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10 Questions with ... David C. Linton
July 23, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Best advice given to me was, "Put yourself in a position to write your own ticket." Another piece of advice was "Don't keep up with the Joneses, be the Joneses." However, the best may have come from my grandfather: "Your name will get there before you." The best advice I've given someone was "Success is the best revenge"
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1) Who have been your influences in your career?
My radio career was heavily influenced by Frankie Crocker, Hank Spann and Jerry Boulding. As a teenager or even before, I was always glued to the radio. I listened to radio more than I watched TV. My music label career was influenced initially by Ernie Singleton, Jimmy Bee, Gwen Franklin, Brenda Smith -- and later Ray Harris, Jean Riggins, Johnny Barbis and Rick Dobbis. Actually, all of the record promotions people who I met during my early days as a PD in Raleigh, NC at WSHA and later at WRVS. As the only Black FM-formatted station (WSHA) during the late '70s and early '80s, I got to know quite a few label people. Jimmy Bee, Jean Riggins & Clarence Avant would eventually teach a brother how to get paid.
2) Was a radio career by choice or a happy accident?
A little bit of both ... always wanted to be on the radio but never really thought of it as a career. I just knew that Frankie Crocker was always well dressed, surrounded by the beautiful women and had a Rolls Royce (Silver Cloud) and I thought the life of DJ/PD was cool. I learned early if I was going to be a DJ or work at a radio station, I wanted to be in management. I digress, when I got to Shaw Univ., I was a Business major, and didn't even know it had a radio station. My friend Gary Mayo (fellow New Yorker) was on the radio and so was this fine sister by the name of Eleanor Mathews. So. I was trying to get to know her, so I spent a lot of time at station waiting for her to get off the air (sports/news reporter).
One day the head of the Communications department, Dr. Paul F. Vandergrift Jr. said, "If you take a Communications class, you could spend more time around her." I thought what the heck ... next thing you know I'm changing my major to Radio-TV-Film (as it was called back then) and made Business Administration my minor. Again, if I was going to be a DJ, I was going to manage the other DJs. Long story short, I married the young lady and became GM of the radio station and as they say, the rest is history. If anyone can be credited for my career, it has to be him; he convinced me to change my major and then taught me everything I really needed to know about being successful in the business of media. He later named me GM/PD of the station and the NOAA weather radio, which Shaw Univ. had received the grant to run. He got a brother a paycheck.
3) Would you tell us about your station?
WCLK is celebrating 45 years on the air and it's one of the leading Jazz formatted stations in the country. I want to thank our GM, Wendy Williams, for giving me a chance to program radio after a 30-year hiatus. We are a Smooth Jazz Billboard Reporter and PPM measured. We have an HD2 channel where I program mainstream jazz and a HD3 channel, which plays R&B/Hip-Hop. If you download the WCLK App you can hear all three stations We have a talented air staff which includes our midday host Rivablue, Jazz at Sundown host Debb Moore, and Gospel Shows on Atlanta radio hosted by Rodney Evans. The station has so much more potential and I want to bring some excitement to it.
Atlanta is a competitive radio market with some really good stations. Although we are owned by Clark Atlanta Univ., we are dedicated to servicing the greater Atlanta population. We've had 5 straight rating periods showing an increase in our audience since I took over programming in Sept. 2018. In May our Cume hit an all-time high and we moved up in market rankings for AQH ratings. The almost quarter-million people seem to approve of what we are doing. We did a remote from the St. Lucia Jazz Festival with our afternoon-drive personality Jamal Ahmad. He hosts a three-hour weekend syndicated show "The S.O.U.L of Jazz" which is a spinoff from his daily afternoon show "Soul of Jazz." We will also be at the Life Luxe Jazz Festival in St. Carbos, Mexico --it will be hosted by our morning man Morris Baxter --and we're sending two winners there as well.
In celebration of our 45th Anniversary we've had two concerts this year -- Patti LaBelle in April and on July 19th, we had Kirk Franklin and Koryn Hawthorne. The latter in honor of our Gospel show, "Joy In the Morning," one of the longest running gospel shows on Atlanta radio. In September, we'll be hosting a golf tournament to raise funds for our operations.
4) What's the best advice you've either given or heard?
Best advice given to me was, "Put yourself in a position to write your own ticket." Another piece of advice was "Don't keep up with the Joneses, be the Joneses." However, the best may have come from my grandfather: "Your name will get there before you." The best advice I've given someone was "Success is the best revenge."
5) If budget was no object, what kinds of things would you like to do with your station?
