-
10 Questions with ... Vince La Valle
March 13, 2007
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
NAME:Vince La ValleTITLE:Evenings/ProductionSTATION:KCII-A & FMARKET:Cedar Rapids, IA (Washington)COMPANY:SerieSweep ProductionsBORN:Sept. 4, 1972 - ChicagoRAISED:Chicago & New Orleans
Please outline your radio career so far.
College - WCRX (Columbia College-Chicago), 1990-92
Pro - WJPC-A (Rap Radio), 1992-94
WEJM (106 Jamz), 1994-96
WCSU-A (Chicago State Sports), 1996-20051) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
I was a part of the crew that started Rap Radio/WJPC in 1992. There had never been a station to play music 24 hours a day, and we did it for two years on a rather suspect AM signal. My influences range from my first owner, the late John H. Johnson of Ebony/Jet fame; Tom Joyner (whom I call "Uncle TJ"); Doug Banks; and the late "Rapmaster" Pinkhouse (my Rap Radio colleague).
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment, which made you realize "this is it"?
I was in Chicago for the summer before my senior year of high school, and I saw Pinkhouse do one of his many remotes for college state WKKC-F. He had so much fun doing it, and I said, "This is what I want to do. I want to rock the crowd!" Little did I know that I would be his teammate four years later. Pinkhouse taught me a lot about being a black male in this business and handling yourself accordingly. He died of a heart attack in November of 1996, and people to this day revere him as one of the best DJs to ever come out of the Windy City.
3) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now, what you didn't then, would you still do it?
I wouldn't be as eager to try and jump into the limelight like I did, because in hindsight, even though I had the skills, the maturity level wasn't quite there. There is a difference in entering the business at age 19 and re-entering it at age 34.
4) Where do you see yourself and the industry five years from now?
Achieving a goal I set when I entered the Illinois Center for Broadcasting in 2005: to be a voiceover DJ in nearly every music format. I'm already in Urban, Smooth Jazz and Country and have done a little Top 40/Mainstream and Classic Rock.
5) How you feel about the current proposed merger between Sirius and XM Radio?
This might be a good thing for consumers for the simple fact that you now create a one-stop shop with two brands as it relates to satellite radio. Not to mention, the two companies save a lot on marketing as well. What would be key is if the new combined company made an alliance with HD Radio to broadcast on a particular band and give consumers another listening option - sort of the way FM is to AM now.
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?
I am so glad I got into ICB when I did, because I think those who are serious about the business should get themselves into schools that are in the know about the business. I was able to develop alliances with a number of Internet stations while at ICB, and they gave me opportunities to do a lot of voice work that I would not have gotten by more traditional means.
As far as syndication and voicetracking go, the only reason they are vibrant parts of today's landscape is because of the small-market stations that allow them to come in. Otherwise, you would only hear those people in the Top 50 markets. With Internet radio and the ways to receive it now saturating the market, someone like me can start a show and get a slew of stations to run it; the key is to be consistent about your content. If you don't love it, no one else will.
7) What adjustments have you had to make so that your service is more compatible with the multiple markets you now serve?
It really depends on the format that I do. If I'm doing my flagship program, "Hot Cakes and Sausage Morning Show," then I get into my hip-hop mode. If I'm doing 'Music City Saturday," then I get into my country mode. Same with my afternoon drive show on BaySmoothJazz.com, "Afternoon Smooth Drive."
8) Of all the skills you have gained through the years, is there an area you'd like to improve?
Probably being able to sell someone in a big market on my syndicated shows. Because the big markets are so saturated, you have to be able to stand out as "the must-have show." That's why it's important to have a love for this business as if it was your spouse; once you show it, everyone follows suit.
9) How do you feel the Internet presently competes with terrestrial radio, and what advantages, other than being commercial-free, does it offer?
The way Internet radio is distributed now as opposed to five years ago, one could argue that who needs satellite radio when you've got the 'Net to do the same thing for much less? My content is designed to give each station I serve a "national-local" feel -- national enough to be appreciated, local enough to be accessible. I want listeners to feel that my show is their show too.
10) As you look back over your career, any regrets? Missed opportunities?
The only regret I have is not having Pinkhouse around longer in my early years in the business. He was the big brother I had in the business and schooled me a lot on how this thing we call radio works from the inside. Most of what I am now is from watching and listening to him.
Bonus Questions
How did you get your present job?
I found this opportunity in the Iowa Broadcasters Association job bank. Did some research on the place and found it to be a very nice fit. Thankfully, it's not out in the Rockies by all that snow.
What is your biggest challenge?
Using my skills to relate to people in a small town in a format that doesn't allow much for personality. It isn't easy trying to be perky when the format is primarily Billboard Top 40 classics and information. But you learn how to work inside the format, and once you get used to the flow of the music, roll with it. Listeners will pick up on your genuineness.
What's the best liner you've ever heard?
Here's one you rarely see in Urban radio: "#1 in the Streets."
Describe your favorite meal?
Since I do a lot of cooking (hint, hint, you female radio folks), I love making pasta of all types. Baked chicken with rice, green peas and corn is a dish I've mastered down to the hour I can leave to go to work.
Do you read? Everything? Books, Magazines, etc.? Nothing? What's your favorite reading material?
What's helped me stay topical in this business is reading the music trades (i.e., Vibe, Billboard, R&R, AllAccess.com, etc.). I'm also into studying history, especially black history, so I'm always on wikipedia.org finding out about some little-known African American and rounding myself out with that knowledge. You'd be surprise at how little that average black person knows about themselves.
How did the events of 9/11 change you personally?
I have to admit, seeing those planes hit the Twin Towers that morning on the TV gave me a lot of pause and made me realize that we finally got hit in the chops on the mainland, much like that day in 1941 in Hawaii. What angers me is the way those events were used as an excuse to go after someone we rendered useless a long time ago in Saddam Hussein. We still haven't gotten Bin Laden, and the money we've wasted toward this so-called "war" (can someone say "Vietnam"?) could have been used to help a lot of people back here in the U.S. But I guess that's what happens when an oil man gets control of the most powerful country in the world.
Is there any question that we didn't cover here? Feel free to ask it and answer it here and we'll add it to the list:
Here's a great one - advice for young people wanting to jump into the business in a large market: Starting in a large market is good, but you have to be realistic about where you are. You are competing with tons of other people -- beginners and veterans -- who would love the limelight of your metropolis. A key way to get in is to find a school in the area that has a lot of connections with those stations, much like ICB. Then, use the internships that they offer to your advantage. Yes, there is no money involved, but you're talking about time and experience that is so valuable. If it wasn't for my internship at V-103/Chicago under former news director John Davis, I wouldn't have the versatility now that affords me to be a cross-format broadcaster. Plus, working in Washington, IA works just the same as in Washington, DC. The point is to get on air and maintain your position with the skills you possess.
-
-