10 Questions with ... Lamonda Williams

NAME:Lamonda Williams TITLE:Director of Urban / Latin Programming STATION:Music Choice MARKET:Multi-platform music network based in NYC COMPANY:Music Choice BORN:Daytona Beach, Florida in 1970 ... I am '70s, baby! RAISED:half Daytona Beach, FL / half Bloomfield, CT

Please outline your career path.

1. WQTQ, Hartford CT ('86)
2. KSCR, Los Angeles, CA ('87-'91)
3. KJLH, Los Angeles, CA ('91)
4. WRTI, Philadelphia, PA ('91-'93)
5. WUSL, Philadelphia, PA ('91-'93)
6. WKND, Hartford, CT ('95)
7. WTIC, Hartford, CT ('95-'96)
8. WZMX, Hartford, CT ('95-'96)
9. WNHC, New Haven, CT ('95-'97)
10. WPHI, Philadelphia, PA ('97-'00)
11. WCDX, Richmond, VA ('00-'02)
12. WPGC, Washington, D.C. ('02-'03)
13. KNOU, New Orleans, LA ('03-'05)
14. Music Choice, New York, NY ('05-present)

1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?

Non-paid WQTQ in Hartford, CT / Paid WKND in Hartford, CT. Early influences include: Lynn Briggs, Edie Rozier, Steve Hegwood, Helen Little, Paul O. Robertson, Cathy Hughes, Doc Wynter, Wendy Williams, Daisy Davis and Kathi Brown,

2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it"?

I'll state just one name. Lynn Briggs (former PD at Stevie Wonder's KJLH in Los Angeles). She was the leading lady in my "ah-ha" moment. She influenced me to seriously consider becoming a program director.

3) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now what you didn't then, would you still do it?

Yes and no. I love radio. Always will. It's like the high school sweetheart who was your first love. But I'd do it quite differently today. If I were starting a career in radio I might also investigate other non-traditional media platforms that also market, introduce, promote and distribute music to young adults.

4) Where do you see yourself and the industry five years from now? How do you feel about the PPM eventually replacing the diary?

Personally, five years from now I'll be married with children and still loving what I do!

Industry-wise, I see a resurgence of the "indie" artist and a rebirth of something we once called the "Chitterling Circuit" -- a localized grassroots promo tour that was supported by the small independent record label. The industry will revert back to the "MC Hammer" days where artists sell music out of the back of the trunk. What I am saying is I believe labels (big super-labels) will become extinct and no longer be relevant to today's consumer and artist. All because the majority of artists will no longer need a big house to sell records or for distribution and promotion due to the technology constantly evolving.

Five years from now, the PPM will be replaced by new technology that monitors listenership via the device/tuner -- that's my prediction! Lastly we'll see less color lines in music and a more mainstream blending of formats. Genres as we know them today will become more blurred, as will their fans, resulting in very little difference between Urban and Pop.

5) How you feel about being asked to wait on a record you hear until some research system validates it?

I don't wait. At Music Choice we have the professional freedom to truly program. This is a liberty that most radio PDs do not have ... and that is to expose good music -- period. At Music Choice we program our dozens of music channels for a nationwide audience of over 40 million homes, and our Video On Demand network reaches 35 million homes across the country. We work with our label partners to promote both their emerging and established artists by featuring their audio tracks on our music channels, their videos on our On Demand Network, as well as showcasing artists on our original programs such as Artist of the Month, Tha Corner, Fresh Crops, and Rock U.

The programming philosophy at Music Choice is to play music that fits the sound of the channel, which in turn supports the music network's cluster strategy. We are not handcuffed by antiquated industry orthodox like add dates, "set-up" singles, research requirements, getting on the "list," and other criterion that really don't matter anymore. And more importantly are transparent to the consumer. These traditions chokehold radio's ability to grow, be progressive, and quite simply are old-school ways of doing business. These paradigms are moot and don't make sense anymore. It is the holding onto these old paradigms that causes our industry to lag behind, and struggle to evolve into a proactive music platform.

6) What is going to happen to the training of tomorrow's talent and programmers if the current trend continues? How do you feel about syndication and voicetracking?

We continue to experience the erosion of good talent. In fact, the talent pool is already shrinking at an alarming rate! You'd be surprised at how many calls I get to recommend a good PD on a regular basis. I am challenged each and every time to come up with a short list of names. Yes, syndication hurts the industry as well. It certainly doesn't help ... and voicetracking is just as guilty. One might say that these business decisions help the company's bottom line, but overall they also hinder the development of tomorrow's future stars. So at what cost are we winning?

7) You are now working with a team of Urban and Latin music programmers. What adjustments have you guys in store for us going forward?

We are making some slight adjustments to our Urban and Latin formats, which may not be very noticeable to the consumer's naked ear. We are currently modifying the R&B Hits channel making it more contemporary, also adding some new titles to the R&B Soul channel, plus tweaking our Latin channels and freshening up the Musica Urbana channel. It's always important to calibrate and refocus the channels from time to time. This ensures the product grows with the audience and responds to the needs of the marketplace.

8) Of all the skills you have gained through the years, is there an area you'd like to improve?

I'd like to be better at redirecting my passion into a higher level of creative energy.

9) Talk to us about the current situation at Music Choice wherein you are producing original content such as "Who Runs Hip-Hop?"

This year Music Choice introduced monthly theme-based video programming. In April we celebrated "We Love Hip-Hop." It was inside this campaign that Music Choice started producing and delivering original content on a weekly basis to On Demand. Since we debuted "VOD-isodes," the network has seen a significant increase in views and usage on a weekly basis! We continue the concept of "VOD-isodes" this June and July inside our Summer Heat campaign. We will be producing weekly video playlists hosted by today's popular pop and urban artists that feature the hottest of the summer.

10) As you look back over your career ... any regrets? Missed opportunities?

No regrets, no missed opportunities. I do, however, sometimes look back on jobs that I did not get and say, "Thank God I didn't work there!" So what's the moral to this story?

Divine order always prevails, even when you don't understand why God is moving you ... when and where He does!

What would people who think they know you be surprised to find out about LaMonda Williams?

I am really an "introverted" person.

What's been your biggest disappointment in radio today?

It's the lack of proactive positioning and very slow response to the many different ways consumers now get their music.

Share with us just one of the many stories you must have involving major artists such as Chris Brown, who have been showcased early in their career and how this has benefited both Music Choice and the artist.

Music Choice featured Chris Brown on our audio channels very early in his career, exposing his music to over 40 million music fans across the country. We then increased his exposure by adding his music videos to our On Demand network and featuring him on "Fresh Crops," our emerging artists priginal program. Soon thereafter, Chris Brown was featured on our 'Artist of the Month' program. This program is reserved for today's biggest artists.

How did you get your present job?

Damon Williams started recruiting me at The Urban Network Music Conference three years ago. Over an off-site lunch he previewed all of the product development and new and exciting growth Music Choice would be experiencing within the next five years. I wasn't an easy sale, but I saw the vision sooner than later. About a year afterwards, the company flew me in for an intensive day of interviews (awesome accommodations in NYC!) and the rest is history...

What's your favorite reading material?

I read a book a month. This month it's "The Cure for the Common Life." I read everyday on the commute to work. You can spot me on the #168 NJ Transit bus with a book open!