10 Questions with ... Mark Abuzzahab

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

My first real radio job was at WREV (Rev-105)/Minneapolis. I also worked part-time at KTCZ (Cities 97)/Minneapolis, thenwent to WOXY/Cincinnati, WNCS/Burlington, VT, and KBCO/Boulder-Denver

1. How did you become interested in radio?

I had two older brothers, so when they weren't giving me records to listen to, I listened to KQRS. Almost everything I've learned in radio, I can think back to KQRS in the '80s ... and they did it. As I got older and KQRS got more conservative, I discovered KJJO, an early Alternative station.

This was Minneapolis in the late '80s, and KJJO was the only station playing adventurous new music, especially the local bands that got signed, such as The Replacements, Husker Du and Soul Asylum. I kept pestering them for an internship, and eventually they relented because I could type. They were still scheduling traffic by hand, and my job was to type the commercial logs. As my typing got faster, I graduated to filing CDs in the studio, and eventually dubbing the callout hooks onto cassette tapes.

It was a great foundation for college radio - I knew all the music and could thread a reel-to-reel. I spent the vast majority of my four years at Ithaca College at WICB. I was the guy who was always at the station when he wasn't at class, opening up mail, talking to reps or reading the trades.

2. Who are your mentors?

I would have never gotten into Triple A if it wasn't for Lauren MacLeash. She is by far one of the smartest PDs I ever worked for, and she was able to look past my bad airchecks from Rev-105. Scott Arbough is the PD I learned the most from. I don't think he gets enough credit for KBCO's success. Sure, there are a lot of factors, but I have never worked for someone who pays as close attention to all the details as Scott. There is a very strong work ethic there and a culture to succeed and that all stems from Scott ... and he built Studio C into a pretty impressive brand.

3. You've been at KGSR for a few months now. How are things settling in?

Things are going great. We've seen a nice increase in ratings, although the PPM is just underway here, so the game is about to change. However, I think we're ready because Emmis has done a ton of research and prepared us well for the transition. We've also seen record attendance at our annual events, like our morning broadcast at the Four Seasons during SXSW, Unplugged at the Grove and Blues on the Green.

4. How would you describe the adjustment in sound the station is going through?

Have you ever eaten a burrito at Taco Bell? You take a bite and you get all the sour cream. The next bite is all guacamole. They just throw everything in and close it up. There's a place in Boulder on the Pearl Street Mall called Illegal Pete's. They don't have the best burritos, but their uniqueness is after you order all the ingredients you want in your burrito, they mix it all up and then wrap up the burrito. That's what we're doing at KGSR - we still play a wide variety of music and reflect our market, it's just spread out. The old KGSR was similar to Taco Bell in that you would hear Lyle Lovett into Robert Earl Keen. We still play those artists; you're just going to hear a wide variety of music between those two.

5. It must be pretty exciting to be in a music-focused city like Austin!

There's really no place like Austin. The audience here is really supportive of live music -- I go out to shows on weeknights that are packed, and I never get tired of hearing labels tell me that the Austin date drew the biggest audience on a tour. The Austin City Limits Festival sold out before the lineup was even announced - where else could that happen? I think it really hit me a couple of months ago when I went to my first Austin City Limits taping. I remember watching that show as a kid, and the set is still pretty much the same. It was a pretty cool feeling walking into that studio and seeing the pictures on the wall of all the performers over the years. Another factor is that artists really like to play Austin. Everyone who comes here is excited to get migas or BBQ at their favorite place or go shopping on South Congress.

6. You will be hosting the Music Meeting at the Triple A Conference this year. Are you nervous?

The only thing I'm worried about is that I won't be able to live up to Bruce Warren's level of sarcasm. He set the bar pretty high, but since he won't be there I can make fun of him and he won't be able to defend himself.

7. Without revealing the acts you will be playing, how has the selection of new music to choose from been?

I've had a lot of fun reaching out to managers and labels looking for music to play - there's a lot of good stuff coming out in the next few months.

8. Most surprising record of the past 12 months?

"Always Remember Me" from Ry Cuming. It's been one of our best performing songs all year, and most of our staff is still gushing over his performance in the music lounge.

9. What new bands are you guys most excited about at KGSR?

We're playing a local band called Quiet Company that I like a lot. I've always liked Jose Gonzalez, so I'm excited to hear more from Junip. Ryan Bingham isn't new, but his new album is great.

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

Caffeine. I don't care if it's Diet Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew or Waco Water (Dr. Pepper), as long as it has caffeine. Coffee works in the AM, but in the afternoon I turn to a slightly lower form of caffeine.

What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?

I have bicycled at least once to every radio station I've worked at. It was pretty easy in Boulder, where most of the streets have bike lanes and everyone rides - I used to take the longer more scenic way into work because following the bike lanes was just too easy. The toughest was WOXY, because I lived 40 miles away in Cincinnati. It took me about 2.5 hours thanks to the hills. Everyone I worked with thought I was crazy. I still have nightmares of that narrow shoulder leading into Oxford and the massive wind shear from the semis.

Last non-industry job:

American Express Financial Advisors (I still have the gold desk clock)

First record ever purchased:

My brother gave me the laser-etched version of Split Enz "True Colors"

First concert:

Bob Dylan - Riverfest in St. Paul

Favorite band of all-time:

XTC