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10 Questions with ... Dave Kester
October 14, 2019
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Over 30 years in both commercial and non-commercial radio, with the last 13 at WNCW in positions ranging from Operations Director, Program Director and now as the Dir./Radio Operations for the college and Station Manager of WNCW. Prior stops include PD and OM at WFMX/WSIC /Statesville, NC - The John Boy and Billy Radio Network and WKKT in Charlotte, NC
1. How did you become interested in radio?
I started out interested in having a career in the music industry, but while I was in college I did a radio internship at Y106 and Y104 in Atlanta. I got bitten by the radio bug and never looked back.
2. With the station coming up on its 30th anniversary, what are your plans to celebrate?
WNCW went on the air Friday October 13th back in 1989. Our anniversary date will fall on the first day of our Fall Pledge Drive. We'll be on the air throughout the week, asking for support, but we have lots of contests and some really neat prizes to offer up all week in celebration of our 30th anniversary. In the coming weeks, we'll also look back at our history with several of the staff, volunteers, and listeners of the station who've been such a big part of WNCW over our 30 years on the air. We still have quite a few listeners who were tuned in the first day the station went on the air and have been with us for the entire 30 years.
3. Tell us about the great 30th anniversary CD you have put together to celebrate the station's musical heritage.
Every year we produce our own 2-CD set, called "Crowd Around the Mic." It's a compilation of some of the best performances that we've recorded over the last year in our live performance studio that we call Studio B, plus a few that were recorded at various music venues in the area. It's prized by our listeners and one of the best fund-raising sources that we have.
In honor of our 30th anniversary, we decided to produce a 3-CD version of the disc this year. It contains 45 tracks by some amazing artists. Acts like Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, The Marcus King Band, Rodney Crowell, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, The Steep Canyon Rangers and many more. It pretty much crosses the spectrum of music genres that make up our WNCW programming. It's also a chance for our listeners to own something exclusive. These are songs they know from their favorite artists, but they're versions that are exclusive to their performance on WNCW. In some cases, it may even be a cover tune that the artist only did here at WNCW, so it's not available anywhere else. We're really proud of it. We've spent a lot of time and resources in the last couple of years upgrading Studio B as well. It's a completely digital facility and the sound quality of our live broadcasts and recordings from the room are top notch.
4. How has the sound of the station changed or evolved over that time?
I really don't think it's changed tremendously. The current and previous members of the staff have tried to remain relatively true to the original format that the station was founded on. It truly is an eclectic mix of music. While our focus has morphed over time to lean more Americana and Triple A, you'll find nearly every genre of music imaginable on the airwaves of WNCW. Americana, Triple A, Blues, Classic Rock, Jazz, Bluegrass, Classic Country, Soul, Reggae and more are all a part of the mix. We're fortunate to have an incredibly talented air staff that can put it all together. I'm also proud of our focus on local music. There are a lot of talented musicians in our area and I'm glad we can give their music a home on the radio.
5. Although licensed to Spindale, NC - WNCW is really a regional station with its reach. Tell us a bit about that.
It helps to have a tower site on top of Clingman's Peak, right next to Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi. At that altitude, our main 88.7 signal really carries. That's why we have listeners and members in the Asheville and Charlotte markets in North Carolina and the Greenville-Spartanburg market in South Carolina. Additionally, we have translators in each of those markets, as well as one in Boone, NC. There's also 90.9 WSIF in Wilkesboro, NC which re-broadcasts the main 88.7 programming via an internet feed.
6. How do you stay in tune with your diverse audience?
Trust me, it's not a problem. Our audience is invested in the station. They're like family and they don't mind telling you what they think about anything to do with the station. I spend a lot of time on listener/member correspondence. A lot of it comes via e-mail and phone calls. Social media is another important avenue. We also have a presence at most all the regional festivals. When we're there, we ask folks for input via surveys and we also do on-line surveys. Some are general questions about the station and some are more music focused. We also do a listener voted Top 100 Countdown each year.
7. Is all the staff paid or is there a volunteer element to the station?
We have a paid full-time staff and several paid part-time folks, but we also have a great bunch of volunteers. Some are on-air and host shows, some work events, some help out with office work, some help with the pledge drives and some do all that and more. We couldn't do what we do without our volunteers. They're a fantastic group of people and we depend on them heavily at times.
8. What are some of your biggest challenges at the station?
I think the main challenge is the ability to do what we do with the small staff we have. Everyone wears multiple hats around here. I believe our listeners think of WNCW as this really big thing. They probably imagine this huge entity to make it all happen. In reality, we're a really small operation. An average size control room, three small production rooms, a live performance studio, and a handful of offices with two people sharing an office in some cases. What we present on the air though, is a really big presence and quite impressive. That's the magic of radio, but it's also the blood, sweat, and tears of a small group of employees and an army of volunteers that I'm proud to call family.
Second would probably be keeping up with the technology on a tight budget. We've come a long way since my arrival here back in 2006. Technology upgrades are expensive, but we've spent wisely and brought the station, kicking and screaming into the 21st century. It's very evident in the quality of what we produce on the air and what we're capable of doing now, that we wouldn't have dreamed of 13 years ago.
9. What big annual events does the station tie into?
Probably the biggest is the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. Warren Haynes is a native of Asheville and each year he comes back home to do the Christmas Jam, where he gathers an incredible group of A-list acts, with all the proceeds benefitting the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. The night before the actual Christmas Jam they do a Pre-Jam at a local venue called the Orange Peel in Asheville. Many of the performers from the Christmas Jam come in a day early and they all get together for an impromptu jam session. Various artists will sit in on the other bands sets. We broadcast it live on WNCW. It's always one of the coolest shows you'll ever get to see. The concept for the Pre-Jam originated in our Studio B.
We also have a great relationship with Merlefest up in Wilkesboro. Some of our air staff serve as emcee's and we also broadcast Merlefest live on WSIF. It's grown into one of the largest festivals in the southeast and they have an amazing lineup of talent each year. It really highlights the regions musical heritage but has grown to include many styles of music. I've seen everyone from Rhonda Vincent and Merle Haggard, to The Tedeschi Trucks Band and Robert Plant at Merlefest. It's just another incredible musical treat of our region.
10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ...
... my family. My time with them is what keeps me sane. I value my time with them at the end of the day. My wife and son put up with a lot. Some days are really long for me. They also lose a lot of weekends with me to duties at work. At times, I may be gone for the better part of a week working at an event like Merlefest, or the IBMA World of Bluegrass. Even when I'm away, I still try to call and talk to them every night. Family is the most important thing to me. None of us are promised tomorrow, so make every minute count.
Bonus Questions
Last non-industry job:
Supervisor in a manufacturing plant.
First record ever purchased:
Dare I say it? Kiss - Rock And Roll Over
First concert:
Elvis Presley. Went with my parents and the car broke down in the parking lot after the show. I think I was seven. Elvis is still the King.
Favorite band of all-time:
I know this is weird for a public radio guy, but Kiss - Yes, that's what I said. I'm not sure if my fascination with them is the music, the wild stage show, or their marketing prowess, but if you've never seen them live it's a spectacle to behold.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?
What's this "spare time" you speak of? No, really, it's just spending time with my wife and son. I also can't resist a round of golf on occasion, or taking in a concert as a fan and an actual attendee, not as a "radio guy" working the show.
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