-
10 Questions with ... Logan
June 17, 2014
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Intern/fill-in/weekends at 93.1 WNOU when it was still at Emmis in Indianapolis.
From there it was nights to afternoons to mornings/PD at WXXB here in Lafayette for a total of 9 years now.
1) Are you wearing more "hats" than you have in the past?
Who isn't these days? I'm really lucky that I work at a place that lets me be creative in a bunch of different areas. I'm even in a great position where I can dabble in every male's radio passion ... Sports. About five years ago, there was an opening at our ESPN AM for play-by-play and I soon realized that thanks to years of playing video games (thanks, Joe Montana's Sports Talk Football), I was pretty good at it. It's somewhere between a passion and a hobby, which has let me call several games at Lucas Oil Stadium! How many top-tier guys can say they called a game in the same booth they've called a Super Bowl? Embrace those new hats, people, you never know what you'll discover about yourself.
2) "Local local local" has always been radio's mantra. How do you keep your station visible and involved in the community?
How can you ask a community to embrace you and your brand if you don't put something back into your community? Last year we were a part of 22 community events (which ticked me off 'cause it was two shy of two a month). That may not be a ton to folks in a bigger city, but when you think about our market size -- plus the fact that no one does anything from January thru March -- that's pretty good. Lucky for us, we have an amazing community that loves to give back and support a wide range of causes.
3) What is the most challenging part of the job?
I just got married and bought my first home in the last year. Sometimes, we get so geeked working on something in the studio and at work that we forget about life balance. It's hard to unplug. Even when I'm out at dinner, I still find myself typing an idea into my notes or posting to the station's social media. So for me, finding that balance where you can put the time you want into both work and personal life can be the hardest. You need to have both.
4) What's the coolest promotion you've been involved with recently?
We do these shopping sprees ($500 in shoes, $500 in clothes, $1,000 on whatever you want) in the spring time. The cool thing is if you win, myself and Joe, my midday guy, take you out shopping. We drive ... we carry bags ... we get you different sizes. In the past, we've had car dealers be sponsors and they've been nice enough to lend us new cars to drive around the winners. It's great because we get to interact with listeners; we know they'll spend the money on themselves and not bills, plus we get great video and pics out of the deal. It's a lot of fun.
5) What artist would we be surprised to find on your iPod?
I'm pretty well-rounded, but I do have a lot of Lana Del Rey. Is that weird for a guy like me?
6) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?
Well, I was born in Pittsburgh, so I tend to pop into those stations a little more then I should. That town has an amazing energy fueled by its sports teams. And no one embodies that energy like Mikey and Big Bob. Yeah, they can get a little off-the-wall silly sometimes, but everything they do, from bits to social media, down to the McDonald's tag at the top of the hour is really fun. Really respect those guys.
7) What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid?
WRZX in Indianapolis. For a teenage male in the late '90s that was a fantastic station. Nigel, (who I got to work with later at WNOU and who is the reason I got into radio) and Adam Ritz would tag-team an hour or so between their two shifts in the late afternoon and those were just some of the funniest bits I have ever heard in radio. I still bug Nigel about those bits from time to time and he'll be surprised I even remember that stuff. But that goes to show you the power we have with listeners sometimes.
8) What is it about our industry that keeps you wanting to do it for a living?
We can make a real difference! And I'm not talking about caller 10 in tears because you gave her tickets to the sold-out One Direction show so she can take her daughter now. I mean you can help out a 5k that might have made $2,000 without your and help it grow to $10,000 in two years. You can inform people and direct them to help in the aftermath of natural disasters/zombie outbreaks. You can help capture iconic moments in your community's history and make it so memorable that when a person tells the story to their grandkids, they'll say "I remember hearing on the radio..." Or you can make people spit coffee out of their nose laughing on their drive in to work, too.
9) What advice you would give people new to the business?
Besides work hard and be humble? Look at your social media. Look at what you post. Be honest. Like John Taffer walking into the bar honest. Is what you post really helping you? Is your Instagram loaded with pics of you drunk every weekend? Your social media should be an instant look into your life for someone who has never met you. What does yours say about you? I'm beyond amazed at what young people will post.
10) What is the current state of the radio 'talent pool?"
I don't know -- and that's for two reasons. One, I'm lucky enough to not have to hire someone in the last five years. And two, because I need to network better with my fellow talent. Twitter followers does not a network make. We should be interacting more with each other, sharing ideas and airchecks directly, and not getting the same feedback from the same people. We can't be scared to ask to be radio buddies, and we don't have to solely network for job prospects. I need Tinder but for radio people that want to share thoughts or want to ask questions.
Bonus Questions
Which character on a current TV series most reflects your personality?
Honey Boo Boo. I'm whimsical, charming, eat poorly and have a bit of a belly. Don't judge me; that little girl is the realest person I've ever seen.
-
-