10 Questions with ... CJ Riddick

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I started at First Media my senior year of high school in 2004 as a part-time board op running NASCAR on WPTM. Then I started producing the local high school football and basketball games. They loved the way I incorporated bumper music, special liners, highlights of the big plays, and the scoreboard updates into the broadcast, so they moved me to more of an on-air announcer. In 2005, WYTT flipped from Urban AC (running off The Touch) to its current format and I started doing nights. Then in 2007, the opportunity came up to program WYTT. The ratings and revenue shot up and I was then promoted to my current position in 2009. In May of 2015, I got another opportunity to do IT work for a medical group in North Carolina, while also keeping PD stripes at WYTT.

1) Would you share you radio background with us?

I actually started doing pirate/low-power/Internet radio when I was 12! My cousin's Dad was a radio engineer. I always wanted to be a DJ and hanging around them, I got educated in radio. All I wanted to be was a DJ on the radio and later a PD. But in my 10-year career I have done it all ... on-air, sales, engineering, promotions, digging ditches, cleaning windows, moving transmitters bigger than refrigerators, play-by-play, traffic, billing ... if it involved radio, I did it and loved every minute!

2) What do you think it takes to be a successful Program Director?

People skills, time management, teaching ability, and the art of listening. Those are the most important things to becoming a successful PD.

3) Is it hard to program and do a daily air shift?

Not really, I use my air shift as an escape from the meetings, phone calls and other small problems. I have fun with my air shift.

4) How important is it to get out and observe?

Very ... seeing the different ways how people consume music and more importantly, what grabs their attention both song and content-wise. I travel to different offices so I see many different ages and races, and see how they pick up on songs, see what throwbacks they react to and I keep all of that in mind when I am working on clocks and music rotations. I also try to pick up on what they are talking about and I keep that in mind when I am picking out the content for my show.

5) Have your personal goals changed?

Yes. Right now I am working to get better at the three jobs that are in my life right now (IT, radio/PD and mobile DJ). I have some other long-term major goals, but they are top secret right now.

6) What's your advice for air personalities just starting out who want to program?

Be patient. Learn how to do everything! Sales, traffic, production, imaging, websites, graphics, minor engineering. Everything! An understanding of all departments will give you a much better understanding what everyone goes through every day and you never know when something may happen to someone and you can fill that role. Also I think it's important to read All Access as well as other trade publications every day. And blogs and articles that other PDs and consultants write. It's also good to keep a PD in your Rolodex. Ask questions to better understand why things are done.

7) How do you see yourself growing in this business?

When the topic of top programmers comes up, I want my name to come up along with guys like Skip Dillard, Reggie Rouse and Jay Stevens. Hopefully, someday I can be considered a programming legend such as Bill Drake, Frankie Crocker or Rick Sklar. And achieve this goal before I am 40, LOL. I also see myself being VP/Programming for a major company.

8) What do you think is unique when it comes to your city and its listeners?

I am the #1 source for discovering new music. Our listeners are vocal and that's the first thing they say about WYTT. The people in the community want to be involved with the radio station and when you try to do community events.

9) How do you see the future of radio?

I see radio using the video capabilities of social media to create new ways of promoting the station and the clients. Doing comedy skit-type videos or drama-type videos inside and outside the studios opens up all new possibilities.

Radio will continue to grow and be profitable as a whole. On the Urban side, it could be bigger! But we have to develop new talent and make the radio the #1 destination for discovering new music!

10) Why do you like radio?

No two days are ever the same. It's something new to learn and try at every corner. It's also a job where you're allowed to be silly, and creative most of the time. Not many jobs allow that. And I love being on the air and trying to make my listeners day a little better.