10 Questions with ... Lynn Hernandez

1) Please outline your career thus far?

Started radio at WLFC (University of Findlay). My first full-time gig was at KROX/Austin in the mid-'90s. Then I worked at Star System, voicetracking many stations across the country with Don Cristi as OM. Then moved to KDGE/Dallas with Ayo and Duane Doherty. My first week there was 9/11 week. Had a great time in Dallas at KDGE, KZPS and KEGL. Then ended up here on KMOD five years ago.

2) What were your early influences?

WIOT/Toledo and WTUE/Dayton. Jeff & Mark the Dawnbusters on 'IOT were hilarious. On 'TUE I remember hearing The B-Man, John Beaulio and Marshall Philips and how cool I thought they were.

3) What led you to a career in radio?

I was a marketing major at Univ. of Findlay. I wanted to be a marketing rep for Marathon Oil Company because in Findlay, anyone working for Marathon lived on the nice side of the tracks. While in Psych 101, the guy sitting next to me was wearing a Rush concert shirt. He was at the same concert I was the night before. We hadn't talked all semester, but because we were both Rush Heads we became best friends. He was a DJ at the college station and got me into it; I became Sports Director, News Director then General Manager before graduating in 1992.

4) What has been the station's biggest accomplishment?

Just staying alive for 35 years is a big accomplishment for any station; not many Rock stations in the country can say that and have never changed format. KMOD may have moved a bit within the Rock genre, but it's always been positioned as a Rock station. KMOD never flipped to Oldies or La Preciosa, then came back to Rock. It's not only been a Rock station for 35 years, but still gets top-3 ratings every book.

5) Please describe the best or worst promotion you've ever been part of?

I will tell you something KMOD does well that I've not seen done anywhere ... and that's have all on-air qualifiers show up at a Happy Hour to win the grand prize. We will have a sounder and get caller #5 like a lot of other stations. But we also tell the qualifiers they have to attend a Happy Hour along with all the other qualifiers to win the grand prize. For a new Harley or concert-tickets-for-a-year, our qualifiers are happy to come hang with us at a bar. The appearance is sold, so the station makes money ... and the bar client is very happy to have 200 beer drinkers show up and spend money. And we don't just have everyone fill out a reg card and then draw a name at the end. That's boring and lame. Our PD always comes up with a very interactive/funny way to give away the prize so our winners have fun no matter what. The client loves it and it's great for KMOD staff (AEs, admin support ... everyone comes out for these events because they are so much fun) to interact with listeners.

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

I am always eager to help out a local charity called Cancer Sucks. The founder is more of a biker/tattoo'd kind of guy than a stuffy suit who sits on a board somewhere in some other part of the country. Rick Horton is the founder of Cancer Sucks. He started is because his mother passed away from cancer. His fundraisers consist of poker runs and car/bike shows, which is right up our alley, so it's a great fit for KMOD. Plus, my brother Roy passed away from cancer a year ago so as you can imagine I know first hand how horrible this disease is and hope a cure is found soon. Please go to www.cancersucks.com and do what you can.

7) How do you keep tabs on the competition? When your competition attacks you on the air, how do you react?

We don't care what they say about us. And no, we don't retaliate. It's just sad; the so-called "Alternative" station is playing The Doors, AC/DC and Metallica. I know Metallica has been played on Alternative stations for the past five years, but I just don't agree with the strategy.

8) If you are voicetracking shifts or syndicating for stations outside of your market, how do you get familiar with that marketplace/community?

I was fortunate to be one of the first voicetrackers with Don Cristi at Star System in Austin. We had an awesome group of jocks who were innovative and used the Internet extensively. Any station I voicetracked within a few hundred miles, I tried to make a market visit during a big station event or concert in town. As soon as Paul Kriegler hired me to voicetrack The Buzz in Atlanta, I booked a flight to come to town for the big Linkin Park/Hoobastank show at CNN Center. I made it a point to hit the club districts and do as much sightseeing as possible. And I took notes and pictures of myself hanging out in Buckhead and other places to put on the website. When I voicetracked Mother 96-1 in Colorado Springs, I visited there a couple times. I would even call some of the bars we hung out at while I was there and would put the hot waitresses on the air for bits after I left town.

9) As an air talent, how has industry consolidation helped or hurt you? What effect has industry consolidation had on the way you program your station?

I was fortunate to be in Austin as Star System was developing voicetracking. I was one of those jocks who replaced lots of live bodies. I never took it for granted. I knew there were good, hard-working people losing their gigs, so I tried my best every day to sound timely and local on my stations. I also communicated with my PDs as much as possible to make sure they were happy with the product they were getting from me. And now as technology often does, Premium Choice is a new way to import talent so it's now hard to find a voicetracking gig.

10) Favorite artist you have met?

Bret Michaels. Also I'm surprised Jared Leto had such a bad rep. I've interviewed him twice and .he was cool! George Thorogood, on the other hand, a douchebag.