10 Questions with ... James "Doubledown" Howard

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

• WJRR/Orlando 2002
• WRAK/Albany, GA
• WBZY/Atlanta
• WXTB/Tampa

1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?

Technically, my first full-time job in radio was in sales. I sold for 740 "The Team," Orlando's Sports Leader. It was a great experience for me because I know what our 98ROCK closers go through on a given day, how tough it is fighting for the money, both in out and of the building. I also learned how not to treat my team members ... my GSM at the time was a great seller but a terrible manager, leading to a mass exodus of talented AEs.

2) What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?

Flamenco Dancer -- I like to snap my fingers. No, I would be a working on a brand management career, marketing Breakfast Hot Pockets to Third World countries.

3) What makes your station or market unique? How does this compare to other markets or stations you have worked at?

98ROCK turned 20 years old this year and we seem to be getting better with age. The Tampa Bay area has grown tremendously over the last two decades and our audience kept us with them just about the whole time. WJRR also has tremendous heritage and that was a great training ground to learn how to meet long term listener expectations.

4) Where do you see the industry and yourself five years from now?

The industry will be struggling to figure out the best combinations of delivery systems for our audio brands. Some cars will begin to role off the line with their own wireless systems by then, and as usual ... we will be playing catch up.

Someone who is reading this will realize that they desperately need my services and we will be tipping back an ice cold beer, looking back on the last five years.

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

Record labels and WXTB are similar to two planets rotating at different speeds. Labels have plenty of new product that they're responsible for getting in the ears of their target markets. However, they move it to us so quickly we can't keep up while still building the base spins a new song needs to become a library hit. For the most part, we have the same objective, just at different speeds.

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

98ROCKFEST, our annual radio show. Now I'm not saying it to blow bubbles out of our hindquarters, but we had an amazing lineup this year. Alice In Chains were just incredible, with one of the thickest live sounds I've ever experienced at a show. And Limp Bizkit played for the first time in the U.S. since they got back together at our show, leaving our crowd exhausted and wanting more. When they go back on the road again, go see them.

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

98ROCK does an auction and pay for play weekend every December to raise funds for the Children's Home of Tampa Bay. They help kids who have been battered, abused and frankly lived in some of the worst conditions imaginable. We've raised over a million dollars for the Children's Home over the years, making it extremely rewarding to see kids who are saved from those conditions.

8) How do you position the station musically and why did you choose this direction?

Great rock, period. We don't hold to the constraints of just New Rock, Classic Rock, Grunge Rock ... and it's just great rock. 98ROCK owns a large lane in the marketplace because of this philosophy. You could look at our station from afar and say we are trying to be something for everyone, which could lead to being nothing for no one. It just turns out that a fan of rock, it's exactly that, whether it's Jimi Hendrix or Rise Against. If it's great, they want it.

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

We've been at the top of the market Persons 25-54 (which is crazy for an Active Rocker) for the last six months and we attribute it to executing the basics extremely well. It hasn't been a crazy promotion, or giving away money ... it's the whole package of the station. Playing the right songs has been a big part, but it's the amazing team we have assembled here, focusing at all hours of the day to be great. I'm sure you agree, we are only as good as the people around us. We've had PPM for a year now and it's shown that 98ROCK is a powerful entertainment vehicle for much of Tampa Bay.

10) What were some of your best performing time slots and demos this book and to what do you attribute your success there?

Middays is just huge for us because we mix the best rock songs ever, with a powerful personality like Big Rig ... who has been a part of the station here for nearly ALL 20 years of it's existence! He's incredible and provides our audience relevant reasons to keep coming back. Our afternoon show has just taken off in a huge way, coupling the rock our audience loves with a ridiculous irreverence that's hard to describe. Jesse Kage and Lauren O'Neil really put the focus of a major league pitcher into every break they do, and they rarely miss the plate.

How do you market your radio station?

We market every way possible. Digitally is frankly the best way for us to get our brand noticed right now. I am a fan of the Old School guerilla tactics of marketing. Something as simple as yard signs in the right locations, hitting our potential listeners in their car at key moments can work wonders. We utilize bounce-back messages on flyers at shows too, recycling thousands of potential listeners to our station at specific times to win something that is important to them, like an autographed guitar from the artist they just spent good money to see.

Besides your own, what is your favorite radio format?

Sports Talk. It's an engaging experience to listen to Sports Talk because the audience and hosts are so passionate about the subject matter. We have a great sports property in our building, WDAE-A, and it's what I listen to when I'm not cranking 98ROCK. Sports stories are a man's soap opera, bringing the back stories of the games we dig come to life.

Tell us what music we would find on your car or home CD player (or turntable) right now and what is it you enjoy about that particular selection?

Paper Tongues - If you haven't checked out their album, it may be one of the best I've heard in years. They don't fit one sound and yet their music doesn't sound like they are forcing an original one, they are just original. Paper Tongues also played 98ROCKFEST and they will be a special artist for many of our stations moving forward.

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

I actually think it's pretty strong. We have big bands releasing good new music like Ozzy, Disturbed, Alice In Chains, Godsmack, and Slipknot. Then we have some newbies with a lot of promise like American Bang. The active rock format is quite healthy because BANDS are developed, not just songs. This isn't happening as much as it used to, but you can see all that hard label work pay off when you look at WXTB's playlist: Big Band, Big Band, Big Band ... they didn't come from nowhere, they were grown.

What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?

Meeting expectations is a not just a professional constant, but personal as well. When our audience listens to 98ROCK, they are going to receive what they want and what they expect. This doesn't mean that we can't take chances but in a given quarter-hour ... we better sound like 98ROCK or they are going to change the station.