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Charese Fruge’ (@MCMediaonline) Talks To Nicole Alvarez
September 20, 2022
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“Be the strongest force in every room!” Wow, that’s the biggest take away I have from Nicole Alvarez, Midday Host on “The World Famous KROQ” in Los Angeles. After reading this, it will be easy to understand how she ended up at KROQ so early in her career, and why she’s been with the station for almost 20 years. It’s no secret the station has seen some considerable staff changes and ups in downs in the last few years, but Nicole is the queen of hustle, and her main passion and goal has always been KROQ. That is key to the survival of LA radio and legitimately creating a brand and making a name for yourself in the cutthroat business that is radio in the second largest media market in the U.S.
According to Alvarez, there’s more to it than just showing up and turning on the mic. “My responsibilities include representing this brand, being my very best on air and then trying to best that, interviewing artists, hosting events, and contributing creative ideas that benefit the greater good,” she says. “My job is my main priority by design because it truly is an all-consuming love. I host major events outside of work and interview artists outside my genre and do TV work here and there, but KROQ is my focus. I write, I travel, and I enjoy the sh*t out of life with every free moment I get.”
Here's how it all started for Nicole. “I am a Cuban girl from Miami who has loved music more than the average person, for her entire life. I knew I wanted to be on the radio since I was about 10 or 11. I remember sitting in cars and listening to the local rock station and just always knowing.”
“Every time someone is asked about their history in radio, this is the part where people start spewing out call letters galore, but I will keep it simple. I got my first internship in radio in Jacksonville after experiencing my very first broken heart,” explains Alvarez. “Radio saved me. I cold called Planet Radio, the alternative rock station and convinced them to see me. I learned, I hustled, I worked my butt off. After Jacksonville I got hired at Zeta in Miami and not long after being there and being fired by a PD who didn’t quite get me, I got THE call to fly to LA and audition for KROQ. 19 years later, I am still at “The World Famous KROQ” in Los Angeles and it is still my dream job.”
“Working for KROQ is everything all at once. It is a dream, it is a hustle, it is mind blowing and heart breaking, it is hard, and it is effortless,” says Alvarez. “It is all the things any legendary brand of this caliber should be, and it is one of the great loves of my life, worth every success and every failure, every smile, and every tear. There is nothing quite like KROQ.”
“This career has always kept me on my toes, so I have known excitement on all sorts of levels,” says Alvarez. “The Most exciting? Getting my first job in radio, my first interview ever, getting a call from KROQ, every single thing about working with the people I have worked with at KROQ, interviewing my heroes, being part of a team who wants to win, seeing iconic bands in iconic venues…None of that is lost on me. My biggest accomplishment thus far is longevity and a keeping the fire burning.”
Nicole’s success wasn’t just a walk in the park though. “The biggest challenge I have faced in my career is myself,” she says. “We are all our best coaches and our worst enemies. We lose sight of our own power by never realizing we have the power to begin with. Stay focused, know what you want, acquire the skills, then just when you think you can’t, go in harder. I have screwed up so many times, but I keep getting up and I listen to the people I know care with humility, and I simply keep trying to do better.”
“I would tell any woman trying to make it in the business and in a leadership role to step into her power as soon as possible,” says Alvarez. “That means practice habits every day that set you up for success, speak your truth with grace but firmness, do not compare yourself to anyone else, and stay on that high road. Prepare for what you want and be the strongest force in every room.”
The million dollar question these days is how to capture loyalty, engagement and growth among millennials and Gen Z. The industry goal is to attract a younger audience to keep radio alive. But Nicole has a distinct perspective. One that makes some people sit back and quietly shake their heads in agreement. “The truth of that matter is that that is not my lane or even my primary job. There’s a whole team of people losing sleep over that every night,” she says. “My job is to make people happy, to be engaging, to be authentic, to be who I am, to be knowledgeable, to not waste people’s time, to hold the audience sacred, to be relatable, to know my sh*t, to show them things with new eyes and new ears. My job is to be myself if I am doing my job right. The pressure these days on chasing an audience is nuts. What about the ones you have? They matter too. I strongly believe that a great product will attract the masses they attract and together we flourish.”
Another big challenge we continue to face in the industry is lack of “DEI” on so many levels. Alvarez says, “We have moved the needle ever so slightly in the industry. The topics of diversity, equality, and inclusion are at least on the table and in the big rooms. I think we can do better. More thoughtful and long-term changes must be made, and they should be made from the heart and not out of a desperate attempt to be part of the narrative or to check a box.”
“The thing that keeps me up at night is people,” says Alvarez. “Humanity is terrifying! Finding peace and balance is tricky, you need self-awareness, humility, and courage. You need to know what you need to attain happiness, the ability to ask for help, and the courage to live exactly as you want. I am currently being brave and going after my other passion which is writing, and it is time I get to it.”
Follow Nicole Alvarez @Nicalvarez on IG and @KROQ <3
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