10 Questions with ... Jeff Raspe

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

WRHU (1984-1988), WHTG (1988-2001), WBJB (2001-present) That's right, 3 stations in 39 years.

1. How did you become interested in radio?

Not sure. As a child I remember sitting in front of the family stereo with painfully tight headphones on, turning the analog tuning dial on the receiver trying to hear radio stations from other parts of the country. Through high school I was one of those "music dork" guys who devoured new music info. If you so much as asked me a question about a band, I had a 90-minute mix tape ready for you the next day at school. Growing up in New Jersey and going to college on Long Island, there was a lot of bad music and a lot of bad radio. I used to like to think I was improving the musical tastes of my friends (years later, many have told me as much). Being on the radio made it a lot more convenient than making everyone I knew (and everyone I didn't know) a mix tape!

2. Who were/are your mentors?

Jeff Kraus at WRHU, Hofstra University. Rich Robinson, who hired me at WHTG in 1988 and is again my PD at WBJB. TJ Bryan at WHTG, who gave me the go-ahead to start my specialty show "The Underground." My contemporaries at WRHU (circa 1884-1988). Mike Sauter, who I worked with at WHTG and was my first PD at WBJB. Matt Pinfield, who was a Sunday night part-timer at WHTG at the same time I was. And, my radio hero (though we've never met), Vin Scelsa.

3. We both share a love for Matt Pinfield, What was it like to follow him on the air at WHTG?

It was helpful that for the first few hours of that shift following Matt I was babysitting syndicated shows. It gave me plenty of time to match up the loose LP or CD with its correct sleeve/case. Matt was always in a rush to leave so he could do his DJ gig at New Brunswick NJ's legendary Melody Bar. And, for those of you who know Matt now, know that he's kind of a whirling dervish – just imagine what he was like in the late 80s!

4. New Jersey Hometown Artist Joe P just hit #1 at Triple A Radio with "Off My Mind." I presume you have stories about him. Tell us about your relationship.

I first met Joe P around 10 years ago (!) when Joe's old band Deal Casino moved to Asbury Park from their hometown of Sparta NJ. Sparta is way up in the mountains of northwest Jersey. They immediately became one of the Shore area's most popular bands and played a lot of shows (I have photos going back to the summer of 2013 that Joe would probably prefer I didn't offer up for publication.) with a string of solid releases. By coincidence I was at the very first "joe p" show in 2021 when they, with approximately 24 hours' notice, were tapped to open the Sad Summer Festival at The Stone Pony Summerstage after at least 2 (maybe 3?) bands had to back out for COVID-related reasons.

5. How has the station's sound evolved since you have been there?

Like most AAAs, it's gone from being primarily acoustic based stuff, to more rock based (meaning electric guitars and drums). And most recently, as everyone tries to "sound younger", I'd say it's gotten more than a bit "confusing." We might as well change the name of the format to "Freeform" at this point. [Which, by the way, I'll be first in line for if ya really want to do it. I've spent more than half of my life listening to probably the last truly Freeform station in WFMU out of Jersey City.] We're all trying to play so many different types of music (acoustic, rock, alternative, classic rock, Americana, pop, electronic, world, blues, etc.) in an attempt to hit as many bases as possible. Some of us were on the air and remember when Alternative radio went through a similar period. Alternative and AAA (remember, that stands for Adult Album Alternative) are niche formats, there's no way around that. They are never going to appeal to the masses. They do appeal to the people out there that don't mind hearing a song or artist they don't already know, the people who actually LIKE music discovery, the people who are active listeners (as opposed to passive), the people that will go to a show, buy an album, reach out to get a name or title correct. When Alternative forgot what it was and tried to appeal to more listeners by playing what was - by anyone's definition - metal, nu-metal and pop what we actually accomplished was confusing the few who tuned in to hear Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock and Sugar Ray who then heard Cake, Fatboy Slim and The Cardigans. Conversely, those who had always tuned in for new Ben Folds Five, Placebo and Soul Coughing and classic The Cure, R.E.M., and New Order – when they were presented with Smash Mouth, Korn and Natalie Imbruglia they were not just annoyed they were *pissed*! (Can anyone guess what year I'm taking the examples from?)

We have "formats" for a reason. It was always difficult to explain to people what "alternative" was (ask anyone who was in sales at the time) or what "Triple A" was. But you knew it when you heard it. And you knew what it wasn't. The listener should know what they're going to get when they tune in, even if they don't necessarily know what specific songs or artists they're going to hear.

We're all too worried about what everyone else on the panel is playing, or not playing. Again, like Alternative did at the beginning of the end. Have your own personality. That's pretty much the only thing (that and actually serving your local community - ya know, like we're all supposed to do according to our license?) that sets "old school terrestrial radio" apart from an algorithm generated playlist. Sure, there are going to be the "A-Listers" and "No-Brainers" that the entire panel will add, but own some of your playlist. Not every market is the same as every other market. Every area has its own "flavor." Just because a station 1500 miles away from you is playing something doesn't mean you have to. AND VICE VERSA. Don't be alarmed if you're playing something and no one else on the panel is. It should be a badge of honor that you're standing alone on a certain record or artist, if you believe in them. It shows you can think on your own, that you know your market, that you're a leader and not a follower. If everyone on the panel is playing the exact same things, especially in the 21st century when a listener isn't restricted to only listening local, what's to keep them tuned in to you? There is always someone somewhere *in the world* who can do it better, have more knowledgeable hosts, better contests, better imaging, whatever.

