10 Questions with ... Dave Adams

NAME:Dave Adams POSITION:Program Director STATION:WBNQ MARKET:Bloomington, IL COMPANY:Regent Communications

Please outline your radio career so far:

1989 - August 05 Peon
Sept 2005 - present PD
Started as a board-op in 1989 and have done almost every shift, nights, middays, afternoons. Worked a bunch of formats, including Rock, Alternative, CHR, in different departments ranging from Sales, NTR, Promotions, at several stations: WSUE, WYSS, WGRD, WHZZ, WBNQ.

1 How would you describe your first radio gig?

Probably the worst "radio" I've ever been involved with but also the most fun I've ever had in the business. I can't say we broke all the rules because I don't think we even knew rules existed, but man it wuz good times.

2 What led you to a career in radio?

The money ... definitely the money.

3 What Movie or TV program best describes your life?

Elmo in Grouch Land

4 How's it feel as you settle into your first PD gig?

I felt a bit naked at first. And not in a good naked with Angelina Jolie way, but more like a bad naked in front of the class way. As APD you do all the stuff the PD does, but you've got that nice layer of protection. Not anymore! Otherwise, though, it's been a very cool experience. I've got a great staff and sales team and they've really helped make the adjustment easy.

5 Prior to Bloomington, you were in Lansing MI. How do the two markets differ?

There are actually quite a few similarities between Bloomington and Lansing. Both have a large student population and are within two hours of a major metropolitan area. Both are home to major automobile manufacturers, however employment in both cities is predominantly in the white collar sector. Also, in both cities I've had the luxury of not having a direct format competitor.

The permanent population in Bloomington is a bit younger than Lansing, but also a bit more conservative. The radio vibe here is really cool, though. When I first arrived, everyone I talked with told me how much they loved WBNQ and had a personal story to tell about the station or one of the jocks. The station is so completely intertwined in the fabric here. The past and present staff has done an amazing job of building relationships within the community.

6. What were your thoughts upon learning that WHZZ had gone "Mike-FM"?

I was actually driving back to Bloomington from Michigan when I got a call from my afternoon jock telling me that my PD had just been fired. An hour later, one of my part-timers called and told me that the afternoon jock had been fired too. Then I got another call, and another. Everyone was asking me what was going on and what they should do.

So, here I am driving down the highway into the sunset in the middle of a corn field on the way to my new beginning and I'm getting all these cries for help from the place I'm leaving behind. Talk about imagery. It was a very surreal experience. I felt terrible that my friends and former co-workers were reaching out to me and I wasn't able to help them and at the same time I had this incredible sense of relief that I had escaped their fate.

As far as the change, I wasn't completely surprised. Even though Z was doing well, our owner had an Adult Hits station in Saginaw that was having a lot of success. There were some rumblings before I left that a couple of other stations in the market were looking to go in the Adult Hits direction and I think Mac (the owner) wanted to have that brand in Lansing, so he made a pre-emptive move.

7 What music do you listen to when you're not working?

When I'm not working, I'm sleeping (ahh ... the life of a new PD). When I have time, I listen to everything! I'm a music junkie.

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

If you're genuinely concerned with helping others succeed, then success will find you as well.

9 Please describe the best or worst promotion you've ever been part of?

A contest we did a year or two ago at another station. The contestant who was the fastest at chugged a 1-liter bottle of Pepsi would win the Grand Prize. I have never seen so many people puke at the same time!! We did come up with a new slogan for Pepsi though. "So good you want to taste it twice!" I don't think they found it as funny as we did.

10 We've all got that one special song that's in our DNA. It stops us in our tracks and causes us to crank it up and block out the world. What's yours?

Dave Matthews Band, "Lie In Our Graves" pretty much sums it all up for me.

Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ________.

COFFEE (and All Access)!! Do I get bonus points for that?