10 Questions with ... Neke Howse

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

WKYS, KJMZ/Dallas, WAMO/Pittsburgh, WUSL/Philly and WERQ/Baltimore

1) How important is work ethic?

When you have a strong work ethic, it leads to consistency and dependability amongst your team. It allows you to finish projects in a timely fashion.

2) How would you describe Trap music?

Trap music is like melodic street stories put into a rhyme. Think of R&B music telling a story at a slow or mid-tempo pace with a hook.

3) What's the key to being on the air and programming?

It takes balance and a very structured scheduled. For example, if you find that you are creative in the morning, then that's when all your imaging should be worked on or completed. If possible, do your programming logs during a time of the day that you have no interruptions. It's also important to carve out time for your on-air talent as well. It is very important that when you do your air shift. You focus on the shift only. Try to resist getting into the habit of doing programming things while on the air. Mistakes will happen, and the result cheapens the product.

The pros of being an on-air programmer: You can see what your jocks see in real time. This allows you to adjust or catch potential issues quicker.

The cons of being an on-air programmer: You do not have a lot of time in the day. This is when having a schedule/list of things to do and a plan of action comes in handy. Things can fall through the cracks very easily due to time constraints.

4) Who were your mentors?

I won't mention all the names for sake of time, but I have had a lot of people who I have admired on my journey. I have learned what I aspire to be through these mentors, mistakes that I will avoid making and things to do that will guarantee a win every time!

5) Has being an army brat helped you with the process of radio?

Yes, being a child of a parent in the military gives you structure and discipline. You move a lot so it allows you to practice the art of "change" in real time and how to adapt to "change" quickly. I always had a list of chores and things that needed to be done daily (including activities). Little did I know at the time that this "list of chores" was a small piece of me being very goal-oriented as an adult.

6) Was there another profession you thought about going into?

My mom and I were riding in her powder blue Beetle Volkswagen at the time. That's when she popped the question, "What do you want to be when you get older?" Now keep in mind one has nothing to do with the other. My reply was: I love people and I have a beautiful smile. The beautiful smile was up for question because at the time I had no front teeth. Anyways, I said "That means I either need to be an airline stewardess, on TV or on the radio"

7) What's your approach in working with fresh new on-air talent?

Assess their skill level and coach them in a way that they receive it and grow.

8) Is there anything about you that would surprise people?

I love to decorate. I think I am "Miss HGTV." I'm not very good at DIY. It's a hit or miss with certain projects, but I am more than willing to try. Decorating pertains to radio; decorating requires that you have a vision from a blank canvass and see your vision come to life. It's very rewarding to see the finished product. You also must have the ability to change a plan in mid-stream because it's better than the original plan, or just because the original plan will simply not work. Often decorating requires the involvement of other people (a team) that has a better skill set than your own. That happens a lot in radio. You have a team of people with different skill sets that are working toward a common goal.... Winning!

9) What is one of the funniest things you've ever seen or been a part of in radio?

This is not a funny moment but more of a magical moment. I was an intern at a radio station in Dallas where Russ Parr was on the air. Apparently, Donnie Simpson came in town to play golf with Tom Joyner and they both decided to stop by and visit Russ while he was on the air. I thought to myself, I may never see this again in my lifetime.

10) How do you see the future of radio and audio media?

Managers will begin to understand if not already that we are not just in the radio business anymore. This will allow us to adapt, reinvent and change with the world and make radio cool again with the millennials.