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10 Questions with ... JoJo Lopez
April 30, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. When we start in radio we sometimes think that we are God's gift to the airwaves and us the "Jock" is the most important thing on the station. That's simply not true. The Music is what the listeners come for first, if you surround your "Jocks" with Hits and they do their part with great content and delivery your station should excel no matter what
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Took a radio class in high school, the teacher got me an internship, which turned into an on-air gig that took me to Bakersfield, Fresno, Las Vegas and eventually, where I live now, in beautiful San Luis Obispo, California.
1. What got you into radio?
The town of Palmdale, where I grew up in the 90's was an odd place where none of the radio stations came in clear, but a BUNCH of them came in pretty good if you messed with the antenna enough. So before the internet I was able to listen to radio from Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Riverside, Ventura, San Diego and even a few Fresno stations, all from my bedroom in little old Palmdale. I was sick a lot when I was a kid (don't feel bad, I'm fine now) and it was the one thing I could always do while sick in my room. Listen to the radio.
2. What did you dream of becoming when you were a kid?
When I was a little kid I got into a pretty bad bicycle accident, and the doctor asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, to distract me from the pain... I told him, "A man." Since that never happened for me, radio has always been my fallback career. (My dad still gets a kick out of that story to this day)
3. How many markets are you on in the morning now?
Mornings in 3 markets (San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Chico). Also doing afternoons at KHTN (Hot 104.7) Modesto / Merced, Ca.
4. Flip back to 2009...ever imagine that you'd be on this many stations/markets?
Not at all. I really have to give all the credit to Mapleton Communications CEO Jim Shea, who had the idea and helped make it happen. He's not only believed in me since day one, but also let me know that he does. Which really goes a long way these days, you don't want to let the people that believe in you down, so you always put your best efforts in for them. And even though the positions, titles and responsibilities may change, I am thrilled to be working with great people who "get it" like Jim Shea, Tommy Del Rio and Mike Skot at Mapleton and Eric Fahnoe at Dimes Media.
5. You were in Las Vegas for a short time. Did you like living and working there?
I did... very much. It's funny that I do mornings, but I am SUCH a night owl. I loved that there was ALWAYS a million things to see, eat and do in that town, around the clock. We actually just came back from a mini Vegas trip last week where we crammed a Lady Gaga, Billy Idol, David Copperfield and Cirque du Soleil show into four days... and still regretted all the things we DIDN'T do. Vegas is a great place, but when I left there in 2004 it was 100% about doing the best thing for my career, and even though San Luis Obispo, California is the polar opposite of Las Vegas, I love it here, and am very blessed with the career I have today.
6. Imagine your job today without social media. How would it be different?
I feel the same way probably everyone on Earth feels about it. I wish I could use it less. It's an enormous time suck, but it's also necessary. On the one hand we waste so much time not only looking at it, but also cultivating it. Each of us is probably responsible for content creation for your own accounts and at least a few stations on multiple platforms... Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. But on the other hand, how uniformed would we be if we didn't look at it. I know a few people who've swore it off and they think I work for TMZ when I share my knowledge of pop culture with them. It's a huge form of show prep, and a great way to connect in a more meaningful way with your audience.
7. If you weren't in radio, what do you think you'd be doing professionally?
I honestly can't see a future where I'm not doing radio in some form. It's all I've ever wanted to do. Maybe TV news, but I can't afford the plastic surgery necessary on my radio salary.
8. What do you like to do with your spare time?
Me and my girlfriend, Monica, like to go to concerts. It's the one thing that got me into radio in the first place, my love of music. So we try to get out and go to as many concerts as we can and see the artists that we really want to see LIVE. It's always a fun experience.
9. If you could be on any TV reality show or game show, which would you want to be on?
Family Feud. Anytime I watch that show with friends around, they laugh at the answers I give, but they're usually right enough that the judges would probably give me credit. Plus Steve Harvey is hilarious... would love to meet him.
10. If you were getting married in three months and you could have any group or singer perform at your reception, who would you choose? (remember, they'll also be playing Chicken Dance, Electric Slide, etc)
Did my girlfriend put you up to this? Lol. Since we're both huge fans, I would definitely pick Lady Gaga. I'm already hearing her do an amazing cover of "We are Family" by Sister Sledge in my head.
Bonus Questions
If you had to eat one type of meal every day for a month, what would it be?
Easy. Chipotle. I've done it before, and I wasn't even being forced to. I've got a problem.
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