10 Questions with ... Erin Bristol

NAME:Erin Bristol POSITION:PD/MD/Afternoon Drive STATION:KRUF MARKET:Shreveport, LA OWNER:GAP Broadcasting

Please outline your radio career so far:

KRUF/Shreveport, LA PD/MD/Afternoon drive (Top 40)
WWDG/Syracuse PD Middays (Active Rock)
WWHT/Syracuse PD Middays (Top 40)
WMT-FM/Cedar Rapids, IA PD/MD Afternoons (Hot AC)
WVMX/Cincinnati APD/MD/Fill in (Hot AC)
WKFS/Cincinnati Production Dir. (Top 40)
KRUF/Shreveport, LA MD Middays (Top 40)
KLKL/Shreveport, LA Morning drive (Oldies)
KDKS/Shreveport, LA Promotions Asst. and Fill-in (Urban)

Plus I'm a voicetracking and voiceover fool!

1) How would you describe your first radio gig?

Wow, it was pretty bad. Sharon Flournoy hired me on the spot at Urban KDKS. I think she later came to regret that. I can't remember who didn't come in one day, but they threw me in the studio for middays. There was music on cart, DAT, CDs, every possible media ... and I was LOST! The receptionist had to come in and ask if I needed some help ... Oh yeah, I was totally crying!

2) What led you to a career in radio?

Honestly? I was originally aiming for a degree in Physical Therapy ... but the math was kicking my butt. Actually, laziness was kicking my butt. There in the Kappa Sig house, one of the guys said, "Hey, what about Telecommunications? There's, like, no math." I changed my major the next day!

3) How would you describe the radio landscape in your market?

Shreveport is a heavily Urban-dominated market, which really affects the sound of KRUF. We're very slow on Rhythmic titles because if you're looking for that music, there's at least three other stations that specialize in that sound. It's definitely a balancing act.

4) What artist would we be surprised to find on your iPod?

I have everything from Jeremy Camp and Meat Beat Manifesto to Hollywood Undead and Stereo Fuse. Looks a little weird when you're looking at it on paper, but I rock out!

5) Could you give us a little insight into your on-air staff?

The KRUF air staff is one of the hardest working, diverse teams I've ever been a part of. We have everything from home-grown Stifler to Shawn Dion, who's worked in NYC, Atlanta, Detroit, etc. ... They're stretched pretty thin right now. For example, Stu, our midday personality, is also the production director and engineer for all six stations in our market, but still manages to walk into the studio every day and be fun, interesting and topical.

6) What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid?

Fun Radio Tux 99 with Shotgun Ken Shepherd ... Funny because now we're good friends.

7) Do you have a favorite hobby outside of radio?

I ride horses ... Hunters to be precise ... Not nearly as well as Claire Parr, but we do just fine and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than therapy. Plus, the horses don't whine like your jocks.

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

Make friends with your engineer. Your station will always sound better than the competition. If you tick 'em off, you can play the best music, have the best jocks and the most prizes, but no one is going to hear you.

9) What is the current state of the radio 'talent pool'?

There are a ton of talented people out there right now just dying to get into a studio ... and I would love to have them on my team. Unfortunately, the economy doesn't allow for that right now.

10) What would you like to do to save radio from its "dying-industry" image?

Radio is dying? I guess I didn't get that memo. In Shreveport, we're still kicking and happy to walk in the building each day. In less than five hours we raised over $16K for a local fireman who was hurt while on duty during Mardi Gras. That's just one promotional instance. Our stopsets are full and our clients are seeing results using our full menu of products and services.

For someone vacationing in your market, what one thing would you say they "must see"?

Hmmm, you've got to sample the local cuisine; after all, this is Louisiana! Between our festivals, our outdoor activities and sports ... and who can forget our five casinos and race track, it's hard to choose.