10 Questions with ... Robbie Mack

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

• WHOT/Cumulus-Youngstown (2003-2004) - Intern/board-op/anything I could
• WKDD/Akron (2004-2007) - weekends/overnights/traffic reporter/fill-in
• WDJQ/Canton (2007-2014) - overnights/imaging/nights/afternoons/APD (not all at once)
• WJFX/Fort Wayne (2014-Present) - Brand Manager/imaging/afternoons
• WWFW/Fort Wayne (2014-Present) - Brand Manager/imaging/fill-ins

Additional Email: robmichaels81@yahoo.com

1) What led you to a career in radio?

So many people have some sort of epiphany or a-ha moment where they know ... and I've never been able to pinpoint mine. I know it dates all the way back to elementary school. My grandparents once told me a few years ago that when I was very little, I had some fascination with towers and always wanted them to drive me by radio/TV towers. I definitely don't remember that, but it only seems fitting that ... here I am!

2) How would you describe the radio landscape in your market?

Fort Wayne is a good radio market. All three of the group owners here are basically local. We are as 'corporate' as this market gets and we're only in four markets. There are plenty of talented people in town. For Hot107.9, the station has evolved over time. Initially (18 years ago), we were Urban ... eventually segueing to Rhythmic and finally to Mainstream Top 40 for the last five years. My goal has been to broaden the station's demos even further. 18-34 is a given for any decent Top 40, but we've grown tremendously with women 18-49 and 25-54 the last few books. I won't give you specific rankers or shares as we are the only subscriber to Nielsen, but they are impressive. I'm just one piece of the puzzle, though. Credit goes to the air staff for the great job they do every day!

3) What are your favorite show prep sources?

Life. That's my favorite and the best. There are 400,000 websites for stories to talk about. Every radio station in America gets The Complete Sheet. And they do a fine job. But living life and being yourself is what your audience relates to most.

4) What is the most challenging part of the job?

"I wish there were more hours in the day" would accurately describe it. As we in radio continue to wear more hats, we continue to spread ourselves thinner. I bet there are plenty of PDs who feel the same as I do ... we wish we had more time to focus on ____, or work on ____, but that's the reality we have to deal with. You have to delegate and prioritize.

5) What's the coolest promotion you've been involved with recently?

Concerts are my absolute favorite. Yes, it is stressful and exhausting putting together the holiday and summer shows. The day of the event, it is 10 times more so. But to walk out on stage with the air staff to an auditorium full of people who are on their feet and screaming for the half-dozen artists and show that you put together is the most-rewarding feeling ... to know that you brought something together to give those people an experience they will never forget.

6) What's the coolest promotion you've ever been involved with?

I wouldn't call it a promotion per-se, but when I was at WDJQ (Q92) and Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, our then-PD John Stewart reached out to all of the competing radio stations in the market to have us come together, broadcast live from the Pro Football Hall Of Fame for a day, and jointly use our airwaves to collect for the victims. Our goal was to fill a big U-Haul truck. I think John spent half the day trying to track down more trucks. The cars just kept coming. At the end of 13 hours, the listeners of four of the cities' biggest radio stations had filled five large trucks.

Honorable mention goes to WKDD's yearly "Have A Heart, Do Your Part" radiothon for Akron Children's Hospital. I was mostly in studio pushing buttons those weekends, but it was amazing to be a part of something that touched so many lives in the community.

7) If you could add one full-time position to your budget right now, what would it be?

Without a doubt, an Imaging Director ... someone in-house that could turn out topical, creative pieces daily. Imaging seems too often overlooked in radio. I whole-heartedly believe in the power of imaging and the lost art of "stationality." I know you asked for one, but I need two. I'd also love a dedicated social media director. Imagine the reach your brand could have if you constantly had someone interacting with the audience across all online platforms, posting fresh, original, unique content. There are a few that have this and they are great brands because of it.

8) What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid?

The two that influenced me the most, and that I listened to more than any other were WHOT (Hot 101) in Youngstown, OH and WKDD (then on 96.5) in Akron, OH. Both were at the top of their markets in the '90s, had incredible jocks, great imaging, fun promotions, were really connected to their communities. They were fittingly, the first two stations I worked at.

Honorable mention to WNCI/Columbus, which has been and still is one of my favorites.

9) What advice would you give people new to the business?

Network! Send your airchecks to PDs, to jocks who you look up to ... introduce yourself and welcome constructive criticism to improve yourself.

10) What would you like to do to save radio from its "dying-industry" image?

Do I believe it's dying? No. Do I believe there are fewer great stations now than there once were? Without a doubt. In some places, today's teens aren't as excited about radio as we were. It's not seen as 'cool.' Why is that? Could be because the personality and stationality has been stripped away ... syndicated and voicetracked stations with no touch or connection to their community ... poor social media presence ... all just some parts of the problem. It varies by market. We have a pretty passionate listener base here as we still strive to serve them with concerts and artist showcases (lounges), plus jocks who are accessible and encourage interaction. The brand itself does as well. There's something to be said when the night jock airs a call, reads a text, or snaps back a listener. You can still carry some clout, edge and 'coolness.' And now there are even more ways to achieve it. Some stations and companies get it ... others do not.

For someone vacationing in your market, what one thing would you say they "must see?"

As long as it's someone in radio, or a musician ... Sweetwater Sound, without a doubt. Founded here and one of the largest dealers of music and pro audio gear, their headquarters is a showplace with an amazing theatre, retail store, gear exchange, and all of their nearly 1,000 employees work here locally.