10 Questions with ... Sam Weaver

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I am the Editor for Urban/R&B at All Access and owner of a radio talent coach/strategic advisor business (Radiocoach.biz) for terrestrial/Internet radio personalities and programmers.

I have been in the business for years as a programmer and air personality. My format background includes Top 40/Mainstream, Urban, Country, Sports, Talk and Rock. I have worked in Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, Dallas, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Memphis, Greensboro, and Kansas City. My list of 12 stations programmed includes WDIA/Memphis, the oldest Black-operated property, and KPRS-KPRT/Kansas City, the oldest Black owned-and-operated stations.

Besides numerous programming awards, other career highlights include teaching in the Broadcast Department at Columbia College in Chicago, on the Board of Directors for the Living Legends Foundation, former member of the American Arbitration Association, comedy writer for the late Jerry Boulding's Highlights radio show, and hosting Westwood One's Superstars of R&B Concert Series.

I like beginning each year with a self-interview to voice my thoughts on a few things.

1. What do you listen to?

Nothing is pre-set on any device. I am pretty much an ESPN and NPR listener. However, I will move around on my app and listen to music stations all around the U.S, Europe, and anywhere else I can tune in.

2. How do you view radio sales right now?

I think Rod Serling's opening monologue for TVs "Twilight Zone" best describes it,

"It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone."

3. What are you excited about these days?

The Urban Alternative public radio format developed with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Paragon Media Strategies. The Urban Alternative format was created to engage younger and more diverse audiences in major cities. The stations carrying the format are Chicago Public Media’s Vocalo, KTSU in Houston, KUVO’s The Drop in Denver, and WNSB in Norfolk, Va. These non-commercial stations do not have tight playlists and are a haven for lovers of R&B and Hip-Hop. It’s my understanding that there are plans for more of these stations to pop up in other cities over the coming years.

4. If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now what you didn't then, would you choose it as a career?

Yes, but in addition I would pursue a career in journalism. I would also take classes in web design and learn everything I could about video editing.

5. What bothers you?

It bothers me that so many people and households still do not have computers or Internet access. It's been this way for a while, but it took a pandemic to point out the magnitude of the problem. A couple of years ago I took part in a music conference and after critiquing a sample done by a 13-year-old, we found out he did all his editing on the school and library computers. His mother who was with him was a single mom raising him and his brother. They could not afford a computer. COVID-19 brought this problem to light in communities all around this country. Kids can't take classes online without computers or with poor Internet connections. And I'm not just talking about elementary and high schools--this has affected college students too. The good news is that there are a lot of good people currently trying to correct these issues. It's just something that needs to be corrected in city and rural areas.

6. Is there anything else that bugs you?

Yes, I know it has become common place to abbreviate a lot of things -even relationships; J-Rod (Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez), and Kim-Ye (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West). But I wish people would stop assuming "everyone in the room" is hip and understands the abbreviated words. For example, is it that hard to say merchandise instead of merch? Yes, be relatable to the target audience, but don't overdo it. Another pet peeve of mine is only saying HBCUs. I've been asking programmers to always say "Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs." Believe or not there are a lot of people that don't know what HBCU standing for. So why not say it the way that will increase the knowledge base for all.

7. What are the differences between programming in a PPM or Diary market?

The only difference is the methodology and frequency of releasing ratings. PPM methodology provides information weekly and monthly. Over the years the need to get good ratings has remained the same regardless of rating systems. The best stations are focused, the personalities are concise, the music appeals to the majority of the target audience, research is interpreted correctly, and the station is efficiently marketed.

8. What does the future hold for air personalities?

Whether it's terrestrial radio, syndication, or local, it takes the same skills to connect with an audience regretless of the audio media platform. Authenticity is what an air personally is supposed to convince the listeners of; if you create a believable persona, be true to it. Air Talent anchors the radio industry, and the microphone is power. Try to be the friendly informed voice.

9. How about sharing those who have made an impact on your radio IQ?

Here is list of all my influences by category:

• PDs: Charlie Lake, Jerry Boulding, Buzz Bennett, Lee Logan, Joel Denver, Tony Gray, Ken Dowe, Quincy McCoy, Jerry Clifton and Bill Bailey
• GMs: Chuck Scruggs, Drew Horowitz, Nancy Cooper, and Charles Mootry
• Owners: John H. Johnson, Mrs. Mildred Carter, Skip Finely, Mike Carter and Reese Poag.
• Morning personalities; BJ Murphy, Tom Joyner, Dr. Don, Donnie Simpson, Jeff Foxx, Scott Shannon, AC Williams, Larry Lujack and the Deadly Dr. Bobby Brown
• Non-morning personalities: Jo Jo Kincaid, Ernie C, Bill Lee, Ron Chavis, Harry Nelson, Yvonne Daniels, Bob Uecker, Chuck Geiger, Johnny Rabbit, Walt Love, Harry Caray and Kitty Neely.
• Production Directors: Terry Fox, Jerry Vigil, and Pat Garrett.
• Promotions Directors: Rich McCauley
• Music Directors: Myron Fears and Art Goewy
• Business Managers: Maureen Furlong
• Sales Managers: Bart Horton and Vic Dyson
• Radio Icons: Frankie Crocker, Dick Clark, Chris King
• Influences on theory and mindset: Richard Nixon, Phil Jackson, Malcolm X, Lyndon B. Johnson, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., my grandfather, George Steinbrenner, Harry Caray, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, E. E. Cummings, George Carlin, Flip Wilson, Bill Veeck, John Wooden, Dave Chappelle, Johnny Carson, Eddie Holland, and Vernal Beckman (8th grade speech teacher)

10. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Never assume. Always allow someone the opportunity to say “yes or no” to whatever it is you want.

What might surprise people about you?

• That I see radio's relationship with the consumer as a combination of politics, sports and basic human want & need. Writing is my first love, a career in contemporary music radio was a fluke. My second love is sports play-by-play, I grew up listening to Jack Buck and Harry Caray. In college I did basketball play by play for a year.
• Four years prior to the first recognized successful national daily show prep service, I had attempted to convince a couple of syndicators on the idea.
• Type in, “radio talent coach” on Google, and I occupy four or five of the positions in the top 15. I have clients in a variety of formats -- Country, Classic Rock, Urban, Urban AC, Sports radio, independent Internet radio owners & personalities, and podcasters.