig was interning with the ever unpredictable Buckethead at WJRR in Orlando.
After getting bloody with B-Head for 3 months, Pat Lynch (who must have been paying more attention to his Stripper Thursday's Bit than my talent level), actually gave me a shot at being the part-time weekend/swing shift dude. I didn't curse on the air, so he let me do that for a year, and I am forever grateful. WJRR taught me that if radio is done correctly, you can turn "listeners" into "brethren"; building a true bond to a brand.
2) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now, what you didn't then, would you still do it?
No, because I was under the impression that if you played music on the radio, you could get free stuff like TV's. (Mr. Spitzer if you are reading this, I'm just kidding. You can lay down your arms)
Seriously, the best decision I have made in my life so far was leaving insurance sales behind and picking up a microphone. No matter how frustrated we get when a new sales dude is pitching a co-op vacuum cleaner/tile store "event," I always remember how great we have it. We have the chance to really move people with our music and our words; I'll never do anything else.
3) How have the recent FCC regulations impacted the way you program your music and the station's dialogue on the air?
What are your feelings about these recent changes?
WXTB and the FCC: Two groups of letters that have a storied and treacherous past. You may have read about some of the problems WXTB has had with the FCC in your All Access Updates.
The tighter FCC regulations have made us do one thing:
Get smarter.
Sure, we could gain some rating points with some old fashioned titillation, but it's cheap and easy and really doesn't mean anything to the people we talk to. As some extremely smart CC managers of mine have said, "We are not in that business" and they are right. The males we target at 98 Rock will always think with their bathing suit area, we know this, so we don't need to help them take their bathing suits off. They can do that on their own.
Oh, and I never thought I'd say poopie as much as I do now.
4) How do you feel terrestrial radio competes with the satellite radio and Internet these days?
Satellite: I'm not concerned with Satellite Radio and their competitive market share. They have a strong brand image going, but not enough people are willing to spend the time, effort, and cash to get their programming. Plus, there's nothing like listening to music and blowing up your speakers in blazing mono. When one or both of them go bankrupt, and they are consolidated, then that might make things more interesting.
Internet: Yes, the Internet is a competitor because it is yet another vehicle for our audience to be entertained, but we should be embracing it instead of competing against it. We all use it everyday; we learn, commune, and laugh with the content it provides to the point of obsession. With that being said, we haven't embraced it enough to compete with the likes of Google & Myspace. I am proud to say that 98 Rock has bought into the idea that we need to be all of our listener's homepage, and the only way to reach that goal is by providing them with relevant information and entertainment. I am just arriving to 98 Rock, so I can't take credit for WXTB's forward-thinking ... only the sick team of content providers who have taken the time everyday to make 98rock.com a real experience, not a place where you can find pictures of jocks in Hawaiian T-Shirts.
Cell Phones: Now these little bastards scare the crap out of me. Bad cell phones!!! Bad!!
5) Where do you see the industry and yourself five years from now?
The industry will be going strong in five years. I may be biased because I have worked with some of the smartest people in the industry over the past few, but visionary people are preaching change and I believe their innovative messages are getting through. It may not feel like the change is happening quick enough, but we don't feel the earth moving either and it does. We will need earth moving efforts from people like Marc Chase, Gene Romano, Leigh Jacobs, Joel Lind, the CC RVPP's, and countless others to remain relevant to our consumers in 5 years. I believe in them, and I believe in the people fighting the battles for them on the radio station level. Radio is not going anywhere; in fact, it will be going everywhere.
Oh, and I will personally be running a fleet of ice cream trucks in Buffalo, New York in 5 years.
6) What do you view as the most important issue facing radio today?
Listener Driven Content. We are still talking at them and not to them. We do research to find out what they want, and yet we still give them what WE want. "Look how cool our radio station is!!!" It should be "Look how cool you are!!"
7) Besides your own, what is your favorite radio format?
Sports Talk. Now this is a format that really understands who they are talking to. That is why so many young men are gravitating to it. The best sports talkers aren't pigeon holed to just sports, but they talk everything "guy": sex, gadgets, cars, humor, etc. Clear Channel's WDAE in Tampa is a great model of this, and I believe I have learned a lot about Rock Radio, from enjoying Sports Talk Radio.
8) If you could add any one full-time position to your budget with no questions asked, what would it be?
Internet Content Provider. This is the easiest tangible way for our 98 Rock Community to instantly reach out and experience our product in an interactive forum. Big Rig has been a leader in the radio industry with his amazing attention to providing content for 98rock.com, but he needs help. No one will need Google in Tampa when we put enough time, effort, and yes funds into 98rock.com. They'll be coming to us first.
9) What's the best concert you've been to so far this year and why?
Sevendust in Atlanta at The Tabernacle. Those guys put on an amazing performance and leave everything out on stage.
Boy Hits Car at The Masquerade was a close second. 105-3 The Buzz brought this unsigned band to ATL to play a month's worth of shows. I only got a chance to see one show, and it changed the way I thought I was supposed to experience a rock show.
10) What are your three favorite artists or songs of this year?
Tool- Vicarious (I can't wait until the tour, even though the last time I saw them, Maynard kept showing us a side shot of his moose knuckle.)
Buckcherry- Crazy Bitch (I usually don't like humor in rock songs, but it works here. I laugh every time I hear it. Plus, it reminds me of someone I once knew.)
30 Seconds To Mars- The Kill (This song is raw emotion. Jared and the boys leave an actual taste in your mouth after laying this track down. Great video too.)
Bonus Questions
You're stuck on a deserted island and you get to pick one artist to be stuck with you. Who would it be and don't limit it to our format?
Lenny Kravitz. What a cool dude?!! Plus, there are always hot chicks around him so I could snag the weak ones in his herd of followers.
What are music meetings like at your station?
Beer, pizza, beer, and an open mind. When there isn't beer involved, I like to go for a drive with my music director and experience the record like everyone else does ... on the go. No, we don't park and neck.
How did you get your present job?
Kissing ass (You were thinking it, so I said it). We'll see if Dan Diloreto & Brad Hardin lose their hair because of hiring me.
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