10 Questions with ... Jesse James

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I did mornings at Z104/Madison, went to nights in Milwaukee at WMIL, my show ended up on a few stations in Wisconsin and eventually I moved to mornings at CBS/Denver. When CBS sold us, I went to do mornings at Cox/San Antonio until I came here to the FM area, where my wife is from.

1) What led you to a career in radio?

I was DJ'ing in clubs in Madison, WI and a radio jock came in for an appearance. We became friends and I fell in love with radio!

2) How would you describe your first radio gig?

A dream come true!

3) All the format bases seem to be well-covered in the Fargo-Moorhead market. What's the landscape like and where do you folks fit in?

We researched where there was a hole, and we saw that a fun station, with a big morning show had a ton of potential! There's a lot of competition here for a small market and this company really believes in talent and giving you the tools to dominate! I work closely with Jeff Johnson, SVP at Alan Burns. We built this station, from square one and came out of our first book #1, we've been on top for over fiveyears!

4) In addition to programming the station, you also co-host the morning show. What's the dynamic like with your co-host Amanda, and how does that set the tone for the rest on the station's on-air day?

We're a big, fun show that also does a ton of stuff in our community. Amanda was one of our interns in Denver, she's from this area, and Pike was here when I got here almost six years ago. Having that local angle really helped! We're the 2.0 version of "the dick, the dork, and the dear!" After the morning show we're very music intensive and streamlined! Quick breaks, great content and forward moving!

5) Are you wearing more "hats" than you have in the past?

As we all are, yes! Doing the morning show, programming the station, I also write and image the station. We all contribute more on a daily basis! I have a great MD/afternoon show host, Alek On The Radio, who also does a tracked morning show, music and programs one of our translators. We have a small, but great staff and it really shows in the sound of BIG 98.7!

6) Social media has become a mandatory way of life for broadcasters; what do you do to make sure that BIG 98.7 stands out in that arena?

We do more in our market than anyone. We really utilize the connection we have with listeners and our morning show/station. Our benchmarks and big events are all live, and we make it very interactive. In addition to a great prepped show, everyone is expected to keep social media buzzin' during their show!

7) "Local local local" has always been radio's mantra. How do you keep your station visible and involved in the community?

We do everything from emceeing Wiener Dog Races to fashion shows for charity to broadcasting at a little girl's lemonade stand! You can find us at the local football games Friday nights, and the Bison tailgates on Saturdays! We hear great feedback from listeners in focus groups about our work in the community and we've been fortunate enough to win a few community service awards as well. We also have a great promo team that really busts their butts!

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

Wow! Just one? Okay then, it's a tie between Bill Gamble, Keith Abrams and Kerry Wolfe! Actually everyone I've worked with and for has! I've gotten to learn from some of the best and some of the rest.

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

Another full-time air staff member who can do promotions and do remotes and hates not working on the weekends!

10) What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?

Funny wins, hard work pays off and there are no shortcuts. Go the extra mile.

For someone vacationing or visiting Fargo, what one thing would you say they "must see?"

Summer, the lakes area for sure! Incredible! Winter? Anywhere inside!