10 Questions with ... Buster Satterfield

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

• WTWR/Toledo -- weekends
• WRCL/Flint -- nights
• KSXE/Fresno -- nights/music/prod/janitor
• WKQI/Detroit -- weekends
• Present: WXRK/New York - 92.3 Now, late-nights

1) How would you describe your first radio gig?

I was an intern at 'DRQ in Detroit on its LAST days. The day it flipped I was working a remote at The Palace when Pistons playoff tickets went on sale. We had a few NBA peeps; we're out there BBQ'n and the station cuts out on the speaker system ... 'THE ALL NEW 93-POINT-1 DOUG FM." "Dancing Queen" by Abba was the first song played, and I moved my internship to 'KQI a couple weeks later.

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

Some spots are beautiful and those stations run the show. You can tell by listening that everyone's on the same page, the staff cares, the synergy is on point ... and there are other stations that I feel should take better advantage of their spot on the dial in market #1, but all of that comes out in the numbers, I guess.

3) What makes your station unique? How would you compare it to other stations you've worked at?

Well, I've been fortunate enough to have worked at a lot of stations that have followed the crazy-ass Clifton mindset. So they've all shared a lot of the same mentality, but I'd say what separates 92.3 NOW is the fact that it's in N.Y., so everything is on a MUCH bigger scale and spotlight than other stations I've worked at prior to here.

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

We're all NUTS!

Let's start with mornings. Nick Cannon's in the building! It's cool to hear someone like him progressively open his life on the air. Plus him and Shakin' Jake (rollin' producer) make a good combo.

Then there's Lisa Paige, an incredible personality and she sounds AWESOME in middays, appealing to everything my GF is talking about.

Tic-Tak ... lol ... Tic-Tak is the man. He invented a LOT of what every night guy ripped off for years. Now picture him going crazy in N.Y.... he's SO funny.

Chunky is the night guy here (in Detroit they still know him as Big Boy on Amp). He's been able to master the craft of making nights sound bigger than life, while still playing the "PPM Game." He's also got a Guy on the Couch who hangs around the studio just to remind Chunky to change his bib.

Then there's me ... I host the Late-Night show until 3a. I'm sure you can imagine the phoners in that midnight-to3a window. (My biggest stalker is a tranny.) Our weekends are pretty tight, too. Lil C, Slim, Vibegrrl, Ryder, & Mr. Couch. (We should hire Snooki to host Saturdays.) All led by Dom Theodore and Rob Wagman, which is one hell of a duo.

5) Who is your favorite air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?

Beau "The Jammer." As far as Top 40 jocks go, he's the best there is. I grew up listening to him and he's like wine! Sounding better and better every year.

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

WRIF The Riiffffff for Arthur P... "BBBABY!!!"

WYCD Young Country for Dr. Don. (I hated Country music and still do, but Dr. Don had an awesome afternoon show in the '90s, POST his Power Pig days and it was filthy and excellent.)

WJLB for the Battle of the Beats.

WHYT for the EVERYTHING (early '90s was what I remember; my aunt used to BUMP 96.3 in her Grand Am... and then Clifton made it "The Planet".)

'DRQ for the Slammin 7 @ 7:47, but I think Tic-Tak just ripped that off from Beau, LOL.

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

I've always stuck to my guns and said it's what's between the records that separates an entertaining station from a style of station that is just driven by the music with no personality.

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

LOL, see the previous answer. We need to stop trying to "BE" the iPod with artist info and web-site plugs. We need to just be what we are: an intimate medium that has the ability to provoke emotion. You can't get the entertainment between the records from your iPod. Now if we can just stop the listeners from getting on their phone in the car. Ha ha...

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

It's WEAK! There's nobody out there doing anything DIFFERENT. Every aircheck I've heard in the past few years has been the same tape over and over and over again. But that's only because newbies think that's what they have to do to be on the air. The only reason they think that is because that's what they hear on the air. The only reason they hear that on the air is because the corporate side of that station told their staff to sound like that because that's the way all of the other stations sound. IT'S A CYCLE! Hopefully, jocks in America will one day stop puking and setting the bad example. :)

10) What advice would you give new people to the business?

Don't waste your money on broadcasting school. If you're going to school, spend that time and money on something useful. You can learn everything you need to know about Broadcasting 101 from one good internship.

Do: Find what you excel at quickly and DO THAT!

What ringtone do you have on your cell?

"Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood ;)