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10 Questions with ... R. Dub
August 16, 2005
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NAME:R. DubPOSITION:Program Director/Afternoons KOHT (Hot 98.3FM)/TUCSON
- Late Nights KZZP (104.7 Kiss FM)/PHOENIX)
- Host/Producer/Creator "SUNDAY NITE SLOW JAMS" heard on
- 35 radio stations nationwideSTATION:See aboveMARKET:See aboveCOMPANY:CLEAR CHANNEL, FUSION RADIO NETWORKS, SUPERADIOBORN:Chicago, ILRAISED:Los Angeles CA, Orlando FL, Tucson AZPlease outline your radio career so far: (station/date, station/date, etc.)
-KJYK (POWER 1490)/TUCSON: Nights, Slow Jams
-WKGN (K-JAM 1340)KNOXVILLE: MD/Mornings
-KOHT (HOT 98.3)/TUCSON: Middays
-KSJM (POWER 97.5)/TUCSON: MD/Afternoons
-KRQQ/TUCSON: MD/Nights
-KOHT (HOT 98.3)/TUCSON: PD/Afternoons
-FUSION RADIO NETWORKS: President and Host/Producer "SUNDAY NITE SLOW JAMS."1) What was your last non-Industry job?
I had my first job at 13 years old: Professional Paper Shredder. Swear. I'd come into this company at 3 pm and shred documents in a back room all alone for hours. I didn't even know what the company did. Probably some shady ish!
2) What got you interested in Radio?
The magic that it made me feel, as a listener. I'd listen to WGCI in CHICAGO and 102 JAMZ in ORLANDO as a teen and pre-teen. They were, and still are, amazing stations.
3) You did almost all the leg work for SUNDAY NITE SLOW JAMS. Where did the idea come from?
The syndication thing happened almost by accident. I had been doing the show in Tucson since I was 16. It always had amazing numbers, but I never thought seriously about syndication. Another programmer I knew that knew about the then local show, asked if I'd consider sending them a generic version of the show on CD to run. I blew it off, until PD number two came to me. After that I realized I had something special here, went buck wild and built a broadcast facility in my house, and a year later was on 20 stations. It was working in all of these other markets just as well as it had in my own town.
4) How many affiliates are there now?
We're up to 35 now, and growing!.
5) As a PD, air personality and now syndicated host, where do you find the time?
It's all about crazy time management, down to the minute. It's especially tough programming a station all day in the office, doing afternoons, and then having to come home and host a nightly Slow Jams show in PHOENIX at KISS (which I do live from my home studio.) It almost kills me, but I have the schedule down to the minute. I leave the CLEAR CHANNEL building at 5:55 pm and am in my bed at 6:15 pm in time for an hour nap. Wake up, hour workout in the gym, then I'm in the studio firing up the ISDN to go live in Phoenix. I'm brushing my teeth during the last song at 12:55 am and I'm in bed at 1:01 am, just in time to get six hours of sleep in for the next day. Did I mention I do my show in my underwear? Yeah, bet you wanted that visual!
6) If you could bring back one group from the 90s, who would it be?
Tough one! I'd say TONY! TONI! TONE'! They were awesome! When we do our big "SUNDAY NITE SLOW JAMS LIVE" concert tour every year, we always throw in some classic groups from the 90's, along with the headliners. We've had TONY! TONI! TONE'!, TROOP, SURFACE, CHANGING FACES, and ALL-4-ONE. The peeps love it!
7) Who do you consider to be your mentor(s)?
I've been blessed to work with some of the best. From BRUCE ST. JAMES to MARK MEDINA, ELROY SMITH, to TIM RICHARDS, I've worked with some amazing people!
8) How's your new morning show coming along?
HOT 98.3's been on-fire for years, but we couldn't seem to get mornings right. From just plain bad shows, to voice tracked out-of-market stuff, to our last morning show who got swiped from Houston after only 6 months on the air, mornings have been a rough road here at Hot 98.3 in Tucson. I can finally say that we are on track with this new show (knock on some wood!) We scored CK from KDAY in L.A., who's also worked at Rhythm and Top 40 powerhouses like KKFR, KSFM, and KKRZ. He's a pro who knows radio and knows the demo. I paired up CK with SHOE from our CLEAR CHANNEL cluster in ST. LOUIS, this show is headed for greatness. They are really embracing the community and their first book looked great. I just hope I can get these guys to stick around for awhile.
9) Still looking for a great vacation spot or have you found one?
Brazil. I love that place. That place loves me. I'm taking Portuguese in college right now so I can love Brazil and its people even more. Go to www.rdub.com to see the G-rated pics. (add my "SUNDAY NITE SLOW JAMS" show to your station and I'll send you theX-rated ones!)
10) If you were to leave Radio today and you could choose any other occupation, what would it be?
A male escort in Brazil (the straight kind!)
Bonus Questions
Your VP/GM tells you that you've got an additional $50,000 in the programming budget for the remainder of 2005. Where do you spend it?
First I check my calendar to make sure it's not APRIL 1st. Then, I call up GINA LEE FUENTEZ, my midday voice tracker out of DALLAS, and ask her to come work for us, live.
You get to pick a female co-host for SUNDAY NITE SLOW JAMS and no one can say "no". Who is it going to be?
Sorry, SUNDAY NITE SLOW JAMS is a "one-host" deal. I think in order to form an intimate relationship with your listener on this type of a show, it's got to be one-on-one. But, I wouldn't mind having JENNIFER LOPEZ help open mail!
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