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10 Questions with ... Mark Kaye
April 9, 2013
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
The only company that matters is the one I am currently partnered with. I'm the morning show host at COX Media Group's 95.1 WAPE! Whoop!
1) How has the competitive situation in your market changed since we last spoke?
The competition is still pretty slim. We have been able to keep our defensive position while watching all of the other teams change their players and strategies repeatedly. Heritage syndicated programs have fallen to music-intensive formats, which have been replaced with other syndicated shows. There are a handful of local shows, but none that have been able to effectively compete.
2) You've been up against morning competition beamed in from out-of-market for awhile now. Beyond the obvious local angle, what's the key to staying on top?
We have a solid time-tested plan and we focus on executing it perfectly. It's working!
3) What are some of the key bits you're rollin' in the A-M?
We do a segment called "Blown Off," which is VERY effective. Other than that, our content is comprised of demographic-specific talk topics and debates that feature massive listener interaction both on-air and online.
4) Are you wearing more "hats" than you have in the past?
Cox recently purchased two TV stations in the market. The Fox affiliate that we now own has a local morning show. My weekly "Hot Talk" segment is now a daily segment. So, in addition to producing the radio content and web content from 5:30-10a, I am now responsible for TV content as well. It's truly awesome.
5) What is your favorite part of the job?
I love my social media. I get to Facebook for a living. And with "Likes" and "comments" I receive real-time feedback. Some days I spend 30 minutes writing witty captions for memes. Then I send them out in the world and watch the "ROFLMAOs" and "SHAREs." Sometimes the big-wigs from corporate give me company-wide props ... for creatively photo-shopping a picture of Lance Armstrong? I'll take it!
6) What is the most challenging part of the job?
Fewer and fewer people call the radio station to contribute opinions. They prefer to comment on Facebook and Twitter. It's getting tougher and tougher to harvest quality phone calls quickly. There have been topics that get 200 comments on Facebook in 15 minutes, but only seven people call about ... and only three of those are usable. The "call-in" part of the show is becoming more and more difficult to execute as the "social media" part becomes more effective.
7) What artist would we be surprised to find on your iPod?
You would be most surprised to find nothing on my iPod. I have no music on my iPod. I don't listen to music outside of work. I listen to Talk Radio and I watch YouTube videos. (The inspirational and instructional ones, not the "Harlem Shake" ones.)
8) What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?
My ultimate goal in life is to be a professional speaker. I really love radio and TV, but I love, love, LOVE speaking on stage. It's really where I shine and it's, in my humble opinion, what I'm best at. Hosting live events and speaking to groups is a passion of mine that I just don't get a chance to do enough of. By the way, if anyone can help me get some speaking appearances I offer a finder's fee. E-mail me! :)
9) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?
Neal Boortz recently retired and it was a serious loss for radio. You don't realize how great somebody is until they are gone. That guy made talking for four hours a day look easy. He was effortless and a joy to listen to. I would love to have his gig one day, and if I performed those duties half as well I would consider myself to be a success!
10) Do you have a favorite hobby outside of radio?
Internet marketing is my only other passion. In fact, as radio becomes more and more digital, I find my hobby becoming more and more useful! The skills I learn online, promoting products and videos, and my social media platforms have helped make me a leader in my company when it comes to digital marketing. I am in the process of building an "Internet Marketing" blog specifically designed to help people drive traffic to their web properties. It's called "The Kaye List" and it should launch sometime in late April.
Bonus Questions
Which character on a current TV series most reflects your personality?
Phil Dunphy from "Modern Family." This was reaffirmed last week when my son had to bring in something for Show and Tell that started with a "U." Naturally, I let him borrow my ukulele. He was the only one in his class to bring one in. Duh! I mean, who else besides me and Phil Dunphy would have a ukulele lying around?
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