10 Questions with ... Russ "The Party Bus" Allen

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Orlando, San Francisco, Houston, Knoxville, Albany and now Gainesville. You name it, I've done it....I've been there, done that, got the free t-shirt with my flyer.

1. What got you into radio?

First of all I want to thank my connect. The most important person with all due respect. I got into radio because was told there were groupies so I signed up immediately.

2. You are a lifelong Celtics fan. Care to make a prediction for this year's NBA finals?

I'm secretly rooting for the Grizzlies and my man Greivis Vasquez (aka Señor Huevos!) But it appears that the source of all evil in the NBA (the Lakers) may win this thing again.

3. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a fireman like my dad. Imagine my surprise when I found out my dad wasn't a fireman at all but was a civilian working for one of the alphabet agencies in the Defense Department.

4. You moved WTMG from Urban to Top 40/Rhythmic. Was that a key part of the plan when you left Albany for Gainesville?

After studying a month of airplay and talking to then GM Richard Hinshaw, it became clear that the station had been programmed like a nightclub somewhere in the trap. It was hurting revenue and he felt that the station needed to be less "street". VP/Programming, Kevin Callahan and I noticed that the Top 40 station in town was really rock and really white. They were pretty much ignoring anything rhythmic, even at night. So it was pretty obvious that we had some room to maneuver to attract more cume to the station and simultaneously make the station more acceptable advertisers.

5. What about Gainesville might surprise people unfamiliar with the city/market?

It's a town with a major university and not a single strip club. How do these Gator Girls put themselves through school? I don't get it. Entrepreneurs take note, a large black man is driving two hours to Tampa to make it rain when it could happen right here in Gainesville.

6. What's your favorite song on the station right now?

Well, I'm programming more than one station in the building but for WTMG it's "Racks" by YC. My midday girl text me about the song back in February while she was out clubbin' so shout out to Lady Reign on that one.

7. Besides www.allaccess.com, what's probably the web site you visit most?

Paige Nienaber gave me a link, user name and password to a website for this chick that has a web cam in her house. Normally it's $39.99 a month so hit up Paige. She's pretty limber.

8. What do you like to do in your spare time?

I run an organization mentoring strippers that leave the profession. I call it Strippers-to-Young Ladies. I got a grant from the Federal Government thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (aka the Stimulus Bill). Of course my organization didn't create any jobs but neither did the Stimulus Bill (shocker I know). Other than that I'm counting the days until the season premiere of "True Blood" #waitingsucks

9. Which would you rather watch video of...the Royal wedding or the raid on Bin Laden?

Bin Laden video. I heard he yelled "Thug Life" and emptied the clip. Wait, there was a Royal Wedding? Lemme call Joey Tack in Knoxville to confirm this wedding bizness.

10. Hypothetical question...If you were getting married in two months and you could have any group or singer perform at your reception, who would you choose?

Oh this is a slam dunk...PRINCE!

I'm afraid of heights and swarms of insects. Do you have any phobias?

That I'll wake up one day and I'll be living someplace where it snows like 50 inches every winter and one of my co-workers talks real loud on the phone, sneezes real loud, you know your basic attention whore. Oh wait...