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10 Questions with ... Elroy R. C. Smith
September 26, 2006
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NAME:Elroy R. C. SmithTITLE:OMSTATION:WGCI, WVAZ, WGSB, WVONMARKET:ChicagoCOMPANY:Clear ChannelBORN:BermudaRAISED:Bermuda
Please outline your radio career so far:
ZFB - Bermuda, WERS - Emerson College - Boston, WILD -Boston -1981-1983, KJMS Dallas -1986, WGCI Chicago. - 1992 - present.
1) What was your motivation for getting into radio? Describe the process. Who are your early influences?
I got into radio as another way of getting into the music business. When I was still a teenager, I was in a singing group called Universal Five. When that didn't work out, I became interested in radio. I applied for a job at ZFB in my native Bermuda, I only worked at ZFB for a short time before I was informed by the PD that I would never make it because of my inability to read. I was determined to overcome this problem. which I did by reading the encyclopedia daily. After that I was even more determined.
I went to New York to attend announcer's training school and returned to Bermuda and the PD offered me a part-time air shift. I wanted to go to college, but I didn't have a high school diploma. I got a letter of recommendation from a politician and minister in Bermuda and was admitted to Graham Jr. College in Boston, where I got an associates degree. I eventually enrolled in Emerson College and got a bachelor's degree in mass communications and ultimately, a masters degree. Naturally, I did an air-shift at the college station, WERS. Eventually, I began serving an internship at WILD-AM in Boston under a PD named Steve Crumbley, who wanted a Caribbean announcer and didn't know that Bermuda was not really the Caribbean. I eventually became the PD and stayed them until 1988 when Summit Communications hired me to program 100.3 JAMZ in Dallas. I stayed there for a year, returned to Boston and WILD. I joined WGCI in Chicago in 1992 and I have been here every since.
My early influences include Steve Crumbley, James Alexander, Marv Dyson, and Jerry Boulding
2) A lot of people want to know about your station in Bermuda.
In July of 2004, along with principle partners Glenn Blakney and Scott Pearman, we signed on Bermuda's HOTT 107.5. The format is urban contemporary featuring hip-hip, R&B, inspirational and Reggae.
3) Can you benefit from down books as well as up books?
I think you can benefit from both an up and a down book as long as you examine the reasons for each move.
4) How do you feel about the PPM eventually replacing the diary?
We'll just have to wait and see how the PPM changes the way we program and make the adjustments necessary to continue to win.
5) How often do you do talent development with your full-time staff?
As often as is necessary. Each of the air-personalities on WGCI has their own individual characteristics and needs and I try to adjust to those needs and make sure that I meet with the staff as a unit as well as individually.
6) What is going to happen to the training of tomorrow's talent and programmers if the current trend continues?
That's an on-going problem that all of us who are in a position to train and guide are going to have to do.
7) How do you feel about syndication and voice-tracking?
I am not a big fan of syndication and voice-tracking. I like to be local and involved with the community. We do have Tom Joyner, as you know, on WVAZ, and occasionally we may air a special, but I believe strongly in localization.
8) You and Armando recently recruited and are in the process of hiring a well-known morning air-personality to be an overnight talent on WVAZ. What's up with that?
Well, you know we have just hired BJ Murphy from KRNB in Dallas and we're calling the show, "Late Nights With BJ Murphy." It's going to be like a morning show in the late night daypart. It's going to be different with lots of personality and we're really excited about it.
9) Although it is a foregone conclusion that both auditorium music tests (AMTs) and perceptuals are both important, which do you find give you the most leverage in the ratings battle? Since it's traditionally more difficult to test new music over the phone and get a positive response, because it's unfamiliar to most people, how reliable can the results be? Elaborate.
I think you have to know your market and know what they like. I've been in Chicago now since 1992, and I've come to
really know what this community likes and will embrace. A huge part of our success, here at WGCI stems from the fact that we go beyond the music and get involved directly to the community and do events for them. If there is an issue that's important, we will stop the music and go live and discuss it. I think this has a lot to do with why we have been so successful in this market, especially with WGCI.
10) As you look at the urban radio business in general, what concerns you the most?
I believe my major concern is finding and training not only future air-personalities, but also programmers. I think that part of burden falls on those of us who are in a position to help train, guide and recommend to do just that. We have to give something back.
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