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10 Questions with ... Derrick 'Lil'D' Greene
June 26, 2007
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TITLE:PDSTATION:WBFAMARKET:Columbus, GACOMPANY:Clear Channel RadioBORN:Another Planet, 19** A.D.RAISED:North Alabama
Please outline your radio career so far.
W*** (some hole-in-the-wall station), WEUP (Huntsville, AL), WHRP (Huntsville, AL), WBFA (Columbus, GA).
1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?
I had several radio "positions," but my first radio "job" was WHRP (Power 93.3)/Huntsville, AL. I grew up listening to WENN in Birmingham and was inspired to do radio by jocks like Dave Darnell and Chris Coleman. I have been heavily influenced by my parents and Phillip David March.
2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment, which made you realize "this is it"?
My love for music dates back to my early childhood. I begin piano lessons at 5 years old, but as I got older I realized that JS Bach and Brahms were really not the genre of music for I enjoyed performing. I began DJing and producing R&B and hip-hop and opened my own music studio in the mid-'90s. Furthermore, a local station needed spots voiced and produced and I gave it a try. After I heard myself on the radio, I knew this was it!
3) If you were just starting out in radio, knowing now what you didn't then, would you still do it?
Hell yeah, I would just be further along. The industry is changing because of technology, not because of substance. Great jocks and great production will always be around.
4) Where do you see yourself and the industry five years from now? How do you feel about the PPM eventually replacing the diary?
Honestly, VP/Urban Programming for one of the companies. This might sound arrogant, but who doesn't want to hire a young, innovative, aggressive, educated programmer? I feel like I know what's wrong with Urban radio. (I just can't give out the secret.)
5) How do you feel about being made to wait on a record you hear until the research validates it?
That is so prehistoric; the music business has changed. With the Internet, iPods, and satellite radio, we have to be more aggressive on music. If we sit back and wait until a song is researched, the listener will explore other options to get the song.
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?
The talent pool will be watered down! The 13-year-old today who has aspirations of becoming a "radio personality" is witnessing a skeleton of radio in the '80s and the '90s. Programmers are not teaching jocks how to do breaks with substance. It's just backsell, weather, traffic, and keep it short. Syndication and voicetracking are only good in one day part (overnights). Cutting corners has taken the localization away from our communities, and being a live jock with live callers is almost extinct.
7) What adjustments have you had to make in your new position?
I had to become a real manager. As an assistant program director, you always say, "I can do that job." But when you get in the chair, the game is different. Everyone is looking at you for answers and guidance.
8) Of all the skills you have gained through the years, is there an area you'd like to improve?
There is always room from improvement. I would start with my managing skills. I would like to grow as a better personnel manager. I think dealing with so many strong and different personalities -- it takes time to feel out people. I'm still young in the game, yet I've got great people I can call when I hit a snag in the road.
9) How do you feel the current situation with fines and firings is going to affect future morning shows? Are air personalities going to be less creative and adventuresome because of the fear of being fired?
This is just a fad. When we [the media] need stories, we even look for things in our own house. Morning shows will always be cutting edge. If your morning show is not walking the line, your competitor is, and your ratings will suffer.
10) As you look back over your career, any regrets? Missed opportunities?
None. I wouldn't change anything along the way. I really think things happen for a reason. People are put in your life to give you insight. You might meet a person and he or she is the biggest a** in the world; however, that lets you know how you don't want to act. Along my journey I have surrounded myself with great people, with very positive and encouraging motives. When I run across a negative person, they really don't stand a chance!
Bonus Questions
What would people who think they know you be surprised to find out about Derrick Greene?
You're how old? You have a wife, and kids.
What's been your biggest disappointment in radio today?
Voicetracking, syndication, penny pinching.
How did you get your present job?
I'm still trying to figure this one out! I was interim, demoted, referred, hired, and promoted all within six months.
What is your biggest challenge working at 101.3 The Beat in Columbus?
I must find creative ways to run a station with a very small budget.
What do you do with a song you don't like?
If I'm forced to play it, I push it to the overnight, somewhere around 5am. If I'm not forced, I put it in the giveaway basket.
What's the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you? The worst?
Best, wear a condom! Worst, replace all the radio versions with the extended 12-inch versions.
Describe your favorite meal?
I can't.
What's your favorite fast food?
Burger King, that chicken sandwich combo, add cheese and extra mayo. (It's dry if you don't have enough mayo.) And a Sprite.
Do you read? Everything? Books, Magazines, etc.? Nothing? What's your favorite reading material?
The newspaper -- I read it from front to back. USA Today, local and regional.
How did the events of 9/11 change you personally?
This might sound insensitive, but it didn't change anything concerning my struggle. New York City seems so far from Columbus, GA. It's as if 9/11 happened in another country. I understand it affected our economy and our people. However, it seems everyone has moved on as if nothing ever happened.
What's your favorite restaurant (anywhere in the country)? Why?
Linda's Soul Food in Decatur, AL. The best soul food in America, hands down. If you're ever in the area, check it out!
You just won the lotto and you have your boss on the line. What's the first thing that you would say?
I'm on my way in to work right now, and we will discuss the purchase of this station after I talk to my lawyer.
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