-
10 Questions with ... Corey Moran
June 5, 2012
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
After interning at WWYL/Binghamton, NY I started part-time at Clear Channel/Rochester, NY doing the weekend overnight shift/board opping/programming duties for the cluster. Eventually I got my first real shot to be on air at then-CBS Radio Top 40 WPXY/Rochester, NY. A few months after graduating college I landed full-time nights at WKKF/Albany, NY. I was there for almost three years, picking up APD duties along the way before getting hit with cutbacks. I was on the beach for about five months before I got picked up to do full-time nights at WVHT/Norfolk. After almost two years holding down the night slot, I shifted to my current position in morning drive in October.
1) You joined Hot 100.5 for nights before moving to mornings. How'd the transition go?
I was surprised at how easy the transition was. I had spent five-plus years of my life getting up at 11a every day, so I assumed getting up at 4a would be incredibly difficult. So far it hasn't been too bad. Naps are definitely key, though! I try and sneak in an hour to an hour-and-a-half every day if I can. As far as show-wise, I've expanded a little from what I did at night, but I'm running a solo hybrid morning show, so the change hasn't been too dramatic. The coolest change, in my opinion, is how the audience reacts to you when you're in mornings. At night, people are out at random times running errands or going out, but in the mornings you're part of their daily routine. They flip you on EVERY day. I feel like it's a lot easier to connect with them.
2) How did your show prep routine change?
When I did nights I would prep as soon as I got up and then switch my focus to my other duties. Now, doing mornings, I prep at night and lay down a plan, which I completely toss out the window when I prep again before my show. I still get my prep from the same sources for the most part, but doing mornings I focus a little more on celebrity news than I did doing nights.
3) What advice would you give to other night hosts who aspire to move to mornings?
I was very lucky to be given a lot of creative freedom that I'm sure a lot of night jocks, especially in the PPM world, don't get. But, even if you're only able to do those seven-second speed breaks, make sure you inject as much of your personality into them as you can. I feel like it's very easy to fall into the trap of just doing song intros or reading liners. But, if you ever want to take the next step in your career, you've got to be able to really connect with people.
4) How would you describe your first radio gig?
My very first part-time gig was babysitting a cluster of seven stations on Friday and Saturday nights from 10p-8a. Just what every college junior wants to do, right!? While all my friends were out at parties or the bars, I was sitting alone pressing a button once an hour and watching movies on my laptop to stay awake. Did it suck? Sure it did. Was it kind of scary? Being the only person in the entire facility while having "Coast to Coast AM" on in the background WAS kind of terrifying. But I understood that to get where you want to go, you've got to pay your dues. No one starts at the top of the mountain.
5) What led you to a career in radio?
I fell into it. It's as easy as that. I went to college for journalism and joined the school's station, WBSU, as a way to do something out of my comfort zone and to make some friends. If you told me back then this would be my career path, I probably would have laughed in your face. But once I started, despite being incredibly nervous (and horrible at it), I fell in love with it. I also made some of the best friends of my life who I'm still in contact with today.
6) What are you doing social media-wise?
Social media is SO important in today's radio landscape. In the PPM world you don't get a whole lot of talk time to get your personality out there, so social media is an additional outlet to accomplish that while also promoting your show and your brand. I just hit the 5K friend max on Facebook a little while ago and I'm currently pushing hard to build my Twitter base. Each morning I live-tweet my show. If I'm talking about a topic or I get a funny caller, I share it there. In a perfect world, someone would see the tweet and think, "I need to flip on the radio or turn on the live stream and see what's going on," but even if you just make them laugh, you're still building that bond.
7) What is your favorite part of the job?
It's fun. How many people can say that they really look forward to getting up in the morning to go to work? Every day is new and exciting and filled with new challenges. No show is ever the same, and that's exciting to me.
8) What's the coolest promotion you've been involved with recently?
For Mardi Gras, myself and two other on-air talents went with a listener and her guest to New Orleans. Talk about an insane time. It was really cool to share that experience with them. We even filmed our trip and rolled out several videos after we got back into town. Mardi Gras is definitely one of those things you NEED to have on your bucket list.
9) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?
I've been a fan of Kane ever since I was in Rochester lining up his voicetracks as a part-timer at WKGS. The way he's able to get his personality out there over the airwaves and connect with people always amazed me, and still does to this day. I'm excited that we recently picked up his syndicated weekend show, Club Kane, to air on Sunday nights on our station.
10) Do you have a favorite hobby outside of radio?
I do tie my hobby into radio, but I guess technically it's still outside of it. While I was on the beach for five months I took the advice of my friend Grooves and put my severance money to good use by buying my first DJ set-up. I hosted in clubs for years and was always intrigued by it and finally had the time to put in the hours to practice. I now DJ all over Hampton Roads, including at my station club nights. I also put together a weekly mix that airs Fridays at 5p on the station.
Bonus Questions
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
In high school I was very interested in psychology, but ended up going to college for journalism. When I entered into college my freshman year, I was hoping to one day work for a newspaper or magazine. Luckily, the radio station at SUNY Brockport, WBSU, piqued my interest and sucked me into this crazy industry.
-
-