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10 Questions with ... Mike Miller
December 4, 2007
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NAME:Mike MillerPOSITION:APD/morningsSTATION:WHKFMARKET:Harrisburg, PAOWNER:Clear Channel
Please outline your radio career so far:
'99-'01 - WLAN (FM97)/Lancaster, PA (Intern with Pat Kain @ Night, then part-time Board Op/Promotions/On Air...I did it all.)
'01-'05 - WHKF (99.3 KISS FM)/Harrisburg, Pa - APD/imaging/nights (I came right out of high school and signed on KISS with Jason Barsky. Two-man team that shook up Harrisburg big-time!)
'05-Apr '07 - KKRZ (Z100)/Portland, Or - APD/nights, then PM Drive/imaging (Started as nights, then shifted to PM Drive while adding on imaging duties.)
Apr '07-Present - WHKF (99.3 KISS FM)/Harrisburg, PA - APD/mornings. (Came back to home town to take over mornings at KISS)
1) How would you describe your first radio gig?
Interesting. I started radio with Pat Kain and Toby Knapp at WLAN. Pat taught me everything about radio and I owe him all the credit. Then there was Toby ... do I need to explain? LOL! Both guys were amazing to watch and I would spend every available day/hour I had at the station to learn from these two guys. So interesting and lucky would best describe it.
2) What is your favorite part of the job?
When someone comes up to me and they remember something I did on air that made an impact on their life. If I pissed them off, made them cry, made them laugh, or even made them go talk to their friends about what I did ... that's the payoff! The fact that I have that kind of an effect on them is great and shows that what I am doing is working. I love it when people in our own building come to me and ask if what I did on air was real or fake. LOVE IT!
3) Could you give us a little insight into your on-air staff?
Let's see ...there's Emily who co-hosts the show with me; she is a freakin' natural for doing radio. This is her first gig and EVERYONE loves her on-air. She gets it! Then we have Silly Jilly doing middays ... and again she gets it. Very talented and unique (which is rare in this biz). PM Drive is our PD JT Bosch. Since he's my boss and will read this, he is a great guy! LOVES radio and LOVES the Red Sox. Finally we have OC, our new night guy. He is amazing on the mic. Natural, entertaining, funny and creative all describes this guy. He WILL go to a major market one day and do very well. Keep an eye/ear out for him!
4) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?
That's hard to say for just one person. When I started in radio, I spent hours looking at radio station websites and finding different jocks to connect to and network with... people, who seemed to have the same character as I did and would help me along the way. One of the best out there today is Billy The Kidd in Dallas. He has helped me out with airchecks, and he's an amazing person to talk to for ideas. There are so many others that I find naturally talented who have helped me out through my career, such as Kane, Brother Fred, Kasper, Dave Ryan ... and Tanner at KFLY in Eugene, OR. (That guy is talented!!!)
5) What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid?
LOOOOVED Q102/Philly (Brian Bridgman's days were hands-down the best!), KDWB, FLZ, Z100/Portland.
6) Do you have a favorite hobby outside of radio?
Nope, radio is my hobby.
7) What music do you listen to when you're not working?
I can't say "I love it all," because I don't. But I enjoy Top 40, R&B, Dance, Old School, and my favorite is Freestyle (Stevie B, Linear, Cover Girls, etc)
8) What is it about our industry that keeps you wanting to do it for a living?
I'm not sure. Maybe it's knowing that every day I go in having fun and leave having fun. Yes, there are days where it's stressful, but that's every job. We play music; we entertain; we have fun. You can't beat that.
9) What advice you would give people new to the business?
When you hear someone who's been in the business long enough to say to you "get out while you can, run, hide ...blah blah" ... don't listen. Those are the people who weren't ready for the change of radio and don't know how to recreate a new style. Things have changed, and when a challenge is thrown your way, or a new "rule of radio" comes your way, you need to step it up. A challenge should make you motivated to want to create something new, not piss you off and make you want to quit because you don't agree with it.
10) What is the current state of the radio "talent pool"?
I think it's seen better days/years. Some people have been "turned off" by the way radio has gone. Some don't like it, don't try hard enough, or don't hang in there long enough.
Bonus Questions
Name the artist/act (living or dead) you'd love to meet and why?
Christina Aguilera. Would've liked to have met her a couple days before she met her current husband. Have you seen that guy? ANY radio guy would've had a chance.
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