10 Questions with ... Nathan Fast

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

• WCKZ/Fort Wayne, IN - Chief Van Washer
• WBYR/Fort Wayne, IN - Weekends
• KLUC/Las Vegas, NV -Weekends / Overnights
• KSAS/Boise, ID - Nights

1) How would you describe your first radio gig?

During the summer of 2005, I drove 40 miles each way to intern with the Summit City Radio Group in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Despite my parents thinking I had a few loose screws ("So, they're not PAYING you to do this?") and getting absolutely zero college credit (I was studying finance to get a "real" job), I'm proud to say I perfected my van-washing skills and first cracked the mic doing fill-in news reports as "Zack the Z Intern" on Doc West's morning show.

2) What led you to a career in radio?

I was that kid who sat by the radio every night and meticulously kept track of the nine o'clock countdown in hopes of winning a six-pack of Coca Cola and a fabulous station t-shirt. After graduating college, I spent two years making the big bucks as a financial analyst in Las Vegas before realizing that life's too short to hate what you do. I quit that gig and haven't looked back since.

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

97.3 WMEE in Fort Wayne, IN...I will forever have their request line number burned into my memory.

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

In addition to his responsibilities as PD, Keke Luv does mornings from 6-10. Miggy Santos has been a big name in Boise for quite some time and just came on board to handle mid-days from 10-2. After three years of killer numbers, Lucky tha DJ recently made the transition from nights to afternoons, and I just came on board at KSAS to take over nights.

5) Looking back, which years hold the best musical memories for you and who were your favorite acts at that time?

My high school years... My top 5 would be Live, Gin Blossoms, Stone Temple Pilots, Hootie & the Blowfish, and the Foo Fighters.

6) What is it about our industry that keeps you wanting to do it for a living?

I love the fact that we have the ability to touch people's lives in so many ways. Chet Buchanan's toy drive was the tipping point for me. It made me wonder...would I rather continue to sit in the basement of a casino and do meaningless reports all day, or would I rather interact with my listeners and have a positive impact on their lives? It's a no-brainer... oh yeah, and it's fun.

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

The only thing I have on my iPod right now are airchecks of other jocks. Not even kidding.

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

When I'm back home, I love listening to the TNT Morning Show (Turner Watson and Parker Thomas) on THE BEAR (WBYR). They really know their stuff. And by "stuff," I mean booze and video games.

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

Never utter the words "that's not my job." Be annoyingly persistent. Go above and beyond what's asked of you. Be annoyingly persistent. Know when to make your voice heard and when to keep your mouth shut. Be annoyingly persistent. Keep it tight and focused. And be annoyingly persistent.

10) Who do you consider to be your mentor(s)?

Stiller (WBYR/Fort Wayne) gave me my first real shot on air...I'd still be "popping" my P's if it weren't for him. Cat Thomas and JB King at KLUC are the two who have really shaped me into the jock I am today. Cat's the most competitive person I know and he drilled that mentality into my head time and time again. They know how to win and I owe them...big time.

What's the biggest gaffe you've made on air?

While doing overnights for KLUC, I went outside to my car for some reason and forgot my key card in the studio. I could see the AudioVault computer from outside the window and remember the gut-wrenching feeling as Jay Sean's "Down" ended and dead air ensued. Luckily, our night guy John Moug had just left and came back to save the day. Those ten minutes of dead air were the longest 10 minutes of my life, but I learned my lesson!