Local listeners love to hear local artists. Pretty much every interaction I've ever had with a listener who asked about a certain artist or song that happened to be a local artist was surprised and then they gave me an "Oh cool, they're from around here?". Yeah, most "local" or "independent" artists can be played next to an A-Lister's hit and no one will know the difference. They might even learn something.

You labels are partially to blame for this too. Back in the day, if you didn't know what format to send a certain band or record to it was "Send it to Alternative, see if they play it!" Well, that's what has been happening in AAA the last few years too. "Send it to AAA, see if they play it!" Which leads some folks to believe it actually is a AAA record. Some of us know better.

6. What are some of your biggest challenges as a Non-Comm station?

Money. Memberships. Never enough of either for us to ever stop "worrying."

7. You work at Jack's Music Shop in Red Bank NJ – A RECORD STORE - On Sundays and Record Store Days. Why do think the store survived 53 years in a changing industry?

The fact that the actual Jack still owns the building is the biggest reason. But, that being said, there is still an audience buying physical copies. I know all of the "experts" would tell you no one *buys* music anymore and least of all in physical form. Well, I can tell you that they are wrong. Again, maybe it's the niche aspect, but by working in a record shop again, (in the late 90s I also worked at Compact Disc World in Paramus NJ) I see firsthand that people young and old are buying physical copies of music (LP and CD). The young don't even seem to blink at the much higher sticker price of an LP today. I think the new generation of music consumers is once again buying physical copies because they realize that there is value to art and it should be compensated. They are also enjoying the things that we always liked – Cover art, liner notes, credits, photos, lyric sheets, etc. The Napster Generation still don't know what they're missing.

8. Favorite artist you have met?

Hard to say. Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Marr, Britt Daniel of Spoon, Matthew Caws of Nada Surf, Old 97's, Garland Jeffreys, Ian Hunter, Suzanne Vega, Hothouse Flowers, They Might Be Giants, Robert Smith of The Cure, Roger McGuinn, Elvis Costello, Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, Tony Levin of King Crimson and Peter Gabriel, Midge Ure of Ultravox and Band Aid/Live Aid, Rob Dickinson of Catherine Wheel. But I guess you can't take the "specialty show guy" out of me, I still get the greatest thrill from discovering a new band or record, and turning other people on to them, just like I did in high school.

9. Where do you see yourself in five years? We asked you this question in 2011 and your wish came true.

I guess "Same Answer." HA! Hopefully worrying less about making money, and whether or not the government funding for public broadcasting will be eliminated.

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

... The Simpsons.

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

Going to concerts; listening to music; record shopping (while record working). If I could offer some advice to my radio compatriots… Go to a show. I've heard from many promo folks that it's nearly impossible to get radio people out to a show. Guess what? Going to see someone perform live is in your job description, or should be. Free tickets and free records are the only fringe benefits keeping many of us in the business for all these years! Get your nose out of your precious data and go see how real people react to a song or an artist. See how YOU react to a song or artist. A lot of times you won't "get it" until you see it happen in front of your eyes. Someone you may think is an unknown or marginal artist could have hundreds of people crammed into a room losing their minds. You see that, you may want to reconsider your "impression" of who that artist is and who they speak to. Don't just go see acts you already know and like. Take that invitation and go see someone you don't know much about. Step away from your computer, put down the analytics, don't look at stream counts and follower numbers, get out of your chair and go to a show! See some live music made by actual, real human beings! Go to a bar, a club, a theater, an arena - whatever. Get a glimpse of how actual, real humans act and react to the music, to the artist. And Raspe Rule #1 of concert-going: Always (when possible) show up early enough to see the support acts! You might be amazed at what you see.

Last non-industry job:

Beer manager in a wine shop

First record ever purchased:

Boston's and Foreigner's debut albums ... on 8-track!

First concert:

Summer of 1982, Pier 84 NYC. Joe Jackson/Marshall Crenshaw quickly followed by Elvis Costello/Talk Talk a couple of weeks later.

Favorite band of all-time:

Impossible to say: Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, The Jam, REM, U2, Ian Hunter, The Cure, Billy Bragg, The Clash, Suzanne Vega, The Police, They Might Be Giants, Miracle Legion, Warren Zevon, The Smiths, Richard Thompson, Steely Dan, Echo & The Bunnymen, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Graham Parker, The Connells, Poi Dog Pondering, Psychedelic Furs, Ramones, Todd Rundgren, XTC, The Wonder Stuff, Squeeze, and I better include Bruce Springsteen! Like I said, impossible to say.