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10 Questions with ... Jason Goodman
September 13, 2022
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1. How would you describe your first radio gig?
I was supposed to train to be a board op for my first time in studio. However, due to miscommunication, I was actually scheduled to be on air live on a Saturday night. I had no idea what I was doing but I did my best. Ever since that night, I continued to be on the air thanks to Don London from Entercom/Norfolk.
2. What led you to a career in radio?
I was running a nightclub/college bar while I was in school at ODU studying Criminal Justice. Ironically college kids weren’t enough to support the bar and we needed more customers. I convinced the owners to invest money in radio for marketing. We hired the radio station, WNVZ, to do a weekly club night. We had huge results from the advertising. We eventually ended up getting ranked as a top 100 college bar in the country according to Playboy magazine. The on air DJ that came for the club nights mentioned to me that he thought I had the potential to be on air. So he got me in! His name was Troy Shannon
3. You’re closing in on 18 years with 18 years (and more to come) for Dick Broadcasting in Greensboro. Congrats! What do you love about the company and culture there?
Thanks to COO Dick Harlow and Owner Allen Dick, we usually do not have to jump through a bunch of hoops or wait for permission to get things done like a promotion or stunt. I like that we strive to program each radio station on a local level as much as we can. Our company invests in personality radio that is engaging and memorable on some kind of emotional level. We have a wonderful team in each of our markets that are hungry to win, and have huge passion for radio.
4. You’ve been a part of the Jared & Katie morning show for 10 years now. What’s that part of your life like and how does the morning show set the table for the rest of the station’s broadcast day?
Well it certainly has its pros and cons. At times it can be difficult being a lightning rod type of personality in the morning and then 30 minutes later I am a conference room with our cooperate leaders discussing things in a much more professional manner. I do not think there are too many VP’s that are also on a personality driven morning show. Our company understands that it is two separate jobs.
5. What did you learn about yourself as a programmer and personality navigating the pandemic?
The ability to adjust and adapt quickly. Our live morning shows did whatever it took to still be in studio with the in studio dynamic throughout the entire pandemic. Even when we had some Covid setbacks, we did what we could with equipment that we had to still be on live. We continued to have topical, relevant and entertaining content during the entire pandemic just like we did before.
6. As the company’s VP/Programming, you obviously have a lot of plates in the air. What kind of advice would you share with someone about to step into that kind of role?
You have to have extreme passion for the business. Realize that not everything goes the way you want it to, but you must remain resilient to get to the end goal. Never get complacent! Go above and beyond to get the best possible content on the air by any means and tools that you may have to take advantage of. Keep pushing for what you believe in and get ready to put out a lot of fires!
7. Tis the season—what was the ‘Song of Summer 2022’?
I would say Harry Styles “As It Was”. He is probably the biggest solo pop star at this time and he is everywhere. Including now a significant acting career and is scheduled playing 15 sold outs shows at Madison Square Garden.
8. What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
No matter what your job or job title is, be the best you can at it. I remember when I was working at a pharmacy making minimum wage years ago. I made sure I was a star employee at that pharmacy. I wanted it to be the best pharmacy in the area. I have always been competitive in any industry and will always be. People will notice your passion and you will get to bigger things if you keep working to be the best. If my passion runs out for something, then I will know it over.
9. What was your favorite station(s) to listen to when you were a kid? Jock(s)?
When I was a little kid I would listen to WPRO-FM in Rhode Island. That’s where I grew up. I would record the songs on cassettes when they came on. I loved listening to the music countdowns at night back then. I also loved to listen to Wolfman Jack as a kid when my parents had him on. He had an amazing energy and unique voice that I will never forget. To this day, I love ‘50s music thanks to my parents! However, I never knew that I wanted or would be in radio until after college.
10. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
I would say Don London taught me a tremendous amount, especially when it came to music and listening habits. He is a very successful programmer and I wanted to emulate him. Shortly after that, Steve McKay also showed me another style. I also retained a ton from working with with Stan Main and Randy Lane (talent coaches) for years. Throughout the years I have learned that things that are supposed to work sometimes don’t and things that aren’t supposed to work sometimes do. To this day I am always learning.
Bonus Questions
With the Greensboro Coliseum at your disposal and an unlimited budget, which 6 acts would you pull together for a station listener bash?
I would do a legendary listener bash made up of older and current legends that involved different genres of music. How about Harry Styles, Elton John, Justin Bieber, Luke Combs, Jay Z and Britney Spears?
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