10 Questions with ... Ms. Smiley

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Went from part-time on-air to full-time on;air; Promotions Director to MD and now PD in a matter of five years -- God is good!

1. Where and what was your first job in radio?

I held a part-time shift on Hot 102.7 on Sunday mornings, which is a good place to start. Not too many people are up listening to hear you mess up.

Early influences?

My early influence was "The Electrifying Mojo" back in the early '90s. He was so compelling and all he did was play the hits. Go figure.

2. Which were the most influential radio station(s) growing up?

At that time, Clear Channel had the only Urban station around besides 107.5 WGPR.

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

Absolutely.

4. What stations pre-sets are in your car right now?

First 105.9 KISS, second Hot 102.7, third AM 1200 WCHB. Anything after that is irrelevant and may be for monitoring purposes only. Ha ha.

5. How you feel about being asked to wait on a record you hear until the research validates it?

Thank God our SVP/ Programming Jay Stevens gets it. Jay Stevens will allow programmers to put records in the mix show that we feel strongly about or create events around them to showcase or put them on the websites for poll testing. But immediately following, you better have it on the research list.

6. How do you feel about syndication? Does it significantly affect the number of hours that you have control over the music that you play?

Wow, I could write a book here, but I'll keep it simple. In a PPM world, syndication is a gamble. Some shows work and some don't. But what really hurts a syndicated show in my opinion is when it sounds like a totally different station than what your local programming sounds like. Yikes!

7. Because of callout research, are today's Urban and Urban AC programmers going to be slower in adding and playing new music? What is the maximum number of spins a record in power rotation could be expected to receive in a given week on your stations in Detroit?

Great programmers stay in the know about what records are hot in the clubs and the streets -- and not just the records that the labels are pushing. You have to be very aggressive in getting new records into research.

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

I'd like to have more one-on-one times with all of the jocks. I'm almost there. LOL.

9. How do you account for and what effect do you feel the continuing ratings patterns in Detroit are going to have on the market? Do you feel there are going to be new challengers from other formats?.

In Detroit, it seems like there are a thousand stations right now. And some of the Top 40 stations are bleeding over into the Trban stations and stealing their cume. Urban stations have to stay true to their format and focus on super-serving their P-1s.

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

No regrets. I know the importance of opportunities and if a great one comes my way that I'm ready for, then I'm jumping all over it.

What would people who think they know you be surprised to know about Ms. Smiley?

That I'm very much into video editing.

Name the one gadget you can't live without

My 'Droid. I live on Twitter.

What's been your biggest disappointment in radio today?

I think that there is a very shallow talent pool when it comes to mixers and jocks.

Do you feel that urban stations should be more careful not to blindly copy formats but tailor them specifically to the age and racial make-up of their own markets?

Super-serve your P-1s and stay true to your format!

Do you feel that Urban stations should support new artists?

Yes, but first they must have a record that makes sense for Urban radio to play (a hit) ... and a label to support the record. Business must be in order and ego set aside!