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10 Questions with ... Joe Bevilacqua
September 27, 2005
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NAME:Joe BevilacquaTITLE:Director or FM ProgrammingSTATIONS:KBPI KTCL, KBCO, Mega 95.7, KRFXMARKET:Denver, COCOMPANY:Clear ChannelBORN:Youngstown, OHRAISED:Youngstown, OH
Please outline your radio career so far: (station/date, station/date, etc.)
On-Air, WHOT Youngstown Ohio Top 40 88-90
On-Air & CSD WONE, WAKR Akron, Ohio 90-93
PD, WDZR Z-Rock Detroit, MI 93-95
Operations Manager/PD WWBR Detroit MI 95-98
PD/Regional VP Programming, Boston Region WHJY PD Providence RI 98-03
Operations Manager WWDC DC 101 Washington, DC 03-05
Director Of FM Programming Clear Channel Denver1. What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
WHOT Youngstown, the station I grew up listening too. Early influences were the AOR jocks who worked at its FM sister station, The Wizard. WSRD's Thomas John and Jerry Starr. Also Jimmy & Steve at WDVE Pittsburgh, and Jeff Kinzbach and Kid Leo at WMMS Cleveland. My PD/MD influences are JD, who's with Radio One now, and Harve Alan who's with Mark Ramsey in Minneapolis.
2. What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment, which made you realize "this is it"?
I had aspirations to be a songwriter and left my first year of a college to go to Nashville. Crystal Gayle demo'd a song I wrote, stopped in the middle of it and said the lyrics were juvenile. I went back home with my tail between my legs, finished college, and got into radio.
3. If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now, what you didn't then, would you still do it?
Yes I would, all day. You never do the same thing two days in a row. It's not a job, it's an adventure. I'm having as much fun as I did when I started.
4. What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?
I think I would've gone into producing or publishing in the music industry.
5. Where do you see the industry and yourself five years from now?
I think radio is going more into a "show" driven medium with more concentration on personality radio. Working with talent is my favorite part of being in Programming. In five years, the Clear Channel Stock I've been purchasing since 98 will be worth 10x what I paid for it. My full time job will be at Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara where you can see the hottest 2-piece lounge act in the U.S. -- Bevilacqua/Kojan, appearing in the lounge Thurs.-Sunday.
6. How is the relationship between programmer and record label changing? For better or worse?
Overall it's worse. The communication has improved over the past but our goals (ratings goals) often fly in the face of what the goals for the record labels are.
7. What is the biggest change that you'd like to see happen in the business?
A ratings system that was more accurate and adopted by the advertisers
8. Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff?
Elliot Segal is no longer on my staff, so I'll go with Elliot In The Morning on DC 101. Prediction: One of the major talents in radio syndication by 2010.
9. Besides your own, what is your favorite radio format?
Vegas Radio! Sinatra is my favorite artist Also love Deano, Tony Bennet, I love every song.
10. What is the best advice you would give to young programmers/promotion people?
Learn everybody's job. Find out what they have to go through in a day. Don't take everything so seriously. Everyone in radio is competitive, type A, a little crazy ... so are you, so have some fun. It's still not real work! My grandfather built sidewalks. That's real work.
Bonus Questions
What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you at a remote?
Three Harpo's stories in a row! Harpo's is an old theatre with a very narrow and steep stair entrance to the stage. I intro'd Ace Frehley's Comet. Ace was on the side by the stairs and may have been drinking. I didn't see him there and pushed him down the stairs when he was coming up. With his guitar and everything. Boom! His band had already started playing. It took about a half hour for them to get Ace back on his feet. Whoops!
What was the biggest gaffe you've made on air? (dead air ... forget a mic was still on ... etc.)
First shift on the air in Detroit was a live broadcast from Harpo's, which is a monster metal club. The stage announcement was a live break, but I didn't know that. The band, by the way, was The Genitorturers The first thing I said was, "How many of you maniacs are here to get fucked up tonight." But it was after 10!!!
Name the artist/act (living or dead) you'd love to meet and why?
Frank Sinatra ... He'd seen it all and lived it all.
In your opinion, what is the greatest song ever that never made it as a hit?
Oh, we PD's have a million of these. Porcupine Tree's "Blackest Eyes," for one. Going way back, though, "Fahrenheit's "Fool In Love." Circa mid 80s. If you remember that song, email me.
What was the first song or full-length release you purchased?
I bought "Sweet Talkin Woman" from ELO. It was on purple vinyl. I still remember that.
Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without:
Getting an e-mail piece count on one of Robbie Lloyd's bands! (Love ya Robbie)
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