10 Questions with ... Andrew Lowe

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

SOCIAL:
Twitter: @drewonq92
Facebook: @drewonq92
Snapchat: @drewonq92

We'll have to go way back ... the year was 2011 and I was a student at The Ohio Center for Broadcasting, We had just lost Nate Dogg, Charlie Sheen was losing his mind and a bunch of kids with Liberal Arts Degrees were having a get together on Wall Street. I started as an intern at iHeartMedia/Cleveland for The Mike Trivisonno Show on WTAM 1100. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. No disrespect to Triv, but AM talk radio just wasn't for me. I was lucky enough to get in on The Alan Cox show on WMMS, interned there for three months and did such a fantastic job that I was rewarded with a weekend board-op position. I thought that was a reward at the time. It gave me plenty of time to watch Netflix and learn by listening to the talented DJ's at iHeart. I would constantly bother my PD at the time, Bo Mathews, with fake airchecks I would make on the weekend, and he and Java Joel Murphy helped me tremendously with my on-air voice. To make a long story just a bit longer, five years later I saw an opening at Q92 WDJQ in my hometown of Canton, OH. I jumped at the opportunity. This was the third time I had seen this position open. I got no response on my first two attempts, but I sent another fake aircheck anyway and was lucky enough to get the night position that I currently hold.

1) How would you describe your first radio gig?

It's amazing! I always thought I would have to move to another state and get a job in a tiny town I've never heard of. But having the opportunity to be on a station I grew up listening to in my own "tiny town" is great.

2) What led you to a career in radio?

I have almost zero real-world talents. But I have the uncanny ability to make up really dumb games like "Game of Bones," where you have to guess if this famous celebrity has boned John Mayer.

3) What is your favorite part of the job?

Wearing shorts to work every day. It's a dream come true.

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

Not being a total a-hole to kids who call the station. I hate kids. I can't believe I was ever one of them.

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

Night DJ.

6) What makes your station unique? How would you compare it to other stations you've worked at?

Coming from the soulless slimy underbelly of Corporate Radio into a local family-owned station, the biggest change and also what makes us unique is having a full live air staff. I'm amazed and very grateful that we have a night spot. Even on the weekends, we have somebody in the studio.

7) What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?

I'm a firm believer that Bigfoot is out there. At first glance I seem like a rational, intelligent person

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

I've seen really talented people leave because they could make more money cleaning toilets. So I would say if you can stick it out long enough and don't mind working two or three jobs for some years, eventually something will open up for you.

9) What artist would we be surprised to find on your personal playlist?

Lorde. I could listen to her Pure Heroin album all day.

10) Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?

The two people who helped me the most with my voice would definitely Bo Mathews and "Java" Joel Murphy. Bo taught me to drop the DJ voice and wasn't worried about telling me that I sucked, and Java is just a super-talented guy who I learned a lot from just by constantly being around to the point of annoyance. Alan Cox of The Alan Cox Show on 100.7 WMMS has influenced me a lot, too. I didn't grow up thinking I would be doing this, but as I listened to him I thought, "Wow, if this guy can make it, surely I can." One thing I learned from him that I try to do with some success is spinning bad calls into something that can be funny without being overtly condescending. Casual condescension is the key, and dick jokes always play.

What's the biggest gaffe you've made on air?

Basically, my first month here. I screwed something up every day. The most embarrassing was taking calls off the air with my mic on. I even broadcast a listener's personal info, name, address, birthday, e-mail and phone number over the air because I had the phone pot up like a dumbass. I really contemplated just leaving that night and going back to iHeart and begging for a job in promotions and we could just act like I was never here.