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10 Questions with ... Lee Foster
August 17, 2020
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I was one of those radio nerds who started a pirate radio station when I was in high school with my friends. Eventually studied radio and broadcasting in high school at our school station WFOS under the guidance of a former area DJ. From there, I worked at Sinclair Communications in Norfolk for a few years as the “Jack of all trades” guy. I stayed in Norfolk and hosted afternoons at WROX for a few years, read news, traffic and weather at WNIS-AM, held down weekends and fill-in shifts on WNOB-FM and WUSH-FM, created the cluster’s imaging and whatever was needed. Eventually went to Local Voice Media’s WXTG, which was an extension of their Triple A format “The Tide” that later became a short-lived all-news format. Decided it wasn’t for me and spent some time back at WFOS hosting a non-commercial Triple A-formatted morning show for a while before joining Jam Media in January 2020 and moving to North Carolina.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
I think it all goes back to my grandfather. He always seemed to be listening to this Triple A station we had in the Norfolk area back in the day called WKOC (93.7 The Coast). Many of my childhood memories consist of riding in the car with him discovering great music, and I think radio being a method of discovering music stuck with me. I wanted to share great music with others.
2. Who were/are your mentors?
One of my earliest mentors would be Suzanne Snowden, a former radio personality in her own right who later taught radio at my high school. I also learned a great deal from James Steele when I was at WROX and was lucky enough to work with the great Dave Benson at WXTG/WTYD.
3. How would you describe the music on the station?
I think it’s the right balance between classics you know and love, and compelling new artists you haven’t heard before. I strive to make everything flow as smoothly as possible, but it can be pretty random at times. Gotta keep it interesting!
4. Have you made any significant adjustment to the music since you took over?
Not really. The Sound has been a popular radio station in this market since long before I came in, and I didn’t want to disrupt that. It just needed a little refreshing and some new elements to keep it from getting stale: An imaging update, a bit more of a focused playlist, etc.
5. What new bands are you most excited about?
I really like Matt Maeson, who is actually from Virginia Beach (about an hour north of us). We’ve also received a lot of positive feedback about both Bakar and Black Pumas.
6. Your local group has more than one radio signal. Tell us about the other stations. Do you handle the music for those formats too?
We have four stations here on the Outer Banks – Triple A WVOD (99.1 The Sound), Hot AC WCXL (Beach 104), Country WCMS (Big 94.5) and News-Talk WZPR. I handle the music for the three music stations, I host mornings on WVOD and middays on WCXL.
7. Tell us about the nature of the markets you reach. Do you adjust the sound much seasonally?
It’s all about summer here! Many of the area restaurants and other businesses actually shut down during the wintertime, so summer is when you earn your keep. Nothing really changes musically from summer to winter, but during the summer we do try to be mindful of the fact that people from out of town are listening, and we try to be informative and welcoming.
8. What are some of your biggest challenges as an independent station?
There aren’t too many challenges we face that corporate radio stations don’t also deal with. We don’t have the resources of iHeart or Entercom, so naturally things like the COVID-19 pandemic hit us a bit harder, but I don’t allow myself to complain about stuff like that because working at an independent station has plenty of advantages also. Every company has its pros and cons.
9. What have you been doing to support your community during the CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) pandemic?
I can’t say enough about the job that our news team has done during this whole thing. Sam Walker, our News Director, knows the Outer Banks better than anyone and has been there at every step of the way to report the facts without instilling fear, both on-air and on our News website, OBX Today. Kari Pugh has also done a fantastic job on the website and deserves credit.
We have also tried to spotlight local businesses through the pandemic that may be struggling to get the word out about being open or closed. A great deal of our advertisers are local restaurants, many of which were forced to close at the start of the pandemic and now are only allowed to operate at half-capacity. As much as they may want to advertise and grow their business, they simply can’t afford it right now. While we are struggling as a result of this, we have done everything we can to interview local business owners and help them spread their message for free. They’ve been there for us, now it’s our turn to be there for them.
10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without …
… I’m not really into social media or spending lots of time staring at my iPhone, but I can’t help but scroll through my Reddit homepage a few times throughout the day.
Bonus Questions
Last non-industry job:
I drove for Uber and Lyft about two-three years ago. Shared some interesting conversations with some people. Most people are nice, but there were definitely some weirdos.
First record ever purchased:
I’m pretty sure it was Blink-182’s Enema Of The State.
First concert:
Dave Matthews Band, Virginia Beach Amphitheater, sometime around the mid ‘90s.
Favorite band of all-time:
I don’t even know how to answer this one. There’s just too many. Radiohead would be on the list though. So would Pink Floyd.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?
I hate cooking and would probably dine at a new restaurant every night with my girlfriend Kelsey if I could. I also love going on road trips and exploring new places with her. I should probably just hurry up and marry her already.
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