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10 Questions with ... Tim Clarke
November 20, 2007
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NAME:Tim ClarkePOSITION:Programming AssistantSTATION:WBLI 106.1 BLIMARKET:Nassau-SuffolkOWNER:Cox Radio
1) How would you describe your first radio gig?
This is it! I started as an intern here in the Fall of '05 when I was a senior in high school. On my second day in the building, Jeremy put me on the air at 2am; I missed school the next day, and he got an angry phone call from my dad. From there, I started doing late nights and eventually weekends/fill. During vacations and days off, I'd come in and help the production department. Once I graduated, I spent every second I was conscious in this building. Al Levine eventually started teaching me Selector; I started going to music meetings, and was doing anything that Jeremy and Gabrielle would let me (i.e.'carting up' songs, merging the logs, etc.). The rest is history!
2) How would you describe the radio landscape in your market?
They just installed this awesome fountain in the front of our building; I throw pennies in it on my way in every morning. (Heyyoooo! zing!...its 27 after the hour!) Uh, anyway, Long Island is a unique market. It's the "best of both worlds" really - we have Long Island stations (BLI, BAB, WALK, WMJC, etc) and New York stations (Z, PLJ, FRESH, etc). I think it's awesome. It gives stations like us a "home field advantage" against our competition from the city; we can focus on being a Long Island station while they have to split their focus over a larger area.
3) What is your favorite part of the job?
I love music ... couldn't live without it! Almost everything I do here revolves around the music. I love doing production and being on-air, but programming is where my heart is. I aspire to be a program director (and maybe Top 40 Format coordinator *COUGH*). I'm a big Selector geek, too; one time I tried to design a "go green" paper log format that used less paper. That was fun; I had a headache for three days after and I think I killed more trees than I saved doing test prints ... but it was fun!
4) What artist would we be surprised to find on your iPod?
Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana). I LOVE HER. I'm a big '80s music geek, too. Taco, Martika or Firehouse, anybody?
5) What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?
I'm 19 --- and Asian!!
6) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?
JoJo Wright on KIIS-FM in L.A. Before I got to BLI and started to develop my own style, I would listen to JoJo on the web stream and imitate him in my fake airchecks. He has a different style from most Top 40 jocks. He's not 'loud' -- very casual and personal - yet still has great energy and passion.
7) Do you have a favorite hobby outside of radio?
In high school, I was in drama club, doing sound engineering and set design for all the plays and musicals. I got really into that, so I try to stay involved with some theater stuff at my high school and in the community. I also love hanging out in the city -- going to see shows, etc.
8) What is it about our industry that keeps you wanting to do it for a living?
This industry is so fast-paced and always changing. As programmers, personalities, etc, we're going to have different challenges a week from now than we do today. It's awesome! In a way, it forces you to reinvent yourself and your product constantly. The PPM change is one that we're going through right now and it's a great example of this.
9) What advice you would give people new to the business?
I'm still pretty new to this business, so I'm sort of experiencing it first-hand. The most important thing (and the thing that worked for me) is to get in somewhere and surround yourself with good people. Being aggressive and energetic is very important; you have to SHOW people that you want to be here and you want to do this. People like Al Levine and Jeremy LOVE to bring up new talent; you just have to find who those people are going to be for you. Then, once you're in, take on EVERYTHING that you can. There's always something new to learn or do in this industry. Being able to do a variety of different things is so important.
10) What is the current state of the radio 'talent pool'?
There are so many people with the potential to do great things, but so few opportunities because computers and automation are unfortunately being depended on to do those jobs.
Bonus Questions
For someone vacationing in your market, what one thing would you say they "must-see"?
Now, I've never seen it, but apparently there's a big duck in Flanders. It's 20 feet tall and 30 feet long or something like that. Also, make sure to drive down "Sweet Hollow Road" in Mellville, which is apparently a haunted road. All this stuff is on Google somewhere if you don't believe me. I swear.
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