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10 Questions with ... Kasper aka Adam Kasper
July 23, 2013
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
- WHOT/Youngstown -- intern, board op, weekends, overnights, AMD
- WBZZ/Pittsburgh - weekends/swing
- WRTS/Erie - APD/MD/nights
- WXLK/Roanoke - MD/afternoons
- WAKS/Cleveland - MD/nights
- WIOQ/Philadelphia - afternoons
- WAKS/Cleveland - APD/MD/afternoons
- WRVQ/Richmond - APD/MD/afternoons
Also currently heard via voicetracking: WNOH/Norfolk, WKDD/Akron, KHKS/Dallas
And previously heard via voicetracking: KISS-XM 21/11, KKRZ/Portland, WAKZ/Youngstown, WDCG/Raleigh, WFMF/Baton Rouge, WHYI/Miami, WKKF/Albany, WKSC/Chicago, WKST/Pittsburgh, WQEN/Birmingham, WZKF/Louisville.
1) How would you describe your first radio gig?
It was a BLAST. When I was 17, I got my foot in the door with an internship at WHOT (Hot 101) in my hometown of Youngstown, OH, which led to running the board for pretty much anything and everything. Indians, Pirates and Cavs games, high school basketball games, even an all-Spanish show called "Voices Latina." (I had no idea what they were saying; they'd have to point to me when it was time to go to a stopset. Should've paid more attention in Spanish class, oops.) Right after I graduated high school, I finally got my first shot on-air doing weekend overnights. I learned so much at 'HOT and was lucky to have some great mentors like Tom Pappas and Jonny Hartwell. Even got to work alongside my best buddy and fellow native Y-towner, Jagger.
2) What led you to a career in radio?
My grandpa had a lot to do with it. Music was his hobby. He had thousands of records and all kinds of stereo equipment. When I was a little kid, he'd let me play around with all of it whenever I was over. I'd basically mimic what I would hear on the radio (between my older sister and my parents, a radio was always on somewhere!) So it was "bedroom" radio with actual equipment and lots and lots of old Elvis on vinyl.
3) What makes your station unique?
Q94 is the longest running Top 40 in the country, and still going strong! Crazy to think that basically every hit song in the modern era has played here.
4) Are you wearing more "hats" than you have in the past?
Absolutely! When you take the day-to-day duties of the elevated APD role here at 'RVQ and combine that with the afternoon show and outside market voicetracking, there's a lot to be done. Honestly, I love having a hand in everything -- programming, promotions, on-air, digital, etc.
5) What are you doing social media-wise?
I'm pretty much a social media addict, especially Twitter. How did we even function before social media? What is this "talk on the phone" thing you speak of?
6) What music do you listen to when you're not working?
Everything! My iPod is crazy. Everything from 2Pac to Richard Marx to Machine Gun Kelly to Lil' Suzy to Depeche Mode to Eagles to Daft Punk to (you get the idea).
7) What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?
I'm a huge comic book geek. I loved Avengers, Spidey, Iron Man, X-Men, etc. when it wasn't cool to love the Avengers, Spidey, Iron Man, X-Men, etc.
8) What were some of your favorite stations to listen to when you were a kid?
Growing up right in between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, it was all about Power 108/Cleveland, B94/Pittsburgh, Hot 101 & Z96/Youngstown and Mix Jamz 100.7/Pittsburgh. We also did family vacations in Ocean City, Maryland every summer, so WAVA, Q107, B104 and 100KHI all had a big impact on me as a kid as well.
9) Do you have a favorite activity outside of radio?
Chasing after my 2½ year old (she'll be 3 tomorrow) and 11-month old daughters of course!
10) What advice you would give people new to the business?
Be persistent and patient. Also learn how to do everything. Yes, it's good to have a dream position and work towards that goal, but in this day and age of ultra-multitasking, the more you know how to do, the more valuable and better off you'll be. Also, network like crazy! 99.9% of radio people are on social networks. Reach out and introduce yourself.
Bonus Questions
What was your last non-industry job?
Bagging groceries at Finast supermarket back in high school. Paper or plastic?
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