10 Questions with ... Melissa (Sharp) Gioffredo

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I got started in radio much later than I would have liked. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. I didn’t actually think being on the radio was a viable option, and so I tried a bunch of other things first. I ultimately decided to go to broadcasting “school” in 2007. From there I was offered an internship at WTAM in Cleveland. One day, I got to read a sponsor mention on-air during the Mike Trivisonno show. He complimented my voice on air and “suggested” the PD hire me, and he did. I started working for Clear Channel doing traffic reports before I even graduated from school. I was very lucky! In 2009, I applied for a job as the midday host of a local Triple A station, WLKR. It was closer to home and was a regular shift. I’ve been here since, though I’ve moved up quite a bit in the company.

1. How did you become interested in radio?

It started when I was in middle school. My friend and I made a fake radio show on her karaoke machine. We plugged in the microphones and recorded fake interviews complete with ridiculous voices. We continued to record these “shows” for a while. (I hope those cassette tapes never resurface). I have always been passionate about music, and thought how cool it would be to be the person that gets to pick what everyone hears on the radio!

2. How long have you been with WLKR?

I started here in 2009 as the midday host. We’re a pretty small, independent operation, so the fact that I’ve been able to move up within the company is pretty incredible.

3. The station has been on the air for five decades, how long has it been programming Triple A music?

We switched from AC to Triple A in 2007, though we’ve only been able to program in house for about a year.

4. How would you describe the music on the station?

Pretty eclectic. The MD and I were both teens in the ‘90s, so we do tend to lean toward the classic Alternative, but we like to find new artists as well. We enjoy being the first to play new music. We hit some of the standard classic artists, but we don’t necessarily pull the standard “hits.” We also have the unique ability to serve local musicians with a dedicated show Friday afternoons. Some have even made it into regular rotation.

5. How are your music meetings conducted?

Our music meetings are basically just our MD, Kelly Rose and me. She pours through submissions and charts, and sends me new adds based off of that. Then we get together and listen to the more random submissions, discuss what we like and don’t like, and get really snobby, and go from there. (Only kind of joking about the snobby part...)

6. What new acts are you most excited about?

Right now I’m most excited about BNQT, I’m a sucker for supergroups.

7. Tell us a bit about the market you serve.

We are in northern Ohio right on Lake Erie, basically the midpoint between Toledo and Cleveland. The largest city in our immediate vicinity has less than 30,000 people. We are a big tourist area though. Sandusky has one of the (voted) best amusement parks in the world, Cedar Point.

8. What does the term The Firelands mean?

The “Firelands” refers to a particular portion of Ohio that was set aside after the Revolutionary War for residents of several New England towns that saw their homes destroyed by British set fires. It became known as “The Fire Lands.” It’s basically all of Huron and Erie counties.

9. Tell us about the station’s sports coverage.?

We are the only FM station in our area that carries the amount of sports that we do. In addition to being an affiliate for the Cleveland Indians, CAVS and Ohio State football and basketball, we have local high school sports coverage for football, basketball, and state wrestling tournaments.

10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ...”

I’ve spent far too much time coming up with an answer for this seemingly simple question and I’m at a loss. I’m pretty flexible, I can pretty much go without anything!

Last non-industry job:

Pharmacy technician

First record ever purchased:

Tiffany’s - Tiffany I bought the cassette with birthday money and it was the best purchase I’d made up to that point.

First concert:

New Kids on the Block when I was in third grade. I’m pretty sure Donnie looked at me.

Favorite band of all-time:

Sloan! Hands down.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?

I recently had a baby, so he’s currently in charge of almost all of my spare time. When I get to though, I LOVE watching movies. I have books of lists of the greatest movies ever made that I am making my way through.