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10 Questions with ... MoJoe Roberts
March 4, 2014
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
- 1/00-1/02 Nights/MD at County KQFC/Boise
- 1/02-5/06 Nights/APD/MD/Imaging at Country KATM/Modesto-Stockton
- 5/06-Now PD at Top 40/Mainstream KHOP/Modesto-Stockton
- 6/12-Now PD at Top 40/Rhythmic KWIN-KWNN/Modesto-Stockton
1. Why radio?
Because digging ditches sucks. I love music, helping others and the whole creation process. This is an industry that allows me to work in all three arenas simultaneously. It is so rewarding to collectively create promotions and events that generate excitement with an audience and help elevate our brands.
2. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to program television stations...I was a strange kid. My idea of fun was to develop program lineups that catered to various demographics. Subconsciously, I think I knew radio would be my career path, it just never dawned on me that it was a real career option.
3. What was the biggest change in the move from Country radio to Top 40?
There are common threads between the formats, but the artists were SO much more accessible than Top 40 artists. I started in Country, so I didn't really understand the difference until I hopped the format fence. The country artists show so much gratitude and appreciation towards radio, pop stars could learn a thing or two in that regard.
4. You're in a cool spot in Stockton. You have the Bay Area, skiing and beaches all nearby. What's your preferred 'getaway'?
You're right! Stockton is often listed on the "worst places to live" lists, but it really is centrally located. Give me 90 minutes and I can be on a beach, on a mountain or in a major city, like San Francisco or Sacramento. I love to go snowboarding, but I have three young kids, so Disneyland tends to be the destination of choice these days.
5. What would probably surprise most people about your market?
The population of the area we serve. If they combined Modesto & Stockton, it would be a top 50 market. We serve over a million listeners. But having the markets separated presents several challenges, like programming to two markets with very different demographic makeup. Furthermore, all of our television originates from Sacramento. That actually helps radio stand out here, because we are super-serving an audience that is secondary to the television stations.
6. What's your favorite song on KWIN right now?
Pharrell Williams "Happy". I have kids, so this song has been in heavy rotation at home since we watched Despicable Me 2 last summer. Happy to see radio finally giving this song a chance! (pun intended) I'm also excited about the potential of Far East Movement "The Illest" and Eminem "Headlights".
7. If you weren't in radio, what do you think you'd be doing professionally?
I would revisit my imaging production business, that's technically not "in radio", right? I had a good group of clients and really enjoyed it! But once I became a Program Director, there just weren't enough hours in the day.
If I ever found myself out of radio, I would put all of my efforts into getting back into radio. I love this medium and believe in its viability in the future. It will take innovation, but I'm confident radio will weather the storm of technology & come out stronger on the other side.
8. Who on your KWIN staff is most likely to be on a TV reality show?
I think all of my jocks would have reality TV appeal, each for different reasons! My morning host Amanda King spends a lot of her time mentoring young people in the community and would be a great fit for a documentary about helping young people grow. Her co-host, Lucas is a single father of two boys, one of which has autism and I think his positive attitude in the face of adversity would be inspiring to all! Then there's Jiggy. Over the past decade, I've watched him evolve from a high school kid doing nights on KHOP (the pop station I also program) to opening up for hip hop stars like Too Short and now learning the Programming ropes. He is so talented and passionate, his future is bright! I can't wait to see what he does with each opportunity that presents itself to him.
My whole staff is talented and diverse, I could see them all doing realty TV, but without all of the ratchetness.
9. Who would your wife cast to play you in a movie about your life?
Oh, you know...George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Channing Tatum. Then she would cast her as herself, for obvious reasons. Honestly, she'd probably say Phil Dunphy from Modern Family...not because of his physical characteristics, just similar personalities.
10. It's still early in 2014 but what record has been your biggest surprise success?
Miley having hits as a rapper ("23" and "Feelin' Myself") has been the most surprising to me. She can flow, who knew?!
Bonus Questions
If you had to eat one type of meal everyday for a month, what would it be?
I'm in Central California, so it's Taco Trucks all the way!
Did you make any New Year's resolutions? How are they holding up?
Just trying to beat my top score on Flappy Bird: 11. So far, not doing so well. Seriously, I'm working on eating right, exercising more and spending more time with my kids. Mostly trying to be in the moment. We live in a multi-tasking world. I'm trying to ease up on scrolling through e-mails or social media, while I spend time with the family or enjoying meals with company. It's amazing what you miss when you focus on your phone.
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