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10 Questions with ... Ernie Martinez
February 2, 2021
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1. What got you into radio?
I was an intern in my early college years and did an internship at a local station in Dallas. Our production director at the time was out sick and I had to produce a client spot, and since I hung around the station all of the time, I knew how to work our new digital editing system. An hour later gave the AE the spot (which the client loved, of course). That process of creating something from start to finish hooked me! The creative hooked me.
2. What did you dream of becoming when you were a kid?
I never really gave much thought to what I wanted to be when I was younger. I knew that I liked to have fun...and that was the core for me. Having fun was essential because I knew that I would get bored with repetition. So, it needed to be a new challenge every day. And the broadcast and entertainment business offers that in spades.
3. Look back to 2010. Pandemic aside, does 2020 look like you thought it might?
Yes, 2020 is right about where I thought I would be professionally so from that perspective I feel like I am right on track. However, as an industry I had hoped we would be a lot further along in terms of digital content, media, data and marketing than we are now. It seems like some Program Directors, Content Directors or whatever we want to call ourselves are just getting into how they implement all the digital tools that are at our disposal to make decisions. Because of this influx of data and research we don't take enough calculated risks to create a point of differentiation with our brand. I wish most of us would follow our gut/instincts and take more calculated risks, with our audiences at the core of those decisions. We have to do better to understand their needs and meet them where they are in their day/life.
4. Name something that you've started doing during the pandemic that you think you'll be doing 10 years from now?
Working from home. I know some people aren't fond of working from home, but I love it! I just get so much more accomplished. Don't get me wrong, coaching talent and working with our partners is always better face to face and there is no substitute for that, but working from home has been so much better for me than working in an office. Especially when it comes to spending time with loved ones. They are at school in their rooms and I am in the home office and we have lunch together every day and I can help them with their homework as well. Something that I wasn't able to do while commuting.
5. What has working and leading a team and a family during the pandemic taught you about yourself?
Good question. I guess you could say that it's taught me to keep things in perspective and prioritize the right things in life. Health and family are things that I always took for granted, because I always worked a lot and had long commutes. Now, I am exercising regularly, if for anything to not sit in my office all day long and hang out with my kiddos a lot more. Both good things!
6. Who were/are some of your radio mentors?
When I started my career, my first mentor definitely had the biggest impact on me. She was my first PD. Sammi Gonzalez taught me all the basics and gave me the room to make mistakes, fail and learn. I definitely attribute a lot of my success in this industry to what she taught me early on in my career. One thing that she taught me that I think about every day, is that I have gotten where I am today with the help of others, now that I am in that same position it is my duty to help others succeed in their careers.
7. Let's assume Covid-19 is a memory in 2021. What would you like to do better as a programmer in 2021?
Easy....better events. The pandemic has given me a lot of time to think about what kind of an impact radio used to have on a community. In some areas, it still has that impact, but far less in big metropolitan areas. I think creating partnerships that make sense and finding the unique types of events that draw your audience in to participate can make 2021 a really unique time for events.
8. What might surprise people about living and working in San Antonio?
San Antonio is a very unique market. More unique than most might think. In any community and in order to do what we do, you have to understand the nuances of the population. You have people from all walks of life here, but like most major cities, it has its own unique subcultures that I had no idea about when I first moved here. After learning and being out in the community, it gives you a more unique opportunity to see and talk to those audiences and cultures in a way that creates a deeper connection with your brand if you execute it correctly.
9. If you weren't in radio, what do you think you'd be doing professionally?
Something digital. I actually left radio for a couple of years to add some stripes in the digital media world and loved the pace, creativity and ever evolving targets. It was a lot of fun and it definitely has helped supplement my programming skills and in my opinion, has made me a more valuable asset to my teammates, cluster and company overall.
10. What do you like doing in your spare time? (has that changed since the pandemic?)
One thing that I don't get to do is just relax. Maybe I'm not really built that way, but that quote from the movie Moneyball resonates with me so much. When Brad Pitt who plays Billy Beane says "Man, I hate losing even more than I like winning". That competitiveness makes it virtually impossible for me to relax, but it also drives me to ensure that I am creating unique connections for our audience through our brand.
Bonus Questions
If you could be on any TV reality show or game show, which would you want to be on?
Just because I like traveling so much, it would be kind of cool to be on the Amazing Race. But I don't think that spending one night in an exotic location would be enough for me. I'm one of those travelers that really likes to immerse myself in the culture of the places I am visiting. But haven’t had much opportunity for that this year.
Last TV binge watch?
Mad Men. Don Draper is a creative genius and amazing storyteller...but a troubled soul. It's so good!
If you had to eat one type of meal every day for a month, what would it be?
No brainer, Mexican food all the way. The variety of things you could make is endless. Tacos, salads, caldo, Asada, Adobo, Mole...all of it.
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