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10 Questions with ... Sam Weaver
July 11, 2006
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NAME:Sam WeaverTITLE:OMMARKET:Dallas-Ft. WorthCOMPANY:Service BroadcastingBORN:Kirkwood, MO (suburb of St. Louis.)RAISED:Kirkwood, MO (suburb of St. Louis.)
Please outline your radio career so far:
It is easier to cover formats, Top-40, Rock, Country, Mainstream Urban, Urban AC. I was a Bartel baby. A screamer. My first PD gig was WDAI in Memphis. My path has taken me from San Francisco to Chicago. Before coming to Dallas, I spent 10 years as PD of KPRS in Kansas City.
1) What was your first job in music?
I got my first commercial radio job at KR|FRU in Columbia, Missouri while attending the University of Missouri. It was an AC station with lots of news and sports. The job was weekends.
2) Who were some of your early influences?
My early influences were a mixture of sports and music. Growing up in St. Louis exposed me to Harry Carey, Skip Carey, Jack Buck, Doug Eason, Johnny Rabbit and Spider Burke. Professionally, my early career influences included Charley Lake, Don Mack, Jerry Boulding, Joel Denver and a host of others.
3) What led you to a career in this industry?
Originally I had my sights set on a journalism degree, however, speech and communications seemed a better fit.
4) Was there a defining moment, which made you realize "this is it"?
There was a defining moment that changed my thoughts from being a professionals student to the broadcast profession. To make long story short, upon graduation, I wound up with two apartments. An associate had agreed to sublet my first place while I signed a new lease somewhere else in town. The associate bounced three check and disappeared leaving me with one too many apartments. I decided it was time to take my degree and get out of town. As luck would have it, I got a gig on my first try.
5) How do you feel terrestrial radio competes with Internet radio these days?
Internet and satellite radio are a part of the dilution and not the destruction of terrestrial radio. There is a place for everyone. I am more concerned about I-pods, Internet radio and satellites are the children of terrestrial radio. I-pods are music without mc's.
6) What can be done to develop future air-talent, especially morning show talent?
You have to recognize talent before it can be developed. Essential tools for a talent include humility, intelligence, an open mind and a radio awareness. Morning radio is a combination of things. It takes a special person to do mornings. It is not waking up and telling jokes. One has to be a student of life and then manage to make it fit the confines of radio. I have been fortunate enough to help a few announcers along the path of growth. It is still one of my favorite things to do.
7) What's your take on current music? Is it as good as it was six months ago, better, or about the same? Elaborate.
Everything is about the same as it was 6 months ago. Both records and radio are playing it safe. The consumer perceived hits keep coming at a more cost efficient rate for record companies. Meanwhile, radio keep trying to separate real from real crap.
8) Tell us what music we would find on your car or home CD player (or turntable) right now and what is it you enjoy about that particular selection?
I have worked for many formats, my answer might confuse and amuse. In my car I have the following CDs: Big and Rich, Ray Charles Coach Carter and a custom made hip-hop and mix tape that includes cuts form Chingy, Twista, Kanye West, J-Kwon and a bunch of other acts.
9) What format does not exists that should? Would it work?
I think a 70's, 80's and early 90's hip hop and rap format would work. There is an Urban AC format in there somewhere.
10) Where do you see the industry and yourself five years from now?
I see the industry growing in new directions as well as re-discovering itself. I see myself adjusting and working within whatever framework we'll adapt to at Service Broadcasting.
Bonus Questions
Please describe the best or worst promotion you've ever been part of.
I do not know about the worst, but the funniest happened to me what I was MD/on-air at country outlet WUSL in Chicago. We had this secret combination vault thing for money. It was a Saturday night and I was doing 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM. In between songs, I was messing with the vault and damn it, it opened. The thing made all this noise, sirens, bells, the whole bit. I did not now know how to turn it off and if I turned the mix on, everyone in Chicago would know the vault was open. I had to seg into commercial breaks for about an hour. I had no luck calling the engineers. Finally, I broke down and called my PD and friend, Lee Logan. He laughed so hard he couldn't stop. The only thing he said was, " I guess you didn't read the memo about fooling around with the vault." Needless to say, I survived. And that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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