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10 Questions with ... Jet Black
October 30, 2007
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NAME:Jet BlackPOSITION:Program DirectorSTATION:WHZT (The New Hot 98-1)MARKET:Greenville-Spartanburg, SCCOMPANY:Cox RadioBORN:Tulsa, OklahomaRAISED:Oklahoma City, OK (school year), New Orleans, LA (summers)
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Brief? I don't know if that's possible
1997-2000 - KRXO-KOMA-KMGL/Oklahoma City - Intern/Production/Imaging/On-Air
2000-2001 - KKWD/Oklahoma City - On-Air/Imaging
2001 - KIZS/Tulsa - On-Air/Imaging
2001 - 2002 - KNIN/Wichita Falls, TX - APD/MD/Imaging/On-Air
2002-2003 - WWWQ (Q100)/Atlanta - Music/Swing
2003 - 2004 - WRVW/Nashville - APD/MD/Nights
2004 - 2005 - KSLZ/St. Louis - Nights
2005 - WAKS/Cleveland - Nights/Music
2005-2007 - KTBT/Tulsa - APD/MD/Nights
June 2007 - Present - WHZT/Greenville-Spartanburg - PD1. Why Radio?
It was either that or flying airplanes for the rest of my life...at the time, I would have been ok with either one. But when I couldn't pass my flight physical to be a commercial pilot, I made a decision. I started as a club/mobile DJ at a very young age, that's when the bug bit. From the second I stepped into a studio, I've never looked back and loved every minute of it.
2. How has the adjustment been moving from APD/MD to your first PD gig?
It's been challenging, but I love a challenge. I definitely have new found respect for the things I didn't know about the job before. The Art and some of the science I had down to a "T" when I walked into here, but learning how to manage upward and downward has proven to be the most difficult part of the transition, but luckily I'm a quick learner.
3. You moved from your hometown of Tulsa to Greenville, SC. How much of a change was it culturally?
Not too much. Many people in Oklahoma consider themselves to be in the "south," so the only REAL change was the accessibility of sweet tea. AMEN. Besides that, the cities are similar in size and the attitude of the audience is similar, so that made the move that much better.
4. Do you work with a consultant and/or group VP?
Both actually, and they are both brilliant individuals that have shown me my ability to harness the ART with the Science. Bill Tanner is our consultant and he is nothing short of fantastic and Jeremy Rice is the format coordinator at the corporate level, I don't know how he feels about the title of VP, and he has really been a guiding force in helping me make the transition into the company culture, plus he's a hell of a cook.
5. You don't have a huge staff at Hot 98.1. How do you get it all done?
By banging my head against the wall a lot, but all kidding aside, It's a task to keep ON TASK throughout my day, but priority lists and Outlook reminders help me keep a hold on my time management. Although, my new Mid-Day personality Jay Styles is helping lighten my load, his experience with music and programming has been a big help since his arrival. On top of that I have a group of talented individuals that surround me and that put forth 110% effort and I can always count on with Murph Dawg in the Morning, Tone Hollywood my night jock, Shorty my overnight/swing jock, and my weekenders Brandy, Reid and Lucky, a great group of people with a lot of things ahead of them in their careers. Plus, the marketing and promotions team lead by Justin Kratzer is top notch and our sellers led by sales manager Chris Saglian are great.
6. How are the Arb numbers looking for you since arriving at Hot?
INCREDIBLE!!! The former PD left the station in pretty good shape so there wasn't a whole lot to focus on at first glance, we made a few minor adjustments when I first arrived, we shortened the imaging and built it all to be over intros, we pushed the jocks to put tons of phoners on the air, we became a bit more aggressive musically, and we put very demo focused promotions on the air and they translated into one of the biggest books the station has ever had. We went #1 P18-34 in the Summer, #6 12+ and we beat WFBC for the first time in quite a while. Then just before the Fall book we introduced a fresh coat of paint with new imaging from Scott Matthews and Angi Taylor, new jingles from Hooks By Steve Sykes through Groove Addicts, and parts and pieces by A-Town Sound, the buzz about the station since the "re-fresh" has been deafening so, the best has yet to come.
7. How much time are you spending on the station's Web site.
An immense amount of time. I work closely with Marketing Director Justin Kratzer and Webmaster Celina Hardy to make sure that any and everything on the site mirrors what we are doing on the air. They both do a great job in brainstorming with me and creating some killer content.
8. Let's say you...Jet Black, not the station, are going to throw a party for your family and best friends from all over the country at a local VFW hall. Money is no object, who do you book to play the show to help create the perfect party atmosphere? Pick one band/artist.
It's funny you ask this question, as my fiancé and I have been planning our wedding since March and we lived in a fantasy world for a minute and asked ourselves the same thing, we said Rascal Flatts, 311 or Kansas. It'd be almost a coin toss to decide, the two of us are huge fans of ALL three bands.
9. If you could take one restaurant in Greenville with you to your next gig, which would it be?
That's a really tough call, our downtown area has a great selection of foods for anyone's fancy, but most likely I would have to say Soby's. It's the only place on the planet that has figured out a way to take true, down home southern food and actually make it gourmet. It's incredible. AND, they have an open kitchen with a loft above, being a food nerd, I love to watch the intensity and passion that goes into preparing food.
10. Your VP/GM tells you that you've budget for an additional fulltime staffer in 2008. What position would you fill?
An event planner, we're doing so many events and parties that it would do more than compliment sales, programming and promotions.
Bonus Questions
What's your dream market?
Ohhhhh there's sooo many. I have grown to love Norfolk/VA Beach, Boston, Austin, and Vegas, but ultimately being close to my family and my other half's family would be stellar. Kansas City or Oklahoma City is where I would like to end up....but I'd be more than happy to entertain interest from a multitude of major markets. :)
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