If budget was not an object, I would like for us to do more external marketing. We are a viable station in a Top-10 market but lack the resources to properly, in my opinion, to compete in the marketing department. Every day I meet people who say, "I didn't know Atlanta had a jazz station." For a station that's been in the market for 45 years, that's not what you want to hear. Billboards, T-shirts and other marketing materials are so vital to keep our brand top-of-mind. I would also have a TV commercial, expand my air talent pool, give my current team a raise, and I'd remodel our studios.
6) How do you see your role as PD?
I see myself as an architect or coach. I draw up the plays for the team to execute. I also believe it's my responsibility to help each air personality grow professionally and stretch their talents. I also see myself as the one to help foster a sense of family and promote collaborative efforts and of course, be the ultimate gate keeper of the airwaves.
7) What's different about public radio in 2019?
The biggest difference about public radio in 2019 is that it's more competitive. Deregulation has allowed us to more aggressive in the underwriting department. We have a rate card for PSAs and underwriting spots. We have law firms, doctors, nightclubs that "advertise" with us on a regular basis as Underwriters. We can't have "Call to action" or use adjectives like "Best" or "Greatest" to describe a service or product other than that...I would also say the Public Radio has embraced technology and has been ahead of the curve as they were using satellites for decades. Finally, NPR, which has long been known for news is now focused on its Music Stations. I was recently on a panel in Philadelphia as part of the Non-Comm Music Alliance. This group is concerned with policies that affect public radio stations and its relationships with Performance Rights Organizations and other content creation matters. The one thing that hasn't changed is the need for the public to support us with financial contributions during our Membership Pledge Drives.
8) How about sharing some standout music industry and radio memories?
Well, living in the now, the best new memory was to receive the May Nielsen ratings and to see the station had reached its best weekly cume and ratings in the station's history. In a reflective manner ... signing on WRVS/Elizabeth City as the first public radio station in Northeastern N.C. in 1986. Of course, attending various conventions we once had. My first industry award was given to me by Jack-The Rapper Gibson, at one of his "Family Affairs" conventions -- ironically, in Atlanta -- and it was named after Jimmy Bee. Ranking right up there is introducing Prince to a crowd at Dorton Arena in Raleigh when he was the opening act for Rick James; then to fast forward as a record executive at Warner Brothers and Prince was giving us a tour of Paisley Park and I got to sit on the motorcycle used in the movie "Purple Rain;" The night Biggie got shot, we had been in a L.A. all week promoting his single "Hypnotize" from "Life After Death Album" and everything was lovely then ... Man, I have so many memories I could be here for days writing about them.
9) Could you share the plans for this year's Living Legends Award Show on Friday, October 4th?
Of all things I've been blessed to do serving as Chairman of The Living Legends Foundation is one of the most rewarding. This is purely a volunteering role as is the same with our two boards. We will once again be in L.A. to recognize the career achievements of some very talented individuals. This show promises to be bigger and better. Our Honorary Chairs are Ray & Vivian Chew and back as our host is Dee Dee McGuire of "DeDe In The Morning" at K-104 Dallas. This year I will be presenting the Chairman's Award to one of the real pioneers in the media industry Mr. Sidney Miller of Black Radio Exclusive.
10) How do you see the future of the Living Legends Foundation?
I see the foundation continuing to grow ... more importantly, I'm looking for us to get the next group of industry leaders to get involved. This foundation is now 28 years old, one of if not the longest surviving organization dedicated to black music and the only one focused on helping non-musicians who worked in black music when life throws them a curve ball. We're older than Music Cares and I want to thank Ray Harris who had the vision to create such an organization. We want to continue and expanding our recently created Scholarship Program. We learned so much about the needs of our student and how institutions are creating new programs to assist student's relieve student debt. We would like to deepen our knowledge and participation and relationships in the academic realm.
Bonus Questions
What's it like being back on the air?
In a word, "strange." However, it has been fun. Currently, I'm on the air 10p-12mid. Mon-Fri. I think as PD, it's good to get behind the mic so you can experience what your on-air talent is experiencing from listeners calls, music rotations, etc. It really helps me see what's working and what needs to be improved upon. I'm not a fan of voicetracking, although it's a great tool for convenience.
How do you see radio evolving?
Radio will always be a personal medium. One thing about being in public radio, we get access to all types of studies. A recent study showed that despite calls about radio's death, radio has been the most resilient medium. Pay/subscription services have affected TV more as people prefer local radio for music and news because of its "local nature." National outlets have their place, but they will never beat the localism of radio. One of the things I focused on was not what people liked about our station but what makes them turn away. I zeroed in on those things first and we're getting the results. This is an interesting time in Atlanta radio because all the stations are going through some changes at some level. The shift will set the course for the next few years or longer.
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