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10 Questions with ... Phil Becker
June 7, 2005
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NAME:Phil BeckerPOSITION:Program DirectorSTATION:WPYOMARKET:OrlandoCOMPANY:CoxBORN:4/1/76RAISED:Michigan
Please outline your radio career so far: (station/date, station/date, etc.)
Nights a WIRX/ST. JOE, MI;
Nights at WVTI/GRAND RAPIDS, MI
APD/Nights at WSNX/GRAND RAPIDS, MI;
PD/Afternoons at WBCD/DOTHAN, AL
PD/Middays at WJFX/FT. WAYNE, IN,
PD at CKEY/BUFFALO, NY
PD at WPYO/ORLANDO1) What was your last non-Industry job?
I sold auto parts.
2) What got you interested in Radio?
It was all about the music. That is why I started and that is why I still do it today.
3) What's been your biggest disappointment in Radio?
Radio tends to forget the #1 reason we are here. I have one boss, one CEO, one client-THE LISTENER. Listeners don't care about your record being most added. Listeners don't care about chart position. I am disappointed that often we forget the listener and waste so much time talking to industry type and so little time talking to the listener.
4) What's the highlight of your radio career to date?
The growth of WPYO..
5) You've come into ORLANDO and turned around WPYO. What can you point to as most critical aspect of WPYO's turnaround?
My staff wants to be #1, no matter what. We don't care about anything else. Our team runs a tight, focused radio station and we were ahead of the Hispanic music trends before any English speaking radio station in the nation. Almost two years ago we put Reggaeton into rotation. People laughed at me at the time and now other stations are going "We played Daddy Yankee first"...come on stop lying and do your homework. WPYO broke Reggaeton to the Hip Hop/Rhythm world.
6) In ORLANDO, you're taking on some heritage calls in WJHM and WXXL. In BUFFALO, when you were at CKEY you battled with WKSE and the Urban WBLK. Is the challenge of these battles what attracted you to WPYO and earlier to CKEY?
I took the CKEY job because everyone said with WKSE and WBLK I had no chance. While working with them we had great success. With WPYO the story was similar I heard "WPYO is a dance station with no signal and WJHM is so strong and with WXXL there as well that leaves you no room for market share" so I said I'll take the job. We have managed in just over a year to put WXXL into 6th place 18-34 and are neck and neck with WJHM every month for #1.
7) Who do you consider to be your mentor(s)?
My father. If I can be half the person he is, I will be happy with the way I lead my life.
8) Where do you see yourself in five years?
No idea. I have never over planned my life. I go through each day and believe that when the road shows itself to me I will know when it is time to go down it. Until then, I just plug away.
9) You and your station's successes have brought attention from some very high ranking programming executives around the country. How much appeal do markets 1-5 have to you now?
It's flattering to be noticed and thought of in that league. When I started in this business I remember a PD telling me "You don't have what it takes to be successful in radio long term". Now to be talked about by major market executives is my vindication. As for appeal I have never been happier then I am in ORLANDO.
10) If you were to leave Radio today and you could choose any other occupation, what would it be?
I have several outside interest that I would turn to if radio was no longer my occupation. I would be doing TV production, record production, or stand up.
Bonus Questions
Your VP/GM tells you that you've got an additional $100,000 in the programming budget for the last half of 2005. Where do you spend it?
I would put all that money into my people. I never understood why an account rep at a station is paid $100,000 and the air talent makes $25,000. Without the air talent and product how could the account rep make that money? Our business has taken advantage of talent and creativity for to long.
Hypothetical situation...COX COMMUNICATIONS starts a label. You are named President. Money is no object...hire a Sr. VP/Promotion, a National Dir./Promotion and one local?
No comment.
A freak gravitational shift has added three hours to everyday. What would you do with those extra three hours?
I'd do an airshift.
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