10 Questions with ... Dave Dickinson

1) What was your first job in radio? Early influences?

My fist paying job was WNHC, where my duties were to keep the station on the air overnight and tell when the morning man came in late. Sorry, Hamp Hazelton! I think I was hired because I'm 6'4" and dumb, and Hamp was 6'7" and angry!

2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment that made you realize "this is it"?

The moment I knew this was it was the day after I cracked the mic in college ... and I was "That Guy" on campus!

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

I wouldn't want to work another job besides radio. Radio has opened up so many doors for me, it's ridiculous! I would make sure I asked for more money earlier in the game, though!

4) Where do you see yourself and the industry five years from now?

In five years, I'd like to see myself right here in this chair, managing winning people!

5) How you feel about being asked to wait on a record you like until the research validates it or until the label's impact date?

Fortunately, I don't have those types of constraints, and I've been pretty good at identifying good music. Sorry, record companies, if you don't want me to play a song, don't make it good then give it to me (I have no control)!

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

Syndication has been very good to me! Of course, being the "Control Freak" I am, I'd love to have more input on the shows we carry, but you take the good with the bad.

7) Because of callout research are today's Urban and Urban AC programmers going to be slower in adding and playing new music? Given your syndication commitments, are your spin totals going to be much lower ... and how is a record in power rotation going to be affected in a given week on WHUR?

They can be slow if they want, but they are going to get blown out! Spin totals can vary widely because of syndication and the lack of control of what is played by the hosts.

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

My negotiation skills.

9) How do you account for and what effect do you feel the continuing ratings dominance even with PPM that WHUR currently enjoys? And is this going to have an effect on the changing on the Washington market? Do you feel there are going to be new challengers from other formats?

The great ratings in the past were wonderful and for me, it just made me more thankful and prudent in what we took on. Now the new challenge is to learn how to continue to make the PPM system work for me and, in turn, those who wish to use us as a blueprint.

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

I have no regrets because everything we have done makes us what we are ... and I am loving life!

What would people who think they know Dave Dickinson be surprised to know about you?

That I have one of the biggest egos in the world! I LOVE to be the center of attention!

What's been your biggest disappointment in radio today?

That I didn't start earlier in life.

What's your favorite reading material?

My favorite things to read are books on management, sales and marketing. I also like to read Entertainment Weekly and the New York Post sports section

How do you feel about Arbitron's PPM eventually replacing the diary?

PPM gives us the opportunity to lay some new ground rules for programming with it. The system is not going anywhere, so we have to embrace it.

WHUR is unique in America and the world. Nowhere else is there a commercial radio station owned and operated by a college or university that has had the consistent success that WHUR has had. As if that weren't enough, WHUR has been consistently at or near the top of the Arbitron ratings in Washington D.C. How do you explain that?

Simple. We do good radio and we give the people of DC what they ask for!