10 Questions with ... Dave Arwood

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Radio has always fascinated me! As a child, I dreamed of being a radio announcer someday. Well, here I am “living the dream” and loving what I do. I have been with WCGQ and this local group of stations for more than 20 years. I am the afternoon radio announcer on Q107.3 and evening announcer on Kissin’ 99.3. In addition, I am Operations Manager for PMB Broadcasting. I am very passionate about seeing radio work for both listeners and advertisers. I also love my community dearly. I enjoy meeting listeners at events, and getting to know people. I serve on several boards of directors throughout the community as well, including Harris County Chamber Of Commerce, Girls Inc., and East Alabama Chamber Of Commerce. Also, my lovely wife (Tonya) and I own The DJ Company. So, when I am not on the radio, you might catch me entertaining at an event!  I am always turned on, up, and enjoying what I do! If I can ever be of assistance to you in any way, feel free to contact me, darwood@pmbradio.com. Thanks for listening and I hope you get a smile from it… Stay safe and always be kind! 

1. Is the staff back in the building at this point, or is there still some sort of combination of protocols in place?

Our staff is all back in the building for the most part. We continue to use safety precautions such as using hand sanitizer and wiping equipment down with disinfectant after each use. We’ve also installed clear safety panels in our control rooms for interview purposes. They work great!

2. What did you learn about yourself as a programmer navigating through the pandemic?

I don’t think any of us were prepared for a pandemic.  The best practice I found was to continue doing what we do. I learned how important a local radio station is to its community. Our local businesses, especially restaurants, needed our help to let folks know they were open for business. We immediately jumped in to assist with as many as possible. We also began airing hourly COVID updates. Listener’s habits obviously changed with more time spent listening for ‘what’s going on’ info, and our community relied on its local announcers to provide much needed information to help them navigate through the pandemic.

3. How important is it to you as a programmer to still crack the mic every day during your afternoon show?

Extremely important! Listeners relate to their favorite local announcers, and they need to hear them daily. Listeners like hearing listeners! I like to have listener phone calls on air as much as possible. Traffic, weather, contests, community events, and info on their favorite artists is always important to get out to the listener daily. Cracking the mic every day is a must!

4. You’re also the OM for the PMB Broadcasting cluster in Columbus, doing afternoons on Top 40 Q107.3 and nights on sister Country Kissin’ 99.3.  How are you able to delegate your time to make it all happen?

I start each day with a list of things that have to be done, and the order in which they need to be completed. Then it begins! I make it my goal to complete those tasks daily, and in a timely manner. There are quite a few full plates spinning over here, but thanks to having a great team of folks to work with, we are able to get everything done and make sure we are taking care of both our listeners and clients. We got this!

5. What social media platforms are working best for you and the staff these days??

We use them all! Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the ones we use most. We do a lot of Facebook live videos, and some contesting with social media as well.

6. “Local local local” has always been radio’s mantra. How were you able keep your station visible and involved in the community? 

How’s it looking these days for live events and station appearances?  Local is where it’s at!!!!! All of my team members and I are constantly in the public at various events. We have vans on site and are usually involved with most of the events as emcees, board members, DJ’s, customers, etc. We are starting to see events come back and it is very exciting! We are looking forward to them and will have our stations right smack dab in the middle!

7. How would you describe your first radio gig?

Wow! I worked for John “Smilin’ Jack” Smollon at WJHO in Opelika, AL when I was in high school. It’s where radio got in my blood. I used to board-op for the Larry King Show overnights. I would get to play one hour of music from 4a-5a and thought that was the biggest hour on radio! For me, it was!

8. What led you to a career in radio? 

As a child, my dad would wake the house up each morning playing our local station (WJHO) very loudly. I would try to imitate the radio announcers I heard. I would sit and play records in my room and try talking as if I was an announcer, while changing from record to record. I think of those days almost daily. My dream was to be a radio announcer. 

9. What was your favorite station(s) to listen to when you were a kid? Jock(s)?

I grew up listening to WJHO in Opelika, AL, and WCGQ in Columbus, GA.. I used to listen to Smilin’ Jack, Woody Ross, Joel Grantham, Speck Wright, Bear O’Brian, Al Haynes, Alan Dupriest, and many others from the East Alabama/West Georgia area.

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

Jack Smollon gave me my first opportunity, and I am eternally grateful for that. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the best consultants in the business like Mike McVay, Rusty Walker, JJ Jobe, Alan Burns, Charlie Cook, and Mike O’Malley. Along the way, I have had many mentors including Jim “Jimbo” Martin, who has without a doubt, believed in me the most. Jimbo is a great radio man and a true leader! He has made sure that my team, and I, are equipped with the best knowledge and tools to do radio the way it is supposed to be done! That’s what we do! We have the BEST broadcasting team in the world, right here at PMB Broadcasting in Columbus, GA. Proud to be a part of it! 

You’ve got an unlimited budget, which 3-5 acts would you pull together for a Post-COVID Welcome Back station show?

Too easy: Bruno, Bieber, Ariana, Stapleton, and The Weeknd!